Chapter 26
Kitty was overjoyed to see Jemima again. There was so much to confide in one another, and having to sit through the polite formalities of tea and conversation with Miss Berystede, Miss Pargeter and Mrs Owen was almost unbearable.
The house in St James’s Square was exactly as Jemima remembered, save for being festooned with flowers. There were great vases of colourful blooms in nearly every room. "What are all these flowers?" Jemima asked.
"My father had them sent from Elstone Court," Kitty told her. "I fear the garden and the hothouses must be utterly denuded."
"Why would he send so many?"
"I cannot say. Only to thank Miss Berystede, perhaps, for no one here has celebrated a birthday," Kitty said.
Jemima found the new pretence of being Lady Julia’s cousin very uncomfortabl
