“Blithering ass!”
The girl looked into the two indignant faces and held out both her hands.
“You’re very nice, both of you,” she said gently. “But I’m afraid you are going to be in a hopeless minority here as regards me.”
They eyed her incredulously.
“You can’t imagine,” Sydney exclaimed, “that the people downstairs will be such drivelling asses as to believe piffle like that.”
Anna measured out the coffee. Her eyes were lit with a gleam of humour. After all, it was really rather funny.
“Well, I don’t know,” she said thoughtfully. “I always notice that people find it very easy to believe what they want to believe, and you see I’m not in the least popular. Miss Ellicot, for instance, considers me a most improper person.”
“Miss Ellicot! That old cat!” Sydney exclaimed indignantly.
“Miss Ellicot!” Brendon echoed. “As if it could possibly matter what such a person thinks of you.”
Anna laughed outright.