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Supposing that Isabelle never thought of Crownlands, of her handsome son and her young daughter, of the man whose patience and cleverness had lifted her to all this luxury from an apartment in a small town, would no memory of the place she had held, and the friendships she had commanded, haunt her?
Richard Carter had called the place "Crownlands," not to please himself, or even his wife. But it was to his mother's newly born family pride that the idea of being the Carters of Crownlands made its appeal. The estate, when he bought it, had belonged to a Carter, and the tradition was that two hundred years before it had been a grant of the first George to the first of the name in America.
In mid-April they all came home again, and Crownlands, in the year's first shy filming of green, looked wonderful to Harriet's homesick eyes. With joyous noises and confusion Ward and Nina scattered their possessions about, and the old lady bustled, chattered, and commented.
She was wakeful and restless to-night simply because she could not decide just how much she need fear him. Firstly, was there any reason for antagonizing him, and secondly, would he hurt her if she did? For Royal could not punish her without punishing himself, and could not banish her from Crownlands if he ever hoped to show his own face there again.
A mere accident had made it natural for Richard Carter to drive her home, and yet she was pleasantly thrilled by the circumstance. They flew by the great gates of the country club, and turned in past Crownlands lodge, and Harriet got out, at the steps, and turned her happy, flushed face toward the man to thank him.
"Ward, don't say those things!" the girl said, distressedly. "I want you!" he said, sullenly. "I'm crazy about you! My God " "Ward, please don't touch me!" she said, sharply, getting to her feet with a spring, as he put his arm about her. "Don't ! I shall tell your father if you do!" "You didn't talk that way at Crownlands last June," the man said, sulkily.
When they reached the driveway of Crownlands, Harriet recognized the car that was already there, and said to herself that Anthony Pope would join them for luncheon. But just as she and Nina were about to enter the cool, wide, dark doorway, Anthony himself passed them. He was almost running, and apparently did not see them.
She, with her hard-won prestige of dignity and reserve, exposed to Nina's laughing insinuations, or, worse, Nina's prim disapproval. How she had weakened her position here! How she had risked her heart contracted with pain severing of her association with Crownlands. Luncheon, under its veneer of gaiety and foolishness, offered fresh terrors.
She tells me that you may be making plans of your own." "David?" Harriet said, resentfully. "I have no plans with David!" she said, simply. "I didn't know," Richard answered. "I came to ask you to come back. Things are in an absolute mess with us. We have not had a serene moment since you left us three weeks ago." To go back back to Crownlands! Harriet's spirit soared.
"Never mind," Harriet said, serenely, "I've just this instant come, and he saves my face! Do turn that toast, Ward!" she added. And to the maid, "Mr. Carter's fruit, Mollie, please." Breakfast was the least formal of all the informal meals at Crownlands.
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