“And her mother, of course,” said Mrs. Alexander pointedly, lifting her shoulders as well as her eye-brows.
“And her old man, too,” chuckled Mr. Alexander, causing everyone who heard him to laugh.
His spouse sent him a most disquieting look, however, and he subsided in his chair. But Eleanor, who sat beside him at the table, nudged him encouragingly when Mrs. Alexander was not looking.
So, when the lighter touched at the Dover dock, the entire party got off, and soon Mr. Fabian was encircled by four arms, while two heads were pressed close to his face. A younger woman stood a bit aside, smiling sympathetically at the reunion.
Then she was introduced to the Americans as Angela Osgood, Nancy Fabian’s friend. And in turn, Mr. Fabian introduced his two protegées, Polly and Eleanor, and the Ashbys, and the Alexanders.
When Mrs. Alexander really found herself face to face with the daughter of an English Baronet, she was speechless with joy. Now she could write home and tell everyone she ever knew about meeting Sir James Osgood’s daughter!
But Angela never dreamed of the disturbance she had caused in the breast of this unusual-looking woman.
“Now, how shall we dispose of all the passengers, Nancy?” laughed Angela, counting the heads of the party she expected to drive to the town house for dinner.
“The car only holds seven, you see,” explained she, turning to the Ashbys. “I counted on Nancy’s father and two girls driving with me, and the three Ashbys taking the seat in the road-car where the luggage will be placed. The groom drives that. Or we can rearrange it any way you say.”
Mrs. Alexander instantly pushed herself forward and said: “Oh, how very kind of you to include us in your party! I really can’t accept a seat in the car if anyone else must be crowded.”