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Lady Ombersley made haste to assure him that if she looked knocked out it was only through anxiety and began at once to tell him about Amabel’s illness, dwelling fondly on Sophy’s goodness through this trying period.

“Oh, Sophy’s a capital nurse!” he said. “How do you go on with her? Where is the girl?”

This question flustered Lady Ombersley quite as much as it had flustered Dassett. She faltered that Sophy would be so sorry! If only she had guessed that her papa was on his way to London she would surely not have gone!

“Yes, Dassett said she was gone out of town,” responded Sir Horace, disposing his large limbs in an easy chair and crossing one shapely leg over the other. “Never expected to find any of you here at this season, but, of course, if one of the children is ill, that explains it. Where’s Sophy gone to?”

“I think — I was busy with Amabel when Cecilia told me, but I think she said that dearest Sophy had gone down to Lacy Manor!”

He looked surprised. “What the deuce should take her there? The place ain’t fit to live in! Don’t tell me Sophy’s putting it to rights, because I’m by no means sure — However, never mind that!”

“No, no, I don’t think she had any such idea! At least — Oh, Horace, I don’t know what you will say to me, but I very much fear that Sophy has run away from us because of something that happened today!”

“Shouldn’t think so at all,” said Sir Horace coolly. “Not like my little Sophy to enact you a Cheltenham tragedy. What did happen?”

“I do not properly understand it. I was not here! But Cecilia seemed to think that — that Sophy and Charles had fallen out! Of course, I know he has a dreadful temper, but I am persuaded he cannot have meant — And Sophy has never before taken the least notice when he — Because it is not the first time they have quarreled!”

“Well, don’t put yourself in a taking, Lizzie,” recommended Sir Horace, maintaining his placidity without effort. “Fallen out with Charles, eh? Well, I thought she would. Daresay it will do him good. How’s Ombersley?”

“Really, Horace!” said his sister indignantly. “One would suppose you not to have a scrap of affection for dear Sophy!”

“You’re out there, old lady, for I’m devilish fond of her,” he returned. “That don’t mean I’m going to make a cake of myself over her tricks, though. Daresay she wouldn’t thank me for meddling. You may depend upon it she’s up to some mischief!”

As Dassett came in at this moment, with suitable refreshment for the traveler, the conversation had to be suspended. When he had withdrawn, Lady Ombersley resumed it, saying, “At least I am able to assure you that you will see Sophy tonight, for Cecilia has gone with Miss Wraxton to bring her back!”

“Who’s Miss Wraxton?” enquired Sir Horace, pouring himself out a glass of Madeira.

“If you ever listened to a word anyone says to you, Horace, you would know that Miss Wraxton is the lady Charles is about to marry!”

“Well, why didn’t you say so?” said Sir Horace, sipping his wine. “Can’t expect me to carry a lot of names in my head! I remember now, though; girl you said was a dead bore.”

“I never said any such thing!” retorted Lady Ombersley. “To be sure, I cannot quite like — But it was you who said she sounded to you like a dead bore!”

“If I said it, you may depend upon it I was right. Quite a tolerable wine, this. Now I come to think of it, you told me Cecilia was in a way to be married too — Charlbury, ain’t it?”

Lady Ombersley sighed. “Alas, it went off! Cecilia could not be brought to accept him. And now Charles has ceased to object so very much to Augustus Fawnhope, and although Ombersley says he will never countenance it, I daresay he will. You may as well know, Horace, that Lord Charlbury has been showing Sophy a great deal of most distinguishing attention.”

“Has he, by Jupiter?”

They were interrupted by the sound of an impatient step on the stair, to be followed an instant later by the hasty entrance into the room of Mr. Rivenhall, who held an open sheet of letter paper in one hand and had not stayed even to divest himself of his driving coat before dashing upstairs in search of his mother.

Mr. Rivenhall was looking extremely forbidding and also a little pale. After stabling the chestnut that afternoon, he had first gone off to Bond Street to work off some of his fury in a sparring bout with Gentleman Jackson and had then repaired to White’s, where he had spent an hour playing billiards and fighting an impulse to go back to Berkeley Square to tell his provoking cousin that he had not meant a word of it. It was when he left the billiard room that he encountered his friend Mr. Wychbold. Mr. Wychbold, obedient to his orders, asked him whither Miss Stanton-Lacy was bound, and upon his replying curtly, “Nowhere, to my knowledge,” said, not without an inward qualm, “Yes, she is, dear boy! Saw her driving off in a post chaise and four. What’s more, she had Charlbury with her.”

Mr. Rivenhall stared at him. “Driving off in a post chaise and four? You are certainly mistaken!”

“Couldn’t have been!” said Mr. Wychbold, sustaining his role manfully.

“Foxed, then. My cousin is at home!” He added, as his friend seemed inclined to argue the matter, “What’s more, Cyprian, I’ll thank you not to spread such a tale about the town!”

“On, no, shouldn’t dream of doing so!” Mr. Wychbold made haste to assure him.

Mr. Rivenhall then went off to the subscription room, with the intention of playing a rubber or two of whist. The tables were all made up, and it was while he stood watching the play of a hand, his eyes on the cards and his mind dwelling obstinately and uneasily on Mr. Wychbold’s ridiculous delusion, that Miss Wraxton’s note was brought to him. The perusal of it had the effect of instantly killing any desire to play whist and of sending him off to Berkeley Square without one word of excuse to those who had invited him to take part in the next rubber. He let himself into the house, found Sophy’s letter to him laid upon the table in the hall, read it, and straightway went up the stairs two at a time in search of Lady Ombersley.

“Perhaps, Mama, you may be able to explain to me — ” he began to say, in a furious voice, and then broke off short, perceiving that she was not alone. “I beg your pardon! I did not know — ” Again he broke off, as Sir Horace raised his quizzing-glass, the better to observe him. “Oh!” he said, a wealth of sinister meaning in his voice. “So it’s you, is it, sir? Famous! You could not have come at a better moment!”

Shocked at the most unrespectful tone he had adopted, Lady Ombersley ventured on a feeble protest. “Charles! Pray — !”

He paid no heed to her but strode forward into the room. “You will no doubt like to know, sir, that your precious daughter has gone off with Everard Charlbury!” he announced.

“Has she?” said Sir Horace. “What has she done that for, I wonder? I’ve no objection to her marrying Charlbury! Good family, handsome property!”

“She did it,” said Mr. Rivenhall, “to infuriate me! And as for her marrying Charlbury, she will do no such thing!”

“Oh, won’t she?” said Sir Horace, keeping his glass leveled on his nephew’s face. “Who says so?”

I say so!” snapped Mr. Rivenhall. “What is more, she has not the smallest intention of such a thing! If you do not know your daughter, I do!”

Lady Ombersley, who had listened in speechless dismay to this interchange, now found enough voice to say faintly, “No, no, she would not run away with Charlbury! You must be mistaken! Alas, Charles, I fear this is your doing! You must have been dreadfully unkind to poor Sophy!”

“Oh, dreadfully unkind, ma’am! I actually had the brutality to take exception to her stealing the young chestnut from my stables, and, without one word to me, driving him in the Park! That she is not lying with a broken neck at this moment is no fault of hers!”