Rena was sitting in the shadow, with her hands clasped tightly together, but as I turned toward her she came forward very slowly, until the light streaming from the window fell upon her and upon the other gentleman, now a little in advance of Mr. Travers, who had fallen behind as if loath to go in first. Rena had meant to be very cool toward Tom, whose letter was still rankling, and there was a slight upward tilt of her nose and chin, as she said.
“O Tom! is it you? How late you are. I had nearly given you up, and was thinking of going to bed!”
She was expecting him and knew him then, and I, who knew nothing of the contents of the note, or in fact that one had come, stood back in surprise, while Tom, without replying directly to Rena’s greeting, took her hand and presented her to Reginald Travers as “My cousin, Miss Rena Burdick.”
CHAPTER VII
THE CALL
Reginald had been very nervous all day. He had played billiards awhile with Tom and been badly beaten, had gone with him to the stables and through the grounds, sitting down often in the latter as if he were tired and wanted to rest.
“The day is very hot, isn’t it?” he said, wiping the sweat from his face, which was red and pale by turns.
Tom said the day was hot, but thought:
“Not hot enough, old fellow, to keep you sweating as you do. What a fool you are, if you did but know it; and what a charming wife old Sandy picked out for you; but I hope she will keep as far from you as you seem now to be from her.”
They took a long drive before lunch and on their return passed the Parks house, the doors and blinds of which were closed to keep out the heat. Reginald, who was driving, said casually, without turning his head:
“That’s Mrs. Parks’ place.”