Coventry had duly arrived, and although, as luck would have it, he found
himself seated next to Mrs. Halyard, the fact that no one but the two
people most intimately concerned were aware of any particular reason why
they should not sit together enabled them to carry off the situation
without visible effort. It had been a matter of more difficulty to merge
Miss Caroline's personality into the prevailing atmosphere, but every one
helped. They were all used to the fact that if they wanted to enjoy the
rector's company they must be prepared to put up with his sister's, since
the canons of a country neighbourhood forbade inviting the one without the
other, and on this particular evening Forrester had chaffed her into such
good humour that she became quite skittish, and contributed some truly
surprising outbursts of frivolity to the general conversation.
"Rejuvenation while you wait," Robin had murmured to Cara, under cover of
the buzz of talk.
Mrs. Hilyard had laughed that low, pretty laugh of hers which was always
free from the least suspicion of "cattiness." "I defy any one to maintain a
grown-up attitude when Brett decides that they shan't," she made answer.
Thanks to the arrangement of their respective seats at the table, Ann had
been able to avoid holding any conversation with Eliot without provoking
comment.
Pages:
242
243
244
245
246
247
248
249
250
251
252
253
254
255
256
257
258
259
260
261
262
263
264
265
266