Patty's Friends Part 10

Then formally escorting Patty back to her friends, he raised his hat, and walked quickly away.

CHAPTER VI

HERENDEN HALL

"There, Kitty lady," said Patty, as she reached the Savoy on her return from the Garden Party, "there's a nosegay from your affectionate father."

Lady Hamilton stared at the bunch of sweet peas that Patty held out to her.

"My word!" she exclaimed, "you are the most amazing child! I suppose he sent them to me just about as much as I sent him those valley lilies you took to him the other day."

Lady Kitty guessed so near the truth that Patty felt a little crestfallen.

"It was more than that," she said. "I asked him to send some flowers to you, and he bought these purposely."

"Did he select sweet peas, himself?"

"Yes."

"That means something, then, Patty dear; for father well knows my fondness for these flowers. Well, you're a dear, good little girl to try to heal the breach, but I can't feel much encouragement. Father is too old and too obstinate ever to forgive me."

"And you're too young and too obstinate to go and beg his forgiveness!"

"Indeed I am! Fancy my meekly returning, like a prodigal daughter, when I haven't done anything wrong!"

"You don't deserve a reconciliation," cried Patty; "you're a hard-hearted little thing,--for all you look so soft and amiable."

"Yes," said Lady Kitty, demurely; "I inherited my father's disposition."

"Indeed, you did; and you'll grow more like him every day you live, if you don't try to be more forgiving."

"I believe you're right, Patty; and perhaps some day I will try. But now let me tell you what's been happening. While you were away, I had a call from that very charming stepmother of yours. And this was the burden of her visit. It seems that she and your father are invited to spend the week-end at a country house, and the question was, where to pack you away for safe-keeping while they're gone."

"And they're going to let me stay with you!" exclaimed Patty, clasping her hands and a.s.suming an ecstatically happy expression.

"Well, Mrs. Nan seemed to think that I could keep you in order, though I'm not so sure of it myself. But the strange part is, I also am invited for this same week-end to a most delightful country house, and I have already accepted."

Patty's face fell.

"What is to become of poor little me?" she said. "I don't want to stay with Mrs. Betham."

"No; I've a plan for you. And it's this. I want to take you with me to Herenden Hall, where I'm going, and,--Mrs. Nan says I may."

"Oh, Kitty! You duck! How perfectly lovely!" Patty flew at her friend, and nearly strangled her in a spasmodic embrace.

"You see," went on Lady Hamilton, when she had regained her breath, "I'm so well acquainted with the Herendens, that I can ask an invitation for you; and though you're not really 'out' yet, it will give you a glimpse of the nicest kind of English country-house life."

"It's great!" declared Patty. "I'm wild with excitement. But I care more about being with you than I do about the house-party."

"You won't when you get there. They're really charming people, and the Hall is one of the finest old estates in England."

"Shall I have to have some new frocks?"

"We'll look over your wardrobe, and see. I fancy the ones you already have will do. You know you'll be looked upon as scarcely more than a schoolgirl, and you must wear simple, frilly muslins and broad-leafed hats."

"I can even live through that! I don't care what I wear if I'm with you.

Three whole days! Will it be three days, Kitty?"

"Three days or more. If they politely ask us to remain a day or two longer we might do so. They're old friends of mine, do you see? And I haven't been there for years, so they'll be glad to see us."

"To see you, you mean. They don't know me, so how can they be glad to see me?"

"Oh, you must,--what is your idiotic American phrase? You must 'make good'!"

"I will," said Patty, laughing to hear the phrase from an Englishwoman, and then she ran away to her own apartment, to talk over affairs with Nan.

"It's a great piece of good fortune," said Nan, "that you're such good friends with Lady Hamilton, for Fred and I couldn't take you with us, and what would have become of you?"

"Oh, I always land on my feet," returned Patty, "I must have been born under a lucky star."

"I believe you were, Pattykins."

"And won't I have the time of my life at Herenden Hall----"

"Oh, Patty, Patty, you must stop using slang. They'll never ask you to Herenden Hall again if you behave like a wild Indian."

"But you see, Stepmother, they look upon me as an infant anyhow, so I may as well have some fun."

"But don't be a hoyden, and do remember that American slang isn't admired over here."

"Yas'm; I'll be good. And I'll say 'Really?' and 'Only fancy!' till they'll think I'm the daughter of a hundred Earls."

"I'm not at all worried about your manners," said Nan, serenely. "You usually behave pretty well, but you will talk American instead of English."

"Well, I'll try to make myself understood, at all events. And you're going to have a lovely time, too, aren't you? Isn't it fun! I do like to have all my friends as happy as I am. I suppose you and father will be like two young turtle-doves off on your honeymoon trip."

"Oh, we're always that, even when there's a great, big girl like you around to make us seem old."

"Well, if you behave as well as you look, I won't be ashamed of you."

Patty gazed critically at Nan, and then added, "Though your nose does seem to turn up more than it used to."

Whereupon Nan threw a sofa-pillow at her, which Patty caught and stuffed behind her own curly head.

The Sat.u.r.day of their departure was a beautiful, bright day, and it was about noon when Patty and Lady Hamilton, accompanied by the latter's maid, took the train from Victoria Station.