The Marriage Wheel Read Online Free

disused horse-trough in the yard and sprinkled them with w ater from a stand-pipe before realising that she had been putting off the evil moment for as long as she could, and taking her courage in her hands and opening the garage doors.
    After that enthusiasm got the better of her, and she spent a delightful half-hour examining every feature of the new Daimler and a sleek grey Bentley that filled the first of the garages. The other two were empty, and she surmised that they were for the use of visitors who brought their cars to the house.
    The new Daimler was a thing of beauty, and likely to prove a joy for ever once she had got her hands on it. The Bentley was slightly older, but in splendid condition just the same, and she supposed that a local garage had been looking after them until her arrival.
    She took the Bentley out first, because it was slightly more reminiscent of Lady Allerdale ’ s Daimler, and discovered that she could handle it with comparative ease. The acceleration on the Daimler alarmed her at first, but one or two experimental journeys through the village and out on to the open road beyond quickly gave her the feel of it; and by the time she had stopped at the local garage to make sure the petrol tank was adequately filled, and a slight stiffness of the gears corrected by the mechanic, she was quite happy about it.
    The mechanic seemed surprised that she wanted his advice about the gears, especially when she explained that she was Mr. Lestrode ’ s new chauffeur, but grinned amiably and expansively enough before they parted. Privately he thought it was a huge joke that Mr. Lestrode—whom he knew slightly—was to be driven by this young woman, and when Frederica had departed in control of her Daimler he discussed the innovation with other mechanics at the garage, who were also inclined to grin widely when it was explained to them that Miss Wells had not yet been vetted by Mr. Lestrode.
    If Frederica had overheard their conversation she would not have felt as happy as she did while returning to Farthing Hall ... and she would certainly not have taken the car out again that afternoon with quite so much happy abandon as she did while the sun was slanting lower and lower over the green coppices that bounded Farthing Hall, and the evening smoke was curling upwards from the Tudor chimneys, and the whole scene was very peaceful.
    She had had a very good lunch—cooked by the housekeeper, since they were not yet in possession of a cook—and a nice quiet cup of tea with Lucille in her sitting-room, and already her fears of the day before seemed to have become dissipated, and were no more than mere and very occasional vibrations in the atmosphere. And with the knowledge that she and Lucille were to have a quiet dinner together that night, and perhaps visit a local cinema, she was able to relax almost completely at the wheel of the glittering car.
    Since there was no employer on hand she was wearing a cheerful yellow sweater and a pair of rather well-worn slacks. She had considered trying out the effect of herself and the car in one of her trim new dresses, but it had seemed a pity to risk spoiling it when there was virtually no need. So, comparatively carefree, she turned out of the gates of Farthing Hall.
    After London, which she was most unfortunately unable to appreciate, every responsive nerve in her body reacted to the peace and the serenity of this quiet spring countryside. She loved the sweet scents that came in at the car windows, and the sight of the brown earth greening over with the first true evidences of spring. The road dipped through quiet hollows and wound through sleepy villages, and woods crowned the crest of every hill and straggled down hill to enclose the thatch of venerable cottages.
    A church tower told her that it was a quarter to six, and she put on a burst of speed for another mile and then decided to turn for home where the road widened, and where turning was possible. She had, in fact,