He took a quick step towards her and she retreated involuntarily.
“Your chance?” she replied. “What do you mean?”
“My chance to prove that I’m a better lover than Coventry. I understand he’s so shocked that he’s bolted out of England”—sneeringly. “Well, I’m not. I’ve come back to ask you to marry me.”
Ann quivered at his mention of Eliot’s name, but with an effort she forced herself to answer him composedly.
“I can only give you the same answer as before—no, Brett.”
“Do explain why,” he returned irrepressibly. “I don’t care tuppence what people say. In fact, if they dared to say anything after we were married I should jolly well break their heads for them. So that’s that. But surely I’m as good a fellow as Coventry—who’s apparently cried off at the first sign of storm. I suppose that’s what’s happened, isn’t it?”
She turned and faced him, a spark of anger in her eyes.
“Whatever it is that has happened between Eliot and me, it has nothing to do with you,” she said haughtily.
His eyes flickered over her face.
“But I can guess!” he replied imperturbably.