“That would be very nice, I’m sure,” remarked Penny dryly. “You’re the manager of the hotel, aren’t you?”
Ralph Fergus gave her a quick, appraising glance. “Right you are,” he said jovially. “Naturally I think we have the finest hotel at Pine Top and I wish you would try it. I’ll be glad to make you a special rate.”
“You’re very kind.” It was a struggle for Penny to keep her voice casual. “I may drop around sometime and look the hotel over.”
“Do that,” he urged. “Here is my card. Just ask for me and I’ll show you about.”
Penny took the card and dropped it into her pocket. A few minutes later as they passed the Fergus hotel, her companion parted company with her.
“He thought I was an ordinary guest at Mrs. Downey’s,” Penny told herself. “Otherwise, he never would have dared to make such an open bid for my patronage.”
Upon returning to the lodge she told Mrs. Downey of her meeting with Ralph Fergus.
“It doesn’t surprise me one bit,” the woman replied angrily. “Fergus has been using every method he can think of to get my guests away from me. He has runners out all the time, talking up his hotel and talking mine down.”
Penny sat on the edge of the kitchen table, watching Mrs. Downey stir a great kettle of steaming soup.
“While I was coming here on the plane I heard Fergus and Maxwell speaking about you.”