“I don’t mean that,” she explained confusedly. “Of course, mother knows you, and all—it’s only the idea of me having gone and been and done it all on my own hook; that’ll upset her for a bit. She’s always wanted to make babies of us, me and Geraldine.”
“You haven’t told your sister anything, have you?”
“No fear. She’s a jealous thing, ever so spiteful, is Geraldine. You’ll see, she’ll be as nasty as anything when she knows I’m actually—actually——”
Elsie stopped, giggling.
“Actually what?”
“You know very well.”
“Say it.”
“Actually married, then,” said Elsie, blushing a good deal and with affected reluctance.
When they arrived at Hillbourne Terrace, and the taxi drew up before the familiar flight of steps, she began to feel very nervous. She told herself that she was a married woman, and looked at her new wedding-ring, but she did not feel in the least like a married woman, nor independent of Mrs. Palmer’s anger.
Elsie’s mother opened the door herself. “What on earth——Are you ill, Elsie, coming home in a cab at this hour of the morning? Whatever next!”