“Oh I mean: What’s the news in the fast set generally? You been causing any divorces lately?”
“No,” said Fanny, the spark in her eye getting brighter. “I haven’t been causing anything.”
“Well, what’s the gossip? You usually hear pretty much everything that goes on around the nooks and crannies in this town, I hear. What’s the last from the gossips’ corner, auntie?”
Fanny dropped her eyes, and the spark was concealed, but a movement of her lower lip betokened a tendency to laugh, as she replied. “There hasn’t been much gossip lately, except the report that Lucy Morgan and Fred Kinney are engaged—and that’s quite old, by this time.”
Undeniably, this bit of mischief was entirely successful, for there was a clatter upon George’s plate. “What—what do you think you’re talking about?” he gasped.
Miss Fanny looked up innocently. “About the report of Lucy Morgan’s engagement to Fred Kinney.”
George turned dumbly to his mother, and Isabel shook her head reassuringly. “People are always starting rumours,” she said. “I haven’t paid any attention to this one.”
“But you—you’ve heard it?” he stammered.
“Oh, one hears all sorts of nonsense, dear. I haven’t the slightest idea that it’s true.”
“Then you have heard it!”