‘Well, congratulations and all that, Sally,’ he said, thus considerably relieving the tension. ‘And mind you make Gillie pull down that awful old Towers and I’ll build you another.’
‘And now,’ said Mrs. Rivers, ‘I really must be going. Julian, are you coming with me? I’ve got the car.’
‘Oh, my God, can’t one be left alone for one moment,’ said Julian to the world at large, following this appeal by a muttered remark about blasted interference.
Mrs. Rivers went quite white. She walked over to the window and stood looking down at the vista of the gardener’s Periclean cottage. Everyone knew she was struggling not to cry.
Alice was appalled. Mrs. Rivers had never been nice to her, but that didn’t matter. Everyone knew she wanted Gillie to marry Phoebe, and it must be horribly disappointing,
