“When I surmised what your plan was, I felt it was no affair of mine. I was close at hand, but I kept myself in the background. I felt that it was your game, for you to play out alone.”
She drew a deep breath. So that was his reason!—he had given her her leash, he was letting her run free. Though watching her, he was, as he had said before, leaving it to experience to make of her what it would.
She recalled his initial inquiry. “The affair ended,” she said briefly, “by my being forced to tell Maisie Jones, in confidence, that I was secretly married to Jack.”
“And Maisie Jones? I know she loved Jack.”
“She promised not to tell, or interfere.”
“Is that all? And if so, why?”
“She seemed to think—I did not try to deceive her; she deceived herself—she seemed to think I would make Jack a better wife than she would. And she said that, so Jack wouldn’t get into trouble with his father about the engagement, she would have a letter written to Mr. Morton breaking the engagement off because she did not love Jack.”
“Is that all?”
She met his gaze with composure, showing nothing of the strange and persisting emotion Maisie Jones had awakened in her. “That is all.”
“Thank you.” He did not pursue his inquiry, though his eyes regarded her keenly. “To come back to your request that I help you with Jack. Whether I help you depends upon what you intend doing. First, how do you happen to be here?”