“Almost a week,” said Emm composedly. She had this old woman’s measure now but was determined not to come to cuffs at their first meeting.
“Why are you and the gels not in mourning? Henry’s not been dead much more than a month.”
“My father’s will forbade it,” George told her.
“Pfft!Henry?Forbidding the wearing of mourning? I don’t believe it. That boy never gave a moment’s thought to anyone else in his life.”
“Be that as it may, my husband, as head of the family, has ordered that his brother’s wishes be respected,” Emm said.
There was a long silence, then Lady Salter said, “Well, if that’s true, it’s the first sensible thing that boy’s done since his return to England.” She jabbed her lorgnette in the direction of the girls. “From what I’ve heard, those gels need to be married off as quickly as possible.”
“No,” Emm said pleasantly.
The old lady’s eyes sparked flint. “What do you mean,no?”
“There’s no rush. The girls will take as long as they wish. I won’t allow anyone to put pressure on them concerning marriage.”
“You won’tallow—?”
“That’s correct, I won’t.” Emm gave her a steely smile to underline her message. “Now, may I offer you some refreshment, Lady Salter? Tea? Something to eat? The girls and I were planning to have luncheon shortly. We’d love you to join us.”
Lady Salter sniffed and glanced at the girls. She pointed her lorgnette at Lily. “That one could do without her luncheon. Put her on a reducing diet—potatoes boiled in vinegar was what did it for Byron. Give her nothing but potatoes in vinegar for a month; then she might look—”
Emm put her arm around Lily. “Nonsense,” she said briskly. “Lily is a beautiful girl and we love her just exactly the way she is. I would no more think of putting her on a reducing diet than”—she smiled sweetly—“trying to fatten you up, after your long illness.”
“What illness? I’ve never been ill a day in my life.”
“Oh?” said Emm with false sympathy. “I thought you must have been ill. So many recovering invalids are excessively thin and crabby and bad-tempered. I’m so glad it’s not illness that has caused it.”
The old lady’s flinty gray eyes narrowed, her thin bosom swelled and Emm decided to get the girls out of the way before the explosion came. As it was, both Rose and Georgelooked to be on the verge of saying something rude to their aunt, and Lily was on the verge of tears—real ones.
“Girls, run along now and get changed for our outing this afternoon. Rose, will you ask Cook to hold luncheon for another half hour? George, that dog of yours will be needing a quick walk, don’t you think? Lily dear”—she groped for something to ask the girl to do that would make her feel good about herself—“would you run up to my room and select a scarf for me to wear this afternoon. The wind is getting brisker, and you have such exquisite taste, I can rely on you to choose the perfect one. Say good-bye to Lady Salter—she’s not staying for luncheon.”
The girls dropped a hasty curtsey and fled. Emm resumed her seat and smiled at Lady Salter. “They’re lovely girls, aren’t they?”
The old lady sniffed. “Rose is a beauty—she’ll do well enough. Lily needs to reduce, no matter what you say. And as for the other one”—she rolled her eyes—“no breeding at all. What was Henry thinking?”
“George is an original. I think she’ll take the ton by storm.”
“You do, do you?” Lady Salter said acidly. “Know a lot about the ton, do you? Whom, precisely, do you know in London?”
“Since I have no idea who is in London at present, I cannot say.”
“Who are your people?”
Emm gestured to the house around her. “They are here.”
“I meant your family.”
“They are here.”
Lady Salter’s lips thinned. “Don’t be obtuse, gel, I meant your father and mother.”
“My father was Sir Humphrey Westwood; my mother was Alice Carsgood.”
The old lady leaned forward. “Of the Hampshire Carsgoods?”
She was, in fact, but Emm couldn’t resist saying, “Of the nowhere-in-particular Carsgoods—it was a love match, you see.”
