"If you feel it might help" the son replied.
"They sometimes give such bad advice and it's cruel hard to go against what they've said" she muttered. She removed the hand she held to her forehead, shading her eyes. He anxiously examined her face. But it could not be said there was any change in the expression. Sweetness and light still reigned supreme with perhaps a trace of mischief at the corners of a generous mouth.
"You'll have to tell Mary first" Mrs Weatherby announced. "Then and only then can I ask John to dinner. But what if he won't come?"
"Oh tknow I shall have to see him Mamma!"
"You're to do nothing of the kind dearest until I've got my little oar in. I'll manage John I should hope after all these years, or I very much hope so. No I shall have to be ill. Not that I won't be really ill by that time, sick to death in my poor mind."
"I'm dreadfully sorry."
"Nonsense" she cried gaily. "Come over to me" she ordered. When he sheepishly rose she kissed him on his forehead then made him sit by her side. "What am I here for after all? Oh dear but isn't it going to be rather exciting and dreadful!"
Then she must have had a return to an earlier fear.
"My poor boy you're sure you haven't interfered with the gift in any way?" she asked with averted head, laying a hand on his arm.
"Interfered? What d'you mean? She was the keenest on the whole idea as a matter of fact."
"Knowing yon oh so well as I do I'm almost certain you've misunderstood me Philip. No I meant you haven't made love to her in that way have you?"
"Me? God no. It wouldn't have been right."
"I thought so" and she sighed. She turned her eyes back on him with a sorrowing look. "Yes" she said "you make some of it ever so much the easier. I wonder if any of this would have happened if I'd married again and there'd been a man about the house."
"What difference could he have made? It's my life surely?"
"For you to live if you want to live" she answered.
"Of course I wish to. I'm not ill am I?"
"Now dearest you're not to turn sour and desperate just because you've got yourself into rather a little silly mess and have to come to me to get you out of things. How would everything have looked if we'd had it announced in the press, tell me that?"
"Oh don't!"
"Quite, Philip dear, and I think you've been very wise, almost clever when all's said and done. But you've not breathed a word even to Liz are you sure?"
"Me? Why should I?"
"Or Maud Winder's girl? What's her name?"
"Certainly not."
"That's something certainly then."
"You know I always tell you first Mamma."
"Bless you and so you should."
"But how does Miss Jennings come into this?"
"Dearest you'd never understand" she said. "Not in your present mood."
"Oh if you want to make mysteries" he objected.
"Now Philip I simply won't have it" she protested in a bright voice. "You get yourself into a desperate tangle without a single word to me, you come out with things in public as though you were the only one concerned and at last you come to your mother and who wouldn't, oh I don't blame you there, to extricate yourself from whatever it may be; then you ask what's what, who's who and details of everything passing through my poor head-have some consideration dearest for the poo person you're speaking to" she said happily "or I'm very much afraid you won't be able to do much with your life."
"Sorry" he muttered.
"After all I shan't be here forever" she added with a quick shadow of distaste passing across her lovely features.
"Don't" he groaned.
She patted the arm she had been holding.
"You mustn't take all this too seriously Philip" she comforted. "Not since you've promised me no actual harm's been done."
"But I've been so worried with Pen" he wailed.
"God bless the little soul" Mrs Weatherby replied. "What about her, the saint?"
"When she was dead keen on being bridesmaid!"
"Bridesmaid? Who to?"
"Why Mary and me of course. You know how Penelope was!"
"Now really Philip" his mother protested and showed the first true signs of impatience she had displayed, "if I can't manage my own daughter who can, what use am I? We'll soon snap her out of that" she said stoutly. "You'll see if we don't."
THE next Sunday John Pomfret and Miss Jennings were seated at their usual table. There was as yet no sign of Jane Weatherby or Mr Abbot. Thick fog curtained from without the windows that looked over the park.
"But my dear" Liz was saying "what d'you propose?"
"In which way?" he asked.
"I mean how are you going to live?"
"Just the same as ever I imagine. We're all slaves to this endless work work work nowadays aren't we?"
"Then who will look after you?"
"Oh I expect I shalt get by Liz. After all at my age it's the children's happiness is the things."
"What nonsense you do talk John! It's even disgraceful from a man who's in the prime of life, and the more so when as I believe you realize yourself there's not a word of truth in all this you're saying."
He laughed. "Well" he reasoned "the children have to marry sometime haven't they, sooner rather than never-I mean later" he corrected himself and gave Miss Jennings a short cool stare which she returned. "And when they do or while they're doing it we have to take a back seat with the best grace in the world."
"I don't think Jane is, John."
"Now you know how fond old Jane still keeps of the limelight."
"That's hardly what I meant dear. No she's telling al most everyone she'll stop this marriage by any means, fair or foul."
He laughed louder. "Now darling whoever even suggested that?"
"It's all over London John."
"Be damned for a yarn" he said and a certain grimness. underscored his voice. "I've seen this happen before. When the tongues start clacking then's the time for all good men and true to look to their powder and see it's dry."
"And make sure it isn't blank shooting or whatever that's called" Miss Jennings sweetly said.
He frowned. "Which sounds ominous. Did Jane speak to you Liz?"
"Oh no I'd be the last person, surely you realize dear! But she did get hold of that beastly Maud Winder which is why I was so careful just now to say Jane was telling ab most everyone."
"But the whole thing is totally absurd Liz darling. I only had dinner with Jane last Tuesday and we discussed arrangements for literally hours on end."
"Did you go into detail?"
"Well no not exactly."
"Then there you are you see!"
"But you can't rush these matters Liz. There's every sort and kind of point to settle. And after all the children have really got to think their own problems out for themselves. Our or rather my function is to assist where I can, God help me."
"What did Jane actually say, John?"
"Oh I don't know. She may be a bit confused of course which is only natural but i know my Jane, she's fundamentally sound. Nothing wrong with her here" he said tapping the waistcoat pocket over his heart.
Miss Jennings made a noise between a groan and a snort. He did not seem to listen.
"I'd never mention it darling" he went on "but as I expect you've already heard, Jane and I had quite an affair once years ago and I think I know her as well as any man ever does know a woman."
"Which is why I asked what you meant to do with yourself."
"How d'you mean Liz?"
"Well I've realized all along you wouldn't put up with Jane's plotting so I was sure the marriage would go through you see."
"Thanks" he said in a dry tone of voice.
"And now I want to know how you propose to manage?"
"Thanks again" he repeated.
"No John don't be beastly" she protested. "Surely I've the right, or haven't I? Who is going to look after you?"