“Certainly I’ve refused you.”
“Very good. But even that won’t make an atom of difference. You’re going to marry me, you know, in the long run.”
“I’m not—” she began, then checked herself wearily. “Oh, don’t let’s go over it all again!” She was very pale, and there were dark shadows of fatigue beneath her eyes.
“We won’t,” he replied amicably. “We’ll go down and see how those reckless penny-a-hundred gamblers are getting on, instead.”
With one of the amazingly sudden transitions of which Ann had already discovered he was capable, he dismissed the whole matter as though it were of no importance, and, gathering up her wraps, preceded her in the direction of the companion-way. Here they were met by the bridge players. Their game finished, they were all coming up on deck, laughing and talking as they came. Ann drew back, nervously unprepared for the sudden encounter, but Brett covered her momentary confusion by genial inquiries as to who had won.
“I’ve won two and fivepence,” announced Miss Caroline in satisfied tones. She appeared supremely contented with the evening’s harvest.
“These tiresome people are talking of going, Brett,” complained Lady Susan. “Do stop them.”
“Of course I’ll stop them,” he replied promptly. “They’ve all got to drink my health and good luck to the Sphinx before they go. It’s her birthday, to-day, by the way,” he went on, addressing everybody collectively, “and I insist upon the occasion being properly honoured.”
He continued pouring out a stream of light-hearted nonsense, focussing every one’s attention on himself, and thus giving Ann time to recover her poise. When, finally, she joined in the general conversation, she was quite composed once more, although she still looked somewhat pale and tired.
The scene with Brett had exhausted her more than she knew. The man’s sheer vitality and force were overwhelming, and his efforts to impose his will on hers, to force from her some response to the flaming ardour of his passion, had left her feeling mentally and spiritually sore and bruised, just as, physically, she had ached all over after the buffeting she had received from the waves at Berrier Cove. She longed inexpressibly for the peace and quiet of her own room, and she felt thankful when at length the moment for departure actually arrived.