She raised her beautiful brows a little at the question and slightly shrugged her shoulders.
"You don't want to?" pursued Jake.
Her blue eyes met his for a single instant. They were dark and remote as a deep mountain tarn. "Not in the least," she said.
He swung round with a jingle of spurs and came to the table by which she stood.
"What if I wish you to come?" he said.
The faint, cold smile still drew her lips. She had begun already to arrange her flowers.
"Of course your wish is law," she said.
He leaned towards her, laying an abrupt hand upon hers. "Maud!" he said.
She became still on the instant, but she did not look at him or attempt to avoid the tobacco smoke that curled between them.
"Maud," he said again, and there was a hint of pleading in his voice, "why can't you be friends with me? Surely I'm not all that hard to get on with!"