“I know you don’t, dearie,” said her mother. “But I see it as Grandma does, and I think we must let her go. Perhaps some time she’ll come again.”
“Oh, I hope so,” said Patty, smiling through the tears that had gathered in her own eyes. “You’ve all been so good to me, and I’ve had such lovely times.”
The question once settled, Lady Hamilton went on to say that she proposed to take Patty away the next day. Of course this redoubled Mabel’s woe, but Lady Kitty was firm.
“It would be just as hard to spare her a week hence,” she said. “And then, who would take her to London? If she goes with us to-morrow, we will keep her with us for the rest of our motor tour—about a week—and then reach London about the first of July. After that Patty and I will join Mr. and Mrs. Fairfield in Switzerland, and go on to do some further travelling.”
Although Patty was sorry to leave Cromarty, this plan did sound delightful, and she was glad that it was all settled for her, and she had no further responsibility in the matter.
Lady Hamilton had a genius for despatch, and she superintended the packing of Patty’s clothes and belongings that same afternoon. Except for the luggage needed on the motor-tour, everything was to be sent to Lady Kitty’s home in London, and Patty had to smile, as she realised that her present temporary home was the great house where she had so daringly braved the irascible Sir Otho.
There was a daintily furnished room in the Markleham house that had been set aside for Patty’s very own, and whenever she cared to she was invited to occupy it.
When the boys came home that afternoon and heard the news, they set up a wail of woe that was both genuine and very noisy.
No one could help admiring Lady Kitty, but Sinclair and Bob felt as if she were robbing their household, and it required all their good manners to hide their feeling of resentment.
But they rose nobly to the occasion, and Bob said: “Well, since Patty must go, we’ll have to send her off in a blaze of glory. Let’s make a party, mother, a few people to dinner, and some more for the evening.”