Lady Belamour waited a minute or two while sending Loveday on a last
message to the sick room, then entered the large deep carriage,
signing to her captive to take a corner where she could hardly be
seen if any one looked through the window. Loveday followed, the door
was shut by a strange servant, as it was in fact Lady Aresfield's
carriage, borrowed both for the sake of speed, and of secrecy towards
her own household.
A few words passed by which Aurelia gathered something reassuring as
to the state of the patient, and then Lady Belamour turned on her,
demanding, "So, young miss, you tried to escape me! Where have you
been?"
"Only as far as Sedhurst Church, madam. I would have gone home, but
I feared to bring trouble on my father, and I came back to implore
you to forgive."
There was no softening of the terrible, beautiful face before her, and
she durst put no objective case to her verb. However, the answer was
somewhat less dreadful than she had anticipated.
"I have been shamefully duped," said Lady Belamour, "but it is well
that it is no worse; nor shall I visit our offences on your father if
you show your penitence by absolute submission. The absurd ceremony
you went through was a mere mockery, and the old fool, Belamour, showed
himself crazed for consenting to such an improper frolic on the part
of my son.
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