“Do you think she can see me this evening?” Tom swung his car into I Street.
“I’m afraid not, we are all dining at the British Embassy. Will you be there?”
“Not invited,” replied Tom shortly. He parked the roadster near the entrance to the club, and led Duncan into one of the smoking-rooms. Duncan found him singularly morose, and regarded the usually jovial young officer in some perplexity; then he concluded that Janet and Tom must have had a squabble of some sort and that the latter was trying to make up the quarrel.
Tom, in fact, was exceedingly disturbed. He had just returned from Hyattsville, where he had redeemed Janet’s bracelet. His duties at Fort Myer had prevented his going there during the past two days, and he had not dared to ask a brother officer to go in his place, fearing news of the arrest for speeding might leak out, with other details. He had hoped to find Janet at home that afternoon and return the bracelet. He had tried several times to talk to her on the telephone, but each time the Fordyce servants had told him Janet was either out or engaged. He would have confided the whole affair to Marjorie except for his promise to Janet.
“Can you go to the Charity Ball with us?” asked Duncan.
“Why yes, I’d like to very much,” answered Tom, awaking to the fact that he had not spoken for some moments.
“Good, don’t trouble to get a ticket, and I think you had better dine with us first——”
“Excuse me, Captain, but you are wanted on the telephone,” interrupted a club attendant.
“I’ll be right back, Fordyce,” Tom sprang precipitously to his feet; perhaps Janet had called him up. “Wait for me,” and he disappeared after the attendant.
An older man sitting by a window some distance away glanced up at hearing the name “Fordyce,” and scanned Duncan intently, then rose and slowly approached him.