‘Monsieur! Is it not a wife’s duty to accompany her husband anywhere and everywhere? And consider for how many years Oscar and I have been separated! He would not leave me behind him for the world.’
‘Yours must be a romantic story, Mrs Boyd. I hope we shall have the pleasure of hearing from your lips some particulars of your marvellous escape.’
At this moment Mrs Bowood entered the room. She could contain herself no longer. What was Mr Boyd about, that he did not at once introduce his wife to herself and the Captain? Then she was dying to apologise for her mistake of the morning; besides which, her sense of hospitality was outraged by the fact that Mrs Boyd had been all this time in the house without having been shown to her rooms or asked to partake of refreshments of any kind. Such a state of affairs must be put an end to forthwith.
Mrs Bowood came forward with her most genial smile. ‘I am come to apologise for my absurd mistake of this morning, though it was partly your own fault, my dear Mrs Boyd.’ She had hold of both Estelle’s hands by this time. ‘How do you do? How do you do? Allow me to welcome you to Rosemount.—Ah, Sir Frederick, you here?’ This was said with some surprise.
‘I had the honour of making Mrs Boyd’s acquaintance several years ago.’
‘Wonders will never cease.’ Then turning to Estelle, she went on: ‘Only to think that I mistook you for a French governess! But you ought to have let me know at first who you were, and then matters would have been set right at once.’
‘I wanted to surprise my husband,’ answered Estelle, with downcast eyes. ‘I wanted to see whether he would know me again, after so long a time.’
‘As if he could help knowing you and he your husband! I can imagine how overjoyed he must have been to see you again.’
‘Cher Oscar! He was distracted with joy. He could scarcely speak to me at first for emotion.’
Sir Frederick smiled cynically, but did not speak.