Free The Girl Next Door (Crimson Romance) by Peggy Gaddis

said, ‘I sincerely hope not. I’m afraid his wife wouldn’t approve. She’s rather narrow-minded about such things as ex-wives, you see.’”
    “Divorced!” breathed Molly.
    “Obviously,” answered Anne.
    Edith made no comment, and after a moment Anne stirred a little and said pettishly, “Oh, well, I thought it was rather exciting news, after all. We’ve been wondering about her, and why she is a Mrs. without a Mr. around, and now we know.”
    “Yes,” said Molly. “And now I’m really worried about Bobbie!”
    “You needn’t be,” said Anne. “Bobbie’s got a head on his shoulders, and he’s been around. He’ll see through her, in time.”
    “But suppose there’s nothing to see,” said Edith quietly. “After all, we’re a bunch of spiteful, malicious cats. Just because Marcia is a stranger here, and people are beginning to make a fuss over her, could it be that we are jealous?”
    “If by ‘people’ you mean all the unattached young men about town — and a few of the older unattached men, like Mr. Pirkle, whose wife died three years ago, and old Mr. Hewett who has never had a wife — then I’m willing to admit ‘people’ are making a fuss over her,” said Molly flatly. “But I haven’t heard the girls or our own friends raving about her.”
    “Betsy is devoted to her,” announced Edith.
    There was a moment of tension, but almost before they had time to be conscious of it, it was gone.
    “Oh, well, Betsy’s a sweetheart, and she’s as friendly as a puppy,” said Molly. “And anyway, Marcia’s not making a play for Betsy’s young man — ”
    “But I always thought Betsy was mad about Peter Marshall,” Anne broke in.
    Molly gave her a warning glance, but her voice was elaborately casual as she said, ‘‘Now you’re talking nonsense, Anne. You know very well that Betsy and Pete have been pals for years. Betsy’s not in love with anybody.”
    “No?” asked Anne, sweetly.
    “No!” returned Molly. “Betsy’s not even grown up.”
    “Betsy’s nineteen,” Anne pointed out.
    “How did my child get mixed up in this?” Edith put a determinedly good-natured end to the argument. “As I remember it, we suggested that we ask Marcia to come over and make up a table of bridge. How we got tangled up in all this gossip, I’m sure I don’t know. Hold everything while I telephone her.”
    She went across the grass, and Molly turned to Annie and said in a savage undertone, “Anne Hutchens, if you want that baby of yours to be born before I murder you with my bare hands, you’ll keep that little trap of yours shut about Peter Marshall and Betsy.”
    Anne regarded her coolly. “I think Betsy ought to know that Pete is at Marcia Eldon’s place every day, and practically
all
day,” she said. “You and I both know Betsy worships Pete. And I can’t imagine what Marcia means. After all, she is almost twice as old as he is.”
    “Whoa there!” ordered Molly. “Peter’s about twenty-four, and Marcia Eldon can’t be more than twenty-eight.”
    “Ever see her in the good strong sunlight? She’ll never see thirty-five again.”
    “Don’t be an idiot. She’s only two or three years older than Peter, and marriage between people their ages is by no means unusual,” Molly pointed out, without realizing what she was saying. The next moment, her eyes widened and she looked startled.
    Anne, watching her, chuckled. “See what I mean?” she drawled.
    “But — oh, for Heaven’s sake, Anne — ”
    “Molly, you’re so blind,” observed Anne. “We all know Marcia Eldon hasn’t a cent. She deposits fifty dollars in the bank on the first of every month, and before the end of the month she’s having to dip into that reserve fund she opened her account with. Never mind how I know — I
know!
The five hundred is almost gone, and the fifty dollars goes nowhere at all.”
    “So what?” demanded Molly.
    “So the Marshalls are wealthy. Old Mr. Marshall, Pete’s father, left a two