“Pay no attention to her whims,” advised Mrs. Fordyce kindly. “I’ll go over the accounts with you later; don’t keep Captain Nichols waiting.”
Marjorie found Tom exceedingly curt on the telephone, and she hung up the receiver a few seconds later, wondering what under the sun induced everyone to become so ill-tempered all of a sudden. As she walked through the dining-room after leaving the pantry, where she had gone to answer the telephone in preference to disturbing Mr. Calderon Fordyce in his library, she encountered Janet pouring out a glass of ice water.
“What did your cousin want?” she asked.
“He said he would be unable to dine here tonight....”
“Does he think we run a hotel,” Janet was pale with anger, “that he breaks our invitations at will? How dare he treat us so cavalierly!”
“Stop!” Marjorie’s authoritative voice, though low-pitched, brought the furious girl to her senses. “Captain Nichols intends no disrespect to your family or to you; in fact, he highly appreciates your kindness and hospitality.”
“Then why doesn’t he come here?”
“He told me to tell you that he had received an invitation to dine at the White House, and therefore had to cancel his engagement here, to his great regret. He will join us later at the Charity Ball.”
“I see,” Janet’s face altered. “I understand now, please say nothing....”
“Certainly not,” and Marjorie, seeing that Janet obviously desired to be alone, made her way thoughtfully to her room.