Free Madcap Miss by Joan Smith Page A

ordered me to buy you a doll, to make up for being harsh about the blue pill. ”
    He thought she would laugh and was surprised by her wistful smile. “ How touching. I feel a perfect wretch. I didn ’ t even take the pill, but held it under my tongue till I could hide it in my handkerchief. ”
    “ Here I have been pitying you for nought. But still, your duplicity is to be rewarded with a new doll. ”
    “ Must we? ”
    “ Gussie will love it. ”
    “ Lucky Gussie! She enjoys the pleasures of Ireland, and gets my reward. ” Grace spoke without thinking and was surprised to see Whewett took her seriously.
    “ That is true. You must have a present as well. ”
    “ I was joking, Whewett. Does your daughter still play with dolls? ”
    “ Not in public, but when I go to tuck her in at night, she is surrounded by half a dozen of them. Sisters all. ”
    “ Then we shall pick out one for her, and you take it home. ”
    “ A little difficulty has just occurred to me... ”
    “ What a mountain of imagination! One whole difficulty. ”
    “ One specific thing I hadn ’ t thought of before. Gussie ’ s future correspondence with her grandmother will discuss this visit, or ought to. I must dream up some explanation for Gussie. ”
    “ That ’ s true, ” Grace said, frowning. “ You must edit her letters carefully, to see she doesn ’ t give the show away. ”
    “ The future holds a few problems, but the visit is going marvelously well. ”
    “ Best of all, it ’ s nearly over. ”
    Whewett jabbed at his collar, looking as guilty as sin. “ I — I have a confession, Miss Farnsworth. ”
    She turned a wrathful brown eye on him. “ Whewett, don ’ t — pray do not tell me the show has been held over. ”
    “ Just a few more days. I ’ m dreadfully sorry. ”
    “ I ’ ll never get away from here! Root will sprout from my feet. I ’ ll grow old and wrinkled while still in short skirts. ”
    “ The thing is, you see, Daugherty isn ’ t coming till Friday, and she wants me to show him around. ”
    “ Let Bronfman show him around. That ’ s what he ’ s being paid for. The Daughertys aren ’ t coming till three, and that means we shan ’ t get away till Saturday. ”
    “ Just three more days, ” he said hopefully.
    “ It ’ s too long. You said two days altogether. That ’ s all I agreed to. ”
    “ I ’ ll pay you more — anything you ask, ” he said in desperation.
    “ It ’ s not the money. It ’ s just — just too long. I ’ m not used to such wicked deceit. I can ’ t relax a moment. ”
    “ You can relax now, when we are alone, I mean. ”
    “ Relax? With my skirts hiked halfway up my legs and my hair pinned into these bows, and going to buy a doll? You have a strange idea of how I relax. ” Grace felt close to tears from sheer vexation.
    “ I ’ m sorry, Miss Farnsworth. Truly I am. I didn ’ t intend to impose on you so brutally. Please bear with me. I ’ ll make it up to you. Five hundred pounds. ”
    “ Don ’ t be absurd. I can ’ t take such a sum from you. It would be — immoral. I am immoral. I didn ’ t mind so much before I knew Lady Healy. Oh, and she is so nice, buying me a present, when I didn ’ t even take the pill. Could you not make some excuse to leave earlier, Whewett? ”
    He damped down his frustration and answered civilly. “ I can, if you insist, but she ’ s right about the sale. Bronfman will sell her out cheap to close the deal and get his commission. She wants me to keep an eye on things. It is only common sense, and common courtesy, too, when you consider it is all to be my daughter ’ s one day. I understand, of course, that my family ’ s welfare is not your first concern. No reason it should be. ”
    Grace acknowledged that from his point of view, staying was the sane course. She gave a weary sigh and said, “ I have nothing special to do the next few days except find Miss Thomas. ”
    “ Perhaps we could do that today, ” he suggested