“I am his wife: beyond that I have never thought.”
“You are Lady Killcrichtoun; and now here is the difficulty: Your cards bear the name Mrs. Alexander Lyon. Everywhere my grandfather has introduced you as such; all the invitations sent you are addressed to you by that name: and more, our lady ambassadress expects to present you at her Majesty’s next drawing-room as Mrs. Alexander Lyon. Now what’s to be done about that?”
Drusilla did not answer, but she reflected—so long that Anna broke in upon her meditation with the question: “You have a right to share your husband’s title—a right of which he cannot deprive you, for it is legally your own. Shall we not then introduce you as Lady Killcrichtoun?”
“No,” answered Drusilla, gravely. “The name I now bear is also legally my own, having been given me by my husband in our marriage. I will retain it. I will never attempt to share his new rank until he himself shall give me leave to do so. If, without his sanction, I were to take my part in his title, I should seem to be pursuing him, which I will never consent to do, dear Anna.”
“But then, my dear, do you consider that if you refuse to do this, you will enter society in some degree under false colors.”
“Dear Anna, there is no necessity for my entering society at all. I would rather live in seclusion as Drusilla Lyon than go into the world as Lady Killcrichtoun, and of course I can live so.”
“And if you do live so, you will never see Alick; but if you go out, you will meet him every day; for of course he is the gayest man about town here, as he used to be at home. And you may depend he will be received everywhere; for in this country a title is a title, and though the barony of Killcrichtoun may not be worth five hundred a year, Alick has an enormous outside fortune, which fact cannot be hid under a bushel. And going about as he does, alone, he will be thought a single man, and, under all the supposed circumstances, a very eligible match. Now, Drusa, if I were you, I would put a stop to all that by going constantly into society, and going too as Lady Killcrichtoun.”
“No,” repeated Drusilla, “I will never share his title until he authorizes me to do so. And as to going out under my present name, I will be guided by General Lyon. As he is responsible for me, he must be the final judge in this matter.”
“So this is your decision?”
“Yes, dear Anna.”