Then she learnt how to handle him.
Not as skilfully as her mother had done, that would have been impossible, because, although he was fond of her, she could not control him and she could not prevent him from drinking himself into unconsciousness whenever he had the chance.
It was soon obvious that Sir Hugh only returned home when his money had run out or when he had become so incoherent with drink that even his cronies were bored with him.
Syringa would nurse him back to health.
It was not an easy thing to do, but somehow she achieved it, mostly because Sir Hugh could not afford the brandy for which his body now craved incessantly.
Sometimes they were without any money until her father found that he could raise a loan from a friend.
Then he would post to London and Syringa would real
