'You _are_ the lucky number.' Althea felt next day a certain tameness in the public reception of her news.

She had not intended the news to be public yet for some time.
Franklin's presence seemed to make an announcement something of an indelicacy, but, whether through her responsibility or whether through Gerald's, or whether through the obviousness of the situation, she found that everybody knew.

It could not make commonplace to her her own inner joy, but she saw that to Aunt Julia, to the girls, to Lady Pickering, and Sir Charles, her position was commonplace.

She was, to them, a nice American who was being married as much because she had money as because she was nice.
Aunt Julia voiced this aspect to her on the first opportunity, drawing her away after breakfast to walk with her along the terrace while she said, very gravely, 'Althea, dear, do you really think you'll be happy living in England ?' 'Happier than anywhere else in the world,' said Althea.
'I didn't realise that you felt so completely expatriated.' 'England has always seemed very homelike to me, and this already is more of a home to me than any I have known for years,' said Althea, looking up at Merriston House.
'Poor child!' said Aunt Julia, 'what a comment on your rootless life.
You must forgive me, Althea,' she went on in a lower voice, 'but I feel myself in a mother's place to you, and I do very much want to ask you to consider more carefully before you make things final.

Mr.Digby is a charming man; but how little you have seen of him.