It did come to pass. Mrs. Greystock at once corresponded with Lady Linlithgow, and Lady Linlithgow, who was at Ramsgate for her autumn vacation, requested that Lucy Morris might be brought to see her at her house in London on the 2nd of October. Lady Linlithgow’s autumn holiday always ended on the last day of September. On the 2nd of October Lady Fawn herself took Lucy up to Bruton Street, and Lady Linlithgow appeared. “Miss Morris,” said Lady Fawn, “thinks it right that you should be told that she’s engaged to be married.” “Who to?” demanded the countess. Lucy was as red as fire, although she had especially made up her mind that she would not blush when the communication was made. “I don’t know that she wishes me to mention the gentleman’s name, just at present; but I can assure you that he is all that he ought to be.” “I hate mysteries,” said the countess. “If Lady Linlithgow—” began Lucy. “Oh, it’s nothing to me,” continued the old woman. “It won’t come off for six months, I suppose?” Lucy gave a mute assurance that there would be no such difficulty as that. “And he can’t come here, Miss Morris.” To this Lucy said nothing. Perhaps she might win over even the countess, and if not, she must bear her six months of prolonged exclusion from the light of day. And so the matter was settled. Lucy was to be taken back to Richmond, and to come again on the following Monday. “I don’t like this parting at all, Lucy,” Lady Fawn said on her way home.
“It is better so, Lady Fawn.”
“I hate people going away; but, somehow, you don’t feel it as we do.”
“You wouldn’t say that if you really knew what I do feel.”
“There was no reason why you should go. Frederic was getting not to care for it at all. What’s Nina to do now? I can’t get another governess after you. I hate all these sudden breaks up. And all for such a trumpery thing. If Frederic hasn’t forgotten all about it, he ought.”
“It hasn’t come altogether from him, Lady Fawn.”
“How has it come, then?”
“I suppose it is because of Mr. Greystock. I suppose when a girl has engaged herself to marry a man she must think more of him than of anything else.”
“Why couldn’t you think of him at Fawn Court?”
“Because—because things have been unfortunate. He isn’t your friend—not as yet. Can’t you understand, Lady Fawn, that, dear as you all must be to me, I must live in his friendships, and take his part when there is a part?”
“Then I suppose that you mean to hate all of us?” Lucy could only cry at hearing this;—whereupon Lady Fawn also burst into tears.
On the Sunday before Lucy took her departure, Lord Fawn was again at Richmond. “Of course, you’ll come down—just as if nothing had happened,” said Lydia. “We’ll see,” said Lucy. “Mamma will be very angry if you don’t,” said Lydia.
But Lucy had a little plot in her head, and her appearance at the dinner-table on that Sunday must depend on the manner in which her plot was executed. After church, Lord Fawn would always hang about the grounds for awhile before going into the house; and on this morning Lucy also remained outside. She soon found her opportunity, and walked straight up to him, following him on the path. “Lord Fawn,” she said, “I have come to beg your pardon.”
He had turned round hearing footsteps behind him, but still was startled and unready. “It does not matter at all,” he said.
“It matters to me, because I behaved badly.”
“What I said about Mr. Greystock wasn’t intended to be said to you, you know.”
“Even if it was it would make no matter. I don’t mean to think of that now. I beg your pardon because I said what I ought not to have said.”
“You see, Miss Morris, that as the head of this family—”
“If I had said it to Juniper, I would have begged his pardon.” Now Juniper was the gardener, and Lord Fawn did not quite like the way in which the thing was put to him. The cloud came across his brow, and he began to fear that she would again insult him. “I oughtn’t to accuse anybody of an untruth—not in that way; and I am very sorry for what I did, and I beg your pardon.” Then she turned as though she were going back to the house.
But he stopped her. “Miss Morris, if it will suit you to stay with my mother, I will never say a word against it.”
“It is quite settled that I am to go tomorrow, Lord Fawn. Only for that I would not have troubled you again.”
Then she did turn towards the house, but he recalled her. “We will shake hands, at any rate,” he said, “and not part as enemies.” So they shook hands, and Lucy came down and sat in his company at the dinner-table.
XXXIV
Lady Linlithgow at Home
Lucy, in her letter to her lover, had distinctly asked whether she might tell Lady Linlithgow the name of her future husband, but had received no reply when she was taken to Bruton Street. The parting at Richmond was very painful, and Lady Fawn had declared herself quite unable to make another journey up to London with the ungrateful runagate. Though there was no diminution of affection among the Fawns, there was a general feeling that Lucy was behaving badly. That obstinacy of hers was getting the better of her. Why
