‘What you have just done is very much her concern!’
‘True. I stand corrected.’
‘It is also my concern to see that you come to no harm while you are a guest in this house. Such conduct as you indulged in this afternoon might do you a great deal of harm, let me tell you!’
‘My dear Charles, I am past praying for, as intimate as I am with rakes and rattles!’ she flashed.
He stiffened. ‘Who said that?’
‘You, I understand, but you had too much delicacy to say it to my face. You should have known better than to think I should listen meekly to Miss Wraxton, however!’
‘And you should know better than to imagine that I would deliver my strictures through Miss Wraxton, or anyone else!’
She lifted a hand to her cheek, and he saw that it was to dash away a tear-drop. ‘Oh, be quiet! Cannot you see that I am too angry to talk with any moderation? My wretched tongue! But though you did not desire Miss Wraxton to scold me for you, you did discuss me with her, did you not?’
‘Whatever I may have said I did not mean to be repeated. It was, however, extremely improper of me to have criticized you to Miss Wraxton. I beg your pardon!’
She pulled out her handkerchief from the sleeve of her habit, and blew her nose. Her flush died down; she said ruefully: ‘Now I am disarmed. How provoking of you! Why could you not have flown into one of your rages? You are so disobliging! Was it so very bad to have driven down St James’s Street?’
‘You knew it was, for Miss Wraxton told you so. You have caused her a great deal of distress, Sophy.’
‘Oh dear! I do such dreadful things when I lose my temper! Very well, it was wrong of me – very wrong! Must I beg her pardon?’
‘You must see that you owe her an apology. If anything she may have said to you angered you, at least she had no such intention. She meant nothing but kindness, and is very much upset by the outcome. Mine is the blame, for having led her to suppose that I wished her to take you to task.’
She smiled. ‘That’s handsome of you, Charles! I am sorry: I have created an uncomfortable situation. Where is Miss Wraxton? In the drawing-room? Take me up to her, then, and I will do what I may to mend things!’
‘Thank you,’ he said, opening the door for her.
Miss Wraxton was found to have recovered from her agitation, and to be glancing through the pages of the Gentleman’s Magazine. She glanced coldly at Sophy, and lowered her eyes again to the periodical. Sophy walked across the room, saying in her frank way: ‘Will you forgive me? Indeed, I beg your pardon, and am very sorry! It was shocking conduct!’
‘So shocking, Miss Stanton-Lacy, that I prefer not to speak of it.’
‘If that means that you will try to forget it, I shall be very grateful to you.’
‘Certainly I shall do so.’
‘Thank you!’ Sophy said. ‘You are very kind!’
She turned and went quickly to the door. Mr Rivenhall was holding it, and detained her for a moment, saying in a much warmer voice than she had yet heard him use: ‘If anyone should mention the affair to me, I shall say that having bought those bays of yours against my advice you were well served, for they got away with you!’
She smiled, but said: ‘I wish you will do what you can to undo any harm I may have caused.’
‘My dear girl, don’t refine too much upon it! There is no need, I assure you.’
She cast him a look of gratitude, and left the room.
‘You were not very generous, were you, Eugenia?’ said Mr Rivenhall.
‘I consider her behaviour unpardonable.’
‘It is unnecessary to tell me so: you made it plain enough that you thought so.’
Her bosom swelled. ‘I did not think to hear you take her part against me, Charles!’
‘I have not done so, but the fault was not all hers. You had no right to take her to task, Eugenia, much less to repeat whatever ill-considered words I may have uttered! I am not surprised she was so angry: I have a temper myself!’
‘You do not seem to consider the agony of mortification I have been obliged to suffer! What Mama would say if she knew –’
