“So you think James Palmer wouldn’t be above spying?” Maynard twisted about on the bench and faced her.
Evelyn nodded. “I don’t like him,” she admitted honestly. “I’ll admit I’m prejudiced, but I couldn’t think, no matter what happened, any worse of him than I do. He’s—he’s always under my feet.”
Maynard laughed outright. “And that’s what a man gets for being devoted to a girl,” he said. “I declare, Evelyn, you are a trifle discouraging.”
“Don’t make fun of me.” Evelyn looked downcast. “You don’t know how I have had James Palmer preached at me by my step-father;” she half shuddered. “That’s why I didn’t spend the summer at home. Were you with them all the evening?”
“With them?—with whom?”
“Mr. Burnham and James Palmer.”
“No, I only joined them at Palmer’s apartment about nine o’clock or a little later.”
“Then you can depend upon it that Mr. Burnham asked James to call on Marian last night just to find out if René La Montagne and I were there.” Evelyn nodded her head wisely. “Marian and I were right in our conclusions, I am sure.”
“Sorry, but you are wrong,” stated Maynard. “We called on her on impulse so to speak,” he hesitated; no mention had been made to Evelyn of the occurrences in Palmer’s apartment the night before and he could not be more explicit regarding the reason for their visit to Marian’s apartment. “What harm was done by Palmer seeing René calling on you and Mrs. Van Ness?”
“He told Mother and she has forbidden my visiting Marian,” Evelyn stamped her pretty foot. “It was perfectly horrid of James Palmer to go and make trouble.” Her eyes filled with tears. “I am sitting here now hoping to see Marian on her way from the State Department and tell her of Mother’s edict.”