Her lip curled: "Explain!"
"I've been doing my best," Summerlad argued resentfully. "When I saw how it was going to be with you and me, and found out Nelly'd come back to Hollywood, I went to her and had things out—gave her some money and promised her more, on the strength of her promise to go back home and get a divorce on the dead quiet."
"And did you hope to keep that a secret from me?"
"My name isn't Summerlad, anymore than hers is Marquis—or yours Lee. I thought I'd.... I thought everything was going to be all right till she turned up again with your officious husband."
"You think Bel had something to do——"
"I think he hunted Nelly up, if you want to know, and induced her to come back here, in violation of her agreement."
"But Bel.... I don't quite see...."
"He wanted Nelly on the spot as a sort of club over my head. He hasn't given you up yet"—Summerlad laughed shortly—"not by a long sight."
"A club over your head? I don't understand."
"Not meaning to use it as long as we behaved ourselves."