Patience was yelling.
'What did you do that for, you idiot?'
'Why did you let him kiss you?'
'Oh, don't be such a prat, Col!'
'I knew he was after you the minute I saw him.'
A brief pause, then Patience said, 'What do you mean? Why did you think he...?'
'Fancied you? Of course he does—it was obvious. I saw the way he looked at you.'
The boy sounded explosive but Patience was calm, almost reflective, as if thinking over what he was saying. 'How did he look at me?'
'You know what I mean! He never takes his eyes off you; don't tell me you hadn't noticed—you're not blind. But he's so old! My God, Patience, he could be your father!"
'Don't be ridiculous; he's only about ten years older than me.'
'Much more than that—fifteen, I'd say!' The boy's voice broke, as if he was about to cry. 'Oh, Patience, how could you let him kiss you like that?'
'Col, can't you get it into your head? I'm not your property; I don't have to ask your permission before I let someone kiss me.'
'You're my girl; you know you are! You never go out with anyone else.'
'I never have time to meet anyone else, do I? I'm too busy. I haven't had a chance to look around, experiment.'
'Was that what you were doing just now? Experimenting? You can't have liked it; you can't have done!'
The breathless, shaking young voice was only too familiar—Colin something or other, the boy he had seen briefly last time he was here. She had said the boy was aggressive; she hadn't exaggerated. The fist which had collided with his face had had more power behind it than James would have expected from that skinny boy's body. Humiliating to be knocked down by a teenager half his age. Thank God there had been no other witnesses! Bad enough that Patience had seen it.
Having got his breath back, and able to think clearly again, James began to get back on his feet just as Patience rushed out to help him.
'Are you okay?'
'It took you a long time to wonder about that, didn't it?' he snarled, brushing gravel off his previously immaculate trousers. 'I could have been dead for all the interest you took. The only thing you wanted to do was quarrel with your boyfriend.'
'Don't shout at me! It wasn't me who hit you!' she said, not denying that Colin was her boyfriend. But then she couldn't, could she? Not with that boy listening.
His jaws tight, James muttered, 'I know who it was!' and turned furious eyes on the boy. 'And he isn't getting away with it. He hit me before I had a chance to know what was coming; he won't be so lucky next time.'
'We'll see about that!' Colin yelled.
She got between them. No doubt she was worried about what he might do to the boy, and she had every right to be worried, even if the boy had knocked him down a moment ago. He had caught James off balance and now James wanted to do something violent; he was seeing everything through a red haze of rage.
'Oh, don't you be stupid too!' she said with a heavy sigh, as if they were both children and she was the only adult in sight. 'I didn't expect that from you.
You're old enough to know better.'
Did she have to keep emphasising his age?
'I'm not drawing my old-age pension yet!' he snapped, but she was looking at the boy, not him, and wasn't interested in anything he had to say—which made James even angrier.
'Colin, tell Mr Ormond you're sorry,' she ordered, and the boy's jaw dropped.
James heard him gasp with affront.
'No, I won't! I'm not sorry I hit him. The only thing I'm sorry about is that I didn't hit him harder.'
'Try it again and you will be sorry!' James threatened, knowing he was being as big a fool as this boy, yet unable to stop himself.
' The boy put up his fists like a boxer and danced about, ready for a fight.
'Come on, then—I'm not scared of you.'
Patience smacked his hands down. 'Go home, Colin!'
He looked as if he might burst into tears any minute, staring at her as if he didn't believe his ears. 'But your party! Are you saying I can't come to your birthday
'What did you do that for, you idiot?'
'Why did you let him kiss you?'
'Oh, don't be such a prat, Col!'
'I knew he was after you the minute I saw him.'
A brief pause, then Patience said, 'What do you mean? Why did you think he...?'
'Fancied you? Of course he does—it was obvious. I saw the way he looked at you.'
The boy sounded explosive but Patience was calm, almost reflective, as if thinking over what he was saying. 'How did he look at me?'
'You know what I mean! He never takes his eyes off you; don't tell me you hadn't noticed—you're not blind. But he's so old! My God, Patience, he could be your father!"
'Don't be ridiculous; he's only about ten years older than me.'
'Much more than that—fifteen, I'd say!' The boy's voice broke, as if he was about to cry. 'Oh, Patience, how could you let him kiss you like that?'
'Col, can't you get it into your head? I'm not your property; I don't have to ask your permission before I let someone kiss me.'
'You're my girl; you know you are! You never go out with anyone else.'
'I never have time to meet anyone else, do I? I'm too busy. I haven't had a chance to look around, experiment.'
'Was that what you were doing just now? Experimenting? You can't have liked it; you can't have done!'
The breathless, shaking young voice was only too familiar—Colin something or other, the boy he had seen briefly last time he was here. She had said the boy was aggressive; she hadn't exaggerated. The fist which had collided with his face had had more power behind it than James would have expected from that skinny boy's body. Humiliating to be knocked down by a teenager half his age. Thank God there had been no other witnesses! Bad enough that Patience had seen it.
Having got his breath back, and able to think clearly again, James began to get back on his feet just as Patience rushed out to help him.
'Are you okay?'
'It took you a long time to wonder about that, didn't it?' he snarled, brushing gravel off his previously immaculate trousers. 'I could have been dead for all the interest you took. The only thing you wanted to do was quarrel with your boyfriend.'
'Don't shout at me! It wasn't me who hit you!' she said, not denying that Colin was her boyfriend. But then she couldn't, could she? Not with that boy listening.
His jaws tight, James muttered, 'I know who it was!' and turned furious eyes on the boy. 'And he isn't getting away with it. He hit me before I had a chance to know what was coming; he won't be so lucky next time.'
'We'll see about that!' Colin yelled.
She got between them. No doubt she was worried about what he might do to the boy, and she had every right to be worried, even if the boy had knocked him down a moment ago. He had caught James off balance and now James wanted to do something violent; he was seeing everything through a red haze of rage.
'Oh, don't you be stupid too!' she said with a heavy sigh, as if they were both children and she was the only adult in sight. 'I didn't expect that from you.
You're old enough to know better.'
Did she have to keep emphasising his age?
'I'm not drawing my old-age pension yet!' he snapped, but she was looking at the boy, not him, and wasn't interested in anything he had to say—which made James even angrier.
'Colin, tell Mr Ormond you're sorry,' she ordered, and the boy's jaw dropped.
James heard him gasp with affront.
'No, I won't! I'm not sorry I hit him. The only thing I'm sorry about is that I didn't hit him harder.'
'Try it again and you will be sorry!' James threatened, knowing he was being as big a fool as this boy, yet unable to stop himself.
' The boy put up his fists like a boxer and danced about, ready for a fight.
'Come on, then—I'm not scared of you.'
Patience smacked his hands down. 'Go home, Colin!'
He looked as if he might burst into tears any minute, staring at her as if he didn't believe his ears. 'But your party! Are you saying I can't come to your birthday
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