“You’ve got some plan in your mind, Jimmy. What is it?”
“The young hero never tells his plans,” said Jimmy firmly. “They mature in the dark.”
“You are an idiot, Jimmy.”
“I know, I know. That’s what everyone says. But I can assure you, Loraine, there’s a lot of brain-work going on underneath. Now what about your plans? Got any?”
“Bundle has suggested that I should go to Chimneys with her for a bit.”
“Excellent,” said Jimmy approvingly. “Nothing could be better. I’d like an eye kept on Bundle anyway. You never know what mad thing she won’t be up to next. She’s so frightfully unexpected. And the worst of it is, she’s so astonishingly successful. I tell you, keeping Bundle out of mischief is a whole-time job.”
“Bill ought to look after her,” suggested Loraine.
“Bill’s pretty busy elsewhere.”
“Don’t you believe it,” said Loraine.
“What? Not the Countess? But the lad’s potty about her.”
Loraine continued to shake her head.
“There’s something there I don’t quite understand. But it’s not the Countess with Bill—it’s Bundle. Why, this morning Bill was talking to me when Mr. Lomax came out and sat down by Bundle. He took her hand or something, and Bill was off like—like a rocket.”
“What a curious taste some people have,” observed Mr. Thesiger. “Fancy anyone who was talking to you wanting to do anything else. But you