The Innes who opened the door looked tired and heavy-eyed but composed. Now that she was face to face with her Lucy found it difficult to identify her with the Innes of her disturbed thoughts last night.
"Do you mind coming into my room for a moment?" she asked.
Innes hesitated, looked uncertain for a second, and then recovered herself. "Yes, of course," she said; and followed Lucy.
"What a night of rain it was," she said brightly.
It was unlike Innes to bother with remarks about the weather. And it was exceedingly unlike Innes to be bright.
Lucy took the little silver rosette out of her drawer and held it out on her palm for Innes to see.
"Do you know what that is?" she asked.
In a second the brightness had disappeared and Innes's face was hard and wary.
"Where did you get that?" she snapped.
It was only then that Lucy realised how, deep down, she had counted on Innes's reaction being different. How, unconsciously, she had expected Innes to say: "It looks like something off a dancing pump; lots of us have them." Her heart stopped thudding and sank into her stomach.