Free The Black Benedicts by Anita Charles Page B

daughter. ”
    She looked at him in some astonishment.
    “ Do you mean, ” she asked, “ that you think that ’ s the only reason why I go to church? ”
    He shrugged slightly. As usual his eyes, or rather t h e expression in them, seemed to deride her, and his voice held that subtly mocking note.
    “ How should I know why, or what it is that compels you to go to church? I ’ m not a churchgoer myself, but I ’ ve no objection at all to my niece being instructed along the right lines. Did you enjoy the service, In fa nt? ”
    “ Oh, very much, ” Serena admitted with enthusiasm. “ I sang, ” she added, “ and so did Miss Gower. We both sang the hymns at the tops of our voices. ”
    “ That must have been nice for all the other members of the congregation, ” he commented. He slid in his gears noiselessly. “ And how is Mark Anthony? ”
    Mark Anthony was the new Siamese kitten, and the name was the one he himself had given it.
    “ Oh, he ’ s lovely, ” Serena enthused again. “ He sleeps with Miss Gower, and he ’ s already growing quite big. ”
    “ Still adhering to his early attachment, ” her uncle observed, but his eyes were on the road ahead this time, and Mallory was rather thankful that she could not see whether or not they twinkled slightly.
    When they reached the Grange, Adrian was standing at the foot of the steps, and he looked smilingly at Mallory. His brother, when he had alighted from the car, laid a friendly hand on his shoulder.
    “ I was wondering, ” Adrian said, a trifle diffidently, “ whether I might borrow the car this afternoon, Raife? If you ’ re not going to use it? I thought about running out and having a look at White Cottage, and I thought perhaps Miss Gower—as it ’ s such a fine day ... ? ”
    He sounded even more diffident as he looked again towards Mallory.
    “ Why, of course, old chap. ” But for an instant even Raife Benedict was surprised, and then Mallory saw him look quickly at Miss Martingale, and her slender dark eyebrows rose just the fraction of an inch. “ If we want to go out we ’ ll take the other car. And certainly you can have this one. ”
    “ Then you ’ ll come, Miss Gower? ” Adrian asked quickly, and rather urgently.
    Mallory hesitated for perhaps half a second, “ Well, if Serena ... I expect Serena would like it, too ...”
    “ Oh, yes, of course we ’ ll take Serena. ”
    “ Oo, lovely! ” exclaimed Serena, and started to execute a little un-Sunday-like dance on the broad gravel sweep. “ White Cottage is such a pretty little house, and the country is lovely, too. You ’ ll like it, Miss Gower, ” she assured her.
    Before they went in to lunch the master of the house laid a detaining hand on his niece ’ s arm and then spoke to Mallory.
    “ Since you two seem to have behaved yourselves while I was away I ’ ll take you both down to see Saladin. Would you like to come, Sonia? Or do you want a little rest before lunch? ”
    “ If you don ’ t mind, ” she replied, for her ankle was hurting her a little, but she did not look too pleased to see all four of the others move off in the direction of the stables.
    Serena was lifted up by her uncle to caress Shamrock, a shapely young chestnut without any vices, but he would not permit her to approach anywhere near to Saladin ’ s stall. Mallory leaned across the half-door and spoke to it softly, Adrian remaining close to her elbow, but only the owner of the big black went actually up to it and placed a strong, sensitive hand on its muzzle.
    “ It ’ s a wicked-looking brute, isn ’ t it? ” he observed at last, over his shoulder to his brother and Mallory.
    “ I don ’ t think it ’ s so much wickedness as perversity that is its besetting sin at the moment, ” Mallory voiced it as her opinion, “ and the cure for that is a tremendous amount of exercise. ”
    Her employer glanced round at her with an odd smile on his lips.
    “ And I take it that you ’ d like to make