He whistled a gay little tune, and turned over the pages of the Hazlitt, reading sentences here and there.
“Tea in a minute?...” he said gaily. “Just got a line or two more to finish. Then I’ll be with you.”
She looked at him as though she would say something more: she decided, however, that she would not, and trailed away.
Returning to the drawing-room, she found Katherine standing there. Katherine’s cheeks were flushed and her eyes sparkled: she was wearing a little black hat with red berries, and the black velvet ribbon round her neck had a diamond brooch in it that Philip had given her. Rocket was bending over the fire: she was laughing at him. When she saw her mother she waved her hand.
“Mother, darling—what kind of an afternoon have you had? I’ve had the loveliest time. I lunched at Rachel’s, and there, to my immense surprise, was Philip. I hadn’t the least idea he was coming. Not the slightest. We weren’t to have met to-day at all. Just Lord John, Philip, Rachel and I. Then we had such a walk. Philip and I. Hyde Park Corner, right through the Park, Marble Arch, then through Regent’s Park all the way up Primrose Hill—took a ’bus home again. Never enjoyed anything so much. You’ve all been out too, because here’s the fire dead. I’ve been telling Rocket what I think of him. Haven’t I, Rocket?... Where are the others? Millie, Aunt Aggie. It’s tea-time.”
“Yes, dear, it is,” said Mrs. Trenchard.
It was incredible, Katherine was utterly unconscious. She remembered nothing.
Mrs. Trenchard looked at Rocket.
“That’ll do, Rocket. That’s enough. We’ll have tea at once.”