Lady Pen was looking very beautiful that
afternoon. She wore a broad-leaved hat which did not wholly conceal her glorious hair. Hair the same colour as certain short feathery rings that framed a pale, pathetic little face that haunted him.
"Talking of Amber Guiting," he said, "did you ever come across a Miss Morton down there? A friend of Miss Ross."
Lady Pen turned and looked hard at him. "Oh dear, yes; she's rather a pal of mine. I knew her long before I met her at the Ross's. Why, I knew her when she was companion at the Trents, poor little devil."
"Did she have a bad time there? Weren't they nice to her?"
"At first they were nice enough, but afterwards it was rotten. Clever little thing she is, but poor as a rat. What do you know about her?"
Again Lady Pen looked hard at Miles. She was wondering whether Meg had ever given away the reason for that short hair of hers.
"Oh, I've met her just casually, you know, with Miss Ross. She strikes me as a ... rather unusual sort of girl."
"Ever mention me?"
"No, never that I can remember. I haven't seen much of her, you know."