She laughed. “I cannot suppose it possible. Did you ever propose to any lady, sir?”
“Yes, once,” replied Mr. Brummell in a voice of gentle melancholy. “But it came to nothing. I discovered that she actually ate cabbage, so what could I do but cut the connection?”
If Miss Taverner’s phaeton did not succeed in putting an end to all criticism of her drive from town it did silence a good many tongues. Her habit of driving herself all over Brighton was soon looked on as an idiosyncrasy allowable in a lady with a fortune of eighty thousand pounds. But although the dowagers, with one or two exceptions, might agree to look indulgently on her oddities there was one person who gave no sign of having forgiven her. Lord Worth continued to hold aloof, and when they met conducted himself towards her with a cold civility that showed her how fresh in his mind were the events at Cuckfield. Having frequently assured herself and him that nothing could exceed her dislike of him, there was no other course open to her than to treat him with similar coldness, and to flirt with Captain Audley. The Captain was all readiness to oblige her, and by the time they had twice danced half the evening together, and twice been seen driving along the parade in the perch-phaeton it began to be pretty freely circulated that the Captain was to be the lucky man.
Even Mrs. Scattergood began to take a serious view of the affair, and having watched in silence for a week at last ventured to broach the subject one evening after dinner. “Judith, my love,” she said, very busy with the yards of fringe she was making, “did I tell you that I met Lady Downshire in East Street this morning? You must know that I walked back to Westfield Lodge with her.”
“No, you did not tell me,” replied Miss Taverner, laying down her book. “Was there any reason why you should?”
“Oh, none in the world! But I must own I was rather taken aback by her asking me when your engagement to Charles Audley was to be made known. I did not know what to say.”
Judith laughed: “Dear ma’am, I hope you told her that you did not know?”
Mrs. Scattergood shot her a quick look. “To be sure, I told her that I had no apprehension of any such engagement taking place. But the case is, you see, that people are beginning to wonder at the preference you show for Charles. You must not be offended with me for speaking plain.”
“Offended! How should I be?”
Mrs. Scattergood began to look a little alarmed. “But Judith, is it possible that you can be contemplating marriage with Charles?”