Answer:
Abigail is, even in her absence, a powerful presence given that during the conversation between John and Elizabeth both try not to mention directly the fact that all his efforts to please her were, indeed, a product of the affair between John and Abigail.
After that, when inside the court, Elizabeth refer to Abigail with irony, because the reputation Abigail has (that of a saint) isn't as accurate as everyone thinks it is due to her character. After all, Abigail is the underlying cause of the conflict between them.