This al fresco entertainment was over earlier than such affairs usually are, and so soon after ten o’clock we left the Dowager and her suite at the Granville and returned to our digs. As we ascended the stairs we heard peels of laughter coming from the room, and Reggie’s raucous voice enquiring, ‘Do you open’?
‘Lord, yes,’ said a lady’s voice, ‘I’ll let you in for twopence.’
A cheery poker party was gathered round the table, consisting of Reggie, the Pilot, de Beresford, Accrington, and a very smart little lady whose face was unknown to us.
‘Hullo, you birds, I didn’t expect you quite so early,’ Reggie cried, ‘let me introduce you to my friend Mrs. Jack Lomond, Lord Blitherington, Mr. Cochrane.’
The lady removed a jewelled cigarette tube from her mouth, and enquired with a smile, ‘Won’t you join the dance, as they say in “Alice in Wonderland.”’
‘Oh, don’t let us spoil your game,’ returned Blithers, ‘five’s the best number for poker.’
‘That’s all right,’ said the Pilot, ‘we were just finishing this when you came. Let’s turn it into Bank, if Mrs. Lomond has no objection.’
‘Oh, whatever you like,’ the lady put in with a smile; ‘you must be rather surprised at my appearance here,’ she continued, addressing me, ‘but Reggie asked me down for the picnic to-morrow, and I hadn’t time to reply, so I came in person, which is perhaps better.’
As we settled down at the historical round table to play Bank, I observed that Blithers carefully commandeered the chair next to Mrs. Lomond, and she enquired of him at once, ‘Are you any relation to Billy Jenkins of the 110th? I used to know him when I was in India.’
‘Oh yes,’ returned Blithers cheerfully, ‘he’s my uncle, and a very good sort too, but,’ he added with sudden apprehension, ‘please don’t mention him to my aunt to-morrow, he’s the black sheep of the family.’