Chapter Twenty-eightOn the Saturday afternoon whilst William and Katharine were driving down to Ledstow Abigail Salt was having tea with Mr. Tattlecombe. He was half expecting that she would not come, and quite prepared to be in a huff about it. Influenza or no influenza, he didn’t see why she should dance attendance on Emily when her own flesh and blood with his leg only just out of a splint was expecting her. Human nature being what it is, he was almost disappointed when she turned up punctually to the moment and, taking off her coat and gloves, went into the little upstairs kitchen to make the tea—Mrs. Bastable having gone down to Ealing to see her husband’s eldest sister, who was a retired elementary schoolmistress.
Sipping his first cup, Abel reflected that it was extraordinary how m
