Sixteen
“Darling,” said Deborah. “Do you know I almost thought the most terriblethings about you?”
“Did you?” said Tuppence. “When?”
Her eyes rested affectionately on her daughter’s dark head.
“That time when you sloped off to Scotland to join Father and I thoughtyou were with Aunt Gracie. I almost thought you were having an affairwith someone.”
“Oh, Deb, did you?”
“Not really, of course. Not at your age. And of course I knew you andCarrot Top are devoted¹ to each other. It was really an idiot called TonyMarsdon who put it into my head. Do you know, Mother—I think I mighttell you—he was found afterwards to be a Fifth Columnist². He always didtalk rather oddly—how things would be just the same, perhaps better ifHitler did win.”
“Did you—er—like him at all?”
“Tony? Oh no—he was always rather a bore. I must dance this.”
She floated away in the arms of a fair-haired young man, smiling up athim sweetly. Tuppence followed their revolutions for a few minutes, thenher eyes shifted to where a tall young man in Air Force uniform was dan-cing with a fair-haired slender girl.
“I do think, Tommy,” said Tuppence, “that our children are rather nice.”
“Here’s Sheila,” said Tommy.
He got up as Sheila Perenna came towards their table.
She was dressed in an emerald evening dress which showed up herdark beauty. It was a sullen³ beauty tonight and she greeted her host andhostess somewhat ungraciously.
“I’ve come, you see,” she said, “as I promised. But I can’t think why youwanted to ask me.”
“Because we like you,” said Tommy smiling.
“Do you really?” said Sheila. “I can’t think why. I’ve been perfectly⁴ foulto you both.”
She paused and murmured:
“But I am grateful.”
Tuppence said:
“We must find a nice partner to dance with you.”
“I don’t want to dance. I loathe⁵ dancing. I came just to see you two.”
“You will like the partner we’ve asked to meet you,” said Tuppence smil-ing.

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