A Bachelor Husband Part 23

Chris laughed again.

"Well, I never thought you'd be jealous of her, certainly," he said.

She turned on him with flashing eyes.

"I'm not jealous of her! How dare you say such a thing!"

"My dear girl"--Chris was utterly amazed--"isn't that what I've just said--that I didn't think you were jealous of her? What a little spitfire you are!"

She had never looked at him like that before, and he was rather interested to discover that she had got it in her to flare out.

"What would you like to do to-day?" he asked presently. "We don't seem to have gone about much, though we've been here nearly three weeks."

"I'm quite happy as I am, and it's rather hot to go sight-seeing, isn't it?" Her voice sounded weary.

Chris looked at her sharply.

"You're not feeling so well as you'd like me to believe," he said suspiciously.

Marie frowned.

"If only you wouldn't persist in making me an invalid," she complained.

Chris was offended.

"Oh, very well! It was only for your own good." His face changed a little. "Here comes Feathers," he added.

He had not seen his friend that morning, and he was not sure what sort of a reception he was going to receive, but Feathers behaved as if nothing had happened. He remarked that it was a lovely morning and that the sea was warmer than it had been for a month.

"Have you been in?" Chris asked eagerly.

"Yes--just come out."

Chris looked at the sea.

"I wouldn't mind a dip," he said sententiously.

"I should have it then," Marie said. "I can stay with Mr. Dakers if he has nothing better to do."

Chris looked at his friend.

"Will you look after her?" he asked, dubiously.

"Delighted."

"Right-oh! I shan't be long." Chris turned away.

Feathers found an empty seat in the shade, and he and Marie sat down.

"And we are quite-well-thank-you to-day, I suppose, eh?" he asked smilingly. "I heard you were down to breakfast, though I did not see you."

"Yes--I'm tired of being lazy. Did Mrs. Heriot tell you?"

"I believe she did."

Marie smiled.

"Mrs. Heriot is very angry with me," she said.

"Why, on earth?"

"Because of last night."

"Last night!" He looked away from her guiltily.

"Yes--about Mrs. Heriot and Chris going out to that fishing boat, I mean." Her eyes wandered out to sea, to where a group of small craft bobbed at anchor in the sunlight.

"Oh! Chris told you, of course." Feathers sounded infinitely relieved.

Marie shook her head.

"No--I heard you quarrelling with him; my room is next to his, you know! I suppose I ought not to have listened, but ... well, I did! It's quite true that listeners never hear anything pleasant, isn't it? That's the second time I've had it happen to me."

Feathers tilted his hat over his eyes, and the rest of his ugly face looked rather grim.

"I am sorry you overheard," he said constrainedly. "I did get up in the pulpit a bit, I know! And there was no harm in what had happened, really."

She did not speak, and he repeated firmly:

"There was no harm in it at all, Mrs. Lawless."

Marie raised her eyes and laughed with a little hysterical catch in her voice.

"Oh, surely you're not one of those people who think I am jealous of Mrs. Heriot?" she asked.

"Good Lord, no!" He sat up with sudden energy. "Jealous! Of that woman!"

Marie gave a long sigh.

"She thinks I ought to be," she said drearily. "I wonder if she is right?"

Feathers looked angry.

"Of course not. What rubbish! Chris doesn't care for women--I know for a fact that he's never cared for a woman in his life."

She nodded; his words were truer than he thought, she told herself, seeing that Chris did not even care for her.

"We're going back to London on Sat.u.r.day," she said, abruptly changing the subject.