Sometimes Emily accepted these invitations; more often she refused them.
John also occasionally invited her to drive with him or to play tennis
on his cousin's courts, and these invitations she treated as she did
Heman's, refusing some and accepting others. She treated the pair
with impartiality and yet Thankful was growing to believe there was a
difference. Imogene, outspoken, expressed her own feelings in the matter
when she said,
"Miss Emily likes Mr. Kendrick pretty well, don't she, ma'am?"
Thankful regarded her maidservant with disapproval.
"What makes you say that, Imogene?" she demanded. "Of course she likes
him. Why shouldn't she?"
"She should, ma'am. And she does, too. And he likes her; that's plain
enough."
"Imogene, what are you hintin' at? Do you mean that my cousin is in--in
love with Mr. John Kendrick?"
"No'm. I don't say that, not yet. But there's signs that--"
"Signs! If you don't get those ridiculous story-book notions out of
your head I don't know what I'll do to you. What do you know about folks
bein' in love? You ain't in love, I hope; are you?"
Imogene hesitated. "No, ma'am," she replied. "I ain't. But--but maybe I
might be, if I wanted to."
"For mercy sakes! The girl's crazy. You MIGHT be--if you wanted to! Who
with? If you're thinkin' of marryin' anybody seems to me I ought to know
it. Why, you ain't met more'n a dozen young fellers in this town,
and I've taken good care to know who they were. If you're thinkin' of
fallin' in love--or marryin'--"
Imogene interrupted.
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