"Listening is not his speciality, but I will try," promised Mrs. Twining. "Where is he?"
"Oh, it would never do if you disturbed him before lunch!" said Fay, looking quite flustered at the bare thought of such a thing. "He's writing letters in his study."
They ascended the steps on to the terrace. Stephen Guest pulled up a chair, his gaze on Fay's face. "Come and sit down," he said. "You look done up."
She pushed the hair away from her forehead. "I've got a headache. It's nothing." Her voice was forlorn; as she sat down she raised her eyes fleetingly to his, and he saw that they had filled with tears. She tried to smile, and said in a low, unsteady voice for his ears alone: "It's all right, Stephen. Really it's all right."
Mrs. Twining was talking in her pleasant way to Camilla Halliday; Dinah was wondering what had happened to Geoffrey and his Lola, when Finch came on to the terrace to tell Fay that Mrs. Chudleigh had called, and would like to see her.
"Oh dear!" said Fay involuntarily; then, recollecting herself, she added: "Ask her if she will come out on to the terrace, please."
"Blast and damn!" said Dinah. "What on earth can she want?"
"Dinah darling!" expostulated Fay.
"That's a lady who's mightily interested in other people's business," said Guest. "I can't say I like the type myself."
"She wants me to give a talk at the Women's Institute, said Fay. "I said I'd let her know, only I forgot."