Paul Redfern had caught the look of alertness on Mr. Hollis’s face, the quick glance behind him, the relief in his eyes, and knew that the envoy had returned and that the girl was not with him.
So with the courtesy and tact that was a part of his careful training, Paul had a story both absorbing and amusing to tell, and he timed it to the instant as Link approached the doorway, so that the entire table was giving him attention as Link slipped in as silently as a shadow. It was not until the story was finished that one by one the company realized that Link was back among them. It was all effected so neatly that at first they wondered if he really had gone to take that girl away, or had there been some other reason for his leaving for the instant? Minnie herself would have been greatly astonished if she could have known how small a ripple her passage through that dining room had made.
For the moment only one or two of the company remembered the brief break when Minnie had made them all feel so uncomfortable. Link’s sister Rae, of course, was one, sitting there so quietly in the dress that had almost been snatched from her, scarcely able to eat while Link had been gone.
Now as she looked at her brother from across the table she thought he looked disturbed, as if the encounter had been unpleasant for him. Well, how could it help being that? Minnie was that way. She had been fortunate herself to get away from Minnie this afternoon. It hadn’t been kind of Mr. Hollis to ask Link to take her away, and yet he knew Link better than any of the other men, and it really was a compliment to his dependability. And poor Mr. Hollis! What else could he do?
The other one who noticed Link was Curlin Grant. Curlin was about the best friend Link had, and he was sitting across from Rae, making talk with Lou McHale. But Rae could see that Curlin was paying more attention to Link than he was to Lou. Curlin was a good true friend, and Curlin was reading his friend’s face, just as his sister was doing.
Rae flashed a look at Paul now. Paul had told that story on purpose to cover Link’s entrance. Paul was grand! Even if they all did think he was a little high hat with some people, he was a loyal friend. And he had done the courteous tactful thing.
But the unpleasant interlude was passed. Rae had a feeling that Minnie would not again appear on the scene that night. Unless somehow she managed to get into the church. That might happen. But she couldn’t do much damage there. They would all be busy rehearsing.
Rae looked down at her lovely dress and felt suddenly very grand and very happy. It was a beautiful gown, and the girls had all told her she looked wonderful. And she couldn’t help reading it in every one of the boys’ eyes. Except of course Curlin’s. Curlin never noticed dresses. He never noticed girls much anyway. That was what Minnie had said, wasn’t it? Disgusting! Well, Curlin was a splendid friend. They had known him ever since he was a small boy. Their houses in the country were next door to each other, and Curlin and Steve both had been as much at home in the Silverthorn house as they were themselves. It was like having three brothers. And they had always taken Rae into their fun, or their work, baseball or football or plowing or building a fence. She had had her part, and was always treated like a good comrade. She had never considered Curlin the way Minnie had been judging him that afternoon. It had been revolting for her to speak of him that way!
She studied Curlin from across the table. His strong face, the leanness of it, and the character expressed in the firm chin, the pleasant lips. He wasn’t quite as strikingly handsome as Paul, nor Steve perhaps, not as good looking as Link, but there was something about him that seemed so quiet and dependable.
Suddenly, as if she had been speaking her thoughts to Curlin aloud he looked up and caught her eye, seemed almost to study her for a moment, let his eye take in the pretty lines of her new garb, and then his glance met hers, and she saw for the first time in his face a flame of admiration. It was something well controlled but like a flame it could not hide its quick vital power. Rae smiled back shyly, her face flaming into lovely delicate beauty like a flower, and a sweet embarrassment covered her. She had a new dress on, his eyes said, and he liked it. His glance went quickly around the table and came back to her, and he seemed to be trying to make her understand that she was the prettiest girl in the room!
Silly! This was all imagination, set on fire by Minnie’s utterly senseless talk in the afternoon! But yet, several times before the meal was over she found herself seeking Curlin’s eyes, as if to find in them that same glad glance again. But nonetheless, she must have imagined it she told herself. Although he smiled pleasantly more than once, the smiles were not for her alone. As she sat thinking over the whole situation, Rae’s glance went from one to another.
Steve had always been what the boys called “a pretty boy” with his pink cheeks, his gold curly hair and big blue eyes. Steve made a wonderful girl when they dressed him up in girl’s clothes for a tableau or a play. And there was Paul Redfern. He was handsome and distinguished looking. She studied him a moment till he glanced her way and smiled. Paul was fine, with a certain dignity about him, a little like Link. Link had dignity too. She looked at him critically, and decided that even though he was her brother she was unbiased in her decision that he was the best looking man in the room.
Then her eyes went over to the groom, and to the best man who was seated so near to herself that she could scarcely tell how he looked. But he was nice enough, too. They had joked Sydney a lot by telling her she had picked out all the good-looking men for her wedding procession regardless of who they were, but she hadn’t picked out the best man. The groom had done that. Well, he was all right. Only she wished he wasn’t having to walk down the aisle with her. She would so much rather have had one of the boys she knew well. But of course the maid of honor had to walk with the best man.
Then suddenly there was a stir. The dessert was finished, even to the coffee, and someone had discovered that it was time to go to the church. Quickly they were marshaled into cars and on their way.
Then the great stone church loomed up among the tall trees along the broad lighted avenue and they had arrived.
The church was not brightly lighted yet, just a small light at the front door, a dim one in the windows up near the pulpit end. There were no crowds around. Mr. Hollis had taken care that this rehearsal should be very private and very quiet.
But the lights sprang up as soon as they were inside with the door fastened. Rae drew a breath of real relief when she heard the key turn in the lock. She had had a secret fear lest Minnie might turn up at the church and make trouble again, and perhaps make it necessary for Link to take her away. She didn’t want Link’s pleasure in the evening spoiled, nor her friends’, either.
But there was no sign of Minnie anywhere, and soon the rehearsal was in full swing. The organ was filling the great arches with exquisite music, and the girls in their pretty dinner dresses were making their slow graceful way up the aisle, learning the exact spot where each was to stop and become a fixture for the ceremony. Over and over again they tried it, gradually becoming perfect in the formal picture that the whole event was to be.
“I didn’t think we were going to get rid of our beloved cousin so easily,” murmured Sydney to Link. “How did you manage it so briskly and so completely, Link? It was you whom father bribed to dispose of her, wasn’t it?”
“Why, yes, I took her over to Mrs. Fremont’s,” said Link. “It isn’t far, you know.”
“Yes, but Min is difficult,” said Sydney ruefully. “I hardly expected you back tonight. Min has ways.”
“Well, I had no trouble,” said Link. “I just took her there and introduced her.” He grinned.
“Well, I’m sure it was one of two things. Either she found some unattached man there who was most attractive, or else you must have put the fear of death into her.”
But Link’s only answer was another grin.
At last they were done with the rehearsal, and Mrs. Hollis marshaled them into the cars and took them home, where a pleasant refreshment in the form of tiny sandwiches and hot chocolate awaited them. They had a lively time talking over old days and singing a few old songs, bits of reminiscences