“‘The Official Chaperon.’” Anna poured out a steaming cup of tea and deftly supplied the proper amount of cream and sugar. “They say it is a thriller.”
“The title is a little more sedate than ‘Without Sin,’” acknowledged Polly laughing. “I believe that was the last movie you told me of seeing; perhaps the new one won’t give you a nightmare.”
Anna colored. She was sensitive about the scene she had created ten days before when her screams had awakened the household from sound slumber and brought forth a severe scolding from Mrs. Hale on the subject of attending trashy plays. Robert Hale had interfered in time to prevent Anna, whose red hair was indicative of her hasty temper, from giving notice, to the relief of the other members of the family who liked the silent, well-trained servant.
“‘The Official Chaperon’ is a dandy,” she declared stoutly. “’Least so the papers say. It’s about a society girl who is under the hypnotic influence of a rascal, miss, a regular rascal—he even makes her commit murder.”
Anna brought out the last word with such intensity that Polly actually jumped.
“I see you are in for another nightmare,” she said, but the smile accompanying her banter was fleeting. “Isn’t Mr. Austin’s murder terrible enough without harrowing your soul with further tragedies?”
Before replying Anna removed the cover of the toast dish and placed its tempting contents almost directly under Polly’s nose.
“It’s terrible, miss; so terrible that I want to forget it.”
Polly’s laugh did not ring quite true. “You take an odd way to do so,” she remarked. “However, Anna, go and see the hypnotic movie murder, and my blessings go with you.”
Anna regarded the tray critically for an instant without moving. “You are not eating, miss,” she remonstrated. “I don’t know what I’ll do with you and Miss Judith.”