III

Rosamund Darnley, strolling out of the dining room after a very late breakfast, was cannoned¹ intoby Linda as the latter came tearing down the stairs.

“Oh! sorry, Miss Darnley.”

Rosamund said: “Lovely morning, isn’t it? One can hardly believe it after yesterday.”

“I know. I’m going with Mrs. Redfern to Gull² Cove³. I said I’d meet her at half past ten. Ithought I was late.”

“No, it’s only twenty-five past.”

“Oh! good.”

She was panting a little and Rosamund looked at her curiously⁴.

“You’re not feverish⁵, are you, Linda?”

The girls’ eyes were very bright and she had a vivid patch of colour in each cheek.

“Oh! no. I’m never feverish.”

Rosamund smiled and said:

“It’s such a lovely day I got up for breakfast. Usually I have it in bed. But today I came downand faced eggs and bacon like a man.”

“I know—it’s heavenly after yesterday. Gull Cove is nice in the morning. I shall put a lot of oilon and get really brown.”

Rosamund said:

“Yes, Gull Cove is nice in the morning. And it’s more peaceful than the beach here.”

Linda said, rather shyly:

“Come too.”

Rosamund shook her head.

She said:

“Not this morning. I’ve other fish to fry.”

Christine Redfern came down the stairs.

She was wearing beach pyjamas⁶ of a loose floppy⁷ pattern with long sleeves and wide legs. Theywere made of some green material with a yellow design. Rosamund’s tongue itched⁸ to tell her thatyellow and green were the most unbecoming colours possible for her fair, slightly anaemiccomplexion. It always annoyed Rosamund when people had no clothes sense.

She thought: “If I dressed that girl, I’d soon make her husband sit up and take notice. Howevermuch of a fool Arlena is, she does know how to dress. This wretched girl looks just like a wiltinglettuce.”

Aloud she said:

“Have a nice time. I’m going to Sunny Ledge⁹ with a book.”

 

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