Gardeners appeared bringing
in flowers, and an anxious maid, on behalf of her ladyship, begged that
Mrs. Meadows would change her travelling dress for a comfortable white
tea-gown, before tea-time, suggesting another "creation" in black and
silver for dinner. Doris, frowning and reluctant, would have refused;
but Miss Field said softly "Won't you? Rachel will be so distressed if
she mayn't do these little things for you. Of course she doesn't deserve
it; but--"
"Oh yes--I'll put them on--if she likes," said Doris, hurriedly. "It
doesn't matter."
Miss Field laughed. "I don't know where all these things come from," she
said, looking at the array. "Rachel buys half of them for her maids, I
should think--she never wears them. Well, now I shall leave you till
tea-time. Tea will be on the lawn--Mr. Meadows knows where. By the
way--" she looked, smiling, at Meadows--"they've put off the Duke. If
you only knew what that means."
She named a great Scotch name, the chief of the ancient house to which
Lady Dunstable belonged.
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