“There will be quite a party of us. Some of our schoolmates will arrive from the North this evening, and we shall have a gay week,” said Miss Diana Bentley, the elder of the two girls, a tall, handsome brunette.
“Say that you will come, Thea!” cried the younger, Nell, a girl of about the same age as Thea, and her good-looking young brother added, eagerly:
“We will not take ‘no’ for an answer.”
Thea looked at Mrs. de Vere, who said, kindly:
“Go, if you wish, dear. The old woman will try to do without you for a few days.”
“But my riding-lessons? You know I have just commenced learning,” Thea said, doubtfully.
“I will take pleasure in riding with you every day,” said Cameron Bentley, quickly.
He admired Thea very much, and was eager to have her at Orange Grove, his beautiful home. She flushed slightly under the thrilling glance of his dark eyes, then gave her consent to go.
It had occurred to her that here was a fortunate escape from the intolerable bashfulness that had overwhelmed her since she had thoughtlessly given her promise to let Norman de Vere read her verses.
“A whole week—he will have read and forgotten the trash by then,” she thought, with swift relief, and made ready gladly to return with the Bentleys to Orange Grove—Mrs. de Vere promising to pack her trunk and send it later in the day.