"Which you said over them?"
"My dear wasn't it wicked of him" she went on, ignoring her son. "And now she's desperate, yes desperate! I am so worried. I think I shall have to take her along, don't you darling?"
"But psychologists are supposed to dredge back into the past aren't they, and sister's only six?"
"Isn't that just what she needs, Philip?"
"My point is it's only the other day."
"Yet things have already gone so very deep" she wailed. "All so hopeless! Though she doesn't say a word. She's been a little brick. I can tell though. Darling she's at breaking point."
"How do you know Mamma?"
"How do I know? How could I tell with you when you were small?"
"You mean Penelope's really ill?"
"Sick in her mind poor little soul, perhaps even dangerously so. Oh Philip!"
"But look here Mamma."
"No my dear I mean it, I've never been more serious in my life. And thank God your father isn't all over us to complicate matters."
"Well I don't see why we have to blackguard Father because we're worried about Pen."
"Don't you? I do. But I'm afraid Philip! I've got to act, rid her of this somehow."
"You put it down to the what d'you call it, the pretence?"
"I know I'm right!"
"And for that you're going to take her to a trick cyclist, Mamma?"
"Don't Mamma me or use that precious slang of yours." As she said this she sweetly smiled upon him.
"Likely enough the man'll only lead her back to when she used to wet her bed," he protested.
"Philip I never thought I should have to complain of schoolboy smut in you again" she announcedd. "I'm surprised. It really doesn't suit you. And over your own sister please. Philip it's nasty!"
"What is?"
"The way she is taking on, the little martyr. Oh I see what there must be there deep down."
"How d'you mean?"
"Mind your own business" she replied darkly. "Pen's really suffering, the sweet."
"Why, after all?"
"She feels wounded. Wouldn't anyone? Oh wasn't all of it gross of him poor well-meaning John, sweet idiot of a man. For I blame myself. Oh yes I can't forget. I've had to give her sleeping draughts every night since that fated afternoon."
"Now you haven't-"
"Well no of course, not actually although she is just in the state I get in when I have to take them."
"I should show her to Dr Bogle."
"Dr Bogle?" she cried. "The man we go to for pills!"
"What's the use of these specialists Mamma?"
"For especial emergencies Philip. Which little girl has ever before been married at six? Tell me out of the whole history of the world!"
"Yes indeed."
"I can't understand where you get your false insensitive side my dear. She wed poor John in her own mind as sure as if she was actually in church and your father had come back from the grave to give her away, the precious! There you are. And what can you answer to that?"
"You mustn't worry" he protested.
"Then my dear she made such a picture" his mother proceeded. "In her long white veil! Somewhere she'd found a lily she was carrying, I can't imagine how unless there were some among the flowers Dick sent me. The shade of that tall lamp was askew so she stood in a shaft of light as utterly sweet as if she had been in the aisle with the sun shining through your father's memorial rose window Philip! So absurd of me my dear but the tears came to my eyes and I really couldn't see. That was the true reason why I couldn't stop it all until too late!"
"She'll recover."
"But the responsibility dear heart. You know what one comes across with those awful books of Freud's I haven't read thank God."
"They're completely out of date nowadays."
"They are? You're sure? Yet there must be something in them when he's so famous."
"He wrote about sex Mamma."
"Well isn't this sex good heavens? Sex still has some thing to do with marriage even nowadays hasn't it? Rising seven and to have an experience like that, I can't ever forgive myself!"
"Why not run her down to Brighton?"
Mrs Weatherby began to glow at this suggestion.
"D'you know I think I really might" she said at last. "What a brilliant idea of yours Philip, just when the weather has been so perfectly vile. Let's see, we could go tomorrow. Oh no I am meeting John. Then Sunday I was to lunch with Dick but I could put him off, that won't hurt Richard. But how will you get along dear?"
"Oh I shall be all right."
"Why not ask some girl in and have Isabella cook you one of her delicious Italian things."
"I'll see."
"I would if I were you." Mrs Weatherby had become her old self once more. She shone on Philip the whole light of her delighted attention. "With Chianti. Only it must be white remember. And not Bethesda please!"
When he frowned she laughed.
"Darling you mustn't mind my little teases. Don't bother. I know I'll never be told who. But one thing I am sure of. She'll be a very lucky girl."
He awkwardly smiled.
"No you must really have pity on the poor fainting souls Philip! Just imagine them sitting by their telephones bored to tears with their sad mothers who're themselves probably only dying to have an old flame in, waiting waiting to be asked, eating their lovely hearts out!"
She leaned forward as though she were about to hug him.
"I might" he said.
"In a little sweat of excitement in their frocks!!" she said turning swiftly away the beautiful innocent eyes soft with what seemed to be love, her great mouth trembling.
His face showed acute embarrassment. She may have sensed this for she changed the subject.
"Do you see much of Mary Pomfret?"
"At the office" he replied.
"I can't understand someone like John having a girl like it."
He did not answer. She again went off at a tangent. "Philip what would you say if I married a second time?"
He jumped up as though he had anticipated this question, walked over to stand at the window with his back to her, a rigid back which she fixed with an apologetic look of ladylike amusement.
"It would be your own affair" he said at last, indistinctly.
"Yes I expect it could be" she replied with a small smile. "But that wasn't quite exactly what I asked. What would you say, Philip?" she repeated.
"Me?" he mumbled. "Why, is there anyone?"
She laughed with great kindliness and then looked at the floor.
"Oh" she murmured "we are so queer together. You know this conversation is the wrong way round, I mean it's me should be asking you if there was someone. No of course there isn't just now for me. But suppose one day there still might? Would you find the idea so very horrid?"
He turned round. He seemed all at once to be a schoolboy. She kept her face straight.
"No, I wouldn't mind" he said.
"I'd've imagined you would have liked that, Philip" she went on. "Surrounded with nothing but women the whole day long, even at the office from all I can make out."
"Honest" he said "don't bother about me. I'm okay. It wouldn't make a bit of difference." He smiled.
"These things do happen" she murmured reproachfully.
"Not putting up the banns then?"
"Don't be silly dear!"
"Who's it to be, Mamma?"
"No but really I shall be quite cross with you in a minute. There's no one. But your mother's not so long in the tooth yet that mightn't come about. Philip wouldn't you a little bit like to have a stepfather?"
"I don't think you'd marry again just to give me one."
"My dear how sharp yon are sometimes." She laughed. "You got me there all right or did you? Not that I don't think of you and you of me, you are simply sweet to me always, bless your heart."
"Well let me know when and I'll put the wedding march on the record, changer. I say look at the time. I must be off."