the Earl quietly.
“No, Sir,” she
answered, laughing a little through her tears. “But, dear Sir, will you kiss me,
please, so that I will have that to remember as well.”
The Earl
regarded his ward thoughtfully. Did she have any idea, he wondered, what she
was asking of him? Gazing into those innocent, blue eyes, he doubted it. Almost
involuntarily, his arms went around her, and he bent his handsome head to press
a gentle kiss on her parted lips. He raised his head to look at her and met in
her eyes such adoration that he was lost. His arms tightened around her, and their
lips met in a passionate embrace.
It was long
before he released her. Then, with a groan, he put her from him and strode
quickly to the window, looking blindly out over the busy square. “Forgive me, my
darling,” he begged, not trusting himself to look at her.
She said nothing,
but the sound of a small sob valiantly supressed reached him, and he returned
swiftly to her side, kneeling by her chair to gather the drooping figure into
his arms once more. She lay quietly on his breast with her cheek snuggled into
the hollow of his shoulder. They remained so for a long time, but at last Kitty
pulled herself out of her guardian's protective arms and, taking his beloved
face between her two hands, she murmured, “Thank you for this, Sir, you have
given me something to remember, indeed. But I am greedy, my love; I do not wish
to live on a memory. I could let you go to a woman who truly loved you, but I
know Amelia Henshawe for what she is, a deceitful hypocrite, and I will not let
her have you!”
“What are you
talking about, Kitty?”
Haltingly, she
told him what she had witnessed the evening of the ball. Lord Debenham was
astonished, not because he had believed in Amelia's pretended affection for
himself, but because he had considered her devoid of all human feeling. It was,
however, no consolation to find her passion directed towards another object.
Kitty, watching him from under her curling lashes, thought that he looked
appallingly grim. He glanced up to find her cornflower-blue gaze upon him, and
his expression softened at once.
“My sweet,” he
smiled. “Forgive me, but even this news cannot in all honour release me from my
obligations. I cannot expose Amelia to the world as a wanton; you must see that
it is impossible.”
“No, I do not
see,” countered Kitty swiftly. “She does not love you. What happiness can she
hope for in this marriage? You are sacrificing the future of all three of us
for a stupid point of honour.”
“I am sorry you
feel like this, Kitty,” he answered wearily, “but there is really no more to be
said. Unless I am released by Amelia of her own free will, my hands are tied.”
Kitty rose
with a great rustling of silk and faced her guardian proudly. “Then, Sir, there
is, as you remarked, no more to be said. I shall not importune you further.”
She turned swiftly upon her heel and left Lord Debenham, who stood for a long
time, very pale and with one hand still outstretched as though to detain her.
Eight
Lady Horatia
was not a lady particularly sensitive to atmosphere, but it would have been
obvious to the bluntest perceptions that all was not well with her young friends
that evening. Kitty was pale. Her eyes were suspiciously red and swollen. When
questioned, she admitted that she had the headache and was persuaded to retire
to her chamber, where she indulged in the luxury of a hearty bout of tears. Her
guardian remained in the drawing room, but he could not be said to be
enlivening company for his aunt.
“Anthony, dear,
what is the matter with the two of you this evening?” she finally demanded in
exasperation. “I have never seen you so ill-humoured.”
“Forgive me,
Aunt. I have been thinkin g…. ”
“Well, if the
result of your thinking is to make you as sulky as a bear, I think you should desist,
dear!” interrupted Lady Horatia in a sarcastic tone.
He bowed, unsmiling.
“My
“No, Sir,” she
answered, laughing a little through her tears. “But, dear Sir, will you kiss me,
please, so that I will have that to remember as well.”
The Earl
regarded his ward thoughtfully. Did she have any idea, he wondered, what she
was asking of him? Gazing into those innocent, blue eyes, he doubted it. Almost
involuntarily, his arms went around her, and he bent his handsome head to press
a gentle kiss on her parted lips. He raised his head to look at her and met in
her eyes such adoration that he was lost. His arms tightened around her, and their
lips met in a passionate embrace.
It was long
before he released her. Then, with a groan, he put her from him and strode
quickly to the window, looking blindly out over the busy square. “Forgive me, my
darling,” he begged, not trusting himself to look at her.
She said nothing,
but the sound of a small sob valiantly supressed reached him, and he returned
swiftly to her side, kneeling by her chair to gather the drooping figure into
his arms once more. She lay quietly on his breast with her cheek snuggled into
the hollow of his shoulder. They remained so for a long time, but at last Kitty
pulled herself out of her guardian's protective arms and, taking his beloved
face between her two hands, she murmured, “Thank you for this, Sir, you have
given me something to remember, indeed. But I am greedy, my love; I do not wish
to live on a memory. I could let you go to a woman who truly loved you, but I
know Amelia Henshawe for what she is, a deceitful hypocrite, and I will not let
her have you!”
“What are you
talking about, Kitty?”
Haltingly, she
told him what she had witnessed the evening of the ball. Lord Debenham was
astonished, not because he had believed in Amelia's pretended affection for
himself, but because he had considered her devoid of all human feeling. It was,
however, no consolation to find her passion directed towards another object.
Kitty, watching him from under her curling lashes, thought that he looked
appallingly grim. He glanced up to find her cornflower-blue gaze upon him, and
his expression softened at once.
“My sweet,” he
smiled. “Forgive me, but even this news cannot in all honour release me from my
obligations. I cannot expose Amelia to the world as a wanton; you must see that
it is impossible.”
“No, I do not
see,” countered Kitty swiftly. “She does not love you. What happiness can she
hope for in this marriage? You are sacrificing the future of all three of us
for a stupid point of honour.”
“I am sorry you
feel like this, Kitty,” he answered wearily, “but there is really no more to be
said. Unless I am released by Amelia of her own free will, my hands are tied.”
Kitty rose
with a great rustling of silk and faced her guardian proudly. “Then, Sir, there
is, as you remarked, no more to be said. I shall not importune you further.”
She turned swiftly upon her heel and left Lord Debenham, who stood for a long
time, very pale and with one hand still outstretched as though to detain her.
Eight
Lady Horatia
was not a lady particularly sensitive to atmosphere, but it would have been
obvious to the bluntest perceptions that all was not well with her young friends
that evening. Kitty was pale. Her eyes were suspiciously red and swollen. When
questioned, she admitted that she had the headache and was persuaded to retire
to her chamber, where she indulged in the luxury of a hearty bout of tears. Her
guardian remained in the drawing room, but he could not be said to be
enlivening company for his aunt.
“Anthony, dear,
what is the matter with the two of you this evening?” she finally demanded in
exasperation. “I have never seen you so ill-humoured.”
“Forgive me,
Aunt. I have been thinkin g…. ”
“Well, if the
result of your thinking is to make you as sulky as a bear, I think you should desist,
dear!” interrupted Lady Horatia in a sarcastic tone.
He bowed, unsmiling.
“My
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