Cook of her early disapproval of that ball. It would kill Miss
Caroline, it would kill Mrs. Sales.

'She wasn't there, poor thing,' Cook said.

'But he was, gallivanting. I dare say it upset her.'

Susan was right. Christabel Sales had fretted herself into one of her
heart attacks; but the Malletts did not know this until later. At
present they were concerned with Caroline, about whom the doctor was
reassuring. She was very ill, but she had herself remarked that if
they were expecting her to die they would be disappointed, and that
was the spirit to help recovery.

A nurse was installed in the sick-room, Sophia fluttered a little less
and Rose and Henrietta ignored their emotion of the early morning;
they also avoided each other. They were both occupied with the same
problem, though Henrietta's thoughts had taken definite shape; above
her dreaming, her practical mind was dealing with concrete details,
and Rose was merely speculating on the future, and the more she
speculated, the surer she became of the necessity to interfere. Her
plan of carrying Henrietta to other lands was frustrated for the
present by Caroline's illness and she dared not allow things to drift.
There was a smouldering defiance in Henrietta's manner: she was
absorbed yet wary; she seemed to have a grudge against the aunt who
had missed nothing at the dance, who had seen her exits and entrances
with Francis Sales and interrupted their farewell glance, the wave of
Henrietta's gloved hand towards the tall figure standing in the porch
of the Assembly Rooms to see her depart.