I have just begun reading this book and wanted to ask a quick question on the following extract:
"I suppose you ancestors often entertained royalty at Manderley, Mr de Winter?"
This was more than I had hitherot endured, even from her, but the swift lash of his reply was unexpected. "Not since Ethelred," he said, "the one who was called Unready. In fact, it was while staying with my family that the name was given him. He was invariably late for dinner."
So...what is so harsh about Max's reply? Is he saying that the way this conversation is going, he will inevitably be late for dinner? Or is it to do with "Ethelred the Unready," that Max was so ill-prepared for this encounter with Mrs Van Hopper?
Thank you and please no spoilers from later on in the book!