After that, the two gentlemen enjoyed a pleasant chat about Spain, which interesting country Sir William had visited in 1809, when, as his medical adviser, he had accompanied Lord Wellesley there, and by the time they shook hands on the doorstep Adam entertained quite as good an opinion of Sir William as did his Aunt Nassington.
He went upstairs, to find Jenny radiant, and Lydia triumphant. Jenny stammered: “He says I am to go home! Not to lower myself any more! He says there’s nothing amiss with me but being blue-devilled! Oh, I am so much obliged to you for bringing him to see me!”
Only one circumstance marred her joy: she was afraid Papa would be very angry, might even forbid her to leave London: did Adam think that if Papa saw Sir William Knighton himself he might consent to let her go?
“Pooh!” said Lydia saucily. “Only let me talk to Papa Chawleigh!”
“Lydia, you shouldn’t call him that! I know your mama wouldn’t like it!” said Jenny.
“Well, that’s of no consequence, because she doesn’t know anything about it, and I shouldn’t think she ever would know. I am deeply attached to Papa Chawleigh, and he likes it! Shall I go to visit him in the City tomorrow, to tell him what has been decided?”
“No, miss, you shall not!” replied Adam. He smiled at Jenny. “How soon can you be ready to leave town? Do you want this hoyden to go with us, or shall we send her back to Bath?”
“No, indeed! Of course I want her! But Papa — ”
“My dear, stop teasing yourself about your papa! I shall see him tomorrow, and tell him just what Knighton said to me.”
“I don’t wish you to quarrel with him!” she blurted out
“I won’t!” he promised.
Knowing her father, she could not be satisfied; she tried to tell him that it would be wiser if she were to break the news to Mr Chawleigh herself; but he only laughed, and recommended her to turn her attention to all the shopping he was persuaded she must want to do before leaving town.
He kept his word to her, and she never knew how great a strain had been imposed upon his temper, any more than the goggling clerks in the counting-house knew how vainly their employer’s too-audible fury had expended itself against the barrier of my lord’s good-breeding.
When he entered the establishment from which Mr Chawleigh directed his many commercial activities his appearance created a considerable stir. He had never before visited Mr Chawleigh at his place of. business, but there was no one within its portals who did not know that Miss Chawleigh had married into the cream of society, and very few who were not agog to obtain a glimpse of her lord.
It was not until he handed in his visiting card, with a request that it should be taken to Mr Chawleigh, that he attracted any particular attention from the busy clerks in the counting-house, for although he was always dressed with propriety, and a certain military neatness, he flaunted none of the hall-marks of the Dandy, or the Corinthian. But the clerk who received his card contrived to allow one of his fellows a glimpse of it as he bore it off, and long before Mr Chawleigh had surged out of his private office to greet his son-in-law, the whisper that it was Miss Chawleigh’s husband had run round the large room.
“Come in, my lord, come in!” Mr Chawleigh adjured him. “This is a surprise, and no mistake! And what brings you into the City, I wonder? Nothing amiss, is there?” he added, in a suddenly sharpened voice.
“No, nothing at all, sir. It’s merely that I want to talk to you. Are you very busy, or can you spare me a few minutes?”
“Ay, as many as you like! Step into my office, my lord — and see to it I’m not disturbed, Stickney!”
He ushered Adam into his room, shooting a suspicious, side-long glance at him as he did so. He wondered if my lord had run into Dun territory, but it didn’t seem likely, for he had no expensive tastes, and, as far as could be discovered, he wasn’t a gamester either.
“Now, what can I do for you, my lord?” he asked jovially, having seen Adam comfortably seated, and lowered his own massive form into the chair behind his desk.
“Why, nothing, sir! I’ve come to talk to you about Jenny.”
“Ay, have you? Well? You said there was naught amiss, so I take it she ain’t ill?”
“No — that is to say, no worse than when you saw her last week. On the other hand, she’s not at all well, and she grows no better. I’ve never concealed from you that I don’t think Croft’s treatment the right one for her — ”
“Much you know about it!” growled Mr Chawleigh. “Now look’ee, my lord! — ”
“ — and so, yesterday, I brought in Sir William Knighton to see her.”
“Oh, you did, did you? Never thought of consulting me, I collect?”
“No,” agreed Adam tranquilly. “I knew what your opinion was, sir.”
Mr Chawleigh’s colour began to rise. “I’ll thank you to tell me what right you’ve got to go calling in strange doctors to my Jenny without so much as a by your leave!”
Adam regarded him rather quizzically. “My dear sir, will you not rather tell me what conceivable right anyone but me has to do so?”
“I’ll tell you fast enough! I have!” declared Mr Chawleigh, glaring at him.
“You’re mistaken, sir.”
“Oh, I am, eh? We’ll see that! I’ll have you remember that I’m her father, my lord!”
“Of course you are, and as her father you have every right to inform me of it, if you think she is not being treated as she should be. But you could hardly call in another doctor to her without first obtaining my permission, could you?” He smiled. “Come, sir, don’t let us quarrel over absurdities! Are you trying to persuade me that if I had told you I meant to call in Knighton you would have objected? You won’t do it!”
Mr Chawleigh looked a little taken aback. “I don’t say that, but what I do say is that I don’t care for being ridden over rough-shod!”
“Nor do I, Mr Chawleigh,” said Adam gently.
Their eyes met, the one pair rather aloof, the other fierce under their craggy brows. Mr Chawleigh shifted in his chair, clenching one huge hand on its arm. “Oh! You don’t? Well.... So you brought in this Knighton — whoever he may be!”
“He is one of the Regent’s doctors, and was strongly recommended to me by my Aunt Nassington.”
“Oh, so she’s in it, is she? I might ha’ guessed as much!” exploded Mr Chawleigh. “Well, I’d like to give her ladyship a piece of my mind, and that’s a fact!”
“And she wishes to give you a piece of hers,” said Adam. He smiled delightfully upon his fulminating father-in-law. “What a battle of giants it would be! I shouldn’t know which of you to lay my blunt on. My aunt was very much shocked, you know, to find Jenny just coming round from a fainting-fit.”