Charles Rex - Ethel May Dell (i love reading .TXT) 📗

room. "I'm so sorry I'm late," she said. "The little fiend ran away with us, and we had a gigantic tussle. Do you mind if I sit down in these things?"
She went round to Maud to kiss her, and stopped as Maud's arm came about her.
"Do you mind?" she said again.
"My dear," Maud said very gently, "Jake is going to scold you for riding that half-broken colt by yourself. It was very risky. Why did you do it?"
"Oh, is Jake cross?" said Toby. She looked across at him with an imp of mischief in her eyes. Then, as he still studied his paper, abruptly she left Maud and went round to him.
"Cheer up, Jake!" she said. "Don't throw a cloud on the proceedings!"
Her voice was half impudent, half wheedling. Jake looked up, his eyes very direct and somewhat stern.
"You sit down and have some breakfast!" he said. "I'll talk to you afterwards."
She obeyed him with a slight shrug of the shoulders. "P'raps I shan't stay to be talked to," she remarked, as she did so. "I've promised to take Eileen and Molly out as soon as I've had my tub, so if it's going to be a lengthy wigging, you'd better begin now."
Jake did not begin. He turned deliberately from the bravado of her look, and began to take the covers off the breakfast dishes.
Toby leaned back provocatively in her chair, and whistled under her breath. She was plainly in a dare-devil mood, but it was not her custom to dare Jake.
"What have you done to your hands?" he said, as she reached out for the plate he offered her.
She coloured deeply. "Nothing--I mean--nothing serious. I often get my hands scratched."
"Why don't you tell me the truth?" said Jake.
Maud looked up from her letter. "It is as I thought. Charlie wants us to go down to Fairharbour to-morrow. He is getting together a luncheon party on board the yacht. The Melroses will be there and some of the polo people staying at The Anchor. Jake, you will come and support me, won't you?"
Jake shook his head. "Bunny can do that job, my girl. I've got to get ready for Goodwood. Forest Fire is going to make his mark there."
"Oh, bother Forest Fire!" said Maud. "I want you."
"What for?" said Jake.
"Well, General Melrose knows you. He was talking of you down at the Club the other afternoon. And I want him to meet you--with me. Please come, Jake!" Maud spoke persuasively.
"All right," said Jake.
"You will?"
"I will," he said, smiling a little. "You don't often interfere with my liberty. I remember old Melrose, met him years ago at Doncaster. He's always been keen on the Turf, and he stood by me once when--someone--was trying to queer my pitch."
"Oh!" said Maud. "You mean the time that Charlie let you down! Poor Charlie! He was horribly ashamed of himself afterwards."
Toby looked up sharply, and again the colour came into her face, mounting swiftly to her forehead. She appeared to be on the verge of hot speech, but no words came.
It was Jake who spoke in his soft, easy drawl. "Oh, I guess he's grown a bit since then. Anyway, whatever his intentions, he never managed to do me any harm. And I rather think his malice is dead now."
"It died long ago," said Maud quietly. "He owes you a great deal, Jake. You've taught him to be a man."
"I?" said Jake. "My dear, your partiality runs away with your judgment. Have some ham!"
He dismissed the matter in his own calm fashion, and began to talk of his animals. Breakfast proceeded, but Toby scarcely spoke and ate very little.
"It's so hot to-day," she said when presently Maud remonstrated with her. "I can't eat when it's hot--really." She pushed her plate away and rose from the table. "Do you mind if I go?"
"Yes, I mind," said Jake. "Go and sit in that arm-chair and smoke a cigarette! I shall be ready when you've finished."
He held out his case to her, and, though she made a face at him, she yielded. She threw herself down in the chair he indicated and smoked in silence.
Chops came and laid his head upon her knee, and she fondled his silken ears with an understanding touch. But her eyes were fixed before her with something of hardness in their look.
Maud finished her breakfast and got up. "I am going up to the nursery," she said. "Don't hurry, Toby dear! The children can run in the garden till you are ready."
"I shan't keep her long," Jake said.
Toby turned in her chair with a sudden flare of defiance. "I'd like to see any man who would keep me anywhere against my will!" she said.
Jake nodded. "All right. You can see him now if you want to. Why did you go and ride that little devil Knuckle-Duster when I told you not?"
"I don't take orders from you!" said Toby hotly.
"Oh yes, you do--sometimes." The door closed softly behind Maud and Jake turned squarely to face the girl on his hearth. "Say now," he said in his slow direct way, "it was a fool thing to do. You may as well admit it as not."
Toby was on her feet. She stood stiffly braced, but the colour had gone out of her face. It was white and strained.
"All right," she said, speaking quickly and nervously. "But what of it? I brought him back quite sound and none the worse."
"I wasn't thinking of the horse," said Jake. "He's a savage brute and I doubt if we ever do much with him. He'll certainly never be fit for a lady to ride. But that's not the point either. The point is, you did it against my orders. And you dodged me to do it. Isn't that so?"
"I didn't dodge you for that reason," said Toby. "I'd have done it whether you'd been there or not."
"I think not," Jake said. "Anyway, you'll give me your word of honour that you'll never ride that animal again."
"My what?" said Toby, and suddenly she broke into a laugh. "Oh, don't be funny, Jake! Bunny rides him. Why shouldn't I?"
"That's quite a different thing," Jake said. "Bunny has a man's strength. You haven't. It's too dangerous a game for you, see? And I won't have it."
"All right," said Toby, picking up her riding-whip and turning to go.
He stretched out a hand to detain her. "You'll give me that promise," he said.
She paused for a second, and met the unswerving determination of his eyes. Then a sudden gleam of blue fire lit her own. She made a swift movement, and struck the outstretched hand lightly with the switch she carried.
It was a gesture of supreme insolence, but there was conscious daring in her look. Jake's hand leapt like an angry dog upon the switch and gripped it.
"That was a mistake," he said, and the words, though slow, had a cutting quality that was somehow more imposing than open wrath.
Toby faced him with unabated courage, but she had begun to quiver. She spoke no word.
Jake's hand fell. He turned from her, and pulled out his pipe. There was dignity in the action--the dignity of strength that refuses to assert itself.
And Toby suddenly crumpled. She sprang after him like a contrite child, and caught his arm. "Oh, Jake, forgive me! Do please forgive me! I'm a beast--a beast!" she cried tremulously.
Jake looked at her, the hint of a smile about his rugged mouth. "I guess not," he said. "You're just--young."
She shook her head vehemently. "I'm not! It wasn't that, Jake! I didn't--hurt you?"
"Shucks, no!" he said.
She clung to his arm still. "I'll never disobey you again. I won't do anything you don't like. Jake, I mean it! Why are you laughing?"
"I'm not," said Jake. He put his pipe away again, and patted her shoulder. "All right. Don't say any more!" he said.
Toby gulped down some obstruction in the throat. "I must. I've got to ask you something. You're so awfully decent. I can't--I won't--do things you don't like."
"What do you want to know?" said Jake.
Her other hand came up and fastened tightly upon his arm. "I don't know how to tell you," she said. "I--I had a rotten night last night. That's why I went out alone this morning. And I took Knuckle-Duster because the devil tempted me."
"I see," said Jake. His red-brown eyes were very kindly in their directness. "What did you have a bad night about?"
Her hold upon him tightened. Something of entreaty made itself felt in her grasp. There was fear in the wide blue eyes so resolutely lifted to his.
"I don't know how to tell you," she said again.
"Maybe I can guess," said Jake.
"Ah!" she said, and laid her face down quickly on his sleeve.
He laid his free hand on her head. "It's Bunny, is it?" he said.
She answered him quiveringly. "Yes, it's--it's Bunny."
"Well?" said Jake gently.
She spoke with her face still hidden. "You don't want me to marry him, do you? I won't do it either--without your permission."
"Mine!" said Jake.
"Yes." Her words came rapidly. "You love Bunny. You know what's best for him. You want him to have the best."
Jake's hand caressed her bent head. "Well," he said, after a moment. "I guess that's so. But--I've come to love you in the same way. I'd like you to have the best too."
She lifted her head and looked at him. "You'd like me to have Bunny? Do you mean that?"
"If it's going to make you both happy," said Jake.
"Ah!" she caught her breath sharply. "But no one can be sure of that, can they? I mean, marriage is such a speculation, isn't it? I expect Bunny will soon get tired of me."
"Why do you say that?" said Jake.
A little quiver went through her. "I don't know. Men are like that, aren't they? Not men like you of course, but you're the big exception to almost every rule."
Jake was frowning a little. "I guess I'm as human as the rest of 'em," he said. "But what makes you think Bunny isn't a stayer?"
"He's so young," said Toby.
"That all?" said Jake, beginning to smile.
She looked at him rather wistfully. "Yes, but it counts, Jake. He'll be a man some day, but he isn't yet--at least only in streaks."
"Well, there's no hurry, is there?" said Jake. "People shouldn't marry in haste."
Toby's eyes flashed sudden accusation. "You did!"
"I!" Jake looked momentarily disconcerted. "Well, I had some excuse. What do you know about it anyway?"
"I know what Bunny told me. Maud didn't love you when she married you. It didn't come on till afterwards. She loved Lord Saltash, and he loved her." Toby spoke with a certain hardness, as if challenging contradiction. "She'd have married him--but for you."
Jake met the challenge squarely. "Quite possibly she would. Think she'd have been any happier?"
Toby shook her head. "No. I think you were always meant to be her man. But it--it was rather hard on him." Her voice trembled a little. "Bunny says that was why he never married."
"He's not the marrying sort," said Jake. "I don't mind your marrying Bunny, but nothing on this earth would persuade me to let you marry him."
An odd little smile twitched the corners of Toby's mouth. "No? Well, I shouldn't consult you about that," she said. "Sure you don't mind my marrying Bunny?"
Jake looked at her. "Not if you're sure you want to," he said.
Her eyes grew bright and baffling. She drew away from him, but in a moment with a boyish