June took no notice; she screwed the lid on to a perfume bottle and wiped her fingers on the white overall.
“You needn’t put any more labels on,” she said shortly. “I can do the rest myself.”
She took the tray away from Esther and carried it into her bedroom; when she came back there was a suspicion of tears in her eyes. Esther looked distressed. She felt that she was behaving meanly, and yet she meant to go to Mrs. Ashton’s.
“Micky Mellowes is coming directly,” June said tartly. “If you don’t want to see him you’d better go. I know you hate him....”
Esther turned scarlet. She took off the apron she had borrowed from June and turned to the door.
Before she reached it June followed.
“I’m a pig. I apologise humbly! Please stay. Why don’t you box my ears when I speak to you like this?” She dragged Esther back to the fire. “I’m wild because you’ve made up your mind to leave me. Our friendship doesn’t mean anything to you.... There’s Micky––he’ll want to know why I’ve been crying. Amuse him for five minutes, there’s an angel, and I’ll come back.”
She was gone in a flash.
A smiling Lydia showed Micky into the room. Lydia liked Micky; he was always courteous, and he had been generous with his tips on each occasion that he had visited the house.