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‘You must know you did!’
‘I am quite sure I wrote no such thing,’ he said.
‘Well, what did you write?’ she demanded.
He walked forward till he stood quite close to her and held out his hand. He said, looking down at her:
‘Does it signify what I wrote? After all, I had not seen you then. Now that we are acquainted I promise I will not write or say anything to give you a disgust of me.’
She looked at him uncertainly. Even though his fine mouth was perfectly grave his eyes held a smile which one could hardly withstand. A little colour stole into her cheeks; the dimple peeped again; she put her hand shyly into his, and said:
‘Well, perhaps it does not signify so very much. But I am going to marry Mr Morley, you know. That was all arranged between us years ago.’
Sir Roland still kept her hand clasped in his. ‘Do you never change your mind, Miss Paradise?’ he asked.
Mr Morley, who had begun in the presence of this polished gentleman to feel himself a mere schoolboy, interrupted at this moment and said hotly: ‘Sir, I deny any right in you to interfere in Miss Paradise’s affairs! She is under my protection, and will shortly be my wife. Bab, come with me! We should press on at once!’
‘I suppose we should,’ agreed Miss Paradise rather forlornly.
Mr Morley strode up to her and caught her wrist. Until the arrival of Sir Roland he had been regarding his approaching nuptials with mixed feelings, but to submit to a stranger’s intervention, and to see his prospective bride in danger of being swayed by the undeniable charm of a man older, and far more at his ease than he was himself, was a little too much for him to stomach. There was a somewhat fiery light in his eyes as he said: ‘Bab, you are promised to me! You know you are!’
Miss Paradise raised her eyes to Sir Roland’s face. ‘It is quite true,’ she said with a faint sigh. ‘I am promised to him, and one must keep one’s word, you know.’
‘Bab!’ said Mr Morley sternly, ‘you wanted to elope with me! It was your notion! Good heavens, you could not turn back now and go meekly home!’
‘No, of course I couldn’t,’ said Miss Paradise, roused by this speech. ‘I never heard of anything so flat!’
‘I knew you would never fail!’ said Mr Morley, casting a triumphant look at Sir Roland. ‘Let us be on our way immediately.’
Sir Roland flicked a grain of snuff from his wide cuff. ‘Not so fast, Mr Morley,’ he said. ‘I warned you, did I not, that I could not allow myself to be thrust into the role of mere onlooker?’
Mr Morley’s eyes flashe
d. ‘You have no right to interfere, sir!’
‘My dear young man,’ said Sir Roland, ‘anyone has the right to do what he can to prevent two – er – young people from committing an act of the most unconscionable folly. You will not take Miss Paradise to Gretna today – or, in fact, any other day.’
There was a note of steel in the drawling voice. Miss Paradise, realizing that the adventure was becoming even more romantic than she had bargained for, clasped her hands in her muff and waited breathlessly.
Mr Morley laid a hand on his sword-hilt. ‘Oh?’ he said. ‘Indeed, sir?’
Sir Roland, observing the gesture, raised his brows in some amusement.
Mr Morley said through his teeth: ‘We shall do better to continue our discussion outside, sir, I believe.’
Miss Paradise caught her muff up to her chin, and over it looked imploringly at Sir Roland. He was not attending her; he seemed to be considering Mr Morley. After a moment he said slowly: ‘You are a little impetuous, are you not?’
‘Sir,’ said Mr Morley dramatically, ‘if you want Bab you must fight for her!’
Miss Paradise’s mouth formed an ‘O’ of mingled alarm and admiration.
There was a slight pause. Then Sir Roland smiled and said: ‘Well, you have plenty of courage, at all events. I am perfectly prepared to fight for her.’
‘Then follow me, sir, if you please!’ said Mr Morley, striding to the door.
Miss Paradise gave a cry and sprang after him. ‘Oh, Rupert, no!’
She was intercepted by Sir Roland, who laid a detaining hand on her arm. ‘Don’t be alarmed, Miss Paradise,’ he said.
