“Has he⁠—this Mr. Jadwin⁠—has he ever been married before?”

“No, no. He’s a bachelor, and rich! He could buy and sell us . And don’t think, Laura dear, that I’m jumping at conclusions. I hope I’m woman of the world enough to know that a man who’s taken with a pretty face and smart talk isn’t going to rush right into matrimony because of that. It wasn’t so much what Curtis Jadwin said⁠—though, dear me suz, he talked enough about you⁠—as what he didn’t say. I could tell. He was thinking hard. He was hit , Laura. I know he was. And Charlie said he spoke about you again this morning at breakfast. Charlie makes me tired sometimes,” she added irrelevantly.

“Charlie?” repeated Laura.

“Well, of course I spoke to him about Jadwin, and how taken he seemed with you, and the man roared at me.”