“It’s certainly early enough _now_ to take a drive,” Suggested Rosa, pointedly.
“Oh, surely,” agreed Gar. “Can’t I take you and your cousin over to the Point, or some place?”
“Like a dear,” replied Rosa. “I’ll run and break the news to Margot. She still believes in you, Gar,” and then Nancy found herself chatting to the boy, free from the unpleasant little discussion and at ease, because he seemed so frankly boyish and so eager to take her for the proposed drive.
“Don’t mind my scrapping with Rose,” he remarked. “She’s such a kid and so easily influenced. And you see, Mr. Fernell trusts our folks to sort of keep track of her.”
“Of course. That’s splendid,” agreed Nancy. “You see I’m sort of a stranger myself, and I guess Rosalind has been a lot alone--”
“You’re the very thing for her, and maybe just in time,” he said under his breath, with an intention by no means clear to Nancy.
“Just in time!” she thought. “Whatever can that mean?”
“We’ll probably pick up Dell,” suggested Garfield, referring to his sister who was found on the “next pile of rocks,” as Rosa had described the Durand estate. She was older than her brother, much older than Rosa, and somehow this fact brought relief to Nancy, who was fearing things she couldn’t quite define. It seemed safer, however, to have an older girl along, and when Dell Durand jumped into the car and added her part to the fun of driving through the woods, up and down hills, in and out of sly curves that often brought Nancy’s breath up sharply, she talked to Nancy in the sensible, intelligent way that she, Nancy, was most accustomed to.
“We couldn’t live up here if it were not for the fun at the Point,” Dell declared. “It’s all well enough in the daytime--plenty of sport then for anyone who likes the water, mountains or--pet dogs,” she said this sarcastically, “but if we didn’t have the pavilion for dancing and the movies and such things, I’m afraid we would find the evenings--long!”
“Shall we go over to Bent’s?” called Gar from the wheel.
“Just as Rosa says,” replied his sister politely.
“I’m afraid Nancy may be tired,” replied Rosa considerately. “I haven’t given her a minute since she landed, and you know what that Boston and Maine train does to you. No--guess we’ll just peek in at the pavilion. I’m afraid I couldn’t sleep a wink if I didn’t get a little something to pep me up,” sighed Rosa. “That house with Margot and Thomas can get on--one’s--nerves--”