“And I went up to the tennis-court with the intention of knocking his head off; and now I’m wondering why he didn’t knock off mine. Nora, he’s a man; and when you get through with this, I’m going down to the hotel and apologize.”
“You will do nothing of the sort; not with that eye.”
“All right. I was always worried for fear you’d hook up with some duke you’d have to support. Now, I want to know how this chap happens to be my son-in-law. Make it brief, for I don’t want to get tangled up more than is necessary.”
Nora crackled the certificate in her fingers and stared unseeingly at it for some time. “I met him first in Rangoon,” she began slowly, without raising her eyes.
“When you went around the world on your own?”
“Yes. Oh, don’t worry. I was always able to take care of myself.”
“An Irish idea,” answered Harrigan complacently.
“I loved him, father, with all my heart and soul. He was not only big and strong and handsome, but he was kindly and tender and thoughtful. Why, I never knew that he was rich until after I had promised to be his wife. When I learned that he was the Edward Courtlandt who was always getting into the newspapers, I laughed. There were stories about his escapades. There were innuendoes regarding certain women, but I put them out of my mind as twaddle. Ah, never had I been so happy! In Berlin we went about like two children. It was play. He brought me to the Opera and took me away; and we had the most charming little suppers. I never wrote you or mother because I wished to surprise you.”
“You have. Go on.”
“I had never paid much attention to Flora Desimone, though I knew that she was jealous of my success. Several times I caught her looking at Edward in a way I did not like.”