She laughed gaily as she turned the handle of the nursery door.
"Baby, precious, where are you?"
Alex followed her into the big, sunny room.
A young nurse, in stiff white piqué, sat sewing in the window, and a starched, blue-ribboned baby, with disordered, sunny curls, crawled about the floor at her feet.
When she saw her mother she began to run towards her, with outstretched hands and inarticulate coos of pleasure.
"Come along, then, and see your new Auntie." Violet caught her up and lifted her into her arms.
"Isn't she rather a love, Alex? Shall we look after her for a little while, while Nurse goes downstairs?"
Alex nodded. She felt as though she hardly dared speak, for fear of frightening the pretty little laughing child. Besides, the constriction was tightening in her throat.
Violet sank down into a low chair, with Rosemary still in her arms.
"I'll stay with her, Nurse, if you like to go downstairs for half-an-hour."