happy, and dreaded that it might end. Bear loved her, Bear wanted to marry her! The joy was so great it was almost a pain, and the future loomed before her like a huge, roseate sunrise too glorious to assimilate. I will never be alone again — I am loved, and I love. What more can there be to life than that?
There was no one in sight. They sank onto the bench half-turned toward each other; Bear took Grace’s head between shaking fingers, staring down into her smiling, uncertain eyes.
Then his face was too close to see; Grace closed her eyes and waited for the touch of his lips — cool, sleek, light as a feather. After the first little shock she moved her own lips, beginning tosavour the incredible sensations in a kiss given by someone loving and loved; for it was as if she had never been kissed before, this was so different, so reciprocated. Nor did he force her mouth open before she was ready, or use any of the techniques other young men seemed convinced girls craved. When the kiss did deepen and become passionate, it was with Grace’s heartfelt participation, and the touch of his hands over her breasts, clothed though they were, was electric.
“Only we’re not going any further until my wedding ring is on your finger,” he said, pushing her away a few minutes later. “Nothing is too good for you, Grace, and I’ll not dishonour you.”
By an odd chance all three of her sisters were in the common room when Grace walked in; no one was on afternoon shift at present. Edda looked up and stiffened. “The wind is in your tail, Grace,” she said.
It was a saying they had picked up from an early nanny; as far as they could translate it, it meant existing in a state of sheer confusion, the way animals became when the wind blew the scents of all their enemies over them at one and the same moment.
Grace blurted her news out. “I’m going to be married!”
Even Tufts lifted her head from the books; Edda and Kitty gaped, astounded. “Rubbish!” said Tufts with a snort.
“No, no, it’s true!”
“Who is the lucky fella?” Edda asked, half-jokingly.
“His name is Bear Olsen, and I met him yesterday while I was watching the locomotive turntable rotating engines,” said Grace, her elation beginning to die, quite why she didn’t know.
“ Yesterday? ” Kitty asked with awful emphasis.
“Yes, yesterday! It was love at first sight,” said Grace.
The other three groaned.
“Grace, Grace, it doesn’t happen like that!” Edda cried.
“When he’s the only one, it can,” Grace maintained. “He is the only one, Edda, and I’m going to marry him as fast as I possibly can!”
“How about finishing nursing first?” Tufts asked. “You’d have something to fall back on in times of need, Grace.”
“I hate nursing! I just want to marry Bear!”
“Mama will never let you marry anyone she doesn’t approve of,” Kitty said, “and your behaviour screams the fact that this chap is unsuitable.”
“I am twenty-one,” Grace said defiantly, “so how can anyone stop me marrying whomever I choose?”
“You don’t have the steel,” said Edda clinically.
“This time I do!” Grace declared in ringing tones. “I have met my soul mate , Edda! We share enthusiasms and ideals, I have nailed my colours to the mast of his ship of destiny! I tell you straight, I will marry Bear Olsen, no matter who opposes me!”
“What’s his name?” Tufts asked.
“Björn Olsen. His family is Swedish. Björn means bear, so everybody calls him Bear. He’s a Perkins Man, the leading salesman in the company, and while he may not be my socialequal, he’s going places.” Grace thrust out her chin and looked, for Grace, singularly unbendable. “I will marry him!”
“Not before you give your sisters a chance to inspect him,” Kitty said, sounding affectionate. “Come, Grace, give us — and this Bear Olsen! — a chance, please. I can understand why you think Mama won’t approve, though perhaps you judge Father too
There was no one in sight. They sank onto the bench half-turned toward each other; Bear took Grace’s head between shaking fingers, staring down into her smiling, uncertain eyes.
Then his face was too close to see; Grace closed her eyes and waited for the touch of his lips — cool, sleek, light as a feather. After the first little shock she moved her own lips, beginning tosavour the incredible sensations in a kiss given by someone loving and loved; for it was as if she had never been kissed before, this was so different, so reciprocated. Nor did he force her mouth open before she was ready, or use any of the techniques other young men seemed convinced girls craved. When the kiss did deepen and become passionate, it was with Grace’s heartfelt participation, and the touch of his hands over her breasts, clothed though they were, was electric.
“Only we’re not going any further until my wedding ring is on your finger,” he said, pushing her away a few minutes later. “Nothing is too good for you, Grace, and I’ll not dishonour you.”
By an odd chance all three of her sisters were in the common room when Grace walked in; no one was on afternoon shift at present. Edda looked up and stiffened. “The wind is in your tail, Grace,” she said.
It was a saying they had picked up from an early nanny; as far as they could translate it, it meant existing in a state of sheer confusion, the way animals became when the wind blew the scents of all their enemies over them at one and the same moment.
Grace blurted her news out. “I’m going to be married!”
Even Tufts lifted her head from the books; Edda and Kitty gaped, astounded. “Rubbish!” said Tufts with a snort.
“No, no, it’s true!”
“Who is the lucky fella?” Edda asked, half-jokingly.
“His name is Bear Olsen, and I met him yesterday while I was watching the locomotive turntable rotating engines,” said Grace, her elation beginning to die, quite why she didn’t know.
“ Yesterday? ” Kitty asked with awful emphasis.
“Yes, yesterday! It was love at first sight,” said Grace.
The other three groaned.
“Grace, Grace, it doesn’t happen like that!” Edda cried.
“When he’s the only one, it can,” Grace maintained. “He is the only one, Edda, and I’m going to marry him as fast as I possibly can!”
“How about finishing nursing first?” Tufts asked. “You’d have something to fall back on in times of need, Grace.”
“I hate nursing! I just want to marry Bear!”
“Mama will never let you marry anyone she doesn’t approve of,” Kitty said, “and your behaviour screams the fact that this chap is unsuitable.”
“I am twenty-one,” Grace said defiantly, “so how can anyone stop me marrying whomever I choose?”
“You don’t have the steel,” said Edda clinically.
“This time I do!” Grace declared in ringing tones. “I have met my soul mate , Edda! We share enthusiasms and ideals, I have nailed my colours to the mast of his ship of destiny! I tell you straight, I will marry Bear Olsen, no matter who opposes me!”
“What’s his name?” Tufts asked.
“Björn Olsen. His family is Swedish. Björn means bear, so everybody calls him Bear. He’s a Perkins Man, the leading salesman in the company, and while he may not be my socialequal, he’s going places.” Grace thrust out her chin and looked, for Grace, singularly unbendable. “I will marry him!”
“Not before you give your sisters a chance to inspect him,” Kitty said, sounding affectionate. “Come, Grace, give us — and this Bear Olsen! — a chance, please. I can understand why you think Mama won’t approve, though perhaps you judge Father too
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