Annie Haynes Premium Collection – 8 Murder Mysteries in One Volume. Annie Haynes

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СКАЧАТЬ that the world by no means shared your opinion of your state,” Hilda said with a coquettish laugh as her hand wandered softly over his close-cropped light hair.

      They were sitting in the inner drawing-room; Hilda, who was being made to feel that she was no longer high in Lady Laura’s favour, had retired there after dinner, and thither, when the men came up, Arthur had followed her.

      It had been somewhat of the nature of a family dinner-party to-night—the Davenants, Dorothy with her friends, the Leighs, the clergyman and his wife, and old Dr. Grieve comprised the list; for, as Lady Laura fretfully observed, it was impossible to ask many people to the house while there was this uncertainty about Hilda’s position—“so awkward to introduce a girl without a name.”

      That the difficulty would have to be met and faced, supposing the matter were not cleared up before, at the coming of age festivities Lady Laura fully recognized, but she was willing to delay matters as long as possible. All her hopes of persuading Arthur to give Hilda up had proved futile, and the poor lady was at her wits’ end. None the happier was she when her husband’s brother, who was Sir Arthur’s guardian, hastily summoned on the scene to remonstrate with him, bluntly told her that the whole affair was entirely her own fault in keeping the girl at the house, and she could only bemoan her own short-sightedness and Arthur’s folly.

      To get rid of her unwelcome visitor was an impossibility now; the girl had nowhere else to go, and Sir Arthur would be in a very short time master of his own house, and would not hear of his fiancée’s departure. So poor Lady Laura had to make the best of it, and confine her lamentations over the state of affairs for the most part to her daughter’s ears.

      To-night as she talked to her guests her attention was evidently wandering, and her eyes turned constantly to the curtained doorway, through which she could catch just a glimpse of Hilda’s white frock.

      That the situation was sufficiently obvious she was well aware, and she felt uncomfortably conscious that her guests could scarcely fail to see how matters stood. Meanwhile Dorothy, whom she had looked upon as her future daughter-in-law, was apparently perfectly contented with things as they were. An acuter observer than Lady Laura might have noticed that though the girl’s soft gaiety was in no way dimmed, while her laughter was as frequent and as infectious as of yore, there was an extinguished look about her eyes, a pathetic drooping of her lips when in repose that told their own story.

      Meanwhile in the smaller drawing-room the lovers were enjoying an uninterrupted period of bliss.

      Sir Arthur caught the white hand straying over his head.

      “How long is this state of things to go on, Hilda?”

      “Well, I think it ought to stop now,” the girl said as she laughed, wilfully misunderstanding him. “I am sure Lady Laura will think we are lost.”

      Sir Arthur raised himself on the low stool upon which he had taken up his position at Hilda’s feet.

      “You know I did not mean that. I mean how long will it be before you allow me to tell everybody—before you will become—my wife?”

      The last two words had all the softness of a caress, yet Hilda shrank back as from an unexpected blow.

      “Oh, I don’t know—I can’t think about it—not for a long time yet.”

      Arthur’s eyes were fixed upon her face devouringly.

      “Shall I tell you what I should like, dearest? To hold the coming of age and the marriage festivities together.”

      “Oh, no, no!” Hilda cried. “Impossible—in a month! It is entirely out of the question, Arthur—I couldn’t.”

      Arthur put his arms round her waist and drew her nearer.

      “Why not, Hilda? We can find out anything you want to know just as well afterwards. And what does it matter about your name? You shall share mine, and whatever other names you might find you possessed to me you would always be just Hilda.”

      For a moment the girl seemed to yield herself to him, she bent a little towards him, he felt her warm breath upon his cheek, a strand of her soft hair touched his forehead, the intoxication of her nearness thrilled through all his senses. Then with a quick, jerky movement she freed herself from his arms, pushed him from her and rose.

      “No, no, Arthur! Haven’t I told you that there is to be nothing—nothing—for the present? I will not be persuaded. Perhaps after your birthday—”

      “After my birthday,” Arthur repeated. “After my birthday, Hilda—”

      The girl flashed one brilliant, unfathomable glance at him as she parted the curtains.

      “Ah, then we shall see!” she replied enigmatically.

      And with that Arthur had to be satisfied.

      As he entered the room, Mrs. Mainwaring, the rector’s wife, looked up.

      “We have been talking of the Blue Diamond, Sir Arthur, the ‘Luck of the Hargreaves.’ Do you know that neither my husband nor I have ever seen it? And we hear so much about it. Miss Hargreave has just told me that she thinks if I ask you very nicely”—with a would-be fascinating smile—“that you might perhaps let us have just one peep at it.”

      Sir Arthur frowned. Mrs. Mainwaring was no particular favourite, and he did not feel altogether inclined to grant her request, but before he could refuse Hilda interposed:

      “Neither have I. The Blue Diamond! That sounds very attractive. You must certainly let us see it, please, Sir Arthur!”

      “Oh, certainly, if you wish to,” Sir Arthur agreed at once. “We do not often show it, but in the circumstances—if you will excuse me a moment, I will go and get it myself.”

      “Oh, really, Sir Arthur, I never thought of giving you so much trouble!” Mrs. Mainwaring began, but she was too late, Sir Arthur had left the room. Hilda took a seat beside her.

      “I am so glad you thought of asking to see it, Mrs. Mainwaring. I love looking at jewels.”

      “Well, naturally, as a resident in the neighbourhood,” said the good lady with some emphasis, “I am anxious to see it, but I dare say you will be interested”—patronizingly—“for the Hargreaves have been so good to you, and you have been here for so long that you must feel almost as if you belonged to the place. It is so awkward for you, as I say to Mr. Mainwaring, not knowing where you do come from. I am sure I do not know what I should do in such circumstances. Your memory is too bad to permit you to teach or anything of that kind, is it not?” searching the girl’s face with a rapid inquisitive glance.

      Hilda did not shrink from her scrutiny, but raised her eyes and smiled at Mrs. Mainwaring.

      “I am afraid it is at present, but I think it is getting better, and I hope soon to be able to do something for myself. Then I was thinking of asking you to advise me, Mrs. Mainwaring. Perhaps I may come to the Rectory and talk to you some day.”

      If Mrs. Mainwaring loved anything on earth better than her meek husband and the little Mainwarings who filled the Rectory, it was managing other people’s business. Hilda could not have taken a better way of placating her.

      “I should be delighted, I am sure!” she said, instantly mollified. “You СКАЧАТЬ