The Wedding Dress (18 page)

“
I don’t know what you mean.
”
She was indignant, because she felt that that undercurrent of mockery in Philip’s voice was intended for Paul, towards whom she felt very tender and grateful at this moment.

“
Don’t you, my sweet? That’s because you’re a nice, kind unsuspicious girl,
”
he told her teasingly.
“
But I
—
being a
worldly
, rather cynical sort of chap
—
can’t help thinking that probably your guardian saw a priceless opportunity to make trouble between me and Elinor. And if that was his idea
”
—
Philip shrugged
—
“
he succeeded.
”

“
He wouldn’t think along those lines at all!
”
Loraine
declared angrily.
“
And anyway
—
”

She stopped, for suddenly it occurred to her how little she really knew of her guardian and his personal affairs.
She did remember his saying, when he first referred to the crisis of his broken engagement, that he took a lot of convincing that he was beaten. Had he been waiting all this time, ready to seize the first advantage offered
—
still refusing to believe that he had lost Elinor irretrievably
?

She found she disliked the idea intensely, and she felt annoyed with Philip
—
as far as she
could
feel annoyed with him, that was to say
—
when he went on reflectively:
“
He always took the break with Elinor very badly. I suppose he’s been waiting for a chance like this, and suddenly saw the possibility of driving a wedge between us if he could make me see her as intriguing against me and my friends.
”

“
If he saw her as clearly as that, I don’t know why he should hope to get her back himself,
”
said Loraine shortly.

“
Dear child! A man in love doesn’t mind much if his girl plays a dirty trick on someone else,
”
Philip assured her lightly.

“
And you think that Paul is
—
is a man in love?
”

“
I have no doubt of it. I see no other reason why he should have done what he did.
”

“
You don’t think it a sufficient reason that he should worry about my peace of mind and want to put things right for me?
”

“
I don’t think Paul Cardine ticks that way,
”
Philip said, with a smiling shake of his head.
“
Besides, he said something about an ulterior motive
—
”

“
What
ulterior motive?
”
she asked quickly.

“
I didn’t pay much attention, really,
”
Philip confessed.
“
Only, when I thanked him
—
rather coldly and correctly, of course
—
for taking the trouble to clarify the situation, he said in that slightly offensive way of his that I needn’t think it was for the sake of my blue eyes and that he had his own ulterior motive. Something of the sort.
”

“
Oh,
”
said Loraine very soberly.
“
Oh
—
I see. Do you
think that he and Elinor will now
—
will now
—
”

“
Loraine dear, don’t ask me to speculate on Elinor’s future,
”
he begged, with a slight grimace.
“
Still less on the future of Paul Cardine. I’m bound to say that the thought of both of them leaves me strangely cold just now.
”

“
Oh, yes
—
I do understand!
”
She reached out her hand and lightly covered his as it lay on the table.
“
Forgive me for being so tactless. You can’t be feeling very happy tonight, however much you may tell yourself that your engagement was a mistake.
”

“
Funny you should say that.
”
He turned his hand slowly and clasped hers.
“
As a matter of fact, I was just thinking how oddly happy I do feel, and that it was not quite decent of me to be so contented, in the circumstances.
”
She laughed softly at that and allowed her hand to remain in his for some seconds before she drew it gently away.

“
Philip dear, I ought to be going. It’s been wonderful to have this long talk with you, and I’ve enjoyed my delicious supper all the more for being with you. But life is very hectic just now at Florian’s
—
and I shall feel dead tomorrow unless I get a good night’s sleep.
”

Unlike her guardian, he tried to persuade her to stay up a little longer. But she not only knew her own physical limitations
—
she sensed unerringly that the moment had come when he should be left to some quiet reflection. She had no wish to rush him from one emotional crisis to another, with the possibility of his wondering subsequently if he had acted too much on impulse.

And so she insisted on their going. He yielded with a good grace in the end, and drove her home. But he kissed her with less than his customary lightness when he bade her goodnight.

“
When do I see you again?
”
he asked, holding her hand tightly so that she could not escape.

“
Soon, soon—
”
she promised blithely.
“
I’ll ring you up when life is less demanding. Or you can ring me
—
now.
”

“
At Paul Cardine’s number?
”
He laughed and made a face. But he let her go then, and she ran into the house, laughed a little to herself at the entrancing way of life had changed since she had left the place that morning.

When she entered the flat she saw immediately that there was a light in the drawing-room and she guessed that Paul was, if not waiting for her, at least mildly curious about what she had been doing.

It was difficult not to feel a trifle self-conscious as she went in, but she managed to say quite casually:

“
Hallo
—
so you’re still up?
”

“
It’s not late for guardians,
”
he told her a little disagreeably.
“
Only for overworked wards. Where have
you
been all this time?
”

“
I went out to supper
—
with Philip.
”

“
I see.
”

“
Do you mind?
”

“
No.
”

She came and stood beside his chair. But he flicked over the pages of his book and gave the impression of paying scant attention to her
—
an attitude which both amused and annoyed her.

She could not have said, quite what moved her to do so but, without saying anything, she bent down and kissed his cheek.

Immediately he stopped turning the pages of his book and asked drily,
“
What’s that for?
”

“
You know perfectly well! And there’s no need to be ashamed of your good deeds.
”

He laughed then and turned his head to look at her. But he said,
“
I’m not aware of having performed any specially good deeds today.
”

“
Didn’t you go to Philip
—
which you must have absolutely hated doing
—
and straighten out my affairs for me?
”

“
Part of my duties as a guardian,
”
he told her.
“
You were too much occupied to attend to the matter yourself. But I wouldn’t have anyone
—
not even a smug ass like Philip Otway
—
thinking you were living here in some sort of questionable relationship with me.
”

“
You do have a graceful way of putting things, don’t you?
”
she said crossly, because she resented his description of Philip, even while she knew it was unreasonable of her to expect either man to do the other justice.

“
I expect I’m in a bad temper,
”
he replied, with an extraordinarily disarming smile.
“
I’m sorry.
”

“
It doesn’t matter.
”
She rubbed her hand up and down his arm in a reassuring little gesture.
“
Shall I tell you something that will put you in a good temper?
”

“
If you like.
”
He smiled at her indulgently.

“
Well
—
”
she was slightly scared now she had come to
the moment and she could find no very delicate way of conveying the information
—
“
Philip and Elinor have broken off their engagement.
”

This time, she noticed, not only his hand but every bit of him seemed to become absolutely still. Then he said:

“
You think that’s something to put me in a good temper?
”

“
At least it was something you very much wanted to happen wasn’t it?
”
she countered quickly, and she found that she was holding her breath for his answer.

“
Yes,
”
he said slowly.
“
It was something I wanted more than anything else in the world.
”

He made the statement completely without emphasis, but she guessed that he was having some difficulty in controlling his feelings at that moment. She wished that she herself could have felt more enthusiastic about the whole thing. But, rather naturally, the thought of Elinor in connection with
anyone
close to her was unacceptable.

However
—
whatever the ulterior motive
—
her guardian had certainly bestirred himself well on her behalf, and it was only right that she should now show some friendly interest in his affairs.

“
I gather they just decided that the engagement had been a mistake,
”
she explained carefully.

But her guardian merely said drily,
“
Very interesting.
”
So she decided not to pursue the matter further and bade him goodnight at this point and went to bed.

For no reason she could define, she felt faintly depressed
perhaps as a reaction from all the emotional excitement of the evening. But then she remembered that everything was all right with Philip once more and that the future beckoned brightly. And on that happy reflection, she fell asleep.

Loraine had rather expected that, once the important first displays of the Collection were over, life would become a trifle less demanding. But nothing could have been further from the case.

As a result of the fantastic success, yet again, of the Florian Collection, customers crowded the salon daily.

And, in addition to the showing of the full Collection, which took place every afternoon, there was endless work in connection with individual customers.

From Madame Moisant’s brusque but satisfied manner and, still more, from the occasional Olympian nod she received from Florian, Loraine gathered that she was fulfilling her role with credit. But she still regarded herself very much as the new girl, and did not expect to be chosen for any of the big social or charity events where Florian models went on unofficial display, as it were.

She was all the more flattered and pleased, therefore, when Florian summoned her one morning and said:
“
Loraine, I think it is time we used you for an outside assignment. In your naive way, you have become to a certain extent fashion news. You dance, I take it?
”

“
Yes, certainly, monsieur.
”

“
I remember now
—
you said something about some ballet training, though this will not be necessary. At least,
”
he looked at her as though a new and pleasing thought had struck him,
“
one might use for a minuet, I suppose. Could you learn that, if necessary?
”

She laughed.

“
I could dance a minuet when I was fourteen, monsieur. One does not forget anything so lovely in so short a time.
”

“
True,
”
he agreed, with some approval.
“
How would you like to go to the Fete du Roi Soleil on the first of next month
?
”

“
Monsieur Florian! It’s
—
the event of the season almost, isn’t it?
”
She was breathless with excitement and delight.

“
One could call it that, I suppose. It is not often that a new theatre is opened in Paris, and this will celebrate the opening of the Monique.
”

“
It’s also a tremendous charity affair, isn’t it?
”

“
Of course. Everything on which one spends a great deal of money is termed a charity affair,
”
Florian agreed cynically.
“
And sometimes charity even benefits thereby.
”