at him with an enigmatic gleam in her eyes.
"And Miss O'Farrel has been helping to make the burden a little lighter!"
"Considerably lighter," he agreed. "I couldn't have coped without her."
Dona Inez, in heavy white silk and a lot of fine gold bracelets that jingled on her wrists, studied the grimy appearance of her sons.
"It would seem that they have been running wild," she remarked, but there was no actual criticism in her tone as she glanced at Kathleen. "I would never have believed that you would endanger the immaculate interior of your car by allowing two such bedraggled specimens to enter it, Miguel," she observed, the gleam in her glorious eyes becoming a spark of definitely quizzical humour.
Then she offered a hand to one of the boys, and turned to lead him up the steps.
"By the way, it was a pity you chose this morning to remember your duty as an uncle, Miguel, for we had two unexpected visitors. Carmelita and her aunt are back,
and they were most disappointed not to find you here! Carmelita was almost distressed!"
Miguel came to a halt at the foot of the steps, and threw back his head.
"Carmelita? But she was not expected back for another week!" His whole expression changed. It grew animated —really animated—for the first time since Kathleen had known him, and even his voice warmed, although it was acutely disappointed at the same time. "But that is most unfortunate! Naturally I wished to be here when Carmelita paid her first call, but naturally also I expected to be given ample warning that she had returned!"
"Naturally," his sister agreed, with a soft, amused note in her voice, and a half-indulgent narrowing of the eyes. "However, it is not quite a disaster for we are to dine with them tonight, and Carmelita is so much looking forward to seeing you that she begged me tell you she will be counting not the hours, but the minutes!"
She looked meaningly into her brother's eyes, and although he smiled slightly as if he understood the reason why she did so, after a second or so the smile vanished, and he stood very still.
"Tonight?" he echoed, and Kathleen felt sure he was savouring the thought of the evening ahead of him. "That will be very pleasant!" Then he turned casually to Kathleen. "I hope you will not be tempted, since you will be dining alone, to have a meal on a tray in your room, Miss O'Farrel. That sort of thing is not approved of in this house."
Inez enquired:
"When did Miss O'Farrel have a meal on a tray in her room?"
"The first night she was here," he answered. Inez lifted her shoulders.
"I don't suppose it did her very much harm, and possibly she is used to having meals on trays." But she sent her brother a long look. "However, the important thing now is to clean up these children for lunch."
At the Day Nursery door she handed them over to Kathleen.
"I'm sure you will enjoy making the acquaintance of Carmelita," she remarked. "She is a great friend of ours, and during the next few weeks will almost certainly be coming very often to this house."
"Will she?" Kathleen murmured, wondering why the other was favouring her, too, with a very direct look. Inez nodded.
"She is not a beauty, but one of those placidly lovely young women who, once they had laid a gentle hand on a man's heart, decline to let go. Do you know what I mean?"
Kathleen didn't, and she looked a little bewildered. Inez explained.
"The heart is held firmly forever , despite the gentleness of the clasp! The man would not wish it otherwise!"
The following afternoon Kathleen was crossing the hall when the Conde emerged from his library and spoke to her.
"I was wondering whether you would like to visit your sister this afternoon?" he suggested. "A car can be ready for you at once if you would care for a break. And perhaps you would express to your sister the pleasure it would give us if she and her husband would dine with us here at the quinta tomorrow night? I am aware that it is somewhat short notice, but we
"And Miss O'Farrel has been helping to make the burden a little lighter!"
"Considerably lighter," he agreed. "I couldn't have coped without her."
Dona Inez, in heavy white silk and a lot of fine gold bracelets that jingled on her wrists, studied the grimy appearance of her sons.
"It would seem that they have been running wild," she remarked, but there was no actual criticism in her tone as she glanced at Kathleen. "I would never have believed that you would endanger the immaculate interior of your car by allowing two such bedraggled specimens to enter it, Miguel," she observed, the gleam in her glorious eyes becoming a spark of definitely quizzical humour.
Then she offered a hand to one of the boys, and turned to lead him up the steps.
"By the way, it was a pity you chose this morning to remember your duty as an uncle, Miguel, for we had two unexpected visitors. Carmelita and her aunt are back,
and they were most disappointed not to find you here! Carmelita was almost distressed!"
Miguel came to a halt at the foot of the steps, and threw back his head.
"Carmelita? But she was not expected back for another week!" His whole expression changed. It grew animated —really animated—for the first time since Kathleen had known him, and even his voice warmed, although it was acutely disappointed at the same time. "But that is most unfortunate! Naturally I wished to be here when Carmelita paid her first call, but naturally also I expected to be given ample warning that she had returned!"
"Naturally," his sister agreed, with a soft, amused note in her voice, and a half-indulgent narrowing of the eyes. "However, it is not quite a disaster for we are to dine with them tonight, and Carmelita is so much looking forward to seeing you that she begged me tell you she will be counting not the hours, but the minutes!"
She looked meaningly into her brother's eyes, and although he smiled slightly as if he understood the reason why she did so, after a second or so the smile vanished, and he stood very still.
"Tonight?" he echoed, and Kathleen felt sure he was savouring the thought of the evening ahead of him. "That will be very pleasant!" Then he turned casually to Kathleen. "I hope you will not be tempted, since you will be dining alone, to have a meal on a tray in your room, Miss O'Farrel. That sort of thing is not approved of in this house."
Inez enquired:
"When did Miss O'Farrel have a meal on a tray in her room?"
"The first night she was here," he answered. Inez lifted her shoulders.
"I don't suppose it did her very much harm, and possibly she is used to having meals on trays." But she sent her brother a long look. "However, the important thing now is to clean up these children for lunch."
At the Day Nursery door she handed them over to Kathleen.
"I'm sure you will enjoy making the acquaintance of Carmelita," she remarked. "She is a great friend of ours, and during the next few weeks will almost certainly be coming very often to this house."
"Will she?" Kathleen murmured, wondering why the other was favouring her, too, with a very direct look. Inez nodded.
"She is not a beauty, but one of those placidly lovely young women who, once they had laid a gentle hand on a man's heart, decline to let go. Do you know what I mean?"
Kathleen didn't, and she looked a little bewildered. Inez explained.
"The heart is held firmly forever , despite the gentleness of the clasp! The man would not wish it otherwise!"
The following afternoon Kathleen was crossing the hall when the Conde emerged from his library and spoke to her.
"I was wondering whether you would like to visit your sister this afternoon?" he suggested. "A car can be ready for you at once if you would care for a break. And perhaps you would express to your sister the pleasure it would give us if she and her husband would dine with us here at the quinta tomorrow night? I am aware that it is somewhat short notice, but we
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