He was determined that he would ask Rachel nothing; if she wished to speak to him he would help her, but it must be of her own free will--that was the only way at present.
For how much was the Duchess's malignity responsible? What exactly did she know? What did she intend to do?
Oddly enough, for a long time past some subconscious part of him had linked Rachel and Breton together, perhaps because they were the two persons in all the world for whom he most cared, perhaps because he had always known in both of them that rebellious discontent so unlike that Beaminster acquiescence.
As he drove through the evening streets, he felt that never, until now, had he known how dearly he loved Rachel. In his mind there was no judgment of her, only a sense of her peril; if she would speak to him!...
When he asked at the door of the flat for Lady Seddon he was told that she was out.
"Sir Roderick is at home, sir." He would see Roddy.
Roddy was sitting in the little box-like room known as the smoking-room, poring over a war map. About the map little flags were dotted; he had two in his hand and, with one hand lifted, was hesitating as to their position.
"That was a damned bad mess----" Christopher heard him say as he came in.
At the sound of the door Roddy looked up, straightened himself, and then came forward.
"Hallo! Christopher," he said. "Delighted. Splendid! Rachel's out, but she said she'd be back to tea."
He was not looking well--fat, his cheeks pale and puffy, lines beneath his eyes.
"I'm jolly glad you've come," he said. He drew two arm-chairs to the fire and they sat down.
Roddy then talked a great deal. He was always a little nervous with Christopher because he was well aware that the doctor had disapproved of his marriage.
Christopher had lately shown him that he liked him, but still Roddy was not at his ease. He talked of the war, then of golf, then polo, then horses, Seddon Court--abruptly he stopped and sat there gazing moodily into the fire.
"You're not looking well, Seddon," Christopher said quietly.
"I'm not very--Nobody's at their liveliest just now with fellers one knows droppin' out any minute.... One feels a bit of a worm keepin' out of it all--skunkin' rather----"
Moodily he sat there, his head hanging, dejected as Christopher had never seen him before.