worrying about it, are you? It’s no affair of ours,” he insisted.
“I realize that, but I’m awfully fond of Patricia. I’ve taken a tremendous liking to her.” She looked directly at her companion. “I know you like her too; you said you’d seen a lot of her on board, and. how much she had interested you. She’s still a sort of guardian to Maimie, and she’s worried to death about it already; that’s quite obvious.”
“But discussing it won’t help; we can’t do anything,” Ian protested. “Pat came out to chaperon Maimie; she can’t be responsible for any change of heart that may take place. If Maimie chooses to mess up her intended marriage, it isn’t Pat’s fault.”
“ I an ... ” Kitty paused, as if considering her words. “I want to tell you something. She leaned confidingly toward him. “I said that Pat was in love with Seymour Warinder. It wasn’t just guesswork. I suppose girls sense these things easily. She di d n’t actually tell me anything, didn’t confess a thing, but she did admit that she’s met him before, and coming across him here was a complete surprise; she had no idea that Maimie’s future husband and the man she had once known were one and the same.”
“She couldn’t have known him very well, then ... couldn’t even have remembered his name. Are you sure you aren’t jumping to conclusions?” Ian questioned doubtfully.
“I know I’m not, and if she cares for Seymour, it’s going to make it much harder for her to see him either jilted or, if Maimie does marry him, completely fooled,” Kitty asserted with conviction.
“You’re taking the whole thing far too seriously.” Ian smiled kindly. “Don’t go worrying about it, my dear. Pat’s a sensible, practical girl; she can look after herself all right, and Maimie, although she may be a bit headstrong, is really sweet-natured at heart. ”
Kitty scarcely heard her companion’s last words, as she had jumped quickly to her feet. “Wasn’t that the sound of a car? It can’t be Bob. He won’t be back until lunch ... Who on earth can it be?” She crossed to the window. “Yes, it’s a car all right, and it’s stopping here,” She peered forward. “ I can’t make out who it is at all.”
Ian joined Kitty at the window, and, slipping his arm round her shoulders, looked over her head at the advancing car. It turned into the drive and drew to a standstill.
“That’s Seymour Warinder’s sais ... I’m sure it is.”
“What’s a sais?" Ian questioned while his eyes still tried to identify the occupant of the car.
“Malay for chauffeur ... You’ll have to learn some Malay. I’ll teach you, if you like.” Kitty placed her hands on the sill and leaned far out of the window. “It’s Pat! I wonder why she’s here so early?” She pulled herself from Ian’s hold and ran toward the door.
Ian watched her flying figure as she ran down the drive to greet the new arrival. What a darling Kitty was! A frown momentarily puckered his brow. It was silly of her to worry about the Warinder affair; she was probably making a mountain out of a molehill.
In another moment Kitty, her arm linked in Patricia’s, appeared in the doorway. “I’m sorry. Ian and I have been talking ... we’ve been so engrossed in our own affairs that we haven’t even had the breakfast cleared.” She excused herself to her friend.
“I’m sorry ... I shouldn’t have come so early.” A faint flush rose to Patricia’s fair skin. “It is rather an early hour for calling.” She advanced, with hand outstretched, to Ian. “Good morning. I’m afraid I’ve interrupted you both.”
“Not a bit,” Kitty broke in before Ian had time to reply. “Ian is supposed to be meeting Bob at the hospital this morning. It’s time he left. I hadn’t realized how late it was.” She turned to Ian. “I’ve ordered the car; it’ll be ready now; in fact I expect it’s been ready for ages.” She smiled affectionately as she bade Ian
“I realize that, but I’m awfully fond of Patricia. I’ve taken a tremendous liking to her.” She looked directly at her companion. “I know you like her too; you said you’d seen a lot of her on board, and. how much she had interested you. She’s still a sort of guardian to Maimie, and she’s worried to death about it already; that’s quite obvious.”
“But discussing it won’t help; we can’t do anything,” Ian protested. “Pat came out to chaperon Maimie; she can’t be responsible for any change of heart that may take place. If Maimie chooses to mess up her intended marriage, it isn’t Pat’s fault.”
“ I an ... ” Kitty paused, as if considering her words. “I want to tell you something. She leaned confidingly toward him. “I said that Pat was in love with Seymour Warinder. It wasn’t just guesswork. I suppose girls sense these things easily. She di d n’t actually tell me anything, didn’t confess a thing, but she did admit that she’s met him before, and coming across him here was a complete surprise; she had no idea that Maimie’s future husband and the man she had once known were one and the same.”
“She couldn’t have known him very well, then ... couldn’t even have remembered his name. Are you sure you aren’t jumping to conclusions?” Ian questioned doubtfully.
“I know I’m not, and if she cares for Seymour, it’s going to make it much harder for her to see him either jilted or, if Maimie does marry him, completely fooled,” Kitty asserted with conviction.
“You’re taking the whole thing far too seriously.” Ian smiled kindly. “Don’t go worrying about it, my dear. Pat’s a sensible, practical girl; she can look after herself all right, and Maimie, although she may be a bit headstrong, is really sweet-natured at heart. ”
Kitty scarcely heard her companion’s last words, as she had jumped quickly to her feet. “Wasn’t that the sound of a car? It can’t be Bob. He won’t be back until lunch ... Who on earth can it be?” She crossed to the window. “Yes, it’s a car all right, and it’s stopping here,” She peered forward. “ I can’t make out who it is at all.”
Ian joined Kitty at the window, and, slipping his arm round her shoulders, looked over her head at the advancing car. It turned into the drive and drew to a standstill.
“That’s Seymour Warinder’s sais ... I’m sure it is.”
“What’s a sais?" Ian questioned while his eyes still tried to identify the occupant of the car.
“Malay for chauffeur ... You’ll have to learn some Malay. I’ll teach you, if you like.” Kitty placed her hands on the sill and leaned far out of the window. “It’s Pat! I wonder why she’s here so early?” She pulled herself from Ian’s hold and ran toward the door.
Ian watched her flying figure as she ran down the drive to greet the new arrival. What a darling Kitty was! A frown momentarily puckered his brow. It was silly of her to worry about the Warinder affair; she was probably making a mountain out of a molehill.
In another moment Kitty, her arm linked in Patricia’s, appeared in the doorway. “I’m sorry. Ian and I have been talking ... we’ve been so engrossed in our own affairs that we haven’t even had the breakfast cleared.” She excused herself to her friend.
“I’m sorry ... I shouldn’t have come so early.” A faint flush rose to Patricia’s fair skin. “It is rather an early hour for calling.” She advanced, with hand outstretched, to Ian. “Good morning. I’m afraid I’ve interrupted you both.”
“Not a bit,” Kitty broke in before Ian had time to reply. “Ian is supposed to be meeting Bob at the hospital this morning. It’s time he left. I hadn’t realized how late it was.” She turned to Ian. “I’ve ordered the car; it’ll be ready now; in fact I expect it’s been ready for ages.” She smiled affectionately as she bade Ian
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