“Oh, dear! I’d break loose from that old uncle if I were you. Won’t you and Eva come in and breakfast with us?”
“No, thank you; we were with you last night, you know, so it’s your turn to come to us. Take your breakfast with us this morning, you and Chester, won’t you?”
“Thank you, but Chester is so hurried in the mornings. I think he would prefer to join you at tea some of these evenings.”
“Ah, yes, that will be better. And there! both breakfast bells are ringing.”
Those sounds brought both Evelyn and Chester into the hall. Morning greetings were exchanged with them and the four descended to their breakfast rooms.
Chester did not linger over his breakfast, but Max and Eva ate leisurely, as there was no necessity for haste with either of them at that time.
Lucilla saw her husband on his way, returned to the table, finished her breakfast, had a pleasant little stroll about the grounds with her father, then returned to the house and found them, baby and all, on the veranda, for it was a bright, warm morning. Eva sat with the babe in her arms, Max standing by her side, gazing in the direction of Woodburn.
“Why didn’t father come in?” he asked, his tone expressing disappointment and chagrin.
“He said it was a little too late. Mamma Vi would be ready for her breakfast, and he could not think of keeping her waiting. But he thinks they will be here in an hour or so and convoy us all over there.”
“All right, as father’s plans always are,” returned Max with a sigh of satisfaction.