He was in the seventh heaven of delight which followed the dread of the loss of her society, and the two rode side by side, as they had ridden scores of times when they were schoolboy and schoolgirl, chatting with frank freedom on Olivia’s part, and with that half-shy timidity which the timorous lover always feels.
By the time they had reached Glenmaire the Cherub’s light-heartedness had awakened a responsive sentiment in Olivia’s breast, and she was laughing and forgetting the sudden and mysterious repulse which Mr. Faradeane had inflicted upon her on the preceding day, when Bertie pulled up, and uttered an exclamation.
“Good heavens! Just look at that!”
Before them, in a space which had been cleared for the occasion by Mr. Bartley Bradstone’s woodman—Glenmaire was a part of the property he had purchased—were four huge footmen in the Bradstone livery setting out an elaborate collation, adorned by a complete service of plate, and flanked by several magnums of Pommery.
A luggage fourgon, with a pair of horses in silver-plated harness, which had conveyed the feast from The Maples, stood at a little distance, and presiding over the whole of the preparations was The Maples’ butler in regulation white tie and suit of solemn black.
“Good heavens!” exclaimed Bertie, “fancy a picnic with plate, four footmen, and a butler!” And he laughed; then, with his usual good-nature, he added, quickly, “But it is awfully good of Mr. Bradstone to have taken so much trouble.”
“Yes,” said Olivia, dreamily. “But he might have had a brass band.”
This so tickled the Cherub that he burst into a loud laugh, which brought two bright-eyed, fresh young girls to their side. They were the two Penstone girls, who were in nowise remarkable, excepting for their position as Sir William’s daughters—the baronetage was one of the oldest in the county—and their perfectly frank and unenvying delight in, and admiration for, Olivia.
To these two simple country girls there had never been, since the world was created, so beautiful and clever and altogether fascinating a creature as Olivia Vanley.
They pounced upon her, one on each side of the horse, and clung to her with loving eagerness.