to
herself. 'I've managed to keep it all locked away all this time,
because I really thought I'd never have to see him again. But
now, he's back, and obviously she's still with him.' She gave a
little choked laugh. 'Although God knows why. He certainly never
treated her very well. He turned his back on her to marry me,
even if that was only a temporary aberration, and now he's
started an affair with my cousin Celia.' Bethany whistled
soundlessly. She said caustically, 'The gentleman gets around.
Why the hell did you marry him?' 'Because I fell in love.' Laura
looked down at her hands, clenched together in her lap. 'Head
over heels, helplessly, deliriously in love the kind they write
poetry about.'
Only in our case, she thought, all the rhymes were wrong. She
began to tell Bethany about it, going back to the beginning to
the time when she and Jason had become lovers, and the endless
painful three weeks which had followed when she neither saw him
nor heard from him. A l l she could tell herself, all she could
believe was that Julie had been right after all about him. That
maybe his insistence on painting her had been nothing but an
elaborate ploy to get her into bed, and that, having succeeded,
he wanted nothing more from her. She reminded herself over and
over again that she wasn't the first it had happened to, and she
certainly wouldn't be the last, but it did nothing to dispel the
hurt lying like a stone inside her. And then one day, he was
waiting for her outside the school, just like it had been that
first time. There was something watchful in the way he looked at
her, something contained, as if he wasn't altogether sure of his
welcome, but she was holding back too, because her first impulse
had been to run to him, and fling herself into his arms. He made
no attempt to touch her or kiss her. He said abruptly, 'Have you
finished for the day? We need to talk.' 'If you're worried,' she
said, colour rising in her face, 'about what happened between us,
then there's no need. It's all right.' For a moment he stared at
her as if he didn't know what she was talking about, then he gave
a short laugh. 'Do you know, I never gave it a thought. But it
would have made absolutely no difference.' He took her hand and
they began to walk slowly along the street together. He said, ' I
want you to marry me, Laura.' 'Marry?' The breath seemed to stop
in her throat. 'But why?' He shrugged slightly. 'For the usual
reasons, I Suppose and more.' His fingers tightened round hers.
'When I recognised that solitary quality in you, it was because I
possess it myself. It isn't a good way for the human animal to
be. We need mutual support, warmth, comfort.' 'And love?' she
said. He said drily, ' I thought that was what I was talking
about. If you mean physical compatibility, then we seem to have
that too. Isn't that enough? Needs in both of us that the other
can satisfy?' There was a silence, then she said helplessly, T
can't believe that you're serious.' 'How can I convince you?' The
grey eyes were full of laughter suddenly. 'Do you want me to go
down on one knee in the street?' He sank gracefully down in front
of her, holding her hand ageinst his heart. It's beat sounded
strong and unflurried, but her own pulses were going off like
rockets. He said, 'Darling Laura be mine.' 'Oh, get up.' She
tugged at his shoulder. 'People are looking at us.' 'Why not?
We're a handsome couple. And I'm not moving from this spot until
I get an answer to my honourable proposal. Don't be alone any
more, Laura. Come and live with me instead.' It was madness, and
she knew it, but it was also what she wanted more than life
itself. She said on a note of laughter, 'Yes oh, yes.' She was
amazed at the speed with which it was accomplished. Her course
had only another couple of weeks to run, and then they would be
married. She said doubtfully, 'So soon?' 'There's nothing to wait
for. We need a licence and two witnesses,
herself. 'I've managed to keep it all locked away all this time,
because I really thought I'd never have to see him again. But
now, he's back, and obviously she's still with him.' She gave a
little choked laugh. 'Although God knows why. He certainly never
treated her very well. He turned his back on her to marry me,
even if that was only a temporary aberration, and now he's
started an affair with my cousin Celia.' Bethany whistled
soundlessly. She said caustically, 'The gentleman gets around.
Why the hell did you marry him?' 'Because I fell in love.' Laura
looked down at her hands, clenched together in her lap. 'Head
over heels, helplessly, deliriously in love the kind they write
poetry about.'
Only in our case, she thought, all the rhymes were wrong. She
began to tell Bethany about it, going back to the beginning to
the time when she and Jason had become lovers, and the endless
painful three weeks which had followed when she neither saw him
nor heard from him. A l l she could tell herself, all she could
believe was that Julie had been right after all about him. That
maybe his insistence on painting her had been nothing but an
elaborate ploy to get her into bed, and that, having succeeded,
he wanted nothing more from her. She reminded herself over and
over again that she wasn't the first it had happened to, and she
certainly wouldn't be the last, but it did nothing to dispel the
hurt lying like a stone inside her. And then one day, he was
waiting for her outside the school, just like it had been that
first time. There was something watchful in the way he looked at
her, something contained, as if he wasn't altogether sure of his
welcome, but she was holding back too, because her first impulse
had been to run to him, and fling herself into his arms. He made
no attempt to touch her or kiss her. He said abruptly, 'Have you
finished for the day? We need to talk.' 'If you're worried,' she
said, colour rising in her face, 'about what happened between us,
then there's no need. It's all right.' For a moment he stared at
her as if he didn't know what she was talking about, then he gave
a short laugh. 'Do you know, I never gave it a thought. But it
would have made absolutely no difference.' He took her hand and
they began to walk slowly along the street together. He said, ' I
want you to marry me, Laura.' 'Marry?' The breath seemed to stop
in her throat. 'But why?' He shrugged slightly. 'For the usual
reasons, I Suppose and more.' His fingers tightened round hers.
'When I recognised that solitary quality in you, it was because I
possess it myself. It isn't a good way for the human animal to
be. We need mutual support, warmth, comfort.' 'And love?' she
said. He said drily, ' I thought that was what I was talking
about. If you mean physical compatibility, then we seem to have
that too. Isn't that enough? Needs in both of us that the other
can satisfy?' There was a silence, then she said helplessly, T
can't believe that you're serious.' 'How can I convince you?' The
grey eyes were full of laughter suddenly. 'Do you want me to go
down on one knee in the street?' He sank gracefully down in front
of her, holding her hand ageinst his heart. It's beat sounded
strong and unflurried, but her own pulses were going off like
rockets. He said, 'Darling Laura be mine.' 'Oh, get up.' She
tugged at his shoulder. 'People are looking at us.' 'Why not?
We're a handsome couple. And I'm not moving from this spot until
I get an answer to my honourable proposal. Don't be alone any
more, Laura. Come and live with me instead.' It was madness, and
she knew it, but it was also what she wanted more than life
itself. She said on a note of laughter, 'Yes oh, yes.' She was
amazed at the speed with which it was accomplished. Her course
had only another couple of weeks to run, and then they would be
married. She said doubtfully, 'So soon?' 'There's nothing to wait
for. We need a licence and two witnesses,
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