"At Mrs. Jay's house?" Harriet asked, after a second.

"Yes, at Francesca's tea-party!"

Harriet hesitated, and the colour crept into her smooth cheeks.

"I wonder why she asked that?"

"Because, in the first place, no one will drink tea," Isabelle who
was watching her intently said promptly. "In the second, Morgan
won't be there, because she says it's a kiddies' tea. I can't be
there, and presumably Mrs. Jay wants to depend on someone."

"One wonders," mused Harriet, in a most unpromising tone, "whether
one is asked as a maid, or a guest?"

"In this case, as a mother," Isabelle was inspired to answer.
"Personally, I should very much like it for Nina's sake. But you
suit yourself!"

The tone denied the words; Harriet knew what she was expected to
do. She knew that Isabelle would tell Mrs. Jay, in a day or two,
that she had simply mentioned it to Miss Field, and Miss Field had
been free to act exactly as she pleased. She knew that faintly
annoyed expression on Isabelle's face.

"I'll be delighted to help!" she said, lifelessly. "A lot of women
and children," she reflected, "and nobody drinking tea anyway,
this weather!"