She was completely unaware that Rose was surprised, and rather disappointed, at not being asked for details of the “row.”
“We are hoping to secure a friend of Ford’s, Lord Charlesbury, and one or two other men. Lord Charlesbury is a widower, poor fellow, and has a boy rather older than Cecil. He lost his wife when the boy was born, and has never married since.”
“Poor little boy, without a mother!” said Rose. “What do they do with him?”
“Oh, of course, he’s at school now, very happy indeed. In fact, Ford thought you and he might talk about a good preparatory school for little Cecil with Lord Charlesbury, who has been into it all so recently.”
“I see,” said Rose.
The question of school had been in abeyance lately.
A nursery governess was installed at Squires, and Rose, to the surprise of her mother-in-law, had submitted to having Cecil less with her, and had refrained from interference on the few occasions when he fell into disgrace, and was punished, very mildly, by little Miss Wade.
“We thought of asking him for the First,” Lady Aviolet said.
“The first what?”
“The First of September, my dear.”