Nevertheless he was Hetty’s suitor, and the fact that he was staying on at the Hall rather longer than had been anticipated was surely an indication that sooner or later he would declare himself.
In which case there was every likelihood that Sir Virgil would accept him enthusiastically as his future son-in-law.
Fenella did not answer Sir Nicolas’s question. Instead she put the cravats down on a chair in the hall ready for her to take them upstairs to Periquine’s bed-room, and led the way to the Salon.
“I ought to offer you some refreshment,” she said, “and as a matter of fact there is some wine in the house, because Periquine bought it for the dinner party tonight.”
“Is the cellar really empty?” Sir Nicolas enquired in a voice which told Fenella that to him it was an unheard-of conting
