should happen to you now I should truly have nothing to live for, because I want you for my own as I’ve never wanted anything in my life before—
“You look sort of green around the gills,” said the choirboy’s voice. “Did it give you a nasty turn when I went off?”
“It did. I’m frightened out of a year’s growth. Look.” He held up one hand in mid-air, making no effort to control its visible trembling. His heart laboured unbearably in his side, there was a thin singing in his ears. He had received some sort of cosmic shock, which he tried to use for her benefit. “You can’t lunge about the countryside scaring people to death like this,” he said, still speaking as though he had entered a cathedral during service. Not sixteen yet, you blithering fool, it’s against the law, his own thoughts ran—never mind, I can wait—two more years—three, perhaps—Lord, it will take me as long as that to get into the clear myself—I can wait—but not for ever—
“Well, don’t take it so hard, I’m all right,” she said unsympathetically . “Besides, you never saw me before in your life, why should you care so much?”
“Would you like to see anybody, even a perfect stranger, pitch on his head at a gate? Suppose it had been me, no doubt you’d have gone into gales of laughter?”
“No, but I don’t think I’d have got the shakes,” she remarked. “I’ve heard my father say that all Americans are a mass of nerves because they live at such a pace and never stop for tea or weekends .”
“He’s wrong,” Bracken said defensively. “I always have tea, and I’m on a week-end this minute. You know, we’re sitting in something of a bog and it’s all over your jacket. Stand up and I’ll brush you off a bit.”
“Well, as a matter of fact,” she said, making no move to obey him, “I’m afraid I’ve hurt my knee, rather.”
“Which? Where? Let’s see—” His hands gently explored the knee-cap and the hard tendon behind. She winced, but he could find nothing wrong. She could bend it, with a painful effort,her mouth set and drawn. She bore it all in silence, without complaint or exclamation.
“We must get you home,” he decided. “You can ride Sunbeam and I’ll lead your horse. You’ll have to show me the way, I’m new here.”
“It’s just at the other end of the lane. Do you think you had better come with me?”
“I can’t think why not. Can you?”
She sighed.
“Edward will read the riot act,” she said.
“Then I’d better be there, to jolly him up a bit.”
“It won’t do any good. He warned me the last time.”
“Not your first offence, eh?” he grinned. “Well, come on, let’s get it over with.” He opened the gate, led Sunbeam through, and closed it behind them. Then he returned to her, holding out his hands. “I’ll lift, and you take your weight on the other foot. Ready?”
She came up very lightly, between his hands. The golden-red hair brushed his chin, soft and cool. Mine—mine from the moment I saw her, else why did I wait to see who it was?—I never knew it could happen like this, with one of you completely unaware—I must be very careful—she musn’t be made to think twice about it—I must try and behave like a rather fatuous uncle or something until she gets used to me—I must go very slowly—God knows I’ll need time—do earls allow their daughters to marry divorced men?—this one will—I haven’t much to offer, have I—but she’s mine, some day she’ll see that too—and she doesn’t weigh a hundred pounds—
She stood leaning against him, her shoulder on his chest.
“If you’ll lend me Sunbeam I can manage quite well by myself ,” she was saying resolutely “Only that would leave you stranded, wouldn’t it? Come on, then—” She moved towards Bracken’s horse, gasped and staggered when her weight came on the injured knee, and he caught her round the waist.
“Take it easy,” he said, and lifted her bodily into
“You look sort of green around the gills,” said the choirboy’s voice. “Did it give you a nasty turn when I went off?”
“It did. I’m frightened out of a year’s growth. Look.” He held up one hand in mid-air, making no effort to control its visible trembling. His heart laboured unbearably in his side, there was a thin singing in his ears. He had received some sort of cosmic shock, which he tried to use for her benefit. “You can’t lunge about the countryside scaring people to death like this,” he said, still speaking as though he had entered a cathedral during service. Not sixteen yet, you blithering fool, it’s against the law, his own thoughts ran—never mind, I can wait—two more years—three, perhaps—Lord, it will take me as long as that to get into the clear myself—I can wait—but not for ever—
“Well, don’t take it so hard, I’m all right,” she said unsympathetically . “Besides, you never saw me before in your life, why should you care so much?”
“Would you like to see anybody, even a perfect stranger, pitch on his head at a gate? Suppose it had been me, no doubt you’d have gone into gales of laughter?”
“No, but I don’t think I’d have got the shakes,” she remarked. “I’ve heard my father say that all Americans are a mass of nerves because they live at such a pace and never stop for tea or weekends .”
“He’s wrong,” Bracken said defensively. “I always have tea, and I’m on a week-end this minute. You know, we’re sitting in something of a bog and it’s all over your jacket. Stand up and I’ll brush you off a bit.”
“Well, as a matter of fact,” she said, making no move to obey him, “I’m afraid I’ve hurt my knee, rather.”
“Which? Where? Let’s see—” His hands gently explored the knee-cap and the hard tendon behind. She winced, but he could find nothing wrong. She could bend it, with a painful effort,her mouth set and drawn. She bore it all in silence, without complaint or exclamation.
“We must get you home,” he decided. “You can ride Sunbeam and I’ll lead your horse. You’ll have to show me the way, I’m new here.”
“It’s just at the other end of the lane. Do you think you had better come with me?”
“I can’t think why not. Can you?”
She sighed.
“Edward will read the riot act,” she said.
“Then I’d better be there, to jolly him up a bit.”
“It won’t do any good. He warned me the last time.”
“Not your first offence, eh?” he grinned. “Well, come on, let’s get it over with.” He opened the gate, led Sunbeam through, and closed it behind them. Then he returned to her, holding out his hands. “I’ll lift, and you take your weight on the other foot. Ready?”
She came up very lightly, between his hands. The golden-red hair brushed his chin, soft and cool. Mine—mine from the moment I saw her, else why did I wait to see who it was?—I never knew it could happen like this, with one of you completely unaware—I must be very careful—she musn’t be made to think twice about it—I must try and behave like a rather fatuous uncle or something until she gets used to me—I must go very slowly—God knows I’ll need time—do earls allow their daughters to marry divorced men?—this one will—I haven’t much to offer, have I—but she’s mine, some day she’ll see that too—and she doesn’t weigh a hundred pounds—
She stood leaning against him, her shoulder on his chest.
“If you’ll lend me Sunbeam I can manage quite well by myself ,” she was saying resolutely “Only that would leave you stranded, wouldn’t it? Come on, then—” She moved towards Bracken’s horse, gasped and staggered when her weight came on the injured knee, and he caught her round the waist.
“Take it easy,” he said, and lifted her bodily into
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