"No, you don't," she said. "It's too bad. There was only a little, and Nina ate it."
Nina, who had not been listening, looked up.
"What's that I ate?" she asked.
"Doody says you ate all the seed-cake," explained the duke.
"Oh, I believe I did. It was exceptionally good, too. I wish there had been more."
"You don't wish it half as much as I," and there was a suspicion of querulousness in his grace's tone.
"He's flying at Doncaster to-day," Nina observed, devouring the aviation news, and already forgetful of the duke and the seed-cake.
"Who's flying?" he asked sharply.
"Pierson," answered Nina. "My David."
"Then I hope he jolly well breaks his neck," was the snapping rejoinder as his grace wheeled about and set off for the castle to admonish his housekeeper.