"I want particularly to speak to Mr. Brott."
Captain Horton bowed with the slight disappointment of a hungry
man on his way to the supper-room.
"Don't be long," he begged. "The places are filling up."
Lady Carey nodded and walked swiftly across to where Brott was
standing. He moved eagerly forward to meet her.
"Not dancing, Mr. Brott?"
He shrugged his shoulders.
"This sort of thing isn't much in my way," he answered. "I was
rather hoping to see the Countess here. I trust that she is not
indisposed."
She looked at him steadily.
"Do you mean," she said, "that you do not know where she is?"
"I?" he answered in amazement. "How should I? I have not seen her
at all this evening. I understood that she was to be here."
Lady Carey hesitated. The man was too honest to be able to lie like
this, even in a good cause. She stood quite still for a moment
thinking. Several of her dearest friends had already told her that
she was looking tired and ill this evening. At that moment she was
positively haggard.
"I have been down at Ranelagh this afternoon," she said slowly,
"and dining out, so I have not seen Lucille. She was complaining
of a headache yesterday, but I quite thought that she was coming
here. Have you seen the Duchess?"
He shook his head.
"No. There is such a crowd.
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