“I am not sure,” said Lee uneasily. “I’m going to have a talk with him on Sunday. I did say something about it on Monday night, but of course—well——”
“It’s hard to persuade an English husband that he’s got to conform to the American habit of matrimonial vacations and plenty of them.” Lady Mary laughed. “Speaking of vacations, Mr. Pix is taking rather a long one, but I believe he returns on Monday. I can’t quite make out, but I fancy the men have rather snubbed him—as much as they decently can. He must feel frightfully out of it. I only hope he won’t lose his temper. He’s got a nasty one, and if he let it go he’s underbred enough to shriek out anything. I saw with my own eyes that Lord Barnstaple avoided playing with him the night before he left. Of course Lord Barnstaple carried it off as he does everything, but I think the man noticed it all the same.”
“Then I wish he had pride enough to keep out of the house, but of course he hasn’t.”
“Your Californians now are so different. They are quite comme il faut——”
“Mary Gifford, you are really intolerably rude!”
“Upon my word I don’t mean to be. And as you know, I want to marry one.” She paused a moment, then raised her cold blue eyes to Lee’s. “I too have a will of my own,” she announced, “and when I make up my mind to do a thing I do it. I am going to marry Mr. Montgomery, and whether you go back to California or not I am going with my future mother-in-law.”
“Of course I shall go; and it is seldom that a woman—particularly a beauty—fails to get a man if she makes up her mind to it. He is interested; there’s that much gained.”
CHAPTER XIX
MRS. MONTGOMERY arrived the next day without Tiny, whose children were ailing. As the following day was Sunday, and as Mrs. Montgomery would hardly let Lee out of her sight, the definite understanding with Cecil had to be postponed. She had seen practically nothing of him since Tuesday. Mr. Geary and Mr. Brannan laughed at the bare idea of tramping about all day carrying a heavy gun, nor did they, nor Coralie, fancy the idea of luncheon on the moor. They wanted Lee to themselves, and they had a little picnic every day. Mrs. Montgomery was too old for picnics, and Lady Mary announced her intention of taking the good lady on her own hands. Before sunset she had bewildered and fascinated her victim, and by noon the next day had received the desired invitation.
“I wish I could have had the bringing up of her,” said Mrs. Montgomery earnestly to Lee. “She’s really very peculiar, and has shockingly bad manners, but with it all she is high-bred; it’s really very strange. With us it’s either one thing or the other. And she’s so sweet. I’m sure if I scold her a little after a while she won’t mind it a bit.”