‘Well, how was it?’ asked Noel, in an agony of suspense, ‘did you like Anne-Marie – did she like you – what did you talk about – how did you hit it off together?’
‘We got on like a house on fire,’ said Jasper. ‘Fine girl, Mrs Lace.’ Noel almost groaned out loud. Jasper saw at once what a state of mind he was in, and found it not unamusing. ‘Come and have a drink at the New Moon,’ he said, deciding to prolong the agony for a bit. ‘They ought to be open any minute now.’
‘What a perfectly delightful husband she has too,’ he continued, as they nestled up against the bar while waiting for their beer. ‘A really charming man. He told me some exceedingly funny stories. I expect I shall be seeing a great deal of him in the future.’
Noel found this news far from reassuring. He knew that Jasper always made a point of being on most friendly terms with husbands.
Jasper now changed the subject lightly. He asked whether Noel had met Eugenia, how she was, and what she had been up to. ‘Have a jolly afternoon yourself?’ he inquired. ‘Any sign of the dicks? No? They certainly weren’t following me either. Looks like it’s one of those Janes they’re after. I wonder which?’
They now gulped their beer in silence. Noel had a dozen questions on the tip of his tongue, and racked his brain to think of some way in which he could word them without appearing ridiculous. He looked quite pathetic, as though he might burst into tears at any minute.
Presently Jasper threw him a crumb of comfort.
‘Mrs Lace talked a lot about you,’ he said.
Noel looked overjoyed for a moment, but this expression soon gave way to one of apprehension. He felt it more than likely that the conversation as directed by Jasper might have been on extremely unflattering lines, uncertain as he was of Mrs Lace’s attitude towards himself. He rather expected that he would be thrown into a pit of despair by Jasper’s next remark. Bracing himself as for a physical shock he took a large gulp of beer and said: ‘Oh! really, what did she say?’
The crumb of comfort, however, was most unexpectedly succeeded by the contents of a whole baker’s shop.
‘Mrs Lace is nuts about you, old boy. She can’t think of anything else.’
Noel still suspected a trap. Walking warily, he said: ‘I don’t believe she is at all. She never shows it when she is with me, anyway.’
‘My dear old boy, you are such a shocking bad psychologist. Can’t you realize that Mrs Lace is one of those shy, retiring little women who must have all the running made for them? Haven’t you noticed, for one thing, how reserved she is?’
Even the love-blinded Noel had not quite noticed this. He was only too prepared, however, to believe it.
‘Never mind,’ continued Jasper, ‘I think everything should be all right now. I’ve done a lot of work for you today, old boy. You should be grateful to me.’
‘What work?’ asked Noel, dubiously.
‘To begin with I praised you up to the skies, said you had an exceedingly noble character, and so on. But what is even more important, I made an assignation for you.’
‘Not with Anne-Marie?’
‘Who else? You are to meet her in a place where you will be quite undisturbed for as long as you wish – a romantic place, a place which might have been (probably was) designed for lovers’ meetings. There she will be awaiting your declaration at three o’clock tomorrow afternoon.’
‘Where is it then?’ cried Noel, who was duly thrown, as Jasper had intended that he should be, into a fever of excited anticipation. ‘Quickly, tell me, Jasper, where?’
Jasper did not reply. He appeared to have gone off into a reverie and sat gazing into the middle distance, a dreamy expression on his face.
‘Jasper – where is this place, damn you?’
‘By the way, old boy,’ said Jasper, suddenly coming back to earth again, ‘I could do with ten pounds.’
‘I dare say you could,’ said Noel.
There was a long silence.
‘Oh, I see,’ said Noel peevishly, ‘blackmail?’
‘I say, hold on old boy, that’s not a very polite word is it? Supposing we called it commission? After all, a chap must live you know.’
‘I really can’t see why,’ said Noel.
Presently however, he pulled out a cheque-book and proceeded with bad grace to scribble a cheque for ten pounds. He then screwed it up in a ball and threw it at Jasper’s head. Jasper smoothed it out carefully and read it. ‘It’s exceedingly untidy,’ he said, ‘but I dare say it will do.
‘Temple by lake near Chalford Old Manor. You approach it hooting like an owl to prove bona fide; if all is O.K. Mrs Lace replies with a merry laugh. Let’s go back to our pub, shall we, and find out what those girls have been up to all the afternoon.’
Lady Marjorie and Mrs St Julien, however, made no further appearance that evening. They dined, as usual, in their private sitting-room, but after dinner
