When the exchange of effusive greetings on the part of Mrs. Alexander, and the quiet welcome from the other Americans, had subsided, she remembered something to tell Dodo, that concerned her deeply.
“What do you think, Dodo? About those Osgoods?”
“How should I know, Ma. Your tone indicates that you are not very well pleased with them, whatever it is,” replied Dodo.
“I should say not! Why, I found out that the title of ‘Sir’ and ‘Lady’ does not mean anything in their family. Jimmy can’t inherit the honor, either. His father got it because he did something unusual with a factory that made munitions when the war first broke out. It wasn’t an entailed title at all, and it stops with this Osgood. Dear me! When I think of it—you might have had to marry just a plain James Osgood, after all!”
“Oh no, I wouldn’t, Ma. I said from the first, that I never would marry anyone I didn’t like. And it would take an American to do that,” declared Dodo.
“What happened when you learned about the title, Maggie?” asked Mr. Alexander, unusually gay over the information.
“Why, I just told Jimmy Osgood that I wouldn’t take him to Paris in my new car, if that was the case. I think they might have told me how such matters were conducted in England, then I might have spared all my time in planning as I did.” Mrs. Alexander’s voice plainly expressed the disapproval she felt at keeping her in ignorance of the methods of Burke.
Her hearers managed to keep straight faces, however, and waited until the Count said good-day. Then they all went upstairs to plan about the tour in Europe.
“I invited Count Chalmys to accept the empty seat beside me in my new roadster,” ventured Mrs. Alexander.
“You did!” gasped Dodo, unbelievingly.