She had insisted upon their
helping her up the steps, and as soon as Aunt Francesca and Rose heard
the news, they had paid no attention to her at all, but, with one voice,
had demanded that the twins should take them to Kent's immediately.
They had gone without even stopping for their hats, and left her wholly
to the servants. Even when they had come home, late at night, in their
own carriage, it was over half an hour before Aunt Francesca came to her
room, so overburdened with selfish grief that she did not even listen to
the recital of Isabel's numerous bruises.
Perhaps it would be best to go away, though the city was terrible in
Summer, and she had only money enough to take her to the hotel where her
mother retained a suite of three rooms. If Aunt Francesca and Rose would
leave her alone in the house long enough, and she could pack a suit-case
and get the carriage just in time to take her to the train, she could
write a formal note and ask to have the rest of her things sent by
express. If there were a late train, or one very early in the morning,
she could probably manage it, even without the carriage, but, on
consulting the time-table, she found that trains did not run at hours
suitable for escape.
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