The Marriage Wheel by Susan Barrie

you, and a certain section of the community would say ‘ Well done! ’ But I do nothing of the kind! ”
    “ I ’ m sorry, ” Frederica breathed again, more humbly than before.
    A few minutes later he told her to leave the main road they were pursuing back to Farthing Hall, and turn down a by-lane.
    “ The Dower House is about a hundred yards down on your left, ” he told her. “ It isn ’ t actually a dower house, but it ’ s called that. It might have been a rectory at some time or other. I bought it when I bought the Hall, and I ’ ve been wondering what to do with it. We ’ ll have a look at it, and you can give me your unbiased feminine opinion-on its possibilities. ”
    Frederica could have retorted that she was not supposed to have strictly feminine opinions on anything, but she refrained. Instead she concentrated on negotiating the somewhat difficult track—for a car the size of the Daimler—which branched off the high road, and followed it as far as a pair of white gates which stood open on to a weed-grown drive.
    Here she brought the car to rest, as the brambles looked as if they might harm the Daimler, and they made the rest of the way up to the house on foot. As Humphrey Lestrode observed:
    “ If anything comes down the lane you ’ ll have to move the car, but I doubt very m u ch whether it will. It ’ s an infrequently used road. ”
    Frederica ’ s first impression was that the place was far too isolated and closed in by trees to suit either her mother ’ s or her sister ’ s taste. But for herself she found it enchanting. The house had big windows on the ground floor that opened on to a sunny lawn, and there was even a sun-dial in the middle of the lawn which added to its attractiveness. A kitchen-garden and an orchard were badly overgrown, but with a little labour they could be highly productive once more.
    Inside the house there was peeling wallpaper and a smell of damp. But here again there were great possibilities ... beautifully proportioned rooms and at least two Adam fireplaces; a graceful, curving staircase, and light and airy bedrooms. The bathroom accommodation was a little inadequate, but there was a wonderful conservatory on the ground floor. Electra, who rather enjoyed looking after pot plants, might find it amusing pottering about there. But who would do the housework in a house of such size Frederica couldn ’ t think.
    “ It ’ s a bit big, ” she hazarded, as she stood admiring the flowing line of the staircase.
    “ Not as big as the Hall, ” her employer replied, frowning. “ And Lucille manages to keep that looking fairly spick and span. ”
    “ Lucille works too hard, ” Frederica commented rather sharply—far more sharply than she actually intended. “ And in any case it isn ’ t properly furnished yet. When it is completely furnished you ’ ll have to get extra staff. ”
    “ I stand reproved for expecting too much of poor Lucille, ” Humphrey Lestrode retaliated drily.
    Frederica surveyed him with cool, clear eyes. “ She really does work very hard, you know, ” she repeated. “ It honestly isn ’ t quite fair to expect so much of one willing pair of hands. ”
    “ Some people work too hard, and others don ’ t work nearly hard enough, ” Lestrode observed with a mocking edge to his voice, while he gazed back at her in open amusement. “ Your sister is like the young lady in the nursery-rhyme who was born to sew a fine seam ... only I somehow doubt whether she could even do that with a great deal of efficiency. And you don ’ t see her settling down here? ”
    “ I never said so, ” Frederica objected, with somewhat unreasoning resentment. “ For one thing, ” she added, “ I shouldn ’ t think there ’ s any question of her settling down here. The house is vast if you ’ re thinking of making it over to my mother and Rosaleen, and would cost a small fortune to be made really habitable. Of course, once it was habitable it would be