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Maidie’s brows creased with a puzzled frown as she allowed herself to be shepherded into the drawing-room without protest. “But, dear ma’am, did not the Worm tell you?”
“My dear Maidie, poor Ida is quite ill. She has been more concerned than either of us, I dare say, though I was able to persuade her to seek her bed.”
“I don’t understand. I told Worm this morning what I intended. I did so especially because of the last time.”
“What did you tell her?” came from Delagarde, suddenly entering the room behind them. “And who is this man Wilberfoss you have been visiting?”
To Maidie’s consternation, his voice speaking unexpectedly caused the disconcerting race to start up again in her pulse. She tried to gather herself together, and was glad of the respite afforded by Lady Hester’s question.
“Who did you say, Laurie?”
“Sir Granville Wilberfoss,” he reiterated, closing the door and walking across to take up a stance before the fireplace. “She has just come home in his carriage.”
“Well, thank heaven she was in a carriage! I was more than half afraid she was walking in the streets.”
“How—how did you know his name?” Maidie asked of Delagarde, frowning a little to cover her own unease.
“I asked the servant, of course. Will you have the goodness to answer my question?”
The stirrings of irritation in Delagarde’s voice had the curious effect of calming her a little. “About Sir Granville? He is a friend of my great-uncle. He heard I was in town, from one of the fellows I met at the lecture the other day, and he invited me to visit him.”
“Did he, indeed? And the entertainment he offered you was sufficiently enthralling to induce you to miss your first ball, was it?”
“The ball!” Conscience-stricken, Maidie’s gaze went to Lady Hester. For the first time, she realised both Delagarde and his great-aunt were in evening dress, and remembrance of the engagement came back to her in full flood.
“Oh, ma’am, I am so sorry! Lady Pinmore’s ball! I had forgot all about it!”
“Never mind the ball,” answered her kind hostess. “You are safe, and that is all that matters.”
“Is it indeed? I suppose it is nothing that she has spent the evening quite alone with God knows what sort of a fellow? Very pretty conduct, upon my word!”
Maidie found herself relaxing at this further evidence of the Viscount’s rising temper. She was not in the least afraid of what he might say in this mood. It had been his strangely unpredictable conduct outside which had unnerved her. Besides, his complaint was ludicrous.
She giggled. “Do you suspect him of making love to me, Delagarde? But I told you he was Great-uncle’s friend.”
“Oh. Then he is not a young man?”
“He is venerable, rather.”
“Even so. It is not unknown for elderly gentlemen to take advantage of very young females. You could have been in grave danger.”
“Humdudgeon! We were quite otherwise engaged.” Turning from him, Maidie pressed Lady Hester’s hand. “Dear ma’am, you have every right to be angry with me. But I did not mean to remain all the evening. I promise you I had every intention of coming back in time when I first set out. Only—” turning again to Delagarde, remembrance causing light to enter her face of which she was wholly unaware “—it was enthralling, you see. I have not enjoyed myself so much this age. At first we were merely talking, but very soon we found ourselves deep in observations. For you must know Sir Granville has fashioned a telescope even more powerful than the last one Great-uncle had made. We were able to see so deeply into space—such colours! So many clusters together! Stars I thought I knew so well—and yet now I realise I was scarcely seeing them at all. Oh, it was breath-taking! I could hardly bear to tear myself away.”
She stopped, becoming aware of the extraordinary expression on Delagarde’s face. He was, in fact, staggered. Was this Maidie? She was a creature transformed. She had as well have been at the ball, and been talking of it in this fashion. But, no. There was more than enthusiasm here. Maidie was bursting with happiness. Such a pang shot through him at this thought he was for several moments quite unable to speak. It was perhaps fortunate Aunt Hes claimed her attention, for he was thrown into disorder. Until it occurred to him why he should experience the feeling. Here had he been, picturing to himself the most hideous disasters which might have befallen Maidie, and all the time she had been happily engaged with a—
“—telescope!” burst from him on the thought, in a voice of strong derision.
Maidie, in the middle of renewed apologies to Lady Hester, broke off abruptly and turned to him in surprise. “Why, what is the matter?”
Delagarde emitted a mirthless laugh. “You can ask that? You have been missing for several hours. No one had the slightest clue as to your whereabouts—”
“But you did! I told Worm!”
“—and quite aside from being kept waiting for our dinner for an hour and more, we have all of us been thrown into a needless agony of apprehension about your safety.”
“Humdudgeon! You should have known—”
“So that instead of enjoying ourselves at one of the Season’s most promising entertainments, we have been obliged to pace the floor all night, imagining God alone knows what hideous situations into which you might have become embroiled—idiotic as you are!”
