“She had to, in a way. I'm sure she'll tell you herself. She's been rather hiding away, I imagine.”
“Why did she have to tell you?”
“If you want the exact truth, she borrowed a small sum from me, as the banks were closed, naturally. There was some emergency—I don't know what.”
“She borrowed from you!”
“A very small amount, my dear. Don't look like that, Natalie. She knew I generally carried money with me.”
“Oh, I'm not jealous! Audrey probably thinks of you as a sort of grandfather, anyhow. It's not that. It is your keeping the thing from me.”
“It was not my secret.”
But Natalie was jealous. She had that curious jealousy of her friends which some women are cursed with, of being first in their regard and their confidence. A slow and smoldering anger against Audrey, which had nothing whatever to do with Clayton, darkened her eyes.
“I'm through with Audrey. That's all,” she said.
And the man across regarded her with a sort of puzzled wonder.