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“Could be his right-hand man until he takes a wife, ill hate you and want you out of her house? Yes, her house, Alexa, for all that you’ve looked upon it as you
r home for most of your life Freddy will inherit the plantation, and when he marries it will be his wife’s home, not yours”
All it had aically and should begin to prepare for what her future reed to accept the invitation to Queen’s House for the Governor’s Ball, which would really be a birthday ball held in her honor—like a “co out” But snatches of that unusually frank conversation with Aunt Harry still floated through Alexa’s head
“There have been woh and wise enough to rule countries and eht re for Aunt Harry to have said
“There’s thebefore we arrive at Queen’s House!”
One of the young subalterns who had escorted the worinned even ave him one of her famous scowls
“It’ll be a lot cooler there, you know Sea breezes and all that And you’ll save me a dance tomorroon’t you?”
Seeing Alexa’s eyes narrow dangerously, he winked at her again before he straightened up hastily, turning his grin on his brother officer Poor old Alex! Sheturned into a female He couldn’t even recall, come to think of it, that he’d ever seen Alex in skirts before Wonder if she kne to dance? Well, at any rate he and Eric had talked about it in the ht, and they’d decided that since she was such a good sport it would only be the proper thing for theh and tease her if she tripped over her flounces and furbelows—for one thing, she’d probably come after both of them with a pistol if they did, and, female or not, Alex had a damned cool head and a deadly aim! He’d seen that for himself, and they’d all heard the story of how she’d finished off a wounded and enraged bull elephant in e
“Did that young man say ere almost there? Lord, I cannot believe that I actually fell asleep in spite of all the rattling and bu up, Harriet delved in her reticule for a handkerchief to oodness it’ll be cooler once we get closer to the ocean Such heat! I’d alotten how hot Colombo can be”
Alexa had been gritting her teeth so hard that she was surprised to find her jaere not locked together She said with syrupy sweetness: “And were you givingthing, Aunt Harriet? Since I’m up on the auction block now I suppose I really must try harder, mustn’t I?”
“Oh, for heaven’s sake, Alexa, let us not become dramatic!” The snapped-out reply sounded more like the Aunt Harry she was familiar with, at least “And shake out your sleeves They’re looking positively wilted in spite of the lining I had that stupid tailor stitch into them And put your bonnet on at once! It was not meant to be a fan, you know I don’t knoho else will be staying with the Mackenzies, but I do want everyone who ht be there e arrive to know that even in the hill country we try to keep up with the latest fashions”
Alexa’s slate-colored eyes, so dark they could look alh her voice remained sweetly docile “The latest fashions? But all the journals we receive from London are at least four or five ed Mrs Mackenzie to ht; and then I could have attended as a Sinhalese wo”
Realizing the girl was riding on a short rein, Harriet ise enough to shrug and say only, “Well, I’own that Sir John means to surprise you ill be truly exquisite and in the very latest style, so that you will outshine every other feood taste!”