"I came out early, Jack, dear, in order to do honor to your party and I managed to corral the two other husbands, Ralph and the Professor, so there need be no delay. It is good to be at home now and then."
Frank had looked a little tired, but his face cleared at the sight of his wife. Jack was very beautiful in a white evening gown. The frock was not new, since she was buying nothing of the kind during the war, but it was the handsomest one she owned and the most becoming. She had planned with Jean and Frieda that they were to look as well as possible, since the dinner was to be one they would never forget. Moreover, Olive was a bride and they must also do her honor.
Since the change in government Frank Kent had been made a member of the War Cabinet and devoted most of his time to the great intellectual labors it demanded of him. Frequently it was impossible for him to return more than two or three times a week to Kent House.
As Jack kissed her husband her expression lightened.
"I would like to give a dinner party every night, Frank, if I thought it would bring you home. Are things going well?"
Then, as Frank nodded his head gravely (he and Jack did not often discuss details of his work, since government secrets were not to be mentioned even with her), she added, with a little sigh partly of relief and partly vexation:
"Well, thank goodness you got hold of Frieda! Jean has been worrying for fear Frieda would get lost in London and not come back in time. Years ago, when we first came to Europe, Frieda had a tiresome fashion of disappearing and getting us all into a dreadful state of mind for fear she might be permanently lost. Then she usually turned up quite blandly with some agreeable person who had discovered her."
"But, Jack dear," Frank interrupted, as soon as his wife gave him the opportunity, "Frieda did not come home with us. Indeed, neither the Professor nor I had any idea except that she was with you."
"Oh, dear, I do wish Frieda would come in! What do you suppose could have happened to her, Frank? She only went into London to attend to some mysterious errand which she insisted was very important. I know she would not have stayed so late unless something unavoidable had kept her. Besides our party, she has never been away from her baby so long."