CHAPTER VII
TEA IN THE COCOANUT GROVE
Their beloved red automobile, companion in so many adventures andfaithful friend in time of need, did not accompany the "AutomobileGirls" to Palm Beach. But Mr. Stuart engaged another larger motor carwith a chauffeur to run it, as soon as he arrived at the famous southernresort. He preferred Ruth to have a chauffeur at her command in case sheneeded him.
There was room in the new automobile for ten persons, and Mr. Stuart,Miss Sallie, the four "Automobile Girls," the Countess Sophia and Madamede Villiers seated themselves in its cavernous depths. Then the car spunout along the famous Shell Road, lined on each side with the tall,delicate yucca plants. A fragrant southern breeze fanned the faces ofthe happy party. The sunlight was dazzling, the sky a deep blue. Allabout were masses of tropical vegetation that glittered in the sunshine.
"This place is truly heavenly," exclaimed the Countess Sophia vonStolberg. She leaned back in the automobile and closed her eyes. "Howcould one help being happy, surrounded by all this beauty? I am indeedvery happy to-day. Are you not happy, Cousine?" she murmured, takingMadame de Villiers's hand and looking at her with a tender, lovingexpression. The older woman's stern face softened.
"Very happy, my dear," she declared. "This is not a place to rememberone's troubles."
The countess's face clouded at the word "troubles." She began to saysomething in German, but checked herself. She was far too well-bred tospeak any language but English before her new friends.
"Yes; this is a small sized heaven," agreed Bab. "A kind of oasis in adesert, for over there are the Everglades."
"And what are the Everglades?" inquired the countess.
"The guide-book says they are trackless jungle," explained Bab. "Theyare full of wild animals; wild cats, and panthers, and deer. They havepoisonous snakes in them, too. Very few white men ever venture in theEverglades, but the Indians have trails through them. They often killdeer in the jungle and sell them at the hotel."
"It would not be pleasant to be lost in such a place," suggested Mollie.She was thinking of her own experience when she was lost in the forestin the Berkshire Hills.
"And it would not be easy to find you in the Everglades either, littlesister," rejoined Bab. "So please beware! Never go into the Evergladesalone."
"Oh, don't worry," laughed Mollie. "Being lost once was enough for me."
"If you ever do disappear, Mademoiselle Mollie, the secret society willnever rest until it finds you. We must be very faithful to each other,dear fellow members?" laughed the countess.
"I am sure we agree to that," declared Ruth.
Walking along the road ahead of them, Barbara espied two figures.
"Do you know," she demanded, "I believe those two people just in frontof us are Maud Warren and her count."
It really was Maud loitering along the road accompanied by the count.
"Stop our car, Robert," ordered Miss Sallie.
Maud explained that her motor car had broken down some distance up theroad. She and the count had decided to walk on. They hoped to be pickedup by friends.
"Do you mean you were out motoring alone with the Count de Sonde?"inquired Miss Stuart severely.
"Why not?" answered Maud, looking insolently at Miss Sallie.
"Ah it is in this free America that one needs no chaperons," said Madamede Villiers innocently, but with a gleam of mischief in her eyes.
Maud made no reply. Two angry spots glowed in her cheeks.
The countess now made up her mind to intercede. She did not wish Maud tofly into a rage.
"I have had a visit from your friends, the 'Automobile Girls', MissWarren," she said graciously. "Perhaps you will join them when they cometo see me again."
Maud favored the countess with a chilly stare.
Could it be that Mrs. De Lancey Smythe had been whispering tales aboutthe countess in Maud's ears? And had this stupid girl believed what shehad heard? Ruth felt her heart thump with the embarrassment of thesituation. What was Maud going to say? Strangely enough Madame deVilliers' face held the same look of fear that Ruth's did. Why shouldMadame de Villiers look frightened instead of angry?
But Maud never uttered the insult her lips were trying to frame. Spoiledand undisciplined child that she was, when she turned her sneering facetoward the countess the words suddenly failed her. For the first timeMaud felt that money, after all, counted for little. There was somethingabout this plainly dressed woman that suddenly made her feel mean andashamed. Maud looked deep into the countess's beautiful eyes, thenanswered with unaccustomed meekness. "Thank you so much. I should liketo come to see you."
In the meantime naughty Mollie was taking a slight revenge upon thecount.
"You are quite athletic, are you not?" she asked him innocently, herbaby blue eyes fastened on his.
"I, athletic?" exclaimed the little count in surprise. "Not very,Mademoiselle. Why do you ask?"
"Because you run so well," Mollie answered, with a far-away look.
"You refer to this morning, I perceive, Mademoiselle," expostulated thecount. "I do not swim; therefore I ran for help. But there was nodanger. Your sister was never in deep water. Yet it was a most effectivescene. Doubtless the young lady will enjoy being a heroine."
Mollie flushed. "Barbara would have been in danger if Marian had nothelped to pull her and the child out of the water. And, by the way,Marian does not swim either."
"Ah, Mademoiselle Marian? I saw her later," laughed the count. "Howdroll was her appearance and that of your sister also."
Mollie heartily disgusted with the little count turned her back on him.
"Get into the motor car, both of you," ordered Miss Sallie firmly.
A few minutes later their automobile reached the entrance to thecocoanut grove.
"Papa, let us stop here and have tea?" asked Ruth.
"A good idea, Ruth," agreed Mr. Stuart, giving the chauffeur the order.
"I am very sorry," interrupted the countess. "But I fear I cannot stopthis afternoon."
"Oh, please do, Countess!" urged Ruth and her friends. Even Maud's voicewas heard to join in the general chorus.
The countess hesitated. She looked at Madame de Villiers withquestioning eyes. It was evident that the young countess also yearnedfor the pleasure of drinking tea under the cocoanut trees. Madame deVilliers shrugged her shoulders. She said something softly, so that noone else could hear. The countess dropped her white chiffon veil downover her face.
"After all, I cannot resist your invitation, Mr. Stuart," the youngwoman agreed. "But may I ask you not to stay long?"
Presently Mr. Stuart's party was seated around a large, rustic table inthe beautiful cocoanut grove. Hundreds of other people, clad in whiteand light clothes, were seated at other tables. In the distance a bandplayed. During the intermissions the listeners could hear the twitteringand singing of multitudes of birds, which also sojourn for the winter atPalm Beach.
The countess was the object of many glances from the people near her,although she had not lifted the heavy chiffon veil from her face. Shewas a woman of rarely beautiful presence. There was something regal inthe set of her small head on her graceful shoulders. Her gown and hatwere extremely plain and she wore no jewels; but an atmospheresurrounded the lovely countess like an aura of sunlight, Ruth thought.She was very gentle and sweet, though there was something about her thatsuggested she could be equally stern if the situation required it. Ruthhoped never to incur her displeasure.
When tea was served the countess was obliged to throw back her veil.
Madame de Villiers looked at her disapprovingly. Then the old woman casthurried glances about her, but was apparently satisfied.
As for the young countess, she took in a deep breath of the warm, softair laden with the scent of the orange blossoms. She let her eyes wanderover the grove and smiled as a burst of music floated across to her.
"I am fascinated, enchanted!" she exclaimed. "Mr. Stuart, I thank youfor the pleasure of this afternoon
."
There was always a slight formality in the young countess's manner whichkept people at a distance.
"Do not thank me, Countess," protested Mr. Stuart. "You and Madame deVilliers are conferring an honor upon us."
"Madame de Villiers and I are two lonely women," continued the countess."We have not seen the beauties of this place, except from our piazza.How exquisite this grove is! Truly, it is like paradise."
Again the young woman's gaze swept the tea garden. Suddenly her faceturned white. She bit her lips, and sat as if turned to stone. Her eyeswere fastened on a group of three men at a nearby table. Madame deVilliers had not noticed them. The men had not yet noticed the Stuart'sguests.
The countess dropped her veil quickly. Ruth and Mollie, sitting on eachside of the countess, were the only members of the party who felt thatsomething had happened, and they were wise enough to be absolutelysilent. Only the girls' eyes followed the direction of the countess's.They, too, saw the three men, one of whom they recognized as Mr. Duval.The other two were strangers, foreign-looking men with waxed mustachesand light hair.
All at once Mollie felt her hand seized convulsively under cover of thetable. But the little girl was not prepared for the special mark ofconfidence that the countess was now to bestow on her. As Mollie heldthe countess's hand in her own, she felt a tap, tap in the centre of herpalm. Like a flash Mollie remembered. The countess had given her thedanger signal they had agreed upon the day before. Mollie looked quicklyover at Maud Warren. She presumed the signal indicated that there wassomething the matter with Maud. But Maud was sitting quietly betweenBarbara and Grace Carter.
Then what could the countess mean? Could she be jesting? Mollie did notthink so. Through the meshes of her white veil the face of the countesslooked out very white and grave.
Mollie's heart was beating fast. What could she say? What must she do?Of one thing she now felt sure. The beautiful Countess Sophia vonStolberg was threatened with trouble. She should have all the aid thatthe "Automobile Girls" could give.
"I understand," Mollie now whispered back to her in a low voice. "Whatshall I do?"
"I must leave the tea garden at once," replied the countess quietly."But I do not wish to be observed. Madame de Villiers must go with me,but I do not wish the party to break up. That would make usconspicuous."
"Ruth and I will go with you. Don't be worried; we will go quietly.Wait, I must speak to her."
"Ruth," Mollie spoke softly to her friend. "The countess wishes to gohome without disturbing any one else. Shall we slip out with her, andsee her home?"
"Why, of course," answered Ruth politely, although she was somewhatmystified.
They were about to arise quietly from the table when they wereinterrupted. A waiter handed a note to Mr. Stuart. Mr. Stuart read it.His face turned very red.
Now, if there was one thing in particular that Robert Stuart loathed itwas an anonymous letter. The message he had just received was notsigned, and it read:
"Beware of the countess. She is an impostor."
Mr. Stuart crushed the paper in his hand.
"Mr. Stuart," said the low voice of the countess, just at this moment,"forgive my leaving so soon. But I must go at once. Mollie and Ruth arecoming with me." As the countess rose from her chair she glanced hastilyat the three men at the table near them. These men had also risen. Butthey were not looking at the countess.
The young woman started hurriedly toward the gate. Madame de Villiersquickly followed her. So did Ruth, Mollie and Mr. Stuart.
"Please wait here until we come back for you," Ruth said to her aunt.
Monsieur Duval had now crossed the space intervening between the twotables. He had seated himself next to Miss Sallie. The other twoforeigners were moving toward the gate.
Ruth hurried on. She gave her order to the chauffeur. The man was sooncranking up the machine. The four women had taken their seats in themotor car. At this moment one of the strangers approached Mr. Stuart.The other took off his hat and bowed low to the countess. He spoke toher in German, but her reply was given in English. It was very plain. "Ido not know you," she said.
The man spoke again. This time his manner was insolent. Madame deVilliers's face grew dark with rage.
"Hurry!" called Ruth to her chauffeur. Mr. Stuart sprang into theautomobile.
The machine sped on leaving the two strangers standing alone in theroad.
"Do not worry, Cousine," the countess murmured in the course of theirride. "The man who spoke to me made a mistake. You will frighten ourfriends if you are so angry."
Madame de Villiers said nothing. But there was fire in her small shiningblack eyes. Her beaked nose looked as though it might peck at the nextoffender.
Mr. Stuart and the two girls left the countess and her companion attheir villa. The two women were now composed. Indeed, the countess madeRuth and Mollie promise that the "Automobile Girls" would come to seeher again the next day.
Mollie and Ruth could not help puzzling over the countess as they rodeback to the cocoanut grove. Mr. Stuart kept his own counsel.
"I am certain there is some mystery about the countess," Ruth avowed."But, whatever the mystery is, the 'Automobile Girls' are on her side!"
The Automobile Girls at Palm Beach; Or, Proving Their Mettle Under Southern Skies Page 7
