He took it with inward satisfaction, for it afforded him exactly the excuse he wanted for going to Lady Jennings’ house, to find out whether Rachel had really returned there, as she had apparently proposed to do.
He was half ashamed of himself for his mistrust, well founded as it was, as he got into a hansom and drove away.
CHAPTER VIII
Gerard arrived at Lady Jennings’ house at an awkward hour, and felt rather diffident as to the sort of message he should give, as he knew it would be dinner-time, so that he could not very well ask to see Rachel, and yet did not like to ask if she were at home and then give the cloak.
When he got to the house, however, he saw that there was no light in the dining-room, the window of which was wide open, but that a lady was sitting in the room above, which he knew must be the drawing-room. There was a light in the room, but the lady was standing between the curtains, looking out.
Puzzled and disturbed, he resolved to ask boldly whether Miss Davison was at home, and did so, on the opening of the door.
“Yes, sir,” said the footman in answer to his inquiry, and he at once proceeded to show Gerard upstairs into the drawing-room, where the young man found himself face to face not with Rachel, but her younger sister, Lilian.
The girl was looking charming, her fair hair, which she still wore tied with a large bow of ribbon at the back of the neck and hanging down her back, shone in the glare of the electric light like gold; while the simple frock of pale pink cotton and the schoolgirl black sailor hat with a pale pink ribbon, suited her girlish face and figure to perfection.
She greeted the visitor with frank pleasure.
“I’m so glad to see you again,” said she. “I know how much Rachel likes you, and how kind you were at the Academy. And you like Rachel, don’t you? That is quite reason enough for me to be glad to see you.”