He shrugged. “Adrian is not precisely a pauper, my dear aunt. There is also the title. Ten thousand.”
“It seems wicked!”
“It is wicked.”
“I should like to strangle the abominable creature!”
“Unfortunately, the laws of this land preclude your pursuing that admirable course.”
“We shall have to pay,” she said, in a hollow voice. “It would be useless, I am persuaded, to appeal to the woman.”
“You would make a great mistake to betray so much weakness.”
“Nothing would induce me to speak to such a woman! Only fancy, Max! She presides over the tables in that horrid house! You may imagine what a bold, vulgar piece she is! Sally says that all the worst rakes in town go there, and she bestows her favours on such men as that dreadful Lord Ormskirk. He is for ever at her side. I daresay she is more to him than my deluded boy dreams of. But it is useless to suggest such a thing! He fired up in an instant.”
“Ormskirk, eh?” said Ravenscar thoughtfully. “That settles it: any attempt to bring to reasonable terms a lady in the habit of encouraging his attentions would certainly be doomed to failure. I had thought better of Adrian.”
“You can’t blame him,” said Lady Mablethorpe. “What experience has he had of such people? Ten to one, the girl told him some affecting story about herself! Besides, she is quite lovely, according to what Sally Repton says. I suppose there is no hope of her deciding in Ormskirk’s favour?”