1911095250 by Annie Haynes

Author:Annie Haynes [Haynes, Annie]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Dean Street Press
Published: 2016-02-10T22:00:00+00:00

Chapter Fourteen

“IF YOU please, Sir Arthur, could you come into the houses for a minute? I am not quite satisfied with that new root from Chile. There’s a dryness—”

“All right, Gregory, I will be back directly; I must just see the ladies to the house, and then—”

Mavis stood still.

“How absurd, Arthur! As if Hilda and I could not take care of ourselves for that little bit of a way! You can go at once, can’t he, Hilda? We shall be perfectly safe.”

“Certainly! Please go,” Hilda agreed promptly. “Indeed, I would rather you did. We should feel obliged to hurry if we knew we were keeping you from your orchids, whereas Mavis and I can dawdle as much as we like, and I think it is lovely to be out in the gloaming.”

“So do I,” agreed Mavis, putting her arm through the other girl’s. “Go on, Arthur, we will look after ourselves.”

“Well, if you really do not mind,” Arthur conceded reluctantly. “I dare say I shall catch you up before you get to the house.”

He hurried away. The two girls walked leisurely towards the house, laughing as they talked over the approaching festivities, for Arthur’s coming of age was only three weeks distant now; and though their engagement was a secret to the world at large the young man insisted that Hilda should be consulted with regard to all the arrangements. Lady Laura’s dislike to the whole affair had in no way abated, but, realizing her helplessness, she had ceased to offer any opposition, trusting that time might show Sir Arthur the folly of the proceeding.

It seemed to Mavis sometimes, looking on, that his love for their beautiful visitor increased rather than diminished, and she had little faith in matters turning out as her mother wished. The longed-for improvement in Hilda’s memory had not taken place. Mavis very often doubted whether it ever would—the girl herself seemed so well now, so full of vitality in every way, save for that fatal blank in her recollection.

Notwithstanding her real love for Dorothy and Garth Davenant’s avowed distrust of Hilda, Mavis had from the first fallen under the girl’s fascination to almost as great an extent as her brother, and Hilda had responded to her evident affection with a caressing, wayward wilfulness that the other girl found very winning.

“Have you decided on your frock for the ball yet, Mavis?” Hilda asked as they turned through the shrubbery. “You really must make up your mind about the colour to-night and then let me arrange it all for you. I will write to Madame Sternforth and tell her just what I have designed for you. I know exactly how it ought to be made to suit your style and to charm Mr. Davenant,” she ended with a little laugh.

Mavis paused.

“Now, Hilda, you know that I have told you I will not do anything towards getting my gown until you have promised to have one too. You remember mother said we were to have them alike in every respect.

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