As Robin walked away from Cadogan Square he was not sure whether he was glad or sorry that he had not been able to see her.
After his cup of early morning tea Lord Holme had seemed to be “dear old Fritz” again, and Lady Holme felt satisfied with herself despite the wagging tongues of London. She knew she had done an incautious thing. She knew, too, that Carey had failed her. Her impulse had been to use him as a weapon. He had proved a broken reed. And this failure on his part was likely to correct for ever her incautious tendencies. That was what she told herself, with some contempt for men. She did not tell herself that the use to which she had intended to put Carey was an unworthy one. Women as beautiful, and as successful in their beauty, as she was seldom tell themselves these medicinal truths.
She went about as usual, and on several occasions took Lord Holme with her. And though she saw a light of curiosity in many eyes, and saw lips almost forced open by the silent questions lurking within many minds, it was as she had said it would be. The immediate future had been in Fritz’s hands, and he had made it safe enough.
He had made it safe. Even the Duchess of Arkell was quite charming, and laid the whole burden of blame—where it always ought to be laid, of course—upon the man’s shoulders. Rupert Carey was quite done for socially. Everyone said so. Even Upper Bohemia thought blatant intemperance—in a Duke’s house—an unnecessary defiance flung at the Blue Ribbon Army. Only Amalia Wolfstein, who had never succeeded in getting an invitation to Arkell House, remarked that “It was probably the champagne’s fault. She had always noticed that where the host and hostess were dry the champagne was apt to be sweet.”
Yes, Fritz had made it safe, but:
Circumstances presently woke in Lady Holme’s mind a rather disagreeable suspicion that though Fritz had “come round” with such an admirable promptitude he had reserved to himself a right to retaliate, that he perhaps presumed to fancy that her defiant action, and its very public and unpleasant result, gave to him a greater license than he had possessed before.
Some days after the early morning tea Lord Holme said to his wife:
“I say, Vi, we’ve got nothing on the first, have we?”
There was a perceptible pause before she replied.
“Yes, we have. We’ve accepted a dinner at Brayley House.”