mid-air because Maxwell Elliott was standing on the top step with a trug-load of flowers in his hands.
“I brought these across for your stepmother," he informed her. “I thought you would be at the mill.”
“You’ve caught me out in one of my weaker moments,” Susan said dryly. “I slept in.”
“It can happen to the best of us,” he reflected. “I won’t worry Mrs. Denham if she’s not out of bed yet,” he added. “It’s early to call, but I’m on my way to Edinburgh and I promised her some flowers last time she was at the Carse. The place is overgrown with them.”
Nellie had deserted her, Susan noticed. There was nothing to do but ask him in.
“Evelyn rises with the lark,” she assured him. “You’ll want to see her, I suppose. Please come in.”
She knew how frigid she sounded, but it appeared to be impossible to snub this man. He walked past her into the hall with the utmost assurance, looking about him unashamedly at the lovely interior of the house which he no doubt coveted now, more than ever. The front hall, with its apsidal ends and richly embellished ceiling, generally took the visitor to Denham’s breath away, but he looked beyond it through the half-open double doors to the inner hall.
“I believe you hold your shows in there,” he said. “Your stepmother told me it was unique for that purpose. Perhaps you wouldn’t mind if I took a brief look?”
Susan was forced to follow him, although she had already indicated how impatient she was to get away. The big, inner hall was her own particular delight, however. She had planned its colouring to complement the double sweep of stairs going up to the first floor and it had been much admired both by her customers and her friends. The walls were mushroom-coloured, the plaster-work picked out in shell pink and ivory and the closely-carpeted flights a deeper shade of cinnamon, while the woodwork remained starkly white. The wrought-iron banisters which carried the hand-rails were decorated in gold and bronze and the model girls came slowly down to parade across the hall before the buyers seated in the deep chairs removed from the drawing-room for the purpose.
It was a setting she loved, and many of her own designs had been thought up in keeping with it.
“This is certainly ideal,” Maxwell Elliott said without demur. “Fm quite sure you’ve got something here. It would be a pity to waste it,” he added as she turned abruptly away.
“If you’re suggesting that I might work for you, Mr. Elliott,” she said harshly, “you’re wasting your time. I shall leave Denham’s as soon as this merger goes through, if you mean it to go through.”
“That was the general idea,” he agreed, studying her closely. “You know, of course, that it’s all but settled? You have only to make up your mind about the house.”
She turned to face him, her eyes flashing dangerously.
“I don’t want to talk about it,” she told him. “Evelyn has made your point for you. You’ll get Denham House, as well as the mill, in the end.”
“Not unless you agree.”
“What has that to do with it? It’s Evelyn’s home.”
“And yours.”
“She wants the baby to be born here. I couldn’t go against her wish in that respect—”
“We needn’t take over the house right away. Mergers take time to get into their stride, you know—even small ones.”
“But you will occupy the house, in the end,” she suggested.
He lit a cigarette, his thin hands shielding the flame so that it sprang to life reflected in his eyes.
“That’s what I want,” he said. “To keep things exactly as they are. Don’t tell me you’ve lost all interest in Denham’s so suddenly,’ he added, watching her closely. “I can’t see why you shouldn’t go on working here just as you’ve always done, and there’s no reason why we should remain at loggerheads over this. Certainly your stepmother doesn’t consider it too bitter a pill to swallow.”
“Evelyn has
“I brought these across for your stepmother," he informed her. “I thought you would be at the mill.”
“You’ve caught me out in one of my weaker moments,” Susan said dryly. “I slept in.”
“It can happen to the best of us,” he reflected. “I won’t worry Mrs. Denham if she’s not out of bed yet,” he added. “It’s early to call, but I’m on my way to Edinburgh and I promised her some flowers last time she was at the Carse. The place is overgrown with them.”
Nellie had deserted her, Susan noticed. There was nothing to do but ask him in.
“Evelyn rises with the lark,” she assured him. “You’ll want to see her, I suppose. Please come in.”
She knew how frigid she sounded, but it appeared to be impossible to snub this man. He walked past her into the hall with the utmost assurance, looking about him unashamedly at the lovely interior of the house which he no doubt coveted now, more than ever. The front hall, with its apsidal ends and richly embellished ceiling, generally took the visitor to Denham’s breath away, but he looked beyond it through the half-open double doors to the inner hall.
“I believe you hold your shows in there,” he said. “Your stepmother told me it was unique for that purpose. Perhaps you wouldn’t mind if I took a brief look?”
Susan was forced to follow him, although she had already indicated how impatient she was to get away. The big, inner hall was her own particular delight, however. She had planned its colouring to complement the double sweep of stairs going up to the first floor and it had been much admired both by her customers and her friends. The walls were mushroom-coloured, the plaster-work picked out in shell pink and ivory and the closely-carpeted flights a deeper shade of cinnamon, while the woodwork remained starkly white. The wrought-iron banisters which carried the hand-rails were decorated in gold and bronze and the model girls came slowly down to parade across the hall before the buyers seated in the deep chairs removed from the drawing-room for the purpose.
It was a setting she loved, and many of her own designs had been thought up in keeping with it.
“This is certainly ideal,” Maxwell Elliott said without demur. “Fm quite sure you’ve got something here. It would be a pity to waste it,” he added as she turned abruptly away.
“If you’re suggesting that I might work for you, Mr. Elliott,” she said harshly, “you’re wasting your time. I shall leave Denham’s as soon as this merger goes through, if you mean it to go through.”
“That was the general idea,” he agreed, studying her closely. “You know, of course, that it’s all but settled? You have only to make up your mind about the house.”
She turned to face him, her eyes flashing dangerously.
“I don’t want to talk about it,” she told him. “Evelyn has made your point for you. You’ll get Denham House, as well as the mill, in the end.”
“Not unless you agree.”
“What has that to do with it? It’s Evelyn’s home.”
“And yours.”
“She wants the baby to be born here. I couldn’t go against her wish in that respect—”
“We needn’t take over the house right away. Mergers take time to get into their stride, you know—even small ones.”
“But you will occupy the house, in the end,” she suggested.
He lit a cigarette, his thin hands shielding the flame so that it sprang to life reflected in his eyes.
“That’s what I want,” he said. “To keep things exactly as they are. Don’t tell me you’ve lost all interest in Denham’s so suddenly,’ he added, watching her closely. “I can’t see why you shouldn’t go on working here just as you’ve always done, and there’s no reason why we should remain at loggerheads over this. Certainly your stepmother doesn’t consider it too bitter a pill to swallow.”
“Evelyn has
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