‘A beastly shame,’ said Mr Campion with more feeling than he had intended. ‘And so is this other business,’ he added hastily.
‘Little Doom?’ She shrugged her shoulders. ‘It will be, if it rots up the party. Albert, for heaven’s sake don’t let them spoil my party. I just couldn’t bear it. I mean it. It’s an Orphan’s Outing for me. I shall die if anything stops it. They seem all right, those men. One of them is a bit sensational, isn’t he? Glowing with it. Who’s the lucky girl?’
Mr Campion sighed. ‘Prune,’ he said.
‘Prune?’ She was appalled. ‘Oh no, not hopeless love.’
‘ ’Fraid so. Forget it.’
‘I shall try to. Jake calls her the Snow Queen. I call her the Marble No-Bust. She’s no earthly good to that chap. He’s alive.’
‘So far,’ said Mr Campion sadly, and went off to find the others.
