“Please don’t let any one stir,” she begged. “It is barely a hundred yards and I much prefer going alone.”
Lady Mary got up from the piano and detained Jacob as he turned to follow the other two men.
“Mr. Pratt,” she asked, “how did you contrive to offend Miss Bultiwell?”
“I refused to put some money into her father’s business,” he explained. “Her father was hopelessly bankrupt and tried to palm off a false balance sheet on me. He afterwards shot himself. It was unfortunate, but I cannot see that I was to blame.”
Lady Mary sighed.
“Of course,” she said, “I feel I am being rather generous in trying to help you, because I am beginning to rather like you myself.”
“There doesn’t seem to be anything against your encouraging the feeling,” Jacob replied, with a rather sad twinkle in his eyes. “I don’t think Sybil will ever have me.”
She made a little grimace.
“I don’t like being a second choice,” she confessed. “Couldn’t you get to like me best?”