Miss Merriman said she believed Miss Wicklow ran the beagles.
‘She is just the sort of girl who would,’ said Mrs. Rivers.
‘Yes, I believe she does it very well,’ said Miss Merriman.
‘I really wanted to talk to you seriously, Merry,’ said Mrs. Rivers, ‘about Gillie. Miss Wicklow seems to be making a dead set at him. Of course it is only to be expected when everyone knows he will be Lord Pomfret, but one does hate to see a young man so blatantly pursued. We must put our heads together and see that he gets the right wife, Merry. It would be frightful if he were caught by a pushing girl like Miss Wicklow, or an ill-bred little thing like Alice Barton. You and I would never feel at home in this house again.’
‘But it isn’t my home,’ said Miss Merriman in a matter-of-fact way. ‘I think we oug
