yes , we were , she stammered out and hated herself for a nervous stammer . will n&apos;t you two ladies both join me in a little drink then we can all go into the dance room together . Vera looked at Caroline . we shall be pleased to , Mr Carson , said Caroline . David found them a small table pulled up three chairs waited until the two were seated , then he said : I think this calls for a celebration . it is not often I have the luck to be entertaining two such charming ladies . excuse me a moment . as he strode off towards the bar , Vera said : is n&apos;t he delightful ? he seems nice . perhaps he has taken a fancy to you , Vera . not he . I told him on our first meeting that I was engaged to a very nice young man . at the bar David ordered a bottle of champagne and three glasses to be sent over to his table . he thought that perhaps a glass or two of champagne might get Miss Dodd into a friendly mood . he returned to the table , sat down and offered them both a cigarette from his gold case . they both took one , he flicked on his lighter and held it for them then lit his own . a waiter came along with the glasses and the champagne , he started to open the bottle . Vera said : champagne ! this is certainly a celebration . later after they had finished the bottle of champagne and David had taken care to see Caroline had had her glass filled three times they adjourned to the dance room to dance . Vera immediately excused herself to go off and dance with a man she knew . David said : shall we dance ? I should love to . the band had just started to play a waltz . David was a very good dancer , rather to his surprise he found Caroline was also . their steps fitted excellently together . a waltz is one of the dances which enables a man to get close to the woman . the moment he found she danced as well as he did he drew her closer to him , she gave willingly . when the dance came to a finish , he said : it is awfully hot in here . what about coming into the lounge and having a cool drink ? now while they had been dancing Caroline had not failed to notice the eyes of quite a number of women were eyeing her with envy . she thought it would be rather fun to walk off with this nice-looking man into the lounge and leave them all annoyed . I think a nice cool drink would be nice . as you say it is very hot in here . taking her by the arm David led her from the room into the lounge . he beckoned over a waiter . what would you like to drink ? he asked . a lemon squash with ice . David ordered it , and a whisky and soda for himself . after they had been served he said : I was taking a stroll the other morning and happened to pass by your house . from the glance I obtained of the ground through the gates you must have quite a wonderful garden . we have . I say we because it does not all belong to me , my sister and I share the place between us . pretending he was unaware the sister was away he said : does n&apos;t your sister ever come here to dance ? often when she is at home . at the moment she is staying with friends in Eastbourne . so you are all alone for the time ? not quite alone . I have the servants and lots of friends . are you staying long here ? I would n&apos;t know . depends on whether I get bored or not . when I get bored I move on . not bored yet I hope ? I should never be bored in such charming company as yours . in spite of herself Caroline felt herself flush . you must come and take a look round the grounds of the Manor House one day , that is if you would care to do so . nothing would give me greater pleasure . can we make a definite date ? come and have tea with me tomorrow afternoon at four o&apos;clock . after tea I will show you round the house and grounds . I shall be delighted to . most kind of you to ask me . Caroline was thinking , that will make some of the women in the other room jealous when they hear I have landed this man to tea with me . David was thinking , I believe if I play my cards rightly I shall land this woman in my arms in time . how wonderful it would be to marry a quarter of a million pounds . he felt she had been on the shelf for so long , if she really fell for him , once they were married , he would have no difficulty in getting her to settle a nice sum on him . feeling it would not be wise to rush matters so soon he finished his drink and suggested they returned to the dance room . Caroline could do nothing but agree although she would have liked to stay and continue talking with him . back in the dance room David found her a seat and went and asked Vera to dance . well , how do you like my friend Carrie ? asked Vera as they took the floor . I like her very much . she dances well and seems quite a charming young woman . Carrie is a darling really . just unfortunate for her she does not possess the lovely looks of her sister . every man in Gallows Corner is mad on Susie . that I suppose leaves Miss Caroline rather out in the cold ? yes . they are both terribly wealthy . I have never been able to understand why some man has not tried to snap up Carrie . she is the sort who would make a good wife for a man . you do n&apos;t think the sister would , is that it ? no , that is not it . it is Susie , although she has heaps of admirers she never seems to bother much about them . when at home she is always too busy with her horses , riding to the hounds and taking part in ladies &apos; point-to-point races . Susie is a wonderful horsewoman . David had one more dance with Caroline later that evening then he excused himself with the excuse he was feeling tired and thought he would turn in . saying he would be sure to be with her at four o&apos;clock the next afternoon , he said good night and left her . David could see she was longing for him to stay and dance once again with her . he knew he was doing the right thing in not doing so . that would make her look forward all the more to the next day . he went to bed feeling most satisfied with the evening . chapter four . everyone in Gallows Corner spoke of it as a whirlwind engagement when it was announced two weeks later that Caroline Dodd had become engaged to David Carson . David had hurried his love-making up for the very good reason his capital was fast disappearing and he was wise enough to know it would never do to ask Caroline to lend him any money , after they were once married he would see to it she made a settlement on him . Caroline had never been made love to by such an experienced man as David Carson , he literally swept her off her feet . she felt sure she had at last found a man who would make her happy for life . the moment the engagement was announced congratulations from most of the women in Gallows Corner poured in to Caroline . the men had varied opinions , the single ones began to feel annoyed they had not tried to snap up such a wealthy woman in spite of her plain looks before this Carson appeared , the married men told their wives Caroline was a fool that they were sure Carson was merely wishing to marry her for her money . most of the wives argued the point , they , like their single sisters , felt Caroline was lucky to have managed to get one of the best-looking men they had ever seen . David , who sensed the various opinions and felt some pressure might eventually be brought to bear on Caroline to think again , pleaded for an early marriage . she was not adverse to the suggestion , but he had to use a deal of pressure before she would agree to a quick marriage at a registry in Starminster . she wished for a marriage in a church with bridesmaids . it was only when David said he was a Roman catholic , and unless he agreed to embrace her religion , it would not be possible for him to marry her in the Church of England , that she at last agreed to a registry marriage . perhaps what finally decided her was a letter she received from her sister , Susie , telling her not to think of getting married until they had found out more about this David Carson , than she had been able to tell her in her letter . Susie said she would be returning to Gallows Corner the following week and would like to meet this man and decide what she thought of him . knowing what a lovely girl her sister was , Caroline felt by doing so she could be running the risk that David , once he set his eyes on Susie , might change his mind about her so she told David to go into Starminster and arrange the wedding as quickly as possible . that fitted in well with David &apos;s plans . in Starminster he arranged for them to be married in three days &apos; time . it was only on the morning before they were to get married that he arrived at the Manor House pretending to look a very harassed man . darling , he burst out with , I fear we shall have to postpone our marriage for a few days . why , David , why ? cried Caroline , feeling alarmed he had changed his mind . well , dearest one , it is like this , when I left my apartment in London for a short holiday I only drew from my bank enough cash to last me about three weeks . the trouble now is , I left my cheque book in my rooms and only recalled that I had done so about half an hour ago . I must go back to London to get some more money , we can not start off on a honeymoon on the small amount I have left , and I &apos;ve got to pay my hotel bill in the morning . that is why I said we must postpone our wedding until I get back . David Carson had no apartment in London , he had no cheque book . he had carefully thought out the lie he had just told hoping the reaction to it would be Caroline would refuse to have her wedding postponed and offer to lend him money enough to last until they returned from their honeymoon . if her reaction was not like that and she just said , very well , go to London and get back as quickly as possible , he would then just have to disappear from Gallows Corner for ever leaving his hotel bill unpaid . luckily her reaction was what he had hoped it would be . David , I simply will n&apos;t agree to any postponement of our wedding tomorrow . you are a silly to look so worried about the matter . I can lend you whatever money you require until we return then you can pay me back . that is sweet of you to say that , sweetheart , but I hardly like to borrow from you the large amount I shall require for our honeymoon . David was continuing to play it up well . do n&apos;t be absurd , darling , I can advance you any amount you ask for , said Caroline . do n&apos;t you know I am a very wealthy woman ? David pretended astonishment at this announcement . heavens ! Carrie , I had no idea you were a wealthy woman . naturally I thought you must have some money to be able to pay your share of the keep up of the Manor House . 