about nine o'clock
It had occurred lately that Lionel did not always get home to dinner . Sometimes , when detained at Verner 's Pride , he would take it with John Massingbird ; if out on the estate , and unable to reach home in time , he would eat something when he came in . Her fractious state of mind did not tend to soothe the headache she had complained of earlier in the day . Every half-hour that passed without her husband 's entrance , made her worse in all ways , head and temper ; and about nine o'clock she went up to her sitting-room and lay down on the sofa , saying that her temples were splitting . Lucy followed her . Lucy thought she must really be ill . She could not understand that any one should be so fractious , except from wearing pain .