“Your Ma seems to think Doctor Tremlett understands her,” said Josiah bluntly. “And Doctor Tremlett says she’s got to be very careful of her heart or she’ll have to lie up and have a trained nurse.”
“But Horace declares there is nothing the matter with it.”
“That’s where Horace don’t know his business as well as Doctor Tremlett. Your Ma has got to be very careful, indeed, and I’m going to arrange with Aylett for her to have a deputy for the whole of the coming year. You see if anything happened to her she’d have to have a deputy, so it may be wise to take steps beforehand.”
“Nonsense, Father! Horace says there’s nothing the matter with her. He says it’s stage fright. You ought not to encourage her. Certainly it isn’t right that Gerty should be taking her place. Miss Heber-Knollys says it may make a bad impression.”
“Don’t know, I’m sure, what business it is of hers.” His worship spoke with considerable asperity.
“Besides, if any one must deputize, surely it should be me.”
There was a little pause and then said Gerty in her meek and dovelike voice, “We all thought, dear, that just now you would not care to take part in a public display. Perhaps after Christmas ... when the new little one has safely arrived.”
The other ladies realized that the Fox of a Gertrude had scored a bull’s-eye. At Christmas it was fondly hoped in the family that the Mayor would at last have a grandson. Certainly, Mrs. Doctor could not be expected to take an active part at the Floral Hall.
There were occasions, however, when Mrs. Doctor was visited by some of her father’s driving force and power of will. And this was one of them. If a calamity of the first magnitude was to be averted—Gerty as Deputy-Mayoress was unthinkable!—there must be no half measure. “Horace says it will do Mother good to distribute the prizes at the Floral Hall, and if she doesn’t I am sure that quite a lot of people will be disappointed.”