Her brother shook his head. “I think,” he said, “if you had had the privilege of reading Sergeant Kelly’s letter you would be agreeably surprised. At any rate, he seems quite to share your view of the sacredness of the social fabric.”
“Let us look at the facts,” said Charlotte. “This marriage has to be prevented at all costs. And I hope it is not too much to ask Mrs. Sanderson that she will give us any assistance which may lie in her power.”
The look upon Lady Wargrave’s face, as she made the request, clearly implied that help from such a quarter must, in the nature of things, be negligible. But in spite of the covert insult in the tone and manner of the dowager, Harriet replied very simply that there was nothing she would leave undone to prevent such a catastrophe.
“I am quite sure, Mrs. Sanderson, we can count upon that,” said the Duke, in a tone which softened considerably the humiliating silence with which the promise had been received.
“To begin with,” said the Duke, turning to Harriet, “I shall ask your brother-in-law to come and see me. Evidently he is one of these sensible, straightforward men who can be trusted to take a large view of things.”
The face of Lady Wargrave expressed less optimism.
“There is one question I would like to put to Mrs. Sanderson,” she suddenly interposed. It seemed that she had reserved for a final attack the weapon on which she counted most. “Be good enough to tell me this.” The ruthless eye was fixed on Harriet. “How long, Mrs. Sanderson, have you known of Mr. Dinneford’s intimacy with your niece?”
There was a slight but painful pause, and it was broken by a rather faltering reply.
“It is just a week since I first heard of it, my lady.”
“Just a week! And in the whole of that time you have not thought well to mention the matter?”