‘Tony!’
‘I beg your pardon,’ he bowed solemnly.
‘That was prodigiously ill-natured, Tony.’
‘Never say so, my dear.’
‘I have a very good mind not to dance with you now.’
She was conducted promptly to an antechamber, where there were refreshments spread. ‘An excellent mind,’ said Sir Anthony. ‘I was never a good dancer. A glass of ratafie?’
She laughed. ‘It’s too bad of you, Tony!’
‘My dear, it would be worse if I stood up with you, I assure you. My forte lies in fetching food and drink for my partners.’
She sat down, perforce. ‘Well, a little ratafie, then. I do not intend to go near Aunt again all the evening. She may scold as much as she likes afterwards.’
Sir Anthony poured two glasses of wine. ‘She’s absorbed in euchre, child; you need have no fear. I drink to your very good health.’
Letty sipped at the wine, and dimpled haughtily. ‘You might drink to my eyes, Tony.’
‘No doubt I might,’ he said, but showed no disposition to do so.
Letty looked meditatively up at him. ‘I wonder whether you will ever say pretty things?’ she said, aggrieved.
‘Not to you, minx.’
‘I know that. But to someone else?’
‘My dear, I doubt I haven’t the aptitude for it. I will tell you if ever I discover it in myself.’
‘I don’t suppose you will. Tell me, I mean,’ said Letty with a flash of insight.
‘There’s no knowing. I’m to understand your ear’s been tickled with pretty speeches to-night?’
She spread out her fan, and began to trace the pattern on it with one rosy-tipped finger. ‘I shan’t tell you that, Tony.’
‘You need not.’ Sir Anthony smiled a little. ‘It leaps to the intelligence.’
‘But don’t you think, Tony,’ said Letty sweetly, ‘that it would be very wonderful if no one had said pretty things to me?’
Sir Anthony regarded her calmly. ‘You bid fair to become a rare handful,’ he remarked. ‘And that is all the compliment you’ll have from me.’
‘I am very glad I am not going to marry you,’ said Letty frankly. ‘You would not suit me at all. Perhaps you’ll marry my dear Miss Merriot instead.’
‘Withhold your felicitations awhile,’ he replied. ‘The event is not imminent.’
‘I expect you’re agog to be off to claim her hand for the dance,’ nodded Miss Letty sapiently.
Sir Anthon
y set down his empty glass. ‘I shall have to curb my impatience, then,’ he said. ‘She’s not here.’
‘Oh, is she not? I quite thought that was she in the blue domino. Who told you?’
‘My Lady Lowestoft. She is kept at home with the migraine, as I believe.’
Letty was all concern. ‘Oh, poor Miss Merriot! But Mr Merriot is here, isn’t he? In the crimson domino? Yes, I thought so.’