VIt was four o’clock when the dilapidated little two-seater stopped with a sound of crunchinggravel. A girl got out of it—a small slender creature with a mop of dark hair. She ran up the stepsand tugged¹ at the bell.

A few minutes later she was being ushered² into the long stately drawing room, and anecclesiastical butler was saying with the proper mournful intonation³: “Miss de Bellefort.”

“Linnet!”

“Jackie!”

Windlesham stood a little aside, watching sympathetically as this fiery⁴ little creature flungherself open-armed upon Linnet.

“Lord Windlesham—Miss de Bellefort—my best friend.”

A pretty child, he thought—not really pretty but decidedly attractive, with her dark curly hairand her enormous eyes. He murmured a few tactful nothings and then managed unobtrusively toleave the two friends together.

Jacqueline pounced—in a fashion that Linnet remembered as being characteristic of her.

“Windlesham? Windlesham? That’s the man the papers always say you’re going to marry! Areyou, Linnet? Are you?”

Linnet murmured: “Perhaps.”

“Darling—I’m so glad! He looks nice.”

“Oh, don’t make up your mind about it—I haven’t made up my own mind yet.”

“Of course not! Queens always proceed with due deliberation to the choosing of a consort⁵!”

“Don’t be ridiculous, Jackie.”

“But you are a queen, Linnet! You always were. Sa Majesté, la reine Linette. Linette la blonde!

And I—I’m the Queen’s confidante! The trusted Maid of Honour.”

“What nonsense you talk, Jackie darling! Where have you been all this time? You justdisappear. And you never write.”

“I hate writing letters. Where have I been? Oh, about three parts submerged, darling. In JOBS,you know. Grim jobs with grim women!”

“Darling, I wish you’d—”

“Take the Queen’s bounty⁶? Well, frankly⁷, darling, that’s what I’m here for. No, not to borrowmoney. It’s not got to that yet! But I’ve come to ask a great big important favour!”

“Go on.”

“If you’re going to marry the Windlesham man, you’ll understand, perhaps.”

Linnet looked puzzled for a minute; then her face cleared.

“Jackie, do you mean—?”

“Yes, darling, I’m engaged!”

“So that’s it! I thought you were looking particularly alive somehow. You always do, of course,but even more than usual.”

“That’s just what I feel like.”

“Tell me all about him.”

“His name’s Simon Doyle. He’s big and square and incredibly simple and boyish and utterlyadorable! He’s poor—got no money. He’s what you call ‘county’ all right—but very impoverishedcounty—a younger son and all that. His people come from Devonshire. He loves the country andcountry things. And for the last five years he’s been in the City in a stuffy⁸ office. And now they’recutting down and he’s out of a job. Linnet, I shall die if I can’t marry him! I shall die! I shall die! Ishall die….”

“Don’t be ridiculous, Jackie.”

“I shall die, I tell you! I’m crazy about him. He’s crazy about me. We can’t live without eachother.”

“Darling, you have got it badly!”

“I know. It’s awful, isn’t it? This love business gets hold of you and you can’t do anythingabout it.”

She paused for a minute. Her dark eyes dilated⁹, looked suddenly tragic¹⁰. She gave a little shiver.

“It’s—even frightening sometimes! Simon and I were made for each other. I shall never care foranyone else. And you’ve got to help us, Linnet. I heard you’d bought this place and it put an ideainto my head. Listen, you’ll have to have a land agent—perhaps two. I want you to give the job toSimon.”

“Oh!” Linnet was startled.

Jacqueline rushed on: “He’s got all that sort of thing at his fingertips. He knows all about estates—was brought up on one. And he’s got his business training too. Oh, Linnet, you will give him ajob, won’t you, for love of me? If he doesn’t make good, sack him. But he will. And we can live ina little house, and I shall see lots of you, and everything in the garden will be too, too divine.”

She got up.

“Say you will, Linnet. Say you will. Beautiful Linnet! Tall golden Linnet! My own very specialLinnet! Say you will!”

“Jackie—”

“You will?”

Linnet burst out laughing.

“Ridiculous Jackie! Bring along your young man and let me have a look at him and we’ll talk itover.”

Jackie darted¹¹ at her, kissing her exuberantly¹².

“Darling Linnet—you’re a real friend! I knew you were. You wouldn’t let me down—ever.

You’re just the loveliest thing in the world. Good-bye.”

“But, Jackie, you’re staying.”

“Me? No, I’m not. I’m going back to London, and tomorrow I’ll come back and bring Simonand we’ll settle it all up. You’ll adore him. He really is a pet.”

“But can’t you wait and just have tea?”

“No, I can’t wait, Linnet. I’m too excited. I must get back and tell Simon. I know I’m mad,darling, but I can’t help it. Marriage will cure me, I expect. It always seems to have a verysobering effect on people.”

She turned at the door, stood a moment, then rushed back for a last quick birdlike embrace.

“Dear Linnet—there’s no one like you.”

 

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