The street was rather crowded, but Mr Ravenscar pulled up his greys, and waited for Mablethorpe to come up to the curricle. It struck him that his lordship was looking radiantly happy, and it was in rather a sharp tone that he said: “So you are back at last!”
“Yes, this instant!” Adrian said, curbing his horse’s wish to shy at a top-heavy wagon which was coming down the street. “I have just set Deb down in St James’s Square, and am on my way to Brook Street. I must not stay: I must see my mother immediately! Oh, Max, I am the happiest man alive! I have so much to tell you! You will never guess where I have been!”
“I was informed,” said Ravenscar, his brow as black as thunder, “that you had gone to stay with Tom Waring!”
Adrian laughed, and brought his sidling horse round again. “I know, but it was not so! Max, I am married!”
“Married!”
Mr Ravenscar must have jobbed at the greys’ sensitive mouths, for they began to plunge, and his lordship was obliged to rein back out of the way.
“I knew I should surprise you!” he called. “I will come round to tell you about it later! It is too long a story, and there is no telling it here! Besides, I must see my mother first. Goodbye! I will see you presently!”
He waved his whip, and rode on; Mr Ravenscar, very white about the mouth, drove straight to St James’s Square. Arriving at Lady Bellingham’s house, he thrust the reins into his groom’s hands, said curtly: “Keep them moving!” jumped down from the box, and strode up the steps to Lady Bellingham’s door.
It was opened to him by Silas Wantage, who grinned, and said: “It’s wonderful, so it is, the way you do keep coming to the house, sir, as though there hadn’t never been what you might call unpleasantness!”
“Desire Miss—” Ravenscar stopped. His grim mouth hardened. “Desire Miss Grantham to accord me the favour of a few words with her—alone!” he said.