Lord Barnstaple wheeled about sharply. “Can’t you think of any?” he asked.
Lee kept her face immobile, but she turned away her eyes.
Lord Barnstaple laughed. “Unless you are blind you can see what is becoming plain enough,” he said harshly. “I’ve seen him hanging about for some time, but it never occurred to me that he might be her lover until lately. I don’t care a hang about her and her lovers, but she can’t bring that sort to the Abbey.”
“I can tell her that everybody is talking and that the women are hinting that unless she drops him she’ll be dropped herself.”
“Quite so. You’ll have a nasty scene. It is good of you to undertake it without making me argue myself hoarse.”
“I am one of you; you must know that I would willingly do anything for the family interests that I could.”
“You do belong to us,” said Lord Barnstaple with some enthusiasm. “And that is what Emmy has never done for a moment. By the way,” he hesitated, “I hate to mention it now, it looks as if I were hastening to reward you; but the fact is I had made up my mind to give you my wife’s jewels. They are very fine, and Emmy does not even know of their existence. I suppose it would have been rather decent of me to have given them to you long ago: but——”
Lee nodded to him, smiling sympathetically.
“Yes,” he said, “I hated to part with them. But I shan’t mind your having them. I’ll write to my solicitors at once to send them down; I’ve got to pass the time somehow. For Heaven’s sake come back and tell me how she takes it.”
“I don’t suppose I shall be long. I haven’t thanked you. Of course I shall be delighted to have the jewels.”