"Let there be an end to all this folly!" he cried.
Lavinia raised herself on one elbow, astonished.
"H-how dare you?" she gasped.
"It has come to that!" he answered. "How dare I, your husband, try to control your actions in any way? I tell you, Lavinia, I have had enough of your antics, and I will not longer put up with them!"
"You-you- What in heaven's name ails you, Richard?"
"This! I will not countenance that puppy's invasion of my house!" He made a furious gesture towards the wilted bouquet. "Neither will I permit you to make yourself the talk of London through him!"
"I? I? I make myself the talk of London? How dare you? Oh! how dare you?"
"I beg you will cease that foolishness. There is no question of my daring. How dare you disobey me, as you have been doing all this past week?"
She cowered away from him.
"Dicky!"
"'Tis very well to cry 'Dicky,' and to smile, but I have experienced that before. Sometimes I think you are utterly without heart!-a selfish, vain, extravagant woman!"
The childish lips trembled. Lady Lavinia buried her face in the pillows, sobbing.
Carstares' face softened.
"I beg your pardon, my dear. Mayhap that was unjust."
"And cruel! And cruel!"
"And cruel. Forgive me."
She twined white, satiny arms about his neck.
"You did not mean it?"
"No. I mean that I will not allow Lovelace to dangle after you, however."
She flung away from him.
"You have no right to speak like that. I knew Harry long before I ever set eyes on you!"
He winced.
"You infer that he is more to you than I am?"
"No! Though you try to make me hate you. No! I love you best. But I will not send Harry away!"
"Not if I order it?"
"Order it? Order it? No! No! A thousand times no!"
"I do order it!"
"And I refuse to listen to you!"
"By God, madam, you need a lesson!" he flamed. "I am minded to take you back to Wyncham this very day! And I promise you that, an you do not obey me in this, to Wyncham you shall go!" He stamped out of the room as he spoke, and she sank back amongst her pillows, white and trembling with fury.
As soon as she was dressed, she flounced downstairs, bent on finishing the quarrel. But Carstares had gone out some time since, and was not expected to return until late. For a moment Lavinia was furious, but the timely arrival of a box from her mantua-maker's chased away the frowns and wreathed her face in smiles.