Clearly they had so lost their common sense in admiration of the viscount that they had supposed he would somehow take care of them all without resorting to this extreme. But if Mr Thornbury’s attempts to allay their alarm succeeded, Isadora thought cynically, Roborough would very quickly recover his lost prestige. ‘He cannot mean to desert us,’ Cousin Matty said, appealing to the lawyer. ‘My dear ma’am,’ Thornbury returned, ‘there is no occasion for all this distress. While I appreciate that it comes in some sort as a shock to you that his lordship intends to sell this estate, I believe there was an intimation of this from Miss Alvescot.’ ‘They did not believe me,’ Isadora said drily, realising the viscount must have told Thornbury what she had said to the family. No doubt she had unwittingly relieved him of an unpleasant task. The family broke out at her words, all four demanding how they were supposed to believe anything that came from Isadora. By the time Thornbury managed to get a word in again, it was clear to her the shock was starting to wear off.
