I laughed. “Oh, I should have recognized you in a moment if that had been the case. I never forget a face.”
This made him uneasy again, but, as the band struck up, he gave his arm to Miralda.
“Thanks for a delightful chat, mademoiselle,” I said lightly to Miralda. “May I take you to your partner, madame?” I asked, offering my arm to the Contesse.
Instead of accepting it she said to Miralda. “If you see Vasco tell him I’ll give him another waltz for this. I am going to sit this out with Mr. Donnington—that is, of course, if he is willing.”
“I’ll tell him, Inez,” replied Miralda over her shoulder as she walked away.
Inez was silent until they were out of hearing, and then she said very meaningly: “What an excellent actor you are, Mr. Donnington.”
“May I return the compliment? I saw that you wished it to appear that we were complete strangers. And with your permission that is just what we have been up to the moment of this introduction.”
Another pause followed by a surprise for me.
“So you are Miralda’s Englishman!”
But I was too well on my guard to betray myself. “Am I really?” I asked with an easy laugh. “We had a jolly time for a week or two, but—that’s four months ago.”