“No, I—I did not feel very w-well, so I—I—so I stayed at home.”
“Then I suppose you haven’t yet seen Edward,” remarked the Earl.
Horatia, who was sipping her claret, choked. “Good gracious, yes! Now, however c-could I have come to forget that? Only f-fancy, Rule, Edward is in town!” She was aware that she was sinking deeper into the quagmire, and tried to recover her false step. “B-but how did you know he was here?” she asked.
The Earl waited while the footman removed his plate, and set another in its place. “I have seen him,” he replied.
“Oh—have you? W-where?”
“On Hounslow Heath,” replied the Earl, putting up his glass to survey a pupton of cherries which was being offered to him. “No, I think not... Yes, on Hounslow Heath, Horry. A most unexpected rencontre.”
“It m-must have been. I—I wonder w-what he was doing there?”
“He was holding me up,” said the Earl calmly.
“Oh, w-was he?” Horatia swallowed a cherry stone inadvertently and coughed. “How—how very odd of him!”
“Very imprudent of him,” said the Earl.