The Baroness’s mouth flew open again but her protest was cut off, for at that moment Lady Almsbury entered the room. Amber presented the two women to each other and this time Gerald’s mother embraced her new acquaintance with enthusiasm, kissing her on the mouth, making a very obvious contrast between the honour she was prepared to show a plain and good woman and what was due an impertinent strumpet, even if she was her daughter-in-law.

“I heard you’d come, madame,” said Emily, taking another chair beside the fireplace and accepting the dish of tea which Amber gave her, “and I wanted to bid you welcome. You must find London sadly changed.”

“Indeed I do, madame,” agreed Lady Stanhope quickly. “It was not thus when I was last here in ’43, let me tell you!”

“Well, it looks almost hopeless now. But they’ve already made some very fine plans and building has begun in various parts of the City. They say that one day London will rise again, more glorious than ever—though of course it made us all sad to see the old London go. But pray, my lady, was your trip pleasant?”

“Heavens, no! It was wretched! I was telling her Ladyship only a few moments since that I dared not wear any fine clothes for fear of spoiling them! But it had been two years since I’d seen Gerry—and I knew he wouldn’t think of leaving London when he’d just been married, so I came in spite of everything.”

“That was generous of you. Tell me, madame, have you a place to stay? Since the Fire it’s become very difficult to find lodging anywhere. If you’ve made no arrangements, my husband and I would be very glad to have you here until such time as you may wish to make a change.”

Good Lord! thought Amber in irritation. Must I put up with that prattling old jade in the same house?

Lady Stanhope did not hesitate. “Why, that’s most kind of your Ladyship! For the truth on it is I had no place—I came in such a hurry. I should be very happy to stay here for a few days.”

Amber swallowed her brandy and stood up. “Will you ladies excuse me now? I’m expected at the Palace before noon and I must get dressed.”

“Oh!” cried Lady Stanhope, turning to her son. “Then you’ll be going too, Gerry. Well, sweetheart, run along. I warrant you a young man would rather wait upon his bride than his mother.”

Amber glanced at Gerald who now, as if he had been prompted, said: “As it happens, madame, I’m engaged to dine with some gentlemen at Locket’s today.”

“Engaged to dine with some gentlemen and not with your wife? Bless me! What a strange age this is!”

Gerald, emboldened by his own daring, gave a nonchalant brush at his blue and gold brocaded sleeve. “It’s the mode, your Ladyship. Devoted husbands and wives are démodé—no one’ll have ’em any more.” He turned to Amber and bowed as elegantly as he could. “Your Ladyship’s servant.”

“Your servant, sir.” She curtsied, amused and a little surprised that he had had the courage to defy his mother.

Then he bowed to his mother and Lady Almsbury and made his escape while Lady Stanhope seemed unable to decide whether to let him go for the time being or to tell him outright what she thought of such behaviour. She let him go. As Amber was leaving the room she heard her say: “Heaven! How he’s changed! Every inch the young gentleman of fashion, I vow! ”

It was nearly midnight when Amber returned from Whitehall, tired almost to exhaustion and eager to get into bed. Twelve hours at the Palace was a considerable strain on her, the more so because of her pregnancy. Every instant she was there she must be alert and gay; there was never a moment to relax, to look or act as tired as she sometimes felt. And now there was a nervous ache in the back of her neck, the muscles of her legs jumped, and everything inside her seemed to quiver.

She had just started up the stairs when Almsbury came running out of a lighted room which opened from the hall-way. “Amber!” She turned and looked at him. “I thought you were never coming!”

“So did I. They had some damned puppets there and no one could be satisfied till they’d played ‘Romeo and Juliet’ four times!”

“I’ve got a surprise for you.” He was just below her on the stairs, grinning. “Guess who’s here.”

Amber shrugged, uninterested. “How would I know?”

She looked over his head to the door-way where someone was standing—a tall dark-haired man who smiled at her. Amber caught her breath. “Bruce!” She saw him start toward her, running, and then Almsbury’s arms went about her as she fainted, crumpling helplessly.

CHAPTER FIFTY