She felt a lump rise in her throat, achieved a tremulous smile, and fled, but not before she had heard Cedric exclaim in tones of the liveliest surprise: “Ricky, you ain’t really in love with that chit, are you?”
“I think,” said Sir Richard, closing the door, “that we shall be more usefully employed in discussing the circumstances which brought you here, Cedric.”
“Oh, by all means!” Cedric said hastily. “Beg pardon! No intention of prying into your affairs, dear boy; not the least in the world! Now, don’t get into a miff! You know how it is with me! Never could keep a discreet tongue in my head!”
“That is what I am afraid of,” Sir Richard said dryly.
“Mum as an oyster!” Cedric assured him. “But that you of all men, Ricky—! That’s what beats me! However, no concern of mine! What’s all this you were telling me about Bev?”
“He’s dead. That seems to be the most important thing.”
“Well, it’s no good expecting me to pull a long face over it. He was a bad man, take my word for it! What was he doing in this spinney you talk of?”
“As a matter of fact, he went there to meet me,” said Sir Richard.
Cedric frowned at him. “More in this than meets the eye. Why, Ricky?”
“To be plain with you, he had hit upon the notion of extorting money from me by threatening to make known the fact that my supposed cousin was a girl in disguise.”