"I haven't seen her recently," she said coldly.
"Nobody has. I do think she might have seen her clergyman. There is a
time when only the church can give us the comfort we need, my dear."
And whatever Mrs. Haverford's faults, she meant that quite simply.
"And you say Clay knew?"
"It's rather likely he would. They were golfing together, weren't they,
when that caddie was hurt?"
Natalie was not a jealous woman. She had, for years, taken Clay's
faithfulness for granted, and her own complacency admitted no chance of
such a possibility. But she was quick to realize that she had him at a
disadvantage.
"How long have you known it?" she asked him that night, when, after the
long dinner was over, she sat with her elbows on the table and faced him
across the candles.
He was tired and depressed, and his fine face looked drawn. But he
roused and smiled across at her. He had begun to have a feeling that he
must make up to Natalie for something--he hardly knew for what.
"Known what, dear?"
"About Chris and Audrey?"
He was fundamentally honest, so he answered her directly.
"Since the day Chris left."
"When was that?"
"The day we dined there."
"And Audrey told you?"
"She had to, in a way. I'm sure she'll tell you herself. She's been
rather hiding away, I imagine."
"Why did she have to tell you?"
"If you want the exact truth, she borrowed a small sum from me, as the
banks were closed, naturally. There was some emergency--I don't know
what."
"She borrowed from you!"
"A very small amount, my dear. Don't look like that, Natalie. She knew I
generally carried money with me."
"Oh, I'm not jealous! Audrey probably thinks of you as a sort of
grandfather, anyhow. It's not that. It is your keeping the thing from
me."
"It was not my secret."
But Natalie was jealous. She had that curious jealousy of her friends
which some women are cursed with, of being first in their regard and
their confidence. A slow and smoldering anger against Audrey, which had
nothing whatever to do with Clayton, darkened her eyes.
"I'm through with Audrey. That's all," she said.
And the man across regarded her with a sort of puzzled wonder.
Her indignation against Clayton took the form of calculation; and she
was quick to pursue her advantage. In the library she produced the new
and enlarged plans for the house.