‘What does Mr. Mortimer say, La-la?’
‘Naturally he is charmed, Minna. What should he be? Besides, nobody cares much what Mr. Mortimer says. But his dear aunt, Lady Agnes, is quite on our side. In fact, you may imagine that she and I talked it all out between us.’
Mrs. Mimburn laughed.
‘What an obedient boy Kingston must be,’ she said. ‘Had he nothing to say in the matter?’
‘Kingston trusts to his mother to know best,’ answered Lady Adela with gentle dignity. ‘Gundred is altogether pretty and good and sweet, so what more could he want? Besides, as I pointed out to him—and he quite understood—such a marriage will be a great help to him in his career, when he finds one.’
‘But Mr. Mortimer is very silly, surely,’ protested Mrs. Mimburn. ‘How can he be a help to anyone?’
‘One shouldn’t be harsh,’ replied Lady Adela, ‘and I am sure when he succeeds to the dukedom nobody will think him as foolish as they do now.’
Mrs. Mimburn was still in a carping mood.
‘The Duke himself is actually an imbecile, isn’t he?’ she asked. ‘How dreadful to marry into a family where there is madness, La-la! A mad, ga-ga—great-uncle, isn’t it? Yes. Poor Gundred!’
However, Lady Adela refused, as always, to take any but a hopeful view.