"Oh, yes; Harriet, this is my sister Joan, and this is Miss Rodney."
Harriet nodded casually.
"This is Rosie Wilmot, Joan; Rosie, Miss Rodney."
Rosie shook hands with a close, intense grip. Her eyes interrogated the new-comers as though they alone held the answer to the riddle of her Universe. Milly dragged up the only remaining chair for Elizabeth.
"You can squat on the floor, Joan," she said, throwing her sister a cushion. "That's right. And now, what on earth are you doing here?"
It was Elizabeth who answered. "We've come up for a fortnight. We're staying with the woman who has my flat."
"But why? Has anything happened?"
"No, of course not. We just thought it would be rather fun."
Milly whistled softly; however, she refrained from further comment.
Harriet was examining Joan. Joan fidgeted; this self-possessed young woman made her feel at a disadvantage.