She must so arrange matters after
lunch that Frank should not prevent her hour's talk with Rossiter,
yet should have the long explanation he himself deserved. An idea.
She would telephone to Praddy and invite herself and Frank to tea at
his studio after she had left the Rossiters.
Mrs. Rossiter was used to unexpected guests at lunch. People on
terms of familiarity dropped in, or the Professor detained some
colleague or pupil and made him sit down to the meal which was
always prepared and seated for four. Therefore she was not
particularly taken aback when her husband appeared at five minutes
to one in the little drawing-room and after requesting that the
macaw and the cockatoo might be removed for the nonce to a back
room--as they made sustained conversation impossible, announced that
he expected momently--ah! there was the bell--two persons whose
acquaintance he was sure Linda would like to make. One was Captain
Frank Gardner, who owned a big ranch in Rhodesia, and--er--the
other--oh no! no relation--was Miss Warren....
"What, one of the Warrens of Huddersfield? Well, I never! And where
did you pick her up? Strange she shouldn't have written to me she
was coming up to town! I could--"
"No, this is a Miss Vivien Warren--"
"Vivien? How curious, why that is the name of the Adams's little
girl--"
"A Miss Vivien Warren," went on Rossiter patiently--"a well-known
Suffragist who--"
"Oh Michael! _Not_ a Suffragette!" wailed Mrs.
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