For some months past she had felt ill at ease when she was alone with this rough, stern son of hers. Her shallow, secret nature was troubled when their eyes met. She used to wonder if he suspected anything.
– Oscar Wilde
The Picture of Dorian Gray, Chapter 5. Mrs. Vane feels ill at ease when she is alone with her rough and brash son James and seems to have a disconnect with him. The unease is not directly explained in the novel, but may be to do with James’s suspicion about Sibyl’s lover Dorian and distrust of his mother’s motivation in this and her interest in Dorian’s wealth. James is very protective of his sister Sibyl.