"I say, I've got a bright idea, darling," he continued, before Myra
could speak. "Let's solve the difficulty by getting married at once.
I'll get a special licence, and we'll set a new fashion by entertaining
a house party in the Highlands during our honeymoon. Even the boldest
man would surely hesitate to make love to another man's wife during her
honeymoon. What do you say?"
Myra pursed her red lips and wrinkled her brows in thought, and Tony
took her indecision to be a good sign.
"Say 'yes,' darling," he urged. "You know I'm most tremendously in
love with you and frightfully keen, and you will have no further reason
to feel afraid of Don Carlos when you are my wife."
"I'm not afraid of Don Carlos," snapped Myra. "Oh, Tony, don't be so
dense and exasperating! Almost I wish now I had never told you about
the tiresome and conceited creature's love-making... Besides," she
added, inconsequentially, "I don't want to get married yet, and if I
did marry you before we go to Scotland Don Carlos would pride himself
it was to protect myself from him, and it would be worse and more
dangerous if he made love to me as a married woman. Oh, Tony, my dear,
I'm getting mixed, but maybe you understand what I mean. I'm not
afraid of Don Carlos, but I don't want to give him any chance of going
about boasting that I am in love with him."
"I don't think he would do that, Myra," said Tony. "He seems an
awfully decent sort of chap. If you'd heard his explanation, you would
understand that he was really only paying us both a compliment by
pretending to make love to you. I do hope you'll see him, my dear, and
let him explain and apologise. I don't understand why you're so cross
with me, darling."
He looked so absurdly pathetic that Myra's irritation gave way to
amusement, and her lovely face dimpled into smiles.
"I'm not really cross with you, Tony, my dear, although I do think you
have made rather a mess of things," she exclaimed, and gave Tony an
affectionate pat on both cheeks. "It will be interesting and amusing
to listen to Don Carlos's explanations and apologies--if any... Oh,
yes, Tony, I'll see him, and I think I shall manage to take some of the
conceit out of him."
As it happened, Lady Fermanagh had an engagement that afternoon, and
Myra was alone when Don Carlos de Ruiz was announced. Myra had been
doing some hard thinking, and she was feeling sure of herself as she
rose to greet her visitor, who bowed low before smiling into her eyes.