AllFreeNovel
Share Us
"Only for women over thirty who are householders, or the wives of householders. "
"Still, you must be pleased to have made progress. I read an article about it by your comrade Ethel in one of the journals. " Fitz had been startled, sitting in the drawing room of his club looking at the New Statesman, to find he was reading the words of his former housekeeper. The uncomfortable thought had occurred to him that he might not be capable of writing such a clear and well-argued piece. "Her line is that women should accept this on the grounds that something is better than nothing. "
"I'm afraid I disagree," Maud said frostily. "I will not wait until I am thirty to be considered a member of the human race. "
"Have you two quarreled?"
"We have agreed to go our separate ways. "
Fitz could see Maud was furious. To cool the atmosphere he turned to Lady Hermia. "If the British Parliament gives the vote to women, Aunt, for whom will you cast your ballot?"
"I'm not sure I shall vote at all," said Aunt Herm. "Isn't it a bit vulgar?"
Maud looked annoyed, but Fitz grinned. "If ladies of good family think that way, the only voters will be the working class, and they will put the socialists in," he said.
"Oh, dear," said Herm. "Perhaps I'd better vote, after all. "
"Would you support Lloyd George?"
"A Welsh solicitor? Certainly not. "
"Perhaps Bonar Law, the Conservative leader. "
"I expect so. "
"But he's Canadian. "
"Oh, my goodness. "
"This is the problem of having an empire. Riffraff from all over the world think they're part of it. "
The nurse came in with Boy. He was two and a half years old now, a plump toddler with his mother's thick fair hair. He ran to Bea, and she sat him on her lap. He said: "I had porridge and Nursie dropped the sugar!" and laughed. That had been the big event of the day in the nursery.
Bea was at her best with the child, Fitz thought. Her face softened and she became affectionate, stroking and kissing him. After a minute he wriggled off her lap and waddled over to Fitz. "How's my little soldier?" said Fitz. "Going to grow up and shoot Germans?"
"Bang! Bang!" said Boy.
Fitz saw that his nose was running. "Has he got a cold, Jones?" he asked sharply.
The nurse looked frightened. She was a young girl from Aberowen, but she had been professionally trained. "No, my lord, I'm sure-it's June!"
"There's such a thing as a summer cold. "
"He's been perfectly well all day. It's just a runny nose. "
"It's certainly that. " Fitz took a linen handkerchief from the inside breast pocket of his evening coat and wiped Boy's nose. "Has he been playing with common children?"
"No, sir, not at all. "
"What about in the park?"
"There's none but children from good families in the parts we visit. I'm most particular. "
"I hope you are. This chi
ld is heir to the Fitzherbert title, and may be a Russian prince too. " Fitz put Boy down and he ran back to the nurse.
Grout reappeared with an envelope on a silver tray. "A telegram, my lord," he said. "Addressed to the princess. "
