Miss Taverner read this missive with a sinking heart, and slowly folded it up again. Miss Scattergood, observing her downcast look, hoped that she had not had bad news. “Oh dear me, no!” said Miss Taverner.
Breakfast, upon the following morning, was enlivened by the appearance of Peregrine, who had driven back from Worthing so early on purpose to wish his sister many happy returns of her birthday. He thought himself a very good brother to have remembered the event, and would have bought her a present if Harriet had put him in mind of the date sooner. However, they would go out together after breakfast, and she should choose her own present, which would be a much better thing, after all. He admired the quilted parasol of shaded silk which Mrs. Scattergood had given Judith, and said there was no need to inquire who had sent her the huge bouquet of red roses which graced the table. “They come from Audley, I’ll be bound.”
“Yes,” agreed Miss Taverner, with a marked lack of enthusiasm. “I have had a letter from my uncle also. You may read it, if you choose. It is painful: one cannot but pity him. He seems to have known only part of what my cousin intended.”
“Oh well, don’t let us be thinking of him now!” said Peregrine. “We are very well rid of the pair of them. Only fancy, though! Worth told Sir Geoffrey the whole, when he saw him in town this week. Sir Geoffrey thinks Worth a very tolerable sort of a fellow.” He poured himself out a cup of coffee. “Now, what would you like to do today? You have only to give it a name; I am quite at your disposal. Shall we drive over to Lewes? I believe there is a castle, or some such thing, to be seen there.”
“Thank you, Perry,” she said, touched by this handsome offer. “But Lord Worth is coming to see me this morning. I was thinking that you should stay at home with me. You will want to thank him for all that he has done.”
“Oh, certainly!” said Peregrine. “I shall be very glad to meet him, to be sure. I want to talk to him about my yacht, you know.”
Shortly before noon Peregrine, who was seated in the window of the drawing-room, quizzing the passers-by, announced that Worth was approaching. “My dear Ju,” he said in tones of awe, “only look at the coat he is wearing! I wonder whether Weston made it? Do but look at the set of it across the shoulder!”
Miss Taverner declined leaning out of the window to stare at his lordship, and begged her brother to draw in his head. Instead of doing anything of the kind Peregrine waved to attract Worth’s attention, and, upon the Earl looking up, was instantly struck by the exquisite arrangement of his cravat. He turned, and said impressively: “I do not care if he does give me one of his set-downs; I must know how he ties his cravat!”
The Earl had knocked on the door by this time, and in a few moments his step was heard on the stairs. Peregrine went out to meet him. “Come up, sir! We are both here!” he said. “How do you do? You are the most complete hand indeed, you know! My head, when I awoke! My mouth too! There was never anything like it!”
“Was it very bad?” inquired the Earl, leisurely mounting the last three stairs.