Lucy had left for London and her studio; Carlin for London and his golf match; Lady Ottaline and Mrs. Howell had both taken bromides and stayed abed; and Rhino’s absence made itself felt in a curious combination of lightened spirits and wariness. Sir Desmond had come down at the last minute. He responded to queries about his wife’s condition with his usual suave courtesy—“resting as comfortably as can be expected”—but, not unnaturally, he looked harried. Mr. Pritchard invited Lady Beaufort to take Mrs. Howell’s place at the end of the table. With six men to only three women, seating was necessarily informal, though Daisy suspected Mrs. Howell had in any case been responsible for previous attempts at formality. Sir Desmond, of course, had a proper appreciation of hierarchy. He appropriated the place to Lady Beaufort’s left, leaving that on her right to Gerald, but Gerald chose familiarity over precedence. He sat down next to Daisy, who had found herself on Pritchard’s right, opposite Julia.
