Controlling herself, Edith went to the veranda and said to Mrs Ottley that Bruce wasn't coming back for a day or two, that she had neuralgia and was going to retire, but begged Aylmer not to go yet. Of course at this he went at once.
The next morning Aylmer at his hotel received a little note asking him to come round and see Edith, while the others were out.
It was there, in the cool, shady room, that Edith showed him the letter.
'Good God!' he exclaimed, looking simply wild with joy. 'This is too marvellous!—too heavenly! Do you realise it? Edith, don't you see he wants you to make him free? You will be my wife—that's settled—that's fixed up.'
He looked at her in delight almost too great for expression.
Edith knew she was going to have a hard task now. She was pale, but looked completely composed. She said:
'You're wrong, Aylmer. I'm not going to set him free.'
'What?' he almost shouted. 'Are you mad? What! Stick to him when he doesn't want you! Ruin the wretched girl's life!'
'That remains to be seen. I don't believe everything in the letter. The children—'
'Edith!' he exclaimed. 'What—when he doesn't want the children—when he deserts them?'