“Ah, Mr Wareham, we were expecting you,” she cried, in an injured voice. “Tom has been to look for you more than once, for really, with so many dreadful things happening, and so much to be thought of, I am most anxious to get home.”
Wareham refused to accept the responsibility of their stay. He merely asked—
“When do you start?”
“I hope you will induce Anne to leave at once. She is quite unnerved, unstrung—I do think she might show a little more consideration. But really, this has been the most unfortunate tour I ever made! Poor Mr Forbes ought never to have come out, ill as he must have been from the first. And, of course, Anne behaved very badly to him. I don’t wish for a moment to defend her, only it seems a little hard that Tom and I should be made to suffer for it, doesn’t it? Now the only thing for us to do is to go home as quickly as possible.”
He expressed a hope that her wish would be carried out.
“If Anne is sensible—”
His heart went out to Anne. No, she was not heartless.
“But, as I said, pray tell her that you quite agree with us. I must say I think her wishing to stay here is not, not quite—well, of course, it was all broken off, and it will so attract attention again, just when it was to be hoped it was dying away. I am sure I don’t know how I shall face Lady Dalrymple, she will be so extremely annoyed!”
It appeared to him unnecessary to offer either argument or consolation, and the only remark available was—“You go in the yacht?”
She looked shrewdly at him, and withdrew her plaints.