“Yes, and it was Miss Graham who sent her, I understand?”
“Yes. Rachel has no right to be angry about it, but she is an odd girl, and full of caprices. I wish to know where you met her last night. I saw that you came back in the cab with her, but I cannot find out from her where she had been or what she had been doing. Now I quite understand that she is free to go about by herself, and to transact her business without interference; but as she is living in my house, and I feel, as it were, answerable for her, I think she ought to show me a little more consideration than she does, and that my curiosity when she misses the dinner-hour and has no very clear explanation to give is only natural. She says she was detained by business, and then she leaves her cloak in a tea-shop, and presently she returns home with you. So that you must have met her twice yesterday, Mr. Buckland, and can, I hope, satisfy what I am sure you will not think idle curiosity.”
The old lady, having talked herself out of breath while Gerard was thus given an opportunity of considering a diplomatic reply, sat back and paused, looking at him with pursed-up lips, which he took as a sort of warning that she expected a straightforward and full answer.
He did not want to tell too much, or to put her on the track of Rachel’s real movements by saying that he had met her at the stores.
But at the same time he felt that he might make worse mischief if he were to say something which Rachel herself would contradict.
So he said diplomatically—
“I met her casually, in the first place, near enough to a tea-shop in Westminster for us to go straight in there, as she looked tired.”
“Westminster!” echoed Lady Jennings dryly, and he felt that he had probably “put his foot in it” already. “What was she doing there, I wonder? And where”—she turned upon him suddenly—“did you meet her the second time?”
What on earth was he to say? The truth was not to be thought of. He certainly could not tell her that he saw Rachel going into a police-station.
She perceived his hesitancy and spoke sharply—