The Marriage Wheel by Susan Barrie Page B

stiffly, “ but I don ’ t think you can do much with it. ”
    “ And you certainly don ’ t see the fair Rosaleen enacting the part of hostess here? Peeping in and out of the nurseries and receiving the gentlemen in the drawing-room after dinner? ”
    She shook her head obstinately.
    “ No. ”
    “ A pity, ” Lestrode murmured almost lazily, as he followed her from the room, “ because I do. I think she ’ d fit in here even better than she ’ d fit in at the Hall, and I ’ m going to bring her over some time and see what she herself thinks. As for your mother, I agree this place is not exactly her cup of tea—but then she ’ s so young and attractive she ’ ll probably marry again one day, when she ’ s got you two girls off her hands, and it would be presumptuous to make plans for her. But Rosaleen is a different matter. ”
    Frederica glanced at him quickly to discover whether or not he was being serious, and for the life of her she was unable to make up her mind. He was frowning a little, as if he was actually doing mental calculations, but the tiny smile was still clinging about his handsome masculine mouth. It was a somewhat baffling smile.
    She felt a sudden, really quite extraordinary sensation like dismay ... and then she hurried out of the house ahead of him. He closed the door and pocketed the key, and they walked down the drive side by side to the open pair of dilapidated white - painted gates.
    The brightness of the afternoon had passed, and it actually appeared to be threatening rain. As they passed beneath the spreading leaves of the trees they heard light drops of rain drumming against them.
    Lestrode entered the car silently, and Frederica slid behind the wheel. The man ’ s voice directed curtly from behind her.
    “ Second on the left, and then right, and we ’ ll be back on the main road. And after that home, ” he said in a clipped and rather distant voice.
    “ Yes, sir, ” Frederica answered.

 
    CHAPTER SIX
    It was t he very next day that near-disaster overtook Frederica, and she felt afterwards that her employer ’ s attitude towards her was in no wise improved, and that the danger of her being given the sack at any moment had drawn appreciably nearer.
    Following upon the incident she was quite certain that it was only the indisputable fact that her mother and sister would be affected if she had to pack her bags and depart from Farthing Hall that prevented the situation getting out of hand.
    She was driving Lestrode along a secondary road en route for a nearby town when the car swerved violently, there was a loud explosion, she had some difficulty in keeping the car firmly adhered to the surface over which it was travelling, but succeeded nevertheless, and then realised that they had sustained a puncture. At first her relief was so great that they had not overturned, or at the very least skidded into the bank, that she sat gasping with it when they came to a standstill, but Lestrode was anything but thankful.
    He barked furiously from close beside her ear. “ And just because I ’ m in a hurry, too! I suppose you know how to change a wheel? ”
    “ Yes, I—I can manage, ” she said, scrambling out from her driving-seat. And she added, “ I think! ”
    Lestrode also alighted, but all he did was inspect the marks that had been caused by the skid on the slightly damp surface of the road.
    “ Well, at least you managed to hold her, ” he said. “ We can be thankful you weren ’ t attempting one of your ambitious bursts of speeding! ”
    Frederica glared at him resentfully. She hardly ever attempted any bursts of speeding—certainly not when she was driving her employer, who appeared to be unnerved by the thought of speed while she was in charge of one of his cars—and she knew that she drove both moderately and well while he was a passenger. And she did think he might help her to jack up the wheel instead of prowling like an agitated tiger.
    She was down on her knees in