“Not to tell your friends—but that hardly was intended to include your mother.”
The Baroness looked uncomfortable.
“I—I'm afraid——” she began, and stopped in hesitation.
“Did he specifically include me?” demanded the Countess in an altered tone.
“I think, mamma, he did,” her daughter faltered.
“Ah!”
And there was a world of meaning in that comment.
“Believe me, mamma, it is something very, very important, or Rudolph would certainly have let me tell you all about it.”
Lady Grillyer opened her eyes still wider.
“Then I am to understand that he wishes to conceal from me anything that he considers of importance?”