She laughed in Crow's face.
“It was hardly necessary for the captain to give you any orders, seeing that he gave certain instructions to me. He said that as there was no other woman in the house it would be my place to take Lady Kathleen anything that she actually needed. I am going to take up her breakfast now. Give me the key.”
Crow hesitated a moment, but finally handed over the key. Madame put it on the breakfast tray and went upstairs.
Kathleen, as she heard the bolts drawn back and the key turned in the lock, suffered fresh apprehension. For she had caught the rustle of Madame's skirts outside, and she would rather have faced Melun than the woman.
With very little apology Mme. Estelle entered, and, setting the breakfast down, immediately withdrew. Her impatience to ask the question was great, but she schooled herself to waiting.
In half an hour's time she went up for the tray, and then she faced Kathleen boldly and looked her in the eyes.
“Lady Kathleen,” she said, “I am really ashamed to have brought you here in such a treacherous way. I will not ask you to forgive me, for you will not understand. I can only tell you that I am a very loving and jealous woman.”
Mme. Estelle paused, and was conscious that Kathleen looked at her in great surprise.
“I want,” she continued, “to ask you a question which means much to me. Is it, or is it not, one of Captain Melun's conditions that you shall marry him before he returns your father's secret?”
“Yes,” answered Kathleen, very quietly, “it is.”