“No, you are quite right,” said Mrs. Vachell. “He hasn’t thought of it yet. He has only got as far as the old ladies. But I can make him see the difficulty of a scene with Evangeline. She is very much liked at Drage. Evan’s Colonel and his wife are devoted to her. There would be awful talk and gossip and indignation if she let herself go and got the rest of them down on to it. He is secretive and hates outside interference.”
“But then why not let public opinion have the chance to make him give in?” asked Susie.
“He wouldn’t do that. He would make some plan for a temporary arrangement with me or someone else and it is safer that it should be with me.”
“But when you have got him off, what next? The school will be expecting him, they will be furious and write to Evan and he will order you to give up Ivor. He may send a solicitor’s letter. He may get special leave and come back.”
“That he couldn’t possibly afford,” said Mrs. Vachell. “It is a very expensive journey just now. And as for the solicitor’s letter—do you know I am not at all sure that I shouldn’t leave that to your husband. I can’t tell you why, but I think he could manage Captain Hatton even now; the only thing is that he wouldn’t. You have to get things into a mess first before a man like that will move. They never will do anything to prevent a row if it means making a plan, but they will shovel away the mess afterwards quite willingly.”
“I think I might sound him,” said Susie reflectively.
“Very well, but remember if you give him the least hint of a plan he will forbid you to do it and then it becomes rather a nuisance; it would be fifty per cent more complicated. If you do the thing first you can pretend to be sorry and say how stupid you were not to have thought of the consequences. A man will always swallow that.”
Susie changed the subject. “And what about Evangeline?” she asked. “Shall I write to her?”
“No, indeed, you won’t. Don’t write a line except the usual grandmotherly stuff. I will ring her up and get her to take a day’s shopping in London; I am going there next week. Then after that I will go on to Drage to see a young cousin of mine. Evan will know by that time whether he is going or not. If he does I can persuade him to lend me Ivor for a month or two or even more. Even he understands that he is rather a baby to go to strangers alone and he is sorry for me for having no children——” She gave a little laugh. “You might, perhaps, make it easier by saying that you want to have Ivor yourself, but that there is difficulty about the nurse. He trusts her, and she doesn’t, in fact, like being with you.”
“Doesn’t she?” asked Susie, very much surprised.