While she was upstairs taking off her hat she heard his door open and his voice complaining to the servants about some papers which had been mislaid.

She felt inclined to take the servants' part.

After all, what was a man doing in the house all day?
There was a dragging shuffle of his slippers upon the floor of the hall.

The sound jarred on her.

She pinned on her hat again, ran downstairs, gave orders that she would not be in for lunch, and drove at once to Mrs.Willoughby's.