CHAPTER XVII
A DINNER AND A DANCE
When Patty and Philip reached home, a little later than the others,Roger was nowhere to be seen.
“Where’s Roger?” asked Patty, as she jumped out of the car, for shewanted to make peace with him at once.
“He’s gone over to ‘Red Chimneys,’” said Elise, laughing. “He’s taken aterrible fancy to that Galbraith girl.”
“I told you we needn’t mind about Roger,” said Patty to Philip. “I’mglad he does like Mona, though I confess I was a little surprised atfirst.”
Very soon Roger came back to “The Pebbles,” bringing Mona with him.
“Hello, people!” the girl called out, as she neared the veranda. “Youkept terribly sly about your birthday, didn’t you, Patty? But Mr.Farrington told me last night, and father telegraphed to New York for apresent for me to give you, and it’s just arrived by special messenger.How do you like it?” and Mona tossed a small box into Patty’s lap.
The others crowded round to see, and Patty opened the box, to find abeautiful jewel pendant hung on a slender thread of a platinumneck-chain. The pendant was a fair-sized sapphire, surrounded by tinydiamonds, and was of fine design and workmanship.
“Mona! How lovely!” cried Patty. “But I can’t accept such a valuablepresent from you.”
“Nonsense! It’s a mere trinket. I’m delighted to give it to you, andfather was delighted to get it for me, so you’ll simply have to take it.I was only afraid you wouldn’t think it pretty!”
“Pretty? Why, it’s perfectly beautiful!” and Patty clasped the chainaround her neck at once. She was a little uncertain how to take thegift, but she could not so hurt Mona’s feelings as to refuse it, and, ifshe accepted it, she might as well do it gracefully. She cast anenquiring glance at Nan, who, as usual, came to her aid.
“It’s a lovely present, Patty; and Mona is most kind and generous togive it to you. I’m sure we all appreciate it.”
Thus tacitly advised, Patty thanked Mona prettily, and then Nan declaredit was time to think about dressing for dinner.
“You’re coming, Mona, aren’t you?” said Patty, for she knew Nan hadinvited her.
“Oh, yes, indeed; I’ll be the first one here and the last one to leave.Trust me for that!” and, with a merry laugh, Mona ran away across thetwo lawns to her own house.
“She’s all right!” said Roger, looking after her.
“Yes, she is,” said Patty, generously; and, indeed, Mona had risen inher estimation since Roger showed such approval of her.
And then the group separated, to meet again at the birthday dinner.
The three girls gathered in Patty’s room for a short chat first.
“What are you going to wear, Patty?” asked Elise.
“Oh, I have a new blue affair that’s perfectly dear. What’s yours,Christine?”
“White,” said Christine, simply. “I can’t wear many colours.”
“You don’t need to, you angel person,” said Patty, kissing her. “You’lllook heavenly in white. I’ve never seen you in evening dress. It isevening dress, isn’t it, Christine?”
“Yes; that is, it’s a round neck, but it’s very simple.”
“You’re simple yourself,” said Patty; “simply sweet! Isn’t she, Elise?”
It was Patty’s delight to make Elise admire Christine, and of course itwasn’t possible, when thus appealed to, for Elise to do anything butacquiesce in Patty’s opinion.
“And now, honey, what’s your gorgeous creation that’s to dazzle the eyesof the country people down here?” said Patty.
“Mine is green,” returned Elise; “and it’s a good enough frock, but Iknow it won’t be in it with yours, Patsy.”
“Nonsense! It’s probably far handsomer. Aren’t we all getting grown-up,to have dinner parties and low-neck gowns! Though mine isn’t exactly lowneck, it’s just cut out sort of round.”
“Yes, a Dutch neck,” said Elise; “that’s what mine is.”
“But still it does seem grown-up,” went on Patty, musingly, “to have abirthday dinner and dance, instead of just an ordinary party.”
“Well, you are grown-up when you’re nineteen,” said Christine. “I’mtwenty, and I think I’m grown-up.”
“That’s because you’re Southern,” said Patty. “We stay little girls alot longer up here. And I’m glad of it, for I hate being grown-up. Iwish I could wear pig-tails and hair ribbons! Anyway, I’m not going toact grown-up to-night; my party’s going to be a frolic, not a formalaffair.”
“How many are coming?” asked Christine, who had not entirely overcomeher shyness with strangers.
“Well, there’s about ten of our own crowd, and Nan has invited about tenmore of the Spring Beach people. The two Sayre girls are awfully jolly;you’ll like them. And Jack Pennington is a dear boy, and so is GuyMartin. And then there’s Dorothy Dennison and her brother,—and PhyllisNorton,—oh, quite a bunch of them! And, Christine, don’t you go cuttingup any of your shrinking violet tricks! I want you to be the belle ofthe ball!”
Elise looked up in surprise, but, seeing the determined expression onPatty’s face, she said nothing; and, if she had her own opinion as towho should be belle of the ball, she expressed it only to herself.
An hour later, the three girls went downstairs together. Patty in themiddle, with her sky-blue chiffon frock, was looking her best. The paleblue suited her golden hair and pink cheeks, and the semi-low-cut neckwas exceedingly becoming to her rounded throat and chin.
Elise’s green dress was far more elaborate, but her brilliant beautyseemed to call for an ornate setting.
Christine’s gown was perhaps the prettiest of all. Of whitecrêpe-de-chine, it hung in soft, straight folds, and around the throatwas a delicate pearl embroidery. A girdle of pearl-work, with long ends,gave a finishing touch; and on Christine’s willowy figure, and with herMadonna face, the gown was appropriate and effective.
The boys, who were waiting in the hall, exclaimed in vociferouscompliment as the girls came slowly down the staircase, and declaredthat such a trio of beauty had never before been seen.
“Nonsense!” cried Patty. “Don’t you talk to us as if we were grown-upyoung ladies! We’re only a little bit more than schoolgirls. Justbecause I’m nineteen, I’m not going to be treated with dignity! Roger,will you dance the first dance with me?”
Roger looked embarrassed, and, though he tried to speak, he hesitatedand stammered.
“Why, Patty,—that is,—I’d be only too delighted,—but——”
“But you’ve already asked Mona!” cried Patty, with a teasing laugh. “Iknew it perfectly well, Roger, and I only asked you to tease you. AndI’ll be perfectly content with the second, so save that for me.”
“Indeed I will, and thank you kindly,” said Roger, and then Philip VanReypen and Kenneth both said at once, “May I have the first dance,Patty?”
“No, indeed,” she returned, laughing gaily at them; “I’m not going togive my first dance to any of my house party. There are several SpringBeach boys coming, and I shall dance with whichever one of those asks mefirst.”
Patty’s own particular decided wag of the head accompanied this speech,and the men knew it would be of no use to coax her.
And then the other guests began to arrive, and the great entrance hallof “The Pebbles” was a scene of merry laughter and chatter, andgreetings and introductions on all sides.
Under Nan’s orders, the whole place had been beautifully decorated. Inthe hall and rooms were garlands and banks of flowers, and tall palmsshading alcoved nooks. The verandas were hung with Japanese lanterns,and a few of these were scattered among the shrubbery, to light the wayfor any who might be inclined to stroll on the lawn.
At eight o’clock, Patty, taking her father’s arm, led the way to thedining-room. Nan and Mr. Hepworth followed, and then the others in merryprocession.
Dinner was served at small tables, as th
e number of guests was too largeto be accommodated at one. Each table was beautifully decorated withflowers and candles, and pretty place-cards as souvenirs of theoccasion.
Of course there was a birthday cake, and when at last Patty cut it, andeach guest had partaken of it, the dinner was over, and the dance aboutto begin.
Several musicians were on the broad landing, halfway upstairs, andplayed just the right kind of music for young people’s merry dancing.
Jack Pennington asked Patty for the first dance, and, a little to hissurprise, she graciously granted it. He had hardly hoped for thishonour, but he didn’t know that Patty had planned it thus in order toavoid selecting one of her house party in preference to the others. Soshe danced with Jack Pennington, and afterward, as they sauntered out onthe veranda, all the other men clustered around Patty, begging fordances, until her programme was full, and many of the dances had beendivided. Of course, as Patty was hostess, she would naturally receivemuch attention, but her own merry and charming personality made hereasily the most popular girl present, though the others were almostequally so. Handsome Elise was a general favourite, and Christine’sdelicate Southern beauty attracted many admirers.
Mona was resplendent in bright pink silk, elaborately ornamented. Shewore too many jewels, as always, but her whole-souled, good-temperedgaiety, and her hearty enjoyment of the occasion, made her attractive tomany.
After a dance with Philip, Patty and he wandered out on to the veranda,and sat for a moment on the railing.
“Beautiful show, Patty,” he said; “one of the prettiest parties I eversaw. These lanterns are gorgeous. Why don’t you keep them here all thetime? Sets off the house wonderfully. Come down on the lawn for a littlestroll.”
“I’m afraid you’ll kidnap me,” said Patty, mischievously.
“No; honest I won’t. Though I’d like to. Say, let’s get Camilla out, andgo for a little spin. Will you?”
“Indeed, I won’t! We got out of that other scrape pretty well. But I’mnot going to take any chances again! Beside, the next dance isKenneth’s. I’d better get back where he can find me.”
“Oh, he’ll hunt you up, all right! Hello! Who’s this?”
Some one came running toward them through the semi-darkness. It wasMona, out of breath and laughing. “Hide me!” she cried. “Hide me! I’mrunning away from Roger!”
“How extraordinary,” laughed Patty. “You _are_ a coquettish young thing,aren’t you, Mona?”
“Hide me, Patty,” urged Mona. “That’s a dear. Let me get behind youtwo.”
Mona slipped around behind Patty and Philip, but, anxious to help her,Patty said: “Back into the arbour, Mona; we’ll keep in front of you.Hurry! here comes Roger.”
“Have you seen Miss Galbraith?” asked Roger, coming up to them, entirelyunsuspicious of Mona’s whereabouts.
“We’ve just strolled out here,” said Patty, innocently. “Why don’t youlook on the veranda, Roger? Does she know you’re looking for her?”
“Of course she does! On the veranda, you say?” and Roger was off like ashot.
Patty and Philip, stifling with laughter, turned back to Mona, who stoodwith her finger on her lips, cautioning silence.
And as, in obedience to her gesture, they were still, they alldistinctly heard a voice speaking on the other side of the arbour. Thespeaker could not be seen, and the hearers had no intention ofeavesdropping, but it was Kenneth’s voice, and his tone was tense andangry.
“I tell you, Elise,” he said, “I don’t believe Patty ever said that!”
“She did,” said Elise, with the accent of one who reiterates.
It was Philip Van Reypen’s impulse to walk round the arbour at once, andmake their presence known, but Patty silently put her hand on his armand led him toward the house.
Mona followed, also silently, for she realised at once that Patty wasdisturbed at what she had heard. The words in themselves might mean amere trifle or nothing at all; but the seriousness of Kenneth’s voice,and the petulant insistence of Elise, seemed to forebode trouble.
“What does it mean?” whispered Philip, as they neared the house.
“Nothing,—nothing at all,” said Patty, but she spoke in a low voice andher lip was quivering. She had divined intuitively that Elise had toldKenneth something to make him angry, and she felt sure that Elise haddone it purposely, and that she had misrepresented the facts.
“Shall I take you into the house?” asked Philip, gently. “I think yousaid your next dance is Harper’s.”
“Not just yet,” said Patty, who was so hurt by Elise’s treachery thatshe could not fully control her quivering lip and the tears that came toher eyes.
Mona had disappeared, and so Philip said, “Let us stroll once more roundthe drive, and then it will be all right.”
His voice was so pleasant, and his manner so quiet, that it acted as abalm to Patty’s shattered nerves, and she looked up gratefully, andsmiled at him through two teardrops that trembled in her blue eyes.
“You’re awfully good,” she said, “and I’m not going to be silly. Nevermind it. But aren’t you engaged for this dance?”
“Yes, to Miss Galbraith,” he replied, smiling; “but I feel quite sureshe has forgotten it in her game of hide-and-seek with youngFarrington.”
“But you must go and find her, all the same,” said Patty, suddenlymindful of etiquette. “Come! let us hurry to the house. I’m all rightnow.”
They quickened their pace, and Philip talked with a cheery banter, sothat, when they reached the veranda, Patty was her own smiling, merryself, and she felt profoundly grateful to Philip because he had notagain referred to the bit of conversation they had overheard.