She paused, but not dramatically.
“Yes?” he said, with gentle insinuation.
“I could imagine her choosing to live a life of her own.”
“What, like Caroline Briggs?” he said.
Lady Sellingworth moved, and her face changed, suddenly looked more expressive.
“Ah, Caroline!” she said. “I am very fond of her. She is one in a thousand. But she and Beryl are quite different in character. Caroline lives for self-respect, I think. And Beryl lives for life. Caroline refuses, but Beryl accepts with both hands.”
“Then she will probably accept a husband some day.”
Suddenly Lady Sellingworth changed her manner. She leaned forward towards the world’s governess, smiled at him, and said, half satirically, half confidentially:
“Now what is it you have in the back of your mind?”
Braybrooke was slightly taken aback. He coughed and half closed his eyes, then gently pulled up his perfectly creased trousers, taking hold of them just above the knees.