“Mrs. Witherby, kindly listen to me. You are jumping to—er—conclusions hastily and with insufficient grounds. This apparent—tangle—is due to stupidity, of course. It will be cleared up. The important thing is, that this absurd story should not be repeated outside this house.”
She raised her eyebrows in simulated amazement at his implied charge.
“Of course I shall say nothing. I hope gossip is the last thing I shall ever be guilty of. But such things reveal themselves, Mr. Howard.”
He tried another tack.
“You will please consider Mrs. Mearely’s standing in the community. Any aspersions cast on her will ultimately reflect on you and on all her friends.”
This was a new view to her. Did she really wish to lead a boycott against Villa Rose? She calculated swiftly.
“We must prevent that at all hazards,” she decided.
“We ought to wire to her sister not to come,” Corinne suggested. “Mrs. Mearely is not sick.”
“No indeed! It is more necessary than ever that she should come at once. Until she arrives, I will stay here—in a position of authority—then nothing can possibly be said. I shall go home now and gather up such things as I may need for my brief visit, and return immediately. Corinne, of course, will remain at home.”
Howard bowed formally.