“Ah, Frederick!” said his lordship languidly. “I learn that I must offer you my felicitations.”
“Oh—er—exactly so, sir!” Freddy responded. “Thought you’d be pleased! Time I was getting married. Brought Kit up to town, you see. Felt you’d wish to become acquainted with her. Before we puff it off in the papers.”
“Oh, is the engagement not to be announced?” enquired his lordship, all polite interest.
“Uncle Matthew does not wish it to be announced quite immediately, sir,” said Kitty. “There—there are reasons why it will be more convenient to wait for a few weeks, but I cannot well enter into these!”
“No, of course you cannot,” said his lordship, as though he perfectly understood.
“Measles,” said Freddy. “Not that the old gentleman knew about that, but it’s a dashed good reason, come to think of it!”
Kitty looked at once anguished and bewildered, but Lord Legerwood seemed not to think the remark peculiar, agreeing, in the blandest way, that the measles afforded an excellent excuse for postponing the announcement of the engagement. Upon his wife’s entering the room just then, looking perfectly distracted, he instantly said: “Ah, my love, no doubt Frederick has broken these delightful tidings to you! You have come to welcome our prospective daughter-in-law!”
She cast him a puzzled, enquiring glance, but as his attitude clearly indicated his wish that she should receive Kitty with complaisance, and her own kindly disposition would have made it very hard for her to have repulsed the girl, she embraced Kitty, and said: “Yes, indeed! You must forgive me, if I seem surprised, my dear, for I had not the least suspicion, and—But you will explain it all to me presently! It is so unfortunate that you find us in such a fix, but you must come upstairs directly, and take off your bonnet, and be comfortable. Poor child, I am sure you must be tired and horribly chilled by the journey!”
She again looked for guidance towards her lord, but receiving nothing more helpful than one of his more enigmatic smiles took Kitty away to her dressing-room, murmuring quite audibly: “Oh, dear, I wonder what next will befall us?”
A silence followed the departure of the ladies. Freddy, quite as puzzled as his mama by Lord Legerwood’s behaviour, stole a cautious look at him, and waited.