“I expect he’s gone home to break it to Stella,” whispered Rose.
“He told me he was going to Starvecrow to see Vera,” said Jenny icily. She hated Rose’s conjectures all the more that she now shared them herself.
“It will be dreadful for some people at the inquest,” continued her sister-in-law.
“Dreadful! how dreadful?—You don’t mean Stella’s to blame, do you?”
“Oh, of course, I don’t mean she’s really done anything wicked—but she let poor Peter go on loving her when she knew it was wrong.”
“How could she have stopped him?—supposing it’s true that he did love her.”
“Any girl can stop a man loving her,” said Rose mysteriously.
“Oh, can she?—it’s obvious you’ve never had to try.”
Jenny was surprised at her own vindictiveness, but she felt all nerves after such a night. Rose was plunged into silence, uncertain whether she had been complimented or insulted, and the next minute there was another sound of wheels in the drive.
“That must be Gervase.”