The girl hesitated. "What do people say of that? I mean the 'world.'"
"Nothing, because nobody knows. They're to be married on the 17th, at Waterbath church. If anything else comes out, everybody is a little prepared. It will pass for some stroke of diplomacy, some move in the game, some outwitting of me. It's known there has been a row with me."
Fleda was mystified. "People surely knew at Poynton," she objected, "if, as you say, she's there."
"She was there, day before yesterday, only for a few hours. She met him in London and went down to see the things."
Fleda remembered that she had seen them only once. "Did you see them?" she then ventured to ask.
"Everything."
"Are they right?"
"Quite right. There's nothing like them," said Mrs. Gereth. At this her companion took up one of her hands again and kissed it as she had done in London. "Mona went back that night; she was not there yesterday. Owen stayed on," she added.
Fleda stared. "Then she's not to live there?"
"Rather! But not till after the public marriage." Mrs. Gereth seemed to muse; then she brought out: "She'll live there alone."