Lydia said slowly: “She can’t have been truly in love with Adam, can she? I mean, if — ”
“Goodness knows!” said Jenny, getting up from the table. “There’s no saying — at least, I can’t say! You’ll not repeat anything I’ve said, will you? It was nothing but foolishness!”
“To Adam? No,” said Lydia, frowning a little. “It wouldn’t be of any use, would it? Like Mama telling me how deeply attached to me Sir Torquil is, as if that would make me feel a tendre for him!”
Jenny smiled rather painfully. “No. It wouldn’t be a bit of use. We’ll take a walk to Hookham’s presently, shall we? I want to change my books, but I must write to Julia first. I wonder what the Oversleys feel about this?”
She was soon to know, for Lady Oversley came to see how she did, two days later, and was easily persuaded to unbosom herself. Her feelings were mixed. She was but human, and it was impossible for her not to exult at her daughter’s triumph; but she was a woman of overflowing sensibility, and it was equally impossible for not to look on the alliance with dismay. “If only I could be sure that she will be happy! Because of course it’s a splendid match, and when I think of all the caps that have been set at Rockhill I can’t help but feel proud! But I wanted Julia to marry for love, just as I did myself, and never have I regretted it, no matter how provoking Oversley may be, which he frequently is, because all men are, particularly when one is married to them! Only one makes allowances — but how, I ask you, Jenny, could one make allowances for a husband one didn’t love? When I think of my precious Julia — her sensibility so exquisite, her nerves so delicate, so easily agitated — . Oh, Jenny, my heart misgives me!”
“I thought you might not like it very much, ma’am,” Jenny said. “But it’s my belief Rockhill won’t wound her sensibility in the way a younger man, without the half of his experience, would be bound to, sooner or later.”
“Yes, I’ve thought that too, and, as I told Oversley, there are some girls who are happier with old husbands, who treat them with fatherly indulgence, if you know what I mean?”
Jenny nodded. “Rockhill will do that. If you ask me, ma’am, there’s little he don’t know about handling females!”
“Nothing at all!” said Lady Oversley, with sudden astringency. “When I think of all the mistresses he’s had in keeping, ever since his wife died — and Oversley may believe what he chooses, but what I say is, Once a rake, always a rake! Then, too, I think him a very odd creature. Would you believe it? he knows Julia doesn’t love him! For when he asked Oversley’s permission to address her, Oversley thought it only right to tell him that she was — that there — had been a previous attachment, which she hasn’t quite recovered from. And he said, in the coolest way, that he knew all about it! You may imagine how Oversley stared! Julia told him herself, and he seems not to care a button!”
“No, he doesn’t,” said Jenny decidedly. “Well, I don’t think he believes she broke her heart over Adam. And he don’t care because he understands her, and doesn’t set a bit of store by it when she flies into one of her ways. Depend upon it, he’ll know how to make her happy!”
“That’s what he told Oversley. I don’t know, and I cannot likehis being a widower! Such a dispiriting thing, setting aside the children, which, of course, one can’t do!”
“Good gracious, has he got children!” exclaimed Jenny.
“Two little girls — though why I say little when the elder is twelve years of age — ! When I think of my poor Julia, scarcely more than a child herself, trying to be a mother to two great daughters-in-law, who will very likely detest her — ”
“Not they! They’ll adore her!” said Jenny. “Just like all the younger ones did, at Miss Satterleigh’s. I’ll lay my life they’ll be quarrelling over which of them is to have the pleasure of running an errand for her by the time she’s been married a month!”
This reflection made Lady Oversley feel rather more cheerful, and she was able, before she left Jenny, to turn her thoughts towards the Dress-party she was holding in honour of the engagement. It was going to be a splendid function, following a dinner-party to which she was inviting as many of Rockhill’s relations as she could squeeze round her table. As these were extremely numerous, she looked forward to seeing her house crammed to bursting-point: a gratifying state of affairs which yet could not quite compensate her for what she called the peculiar nature of the gathering. “For in general, you know, it is the bridegroom’s parents who are the guests of the greatest consequence, but of course Rockhill has none, and when one considers that it is he who is the head of the Edgcott family it is absurd to suppose that one can fall back on his uncle Aubrey! And I must say, Jenny, that although I do his sister Warlingham the justice to own that she has written Julia a very pretty letter, she isyears older than I am, which is another thing I cannot like!”
The intelligence that all Rockhill’s relations were being invited to celebrate his engagement afforded Jenny a satisfaction she did not disclose, and precluded her from feeling any surprise when she received a visit from Brough.
She and Lydia were alone, a circumstance which his lordship bore with noble equanimity. Jenny saw how his lazy eyes lit up when they fell on Lydia, and hoped that in extending a welcome to her husband’s friend she might not be held to have encouraged his courtship.
Lydia was unaffectedly glad to see him, exclaiming, as she held out her hand to him: “Brough! Well, what a surprise! You didn’t think to find me here, did you? Adam fetched me, to bear Jenny company: isn’t it famous?”
Yes, Brough thought it the most famous thing that had ever happened; and although he said nothing that went beyond the line of the strictest propriety it seemed very unlikely that he would post back to Leicestershire quite as soon as had been his original intention.
He had come to town, as Jenny had expected, to attend the Oversleys’ party. He was himself related to Rockhill through his mother, but he said that the Edgcotts were nearly all of the opinion that Rockhill had run mad. “Which is what brought me up to town,” he explained. “M’mother thought most of ’em would excuse themselves from attending the party: took it into her head that Rock would need support. All humdudgeon! wouldn’t dare offend Rock, any of ’em! Though they tell me poor old Aubrey Edgcott is as sulky as bear: made sure he was going to step into Rock’s shoes one day!”
Brough regarded the alliance with a tolerant eye, but said, in a manner very unflattering to the lovely Miss Oversley, that one man’s meat was another man’s poison, “Shouldn’t like to be married to her myself,” he said.
“Now, you can’t deny she’ll make a beautiful Marchioness!” expostulated Jenny.
“Oh, lord, no! I dare say she’ll cut an excellent dash, but she ain’t my notion of a comfortable wife. Never any saying where you’ll find her! might leave her up in the attics, and come home to find her in the cellar. None of my business, however. Where’s Adam, Lady Lynton? I didn’t see him in the club.”
“No, he has gone down to Fontley for a few days,” she replied.
He nodded, making no comment; but when she rather reprehensibly left him alone with Lydia presently, he cocked one mobile eyebrow at that damsel, saying: “Lynton taking this business ill?”
She heaved a despondent sigh. “Yes, I think he is. He said he had been meaning to go to Fontley this age past, but didn’t like to leave Jenny alone, but I think he went because he couldn’t bear to hear everyone discussing the betrothal wherever he went.”