interest that was almost affectionate.
“Only when Claire ... when my stepmother’s around. And Felicity dealt with her superbly. I must say, you’re an extraordinarily nice family in your attitude toward me.”
“Tell me about Felicity downing the stepmother,” he begged. When she told him the story, Dick laughed heartily and said he was sorry to have missed “the cat show.”
She was faintly shocked at the term, but that only made him laugh again and protest that she was “too scrupulous in the choice of weapons.”
“My sister and your stepmother are probably well able to measure each other up,” he assured her lightly. “They’re two of a kind, really.”
“They’re nothing of the sort!” retorted Meg indignantly. “Felicity is ten times nicer.”
He looked down at her and very slightly tightened' his arm. “You’re genuinely fond of Felicity, aren’t you?” he said.
“Why ... yes, I suppose I am,” Meg agreed slowly. “I don’t often say that about people. I mean ... it doesn’t come easily to me to express affection—”
“No, I know.” He looked quite serious for a moment, and, in some odd way, melancholy. “You’re the sanest and most stable thing that’s come into our circle for a long time, Meg. Don’t go out of it too quickly, will you?”
“Why, Dick—” she was both astonished and touched by his words, and, even more, by the serious tone of his voice “—how very nice of you to say that. But it’s a bit of an exaggeration, I’m afraid. I find you all most endearing and attractive—but really, I’m just a rather ordinary person.”
“Oh, no.” He shook his head and smiled. “You’re the rather extraordinary girl who has had an influence on all of us.”
“I don’t kno w what you mean!” she exclaimed.
“No? Well, it’s a little difficult to describe. But you have a stabilizing effect on Felicity ... and therefore, to some extent, on all of us.”
“On ... you, for instance?” Meg asked incredulously.
“Yes, even on me, I suppose.” He laughed, as though the idea surprised and amused him. “At least you make my life easier.”
“Do I, Dick?”
“Yes ... bless you.” He dropped a light kiss on the top of her head, which half embarrassed and half charmed her. No one else had ever done anything like that to her before.
“Well, I’m glad ... though rather puzzled,” she admitted. “I thought all I was doing was keeping an eye on Pearl, and seeing that she had a more natural life than she seemed to be having when I first found her.”
“Basically, that’s the truth, of course,” he agreed. “But you can’t c reate an oasis of calm and sanity in Felicity’s crazy world without having it spread beyond the immediate objective.”
“I suppose not. Anyway, I’m very glad, if that’s what I’m doing.” Meg looked up at him happily. “And, to return to what you asked in the beginning ... I’m truly fond of Felicity. And I think I rather like her crazy world.”
“It has its charm.” He shrugged very slightly. “And so, of course, has she. But don’t let her use you too much, Meg.”
“Use me? I don’t think she uses me.”
“Of course she does. She uses all of us but with such charm and such flashes of generosity and affection that we let her do it. But most of us know the game better than you do, and I don’t want you to get hurt.”
“I don’t think there’s any way in which I could get hurt,” Meg assured him gravely.
“No?” He smiled dryly. Then, almost irrelevantly, asked, “What did she ask you to do regarding Leigh Sontigan?”
“Leigh? Oh—” she blushed a clear pink. “That was just ... How did you know?” she inquired quickly. “Did she tell you?”
“No, of course not. But by now I can guess Felicity’s actions and reactions to a hair’s breadth. Make no mistake, I’m very fond of her. But I have no illusions about her. I suppose she asked you to keep Leigh out of the way, while she had a good
“Only when Claire ... when my stepmother’s around. And Felicity dealt with her superbly. I must say, you’re an extraordinarily nice family in your attitude toward me.”
“Tell me about Felicity downing the stepmother,” he begged. When she told him the story, Dick laughed heartily and said he was sorry to have missed “the cat show.”
She was faintly shocked at the term, but that only made him laugh again and protest that she was “too scrupulous in the choice of weapons.”
“My sister and your stepmother are probably well able to measure each other up,” he assured her lightly. “They’re two of a kind, really.”
“They’re nothing of the sort!” retorted Meg indignantly. “Felicity is ten times nicer.”
He looked down at her and very slightly tightened' his arm. “You’re genuinely fond of Felicity, aren’t you?” he said.
“Why ... yes, I suppose I am,” Meg agreed slowly. “I don’t often say that about people. I mean ... it doesn’t come easily to me to express affection—”
“No, I know.” He looked quite serious for a moment, and, in some odd way, melancholy. “You’re the sanest and most stable thing that’s come into our circle for a long time, Meg. Don’t go out of it too quickly, will you?”
“Why, Dick—” she was both astonished and touched by his words, and, even more, by the serious tone of his voice “—how very nice of you to say that. But it’s a bit of an exaggeration, I’m afraid. I find you all most endearing and attractive—but really, I’m just a rather ordinary person.”
“Oh, no.” He shook his head and smiled. “You’re the rather extraordinary girl who has had an influence on all of us.”
“I don’t kno w what you mean!” she exclaimed.
“No? Well, it’s a little difficult to describe. But you have a stabilizing effect on Felicity ... and therefore, to some extent, on all of us.”
“On ... you, for instance?” Meg asked incredulously.
“Yes, even on me, I suppose.” He laughed, as though the idea surprised and amused him. “At least you make my life easier.”
“Do I, Dick?”
“Yes ... bless you.” He dropped a light kiss on the top of her head, which half embarrassed and half charmed her. No one else had ever done anything like that to her before.
“Well, I’m glad ... though rather puzzled,” she admitted. “I thought all I was doing was keeping an eye on Pearl, and seeing that she had a more natural life than she seemed to be having when I first found her.”
“Basically, that’s the truth, of course,” he agreed. “But you can’t c reate an oasis of calm and sanity in Felicity’s crazy world without having it spread beyond the immediate objective.”
“I suppose not. Anyway, I’m very glad, if that’s what I’m doing.” Meg looked up at him happily. “And, to return to what you asked in the beginning ... I’m truly fond of Felicity. And I think I rather like her crazy world.”
“It has its charm.” He shrugged very slightly. “And so, of course, has she. But don’t let her use you too much, Meg.”
“Use me? I don’t think she uses me.”
“Of course she does. She uses all of us but with such charm and such flashes of generosity and affection that we let her do it. But most of us know the game better than you do, and I don’t want you to get hurt.”
“I don’t think there’s any way in which I could get hurt,” Meg assured him gravely.
“No?” He smiled dryly. Then, almost irrelevantly, asked, “What did she ask you to do regarding Leigh Sontigan?”
“Leigh? Oh—” she blushed a clear pink. “That was just ... How did you know?” she inquired quickly. “Did she tell you?”
“No, of course not. But by now I can guess Felicity’s actions and reactions to a hair’s breadth. Make no mistake, I’m very fond of her. But I have no illusions about her. I suppose she asked you to keep Leigh out of the way, while she had a good
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