In spite of all Lucia's self-control,
the immediate answer it got was a flush of heightened colour.
"Mere impertinence," she said. "I will read it aloud."
"Dear Mrs Lucas,
"I was in Riseholme this morning, and learn from Mrs
Weston that Miss Bracely will be at your house on
Saturday night. So I shall be enchanted to come to
dinner after all. You must know that I make a rule of
not going out in the evening, except for some special
reason, but it would be a great pleasure to hear her
sing again. I wonder if you would have dinner at 7:30
instead of 8, as I do not like being out very late."
There was a short pause.
_"Caro,"_ said Lucia, trembling violently, "perhaps you would
kindly tell Miss Lyall that I do not expect Miss Bracely on Saturday,
and that I do not expect Lady Ambermere either."
"My dear--" he began.
"I will do it myself then," she said.
It was as Georgie walked home after the delivery of this message that
he wanted to fly away and be at rest with Foljambe and Dicky. He had
been frantically excited ever since Sunday at the idea of doing
tableaux before Olga, and today in especial had been a mere feverish
hash of telephoning and sewing which all ended in nothing at all, for
neither tableaux nor romps seemed to hold the least attraction for him
now that Olga was not going to be there. And then all at once it dawned
on him that he must be in love with Olga, for why else should her
presence or absence make such an astounding difference to him? He
stopped dead opposite Mrs Quantock's mulberry tree.
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