“Unless what?” Jessica asked quickly, with an odd look, as Cora checked herself.
“Well, one might happen to meet somebody whom afterwards one might come to like very much,” Cora replied with a far-away look.
One or two people, happening to remember they had heard somewhere that Jessica had first become acquainted with Aloysius Stapleton at an Ascot meeting, smiled.
“I agree,” Jessica said with exaggerated indifference. “But the same thing might happen to anybody anywhere—say at lunch at the Ritz, or at one of my own musical At Homes, or at——”
She was interrupted by one of the men at the end of the table who, not seeing she was engaged in conversation, inquired if she would make one of the party he meant to drive down to Ascot on his coach.
“It is rather short notice, Mrs. Robertson,” he added, “but until this morning I had not actually decided to go down. Do say ‘Yes’ if you have not made other arrangements.”
“I shall be delighted to come,” she answered after a moment’s hesitation. “I suppose you mean Gold Cup Day?”
“Yes, Gold Cup Day. That is good of you. Then it is settled?”
“Lucky again!” Cora Hartsilver said with a curious laugh. “I shall end by becoming superstitious myself. Will you give me all the winners on Gold Cup Day, Jessica?”
“Oh, then you will be there?”