“I’m sorry I shall not be able to take that walk, Mr. Fitzroy,” she said, frankly recognizing the tacit pact between them. “We have a long day before us to-morrow, and we must make Chester in good time, as Mrs. Leland is coming alone from London. Meanwhile, I must attend to my correspondence.”
“Ah. You have spoken to Mr. Vanrenen, then?”
“No. He was not in the hotel, but he left a message for me, knowing that I was more likely to ’phone than wire.”
She was troubled, disturbed, somewhat resentful of this unforeseen change in the programme arranged for the next few days. Medenham could have chosen no more unhappy moment for what he had to say, but during those twenty minutes of reflection a definite line of action had been forced upon him, and he meant to follow it to the only logical end.
“I am glad now that I mentioned my own little difficulty at Hereford,” he said. “Since alterations are to be the order of the day at Chester, will you allow me to provide another driver for the Mercury there? You will retain the car, of course, but my place can be taken by a trustworthy man who understands it quite as well as I do.”
“You mean that you are dropping out of the tour, then?”
“Yes.”
She shot one indignant glance at his impassive face, for he held in rigid control the fire that was consuming him.
“Rather a sudden resolve on your part, isn’t it? What earthly difference does the presence of another lady in our party make?”
“I have been thinking matters over,” he said doggedly. “Would you mind reading my father’s letter?”