time with Max?”
“ ‘Take him off her hands’ was the expression,” Meg conceded, with a flash of humor.
“I see.” And, as she glanced up at him, she saw a slight tightening of his handsome mouth. It struck her for the first time that Dick was an unexpectedly strong and determined person behind his casual exterior.
“Don’t take the instructions too seriously,” he said.
“I didn’t. At least, I began to feel that it wasn’t fair to him, and so—”
“To him?” Dick asked in surprise. “I was thinking it wasn’t fair to you.”
“I haven’t any stake in the game,” Meg declared surprisedly.
“But you might, my dear, you might. Sontigan’s an attractive fellow. If the process of ‘taking him off Felicity’s hands’ were prolonged, you might become involved yourself.”
“Grow fond of him, do you mean?”
“Yes, that’s what I mean.”
“Oh no!” said Meg, and laughed. “No, really, that isn’t likely. He isn’t my type.”
Then suddenly she stopped laughing, because she remembered Felicity saying, “Leigh Sontigan should suit you perfectly.” And although the words were ridiculous, the recollection of them made her feel apprehensive.
CHAPTER SIX
During that whole enchanted evening, Meg never once lost the delicious feeling of being Cinderella at the ball.
The gorgeous dress and the fact that she had never looked so lovely in her life of course contributed greatly to the general fairytale atmosphere, but it was more the conviction that none of this had anything to do with her kind of life, which made the evening magnificent.
That both Dick Manners and Leigh Sontigan should compete in a friendly way for her company throughout the evening seemed in keeping with the fact that she neither looked nor felt as she had ever looked or felt before in her life.
In addition, she was aware that Claire cast an occasional critical glance in her direction, but this only served to add to the general pleasure. After all, a stepmother is part of most fairy tales!
Once during the evening Meg found herself near Felicity for a few minutes, and her employer asked her how she was enjoying herself.
“Enormously!” Meg declared. “And thank you for speaking so kindly about me to my father. I think he was gratified.”
“And the stepmother? Was she gratified too?” asked Felicity, with a roguish little smile.
“Well, you dealt with her very expertly, anyway.” Meg smiled in return. “It was nice of you to pretend that you were going to give me the dress, so that she—”
“It wasn’t pretence. I am giving you the dress.”
“Oh, you can’t! Not anything as beautiful and valuable as this! I haven’t done a thing to deserve it and—”
“But you have. And anyway, the dress looks so lovely on you that no one else ought to wear it ever,” Felicity declared. “How are you getting along with Leigh?”
“Very well. But about the dress—”
“No. Not about the dress. It’s yours. Tell me about Leigh instead.”
Meg felt guiltily that there was not very much to tell her about Leigh but she said earnestly, “I’ve spent a good deal of the evening with him, as you’ve probably noticed—”
“No. I’ve been otherwise engaged,” declared Felicity, with that quick smile. “But go on.”
“He has been a very nice and easy companion, and never once made me feel that he wished he were partnering someone else. If he’s looked on it as a social duty—”
“I don’t think,” interrupted Felicity indulgently, “that ‘duty’ is the word any man would connect with you tonight. You’ve made quite a hit with Dick, by the way.”
“Oh—” Meg laughed, on a note of genuine pleasure “—he’s so kind and amusing. But then everyone has been so kind to me tonight.”
“That’s as it should be,” Felicity said agreeably. Then the chairman of the Charity Ball Committee came to appropriate her. Meg’s father appeared and took her off to have supper with Claire and
“ ‘Take him off her hands’ was the expression,” Meg conceded, with a flash of humor.
“I see.” And, as she glanced up at him, she saw a slight tightening of his handsome mouth. It struck her for the first time that Dick was an unexpectedly strong and determined person behind his casual exterior.
“Don’t take the instructions too seriously,” he said.
“I didn’t. At least, I began to feel that it wasn’t fair to him, and so—”
“To him?” Dick asked in surprise. “I was thinking it wasn’t fair to you.”
“I haven’t any stake in the game,” Meg declared surprisedly.
“But you might, my dear, you might. Sontigan’s an attractive fellow. If the process of ‘taking him off Felicity’s hands’ were prolonged, you might become involved yourself.”
“Grow fond of him, do you mean?”
“Yes, that’s what I mean.”
“Oh no!” said Meg, and laughed. “No, really, that isn’t likely. He isn’t my type.”
Then suddenly she stopped laughing, because she remembered Felicity saying, “Leigh Sontigan should suit you perfectly.” And although the words were ridiculous, the recollection of them made her feel apprehensive.
CHAPTER SIX
During that whole enchanted evening, Meg never once lost the delicious feeling of being Cinderella at the ball.
The gorgeous dress and the fact that she had never looked so lovely in her life of course contributed greatly to the general fairytale atmosphere, but it was more the conviction that none of this had anything to do with her kind of life, which made the evening magnificent.
That both Dick Manners and Leigh Sontigan should compete in a friendly way for her company throughout the evening seemed in keeping with the fact that she neither looked nor felt as she had ever looked or felt before in her life.
In addition, she was aware that Claire cast an occasional critical glance in her direction, but this only served to add to the general pleasure. After all, a stepmother is part of most fairy tales!
Once during the evening Meg found herself near Felicity for a few minutes, and her employer asked her how she was enjoying herself.
“Enormously!” Meg declared. “And thank you for speaking so kindly about me to my father. I think he was gratified.”
“And the stepmother? Was she gratified too?” asked Felicity, with a roguish little smile.
“Well, you dealt with her very expertly, anyway.” Meg smiled in return. “It was nice of you to pretend that you were going to give me the dress, so that she—”
“It wasn’t pretence. I am giving you the dress.”
“Oh, you can’t! Not anything as beautiful and valuable as this! I haven’t done a thing to deserve it and—”
“But you have. And anyway, the dress looks so lovely on you that no one else ought to wear it ever,” Felicity declared. “How are you getting along with Leigh?”
“Very well. But about the dress—”
“No. Not about the dress. It’s yours. Tell me about Leigh instead.”
Meg felt guiltily that there was not very much to tell her about Leigh but she said earnestly, “I’ve spent a good deal of the evening with him, as you’ve probably noticed—”
“No. I’ve been otherwise engaged,” declared Felicity, with that quick smile. “But go on.”
“He has been a very nice and easy companion, and never once made me feel that he wished he were partnering someone else. If he’s looked on it as a social duty—”
“I don’t think,” interrupted Felicity indulgently, “that ‘duty’ is the word any man would connect with you tonight. You’ve made quite a hit with Dick, by the way.”
“Oh—” Meg laughed, on a note of genuine pleasure “—he’s so kind and amusing. But then everyone has been so kind to me tonight.”
“That’s as it should be,” Felicity said agreeably. Then the chairman of the Charity Ball Committee came to appropriate her. Meg’s father appeared and took her off to have supper with Claire and
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