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the effort it involved distressed her. He had, of course, made light of the injury to his hip and leg, but Griselda now saw how crippled he was by them.
     
    “No, you mustn’t get up. You must not disturb yourself,” she said, going over to him and putting her arms around him.
     
    “And how do you imagine I shall do that?” he said, disentangling himself. “With you turning up like this, dressed in such an outrageous fashion?”
     
    “It is not that outrageous. I think my clothes are very sensible,” she said. “For travelling, nothing could be better. You should try travelling in women’s clothes, Hugh.”
     
    He sank back in his chair. He looked seriously alarmed.
     
    “What have you done?” he said.
     
    “I have only travelled from Glenmorval,” she said. I had to come and speak to you in person. I could not think what else to do.”
     
    “You have not travelled from Scotland alone?” he said after a moment. “Tell me you did not.”
     
    “I did, and I shan’t say I’m afraid I did, because I feel I have nothing to apologise for.”
     
    Hugh had put his hand over his face, presumably to hide his gawping astonishment. He shook his head.
     
    “I cannot believe you could have done such a thing,” he said.
     
    “Well, think what you like. What matters is that I am here, quite safe and sound, and that I am seeing my dearest brother at last!”
     
    “You expect me to enjoy our reunion in such circumstances?” he exclaimed.
     
    “Of course,” she said. “Aren’t you at all pleased to see me?”
     
    “No, nothing could be more distressing. You have clearly taken leave of your senses.”
     
    “I think I have found them. To stay would have be entirely irrational. Action was required and I acted.”
     
    “What has happened? Has some man – what? Tell me!”
     
    “It is Papa,” she said. “He has decided to get married.”
     
    “What?” said Hugh. “Is that all? You expect me to believe that is the cause of this outrageous behaviour? No, that cannot be right. It must be something else to make you lose all sense of decency and to parade yourself about the country thus, to risk your reputation – that is if you still had a reputation when you left my father’s house.”
     
    “How dare you accuse me of that?” said Griselda angrily. She did not like his tone at all. It was nothing like his long affectionate letters. And after that afternoon it felt too much like the point of a sword touching her heart. “You know me better than that.” It was a clumsy defence and she knew it.
     
    “I evidently do not,” he said rather coolly. “You were a child when I last saw you. Who knows what you have been about these last ten years or what you have become? Now tell me the truth, or I shall be further disillusioned.”
     
    “I am telling you the truth,” she said, crouching beside his chair. “Papa is going to marry again and he must be stopped.”
     
    “There is nothing in what you say to justify this extraordinary behaviour…”
     
    “There is everything,” she protested. “Believe me, Hugh, it is the most horrible thing in the world. She is a tobacco widow from Glasgow – she has an enormous fortune and he is only marrying her for her money.”
     
    “I cannot believe he would do that,” said Hugh.
     
    “Believe it,” said Griselda, “for he will unless we stop him. He is being entirely ambitious. That is his only thought. He is already strutting about like a man of fashion, running up bills on his expectations.”
     
    “You must be mistaken.”
     
    “Not at all. She will make him a laughing stock – no, she has already made him a laughing stock! Mrs Skene is the most odious, ignorant creature you can conceive of. She only wants his consequence, to be called my lady and gull some other poor sad fools into marrying her dreadful daughters. And he does not care, because he will be rich. It is so mercenary, so very beneath him – I cannot believe he could stoop