“It isn’t so much the dullness——” began Rose, and then checked herself.
Lady Aviolet overlooked the obvious implication. “We hope, Sir Thomas and I, that you’ll still look upon this as your headquarters, and of course spend the holidays here with dear little Cecil.”
“Thank you,” said Rose gloomily.
To herself, she thought that the Aviolets could well afford to be gracious. She, the boy’s mother, had failed, and they were to be allowed their own way in the bringing up of Cecil.
XII
A few weeks after Cecil had been taken to Hurst by Ford Aviolet, who quietly appropriated the duty, Rose came to see Miss Lucian.
She had announced it to be a farewell visit before her return to Ovington Street.
“I couldn’t possibly go on slacking about at Squires, the way they all do,” she declared. “It was bad enough, even with Ces there, but it’s been perfectly awful since he went. Nothing but Pug and the garden, and the garden and Pug, till I’m sick of the sound of them both!”
“So you’re going to London?”
“Yes. I can help Uncle Alfred, I daresay, and I’m going to try and find some work. Of course, I shall come back to Squires in the holidays, so as to be with Ces. They’ve been very decent about that, I must say.”