Edgar Wallace

The Gunner Gunman's Bluff Edgar Wallace

But you are going to marry him, Margaret?" There was an agitation in the voice of Rex Leferre that almost startled his sister: it certainly diverted for the moment the resentment that was growing towards her unpunctual fiance."What makes you say that?" she asked. "Does it mean that I am breaking off my engagement because Luke is a bad host and has kept us waiting ten minutes?" They were in the Palm Court of the Ritz-Carlton, and the remainder of the guests were mercifully occupied with their cocktails and gossip and were apparently unaware of Luke's bad manners. She stood apart with the young man who was her only relation, and no stranger seeing them would imagine them to be brother and sister. Rex was red-haired, weak-chinned, a fretful young man with a nervous trick of adjusting his dress tie every few minutes. Margaret Leferre had the carriage and poise of the great lady. She was fair skinned, faultless of feature, grey-eyed-a model of cold dignity. She had never succumbed to the fashion in short hair: her own was braided about her head so that she seemed to be wearing a coronet of dull gold."I don't know..." Rex was nibbling at his nails-he could not be cured of this ugly habit. "Only Luke is a good fellow-in a way. Rather a tight-wad-""What is a tight-wad?" she asked, her steady eyes on his."Well-I mean-he's not terribly generous with his own money. He gives tips and things, but somehow I've never been able to get into the market in time to benefit...my own fault, of course." He tried to avoid her gaze, but she was the stronger character. "Have you been borrowing money-again?" she asked, and he wiggled uncomfortably. "No-what rot! Only Danty and I had a scheme..." She looked round at that moment. Somehow she knew that the dark-eyed Danton Morell was watching them. Danton was rather a dear, and she had come to rely upon him. He seemed to sense her trouble now, and, detaching himself from the group of which he was a silent member, made his way towards her."Oh, shut up, Margaret-don't talk to Morell about it-if you're going to make a scene..." With a shrug he turned and left her as Danty came up. Danty, that splendid man of the world, was amused at her fears. He was on the border-line of forty, a handsome, entertaining bachelor, and she had come to know him through Rex."No, I don't think he has been borrowing-Rex is an improvident devil who will be broke for the next ten years. Then he will settle down and be terribly successful. Your young man is rather late.