CHAPTER TENMeeson came knocking on the nursery door just as Stella was ready for bed.
“Please, Miss Johnstone, Miss Ford would like you to come up and have coffee with her after dinner. She is not coming down tonight.”
It was a royal summons and admitted of no refusal.
As she went downstairs half an hour later she found Ninian at her elbow.
“So we are bidden to the presence. You seem to have made a hit with Adriana.”
Janet frowned.
“Have you seen her?”
“Oh, yes—I have the entrée. The polite guest loses no time in paying his respects to his hostess.”
“You’re not staying here!”
“Darling, where else? I do, you know, from time to time. Adriana and I are buddies, and after all she is ‘my aunt’, as our dear Edna says. A horrid title—even Stella won’t use it!”
The meal was certainly enl
