ii
That winter Adeline and John Severn came down to Wyck Manor for
Christmas and the New Year.
Adeline was sitting in the drawing-room with Maisie in the heavy hour before tea time. All afternoon she had been trying to talk to Maisie, and she was now bored. Jerrold's wife had always bored her. She couldn't imagine why Jerrold had married her when it was so clear that he was not in love with her.
"It's funny," she said at last, "staying in your own house when it isn't your own any more."
Maisie hoped that Adeline would treat the house as if it were her own.
"I probably shall. Don't be surprised if you hear me giving orders to the servants. I really cannot consider that Wilkins belongs to anybody but me."
Maisie hoped that Adeline wouldn't consider that he didn't.
And there was a pause. Adeline looked at the clock and saw that there was still another half-hour till tea time. How could they possibly fill it in? Then, suddenly, from a thought of Jerrold so incredibly married to Maisie, Adeline's mind wandered to Anne.
"Is Anne dining here tonight?" she said.
And Maisie said yes, she thought Adeline and Mr. Severn would like to see as much as possible of Anne. And Adeline said that was very kind of Maisie, and was bored again.