She ate her breakfast with a growing sense of reassurance, dressed, and went downstairs.
Something of an ordeal here awaited her in the form of an encounter with Mrs. Lovelace, who greeted her deferentially but with a reticence that certainly did not veil any good-will. She presented her with the household keys with the stiff remark that Mr. Bolton had desired her to do so.
Maud received them with an odd dismay. Somehow she had not visualized herself as the mistress of the establishment.
"Mr. Bolton also wished me to take your orders for dinner, ma’am," said Mrs. Lovelace, with stiff dignity. "He is accustomed to dine in the middle of the day, but I was to tell you that if you preferred a late dinner it was all one to him."
The slight emphasis on the last word did not escape Maud, and she saw at once that Mrs. Lovelace could not be considered equally indifferent on the subject.
"But of course we will dine in the middle of the day," she said at once, and was rewarded by a faint flicker of amiability on the old woman’s severe countenance.
"That is as you please, ma’am," she said, with less formality, and Maud felt that she had scored a point.
She escaped from the interview at length with a sensation of relief, and hastened to Bunny whom she found awaiting her with some impatience.
The boy was in excellent spirits. He had enjoyed having Jake in attendance, and unhesitatingly he let her know it.
"Why, there’s no trouble at all in being lifted by him," he said. "And, by the way, he says you’re not to lift me any more. It’s too much for you. I’m ready to go out now, but he will put me in the chair. He said you were to call him. He’s somewhere in the stables."
Bunny’s fashion of expressing himself was not a diplomatic one. Maud did not argue the matter, but as she went in search of Jake a deep resentment kindled and burned within her. So this was to be the first consequence of her rash step--the gradual removal of Bunny from her care! Bunny--her Bunny--for whose dear sake she had made the sacrifice!
Out in the stable-yard she came upon Sam Vickers sucking a straw the while he cleaned a saddle. He greeted her with a smile, and informed her that the boss was in one of the loose boxes round the corner.