His mind played with attractive plans for the future. The Mastership of the Roxdale perhaps, the restoration of the west wing, no need to let the Scotch shooting...
Charles Windlesham dreamed in the sun.
Chapter 5
It was four o'clock when the dilapidated little two-seater stopped with a sound of crunching gravel. A girl got out of it - a small slender creature with a mop of dark hair. She ran up the steps and tugged at the bell. A few minutes later she was being ushered into the long stately drawing-room, and an ecclesiastical butler was saying with the proper mournful intonation, "Miss de Bellefort."
"Linnet!"
"Jackie!"
Windlesham stood a little aside, watching sympathetically as this fiery little creature flung herself open-armed upon Linnet.
"Lord Windlesham - Miss de Bellefort - my best friend."
A pretty child, he thought - not really pretty but decidedly attractive, with her dark curly hair and her enormous eyes. He murmured a few tactful nothings and then managed unobtrusively to leave the two friends together.
Jacqueline pounced - in a fashion that Linnet remembered as being characteristic of her.
"Windlesham? Windlesham? That's the man the papers always say you're going to marry! Are you, Linnet? Are you?"
Linnet murmured, "Perhaps."
"Darling - I'm so glad! He looks nice."
"Oh, don't make up your mind about it - I haven't made up my own mind yet."
"Of course not! Queens always proceed with due deliberation to the choosing of a consort!"
"Don't be ridiculous, Jackie."
"But you are a queen, Linnet! You always were. Sa Majesté, la reine Linette. Linette la blonde! And I - I'm the Queen's confidante! The trusted Maid of Honour."
"What nonsense you talk, Jackie darling! Where have you been all this time? You just disappear. And you never write."
"I hate writing letters. Where have I been? Oh, about three parts submerged, darling. In jobs, you know. Grim jobs with grim women!"
"Darling, I wish you'd -"
"Take the Queen's bounty? Well, frankly, darling, that's what I'm here for. No, not to borrow money. It's not got to that yet! But I've come to ask a great big important favour!"
"Go on."
"If you're going to marry the Windlesham man, you'll understand, perhaps."
Linnet looked puzzled for a minute; then her face cleared.
"Jackie, do you mean -"
"Yes, darling, I'm engaged!"
"So that's it! I thought you were looking particularly alive somehow. You always do, of course, but even more than usual."
"That's just what I feel like."
"Tell me all about him."
"His name's Simon Doyle. He's big and square and incredibly simple and boyish and utterly adorable! He's poor - got no money. He's what you call 'county' all right - but very impoverished county - a younger son and all that. His people come from Devonshire. He loves country and country things. And for the last five years he's been in the city in a stuffy office. And now they're cutting down and he's out of a job. Linnet, I shall die if I can't marry him! I shall die! I shall die! I shall die."
"Don't be ridiculous, Jackie."
"I shall die, I tell you! I'm crazy about him. He's crazy about me. We can't live without each other."
"Darling, you have got it badly!"
"I know. It's awful, isn't it? This love business gets hold of you and you can't do anything about it."
She paused for a minute. Her dark eyes dilated, looked suddenly tragic. She gave a little shiver.
"It's - even frightening sometimes! Simon and I were made for each other. I shall never care for anyone else. And you've got to help us, Linnet. I heard you'd bought this place and it put an idea into my head. Listen, you'll have to have a land agent - perhaps two. I want you to give the job to Simon."
"Oh!" Linnet was startled.
Jacqueline rushed on: "He's got all that sort of thing at his fingertips. He knows all about estates - was brought up on one. And he's got his business training too. Oh, Linnet, you will give him a job, won't you, for love of me? If he doesn't make good, sack him. But he will. And we can live in a little house, and I shall see lots of you, and everything in the garden will be too, too divine." She got up.
"Say you will, Linnet. Say you will. Beautiful Linnet! Tall golden Linnet! My own very special Linnet! Say you will!"
"Jackie -"
"You will?"
Linnet burst out laughing.
"Ridiculous Jackie! Bring along your young man and let me have a look at him and we'll talk it over."
Jackie darted at her, kissing her exuberantly:
"Darling Linnet - you're a real friend! I knew you were. You wouldn't let me down - ever. You're just the loveliest thing in the world. Good-bye."
"But, Jackie, you're staying."
"Me? No, I'm not. I'm going back to London, and tomorrow I'll come back and bring Simon and we'll settle it all up. You'll adore him. He really is a pet."
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