“That’s just why,” Ermine replied enigmatically, but Lady Cheynes asked for no explanation.
Not much was said during the drive to Ella’s home. The girl was still a little sleepy, and rather nervous too when she thought of the shoe. And her godmother seemed pre-occupied and slightly absent. Only once just before they reached the Coombesthorpe lodge, she turned somewhat abruptly to Ella.
“Then you did enjoy last night, my dear? It was worth the trouble?”
“Godmother,” said Ella earnestly, “I enjoyed myself, tremendously. I shall always thank you for having taken me, always, more than I can say,” and she held up her pretty face for a kiss. “I do hope,” she added after a moment’s silence, “I do hope Madelene will not be vexed about it. She surely won’t be when she hears how it all was.”
Lady Cheynes caught her up sharply.
“Madelene vexed,” she said. “My dear child what are you saying? Why, how can you imagine Madelene would be vexed?—she will have been delighted. And even supposing she had any such feeling, which is impossible—really impossible, she knows her duty, the respect she owes to her father, and I may say, to myself, far too well to resent anything we approve.” Ella did not venture to say anything in disagreement, but in her heart she began to do her elder sister greater injustice than ever heretofore: she began to doubt her sincerity.
Colonel St Quentin was better, was the news Barnes met them with, and when the ladies’ arrival had been announced to him, he sent word that he would join Lady Cheynes in the library in five minutes.
“You need not stay with me, my dear Ella,” said her godmother, “your father and I will entertain each other till luncheon is ready and you may like to get your things unpacked.”
Ella never resented anything from her godmother, and set off to her own room quite contentedly. A bright fire was burning in “the nursery” to welcome her, and faithful Hester, on the pretext of unpacking, was waiting eagerly to hear the young lady’s adventures.
“Oh, how jolly of you to have a fire, you dear old thing,” was Ella’s greeting. “Dear me, how strange it seems to be back again! Hester, open my box quick and let me have a peep at my frock before you put it away. I want to feel sure it wasn’t all a dream.”