Chloe laughed. She was childishly excited.
“Squire, shall I?”
“What? Sorry, I wasn’t listening.”
“Shall I give you blood pressure?”
Mercer blushed. His dark face looked odd suffused with sudden colour.
“I don’t think so,” he said carelessly and began to play loudly, making an interesting addition to the tune at last. This development seemed to absorb him and came as a blessed relief to everyone else in the room.
Miss Pye became dignified with a lightning change of mood which comforted Uncle William, who had been watching her with growing dismay. She left Sock and walked across to the window with conscious grace.
“Jimmy has quite a charming estate, hasn’t he?” she remarked. “I do think surroundings have a definite effect upon one. He’s losing all his old joie de vivre. Here comes Mrs
