“She’s sick. She regretted much that she could not come up here to-day;” while Willie, standing in Adah’s lap, with his chubby arm around her neck, chimed in,
“You don’t know what we’ve dot. We’ve dot ’ittle baby, we has.”
Adah knew now why Anna was absent, and why Charlie Millbrook looked so happy when at last he came in to see her, delivering sundry messages from his Anna, who, he said, could scarcely wait to see her dear sister. There was something genuine in Charlie’s greeting, something which made Adah feel as if she were indeed at home, and she wondered much how even the Richards race could ever have objected to him, as she watched his movements and heard him talking with his stately mother.
“Yes, Major Stanley came,” he said, in reply to her question, and Adah was glad it was put to him, for the blushes dyed her cheek at once, and she bent over Willie to hide them, while Charlie continued, “Captain Worthington came, too. He was in the same battle with the doctor, was wounded rather seriously, and has been discharged, I believe.”
“Oh,” and Mrs. Richards seemed quite interested, asking where the young men were, and appearing disappointed when told that, after waiting a few moments in hopes of seeing the ladies, they had returned to the hotel, where Mrs. Worthington and Alice were stopping.
“I fully expected the ladies here; pray, send for them at once,” she said, but Adah interposed.
“Her mother would not willingly be separated from Hugh, and as he of course would remain at the hotel, it would be useless to think of persuading Mrs. Worthington to come to Terrace Hill.”
“But Miss Johnson surely will come,” persisted Mrs. Richards.
Adah could not explain then that Alice was less likely to leave Hugh than her mother, but she said, “Miss Johnson, will not leave mother alone,” and so the matter was settled.
It was a terribly long day to Adah, and she was glad when towards its close Alice was announced as being in the reception room. She had driven round, to call on Mrs. Richards, and after that take Adah with her to the cottage, where Anna, she knew, was anxious to receive her. At first Mrs. Richards demurred, fearing it would be improper, but saying, “My late son’s wife is of course her own mistress, and can do as she likes.”