'Oh, I don't really know.
You mustn't bother,' I said.
'My dear, don't be absurd.
I'm not one to grudge you a present, even though we weren't asked to your wedding!'
'I hope you did not mind about that.
Maxim wanted it to be abroad.'
'Of course not.
Very sensible of you both.
After all, it wasn't as though…" she stopped in the middle of her sentence, and dropped her bag.
'Damn, have I broken the catch?
No, all is well.
What was I saying?
I can't remember.
Oh, yes, wedding presents.
We must think of something.
You probably don't care for jewellery.'
I did not answer.
'It's so different from the ordinary young couple,' she said.
'The daughter of a friend of mine got married the other day, and of course they were started off in the usual way, with linen, and coffee sets, and dining-room chairs, and all that.
I gave rather a nice standard lamp.
Cost me a fiver at Harrods.
If you do go up to London to buy clothes mind you go to my woman, Madame Carroux.
She has damn good taste, and she doesn't rook you.'
She got up from the dressing-table, and pulled at her skirt.
'Do you suppose you will have a lot of people down?' she said.
'I don't know.
Maxim hasn't said.'
'Funny old boy, one never quite knows with him.
At one time one could not get a bed in the house, the place would be chock-a-block.
I can't somehow see you…' she stopped abruptly, and patted my arm.
'Oh, well,' she said, 'we'll see.
It's a pity you don't ride or shoot, you miss such a lot.
You don't sail by any chance, do you?'
'No,' I said.
'Thank God for that,' she said.
She went to the door, and I followed her down the corridor.
'Come and see us if you feel like it,' she said.
'I always expect people to ask themselves.
Life is too short to send out invitations.'
'Thank you very much,' I said.
We came to the head of the stairs looking down upon the hall.
The men were standing on the steps outside.
'Come on, Bee,' shouted Giles. 'I felt a spot of rain, so we've put on the cover.
Maxim says the glass is falling.'
Beatrice took my hand, and bending down gave me a swift peck on my cheek.
'Goodbye,' she said; 'forgive me if I've asked you a lot of rude questions, my dear, and said all sorts of things I shouldn't.
Tact never was my strong point, as Maxim will tell you.
And, as I told you before, you're not a bit what I expected.'
She looked at me direct, her lips pursed in a whistle, and then took a cigarette from her bag, and flashed her lighter.
'You see,' she said, snapping the top, and walking down the stairs, 'you are so very different from Rebecca.'