“Don’t tell your aunt that I wanted you to go to the concert alone, then,” said Pauline, with a laugh. “She is such a dear old-fashioned thing, she might be shocked at me. And I believe you were shocked, just a little. How Clare would have laughed at you!”
There was an expression of alarm in Pauline’s eyes as she watched Rose. She began to fear that she had really offended her by her behaviour. She had been so sure of her influence that she had not thought it necessary to consider her, but she told herself now that she had been distinctly foolish. And she tried her best to make Rose forget that she had been deserted for a new friend. But she could not chase away the shadow from Rose’s face. It was not her disappointment about the concert which had brought it there. It was the feeling that she was not being missed at home.
Next morning she was practising her scales in the sitting-room, after Pauline had gone to give some lessons, when Tom was ushered in by Mrs. Richards. Rose ran to meet him with a glad cry.
“Oh, Tom, this is nice! Has Aunt Lucy come with you?”
“No; she sent me. She wants you and Miss Smythe to spend Saturday to Monday with us. Why didn’t you let us know you were coming yesterday, Rosie? Aunt Lucy was so disappointed when she found you had come down.”
“I didn’t think of it till the middle of the day. You had gone to Guilford, they told me. Wasn’t that too far for Aunt Lucy?”
“Why should it be?” asked Tom in a surprised tone. “She has often driven as far as that. She seemed to enjoy it. She is certainly stronger, Rosie. But you will see on Saturday. You look rather pale. Come out with me. If you’ll ask me to lunch, I can stay.”
Rose hesitated. “I don’t think you would like Mrs. Richards’ cooking, Tom. I would rather you wouldn’t stay.”
“You inhospitable sister! Well, I’ll ask you to lunch with me. Run and put your hat on and let us go out. It is a glorious morning.”
He watched her rather impatiently as she got the case and began to put her violin away. He was anxious to get her out into the open air. It distressed him to see how pale she was. And he had an uneasy feeling that he had been neglecting his little sister lately. For days he had hardly thought of her.