She answered it.

'Gilbert here.'

'Who?'

'Arlington Gilbert. Listen, I've got a message for the Earl or his old woman. Tell them I'll be bringing my secretary.'

'I beg your pardon?'

He gave a sigh. 'You deaf? I said I'm bringing my secretary, Maude Fry, for the weekend. I'll need her if I'm to work on this screenplay. She shouldn't be any trouble. She's a big woman, but she doesn't eat much and she's quite respectable — won't dance on the table or anything. Tell him we'll be arriving sometime Thursday morning. Mind you don't forget.'

Gilbert rang off.

 

* * * *

 

'Really, George, the man was insufferably rude.'

'Obviously thought you were a housemaid.'

'That makes it no better.'

'Well, you should have told him no.'

'He didn't give me a chance. And it's getting out of hand. First there were to be two of these film persons, then three, now four.'

'At least they're all friends together. It's you that's turning it into a confounded house party by bringing in outsiders at the same time.'

'My cousin can hardly be referred to as an outsider.'

'She is to Haggermeir and Co. And her husband is to all of us. Even Cecily's virtually a stranger to me; I only met her two or three times.'

Gerry, who was sitting by doing a crossword puzzle, looked up. 'I remember hearing you mention cousin Cecily years ago, but I don't exactly know who she is.'

'She's the daughter of my Aunt Amelia, mother's sister. Aunt Amelia was considered to have married beneath her. She died when Cecily was born. Her father brought her up and she never had much to do with us - her father moved in rather different circles from us. But she came to stay sometimes. Later on she decided to go on the stage. She didn't make much of a success of it, and ended up in a chorus line. Lived a rather fast sort of life, I believe - stage door johnnies, and so on. Which naturally was quite beyond the pale to my mother. She decided we wouldn't have anything more to do with Cecily. But I still met her occasionally in town. Your father and I were engaged by then, and one weekend 1 brought her to see Alderley. Then a few months later her father died and she told me that as she had nothing to keep her here she was going to try her luck in Australia. I had some letters from her over the next few years. She said she was doing quite well on the stage. Eventually she told me she was getting married - to a sheep farmer.