another hour. It was about work, with nothing personal about it. Pistons, petrol, ignition, horse power – these were the words Dorina remembered afterwards.
But what she also remembered was the sense of vision, of standing on a high mountain and seeing as far as her inner eye could see. She wanted to stay there for ever.
At last he fell silent, watching her in the soft glow of the firelight.
"I've done all the talking and not let you say a word," he said.
"But I've enjoyed listening," she protested. "Now I know so much more than I did before. You make everything so easy to understand."
"Only to you," he said. "Now I must let you go to bed. I've kept you up so late that I shall not mind if you're a little late coming to work tomorrow morning."
"I shall be there at the usual time, my Lord," Dorina said primly.
He laughed and held out a hand to help her to her feet.
They emerged into the hall to find just one light throwing a faint glow. Everyone else had gone to bed, and the house was quiet.
Dorina followed him up the main staircase. When they reached the first floor, her room was on the left while his was on the right. There were soft lights glowing where the passages turned.
"Goodnight," Dorina said. "It was a wonderful evening. I have never enjoyed myself more."
As she looked up at the Earl, she saw that he had a strange look in his eyes. It was quite different from the predatory admiration she had seen there at the Alhambra. Now there was sincerity and respect, as well as tenderness.
She caught her breath. It was almost too much for her.
"Goodnight, my Lord."
"Goodnight – Dorina."
In a daze she made her way to her room, resisting the temptation to look back and see if he was still watching her. When her door was safely closed she went to the mirror and surveyed herself.
She was still in the plain clothes she had worn all day, her hair pulled severely back. There seemed to be nothing alluring about the woman who faced her, nothing to tempt a man to draw closer.
And yet he had wanted to draw closer. Not because she was pretty but because their minds met. Their hearts too were meeting, although much must happen first. They were not ready, but it would happen soon.
She could dream about that.
*
Over the next few days, the Earl often took her to the factory to see the horseless carriage and show her how to drive it. Under his tutelage she became a very good driver, with an instinctive feel for what the vehicle could do.
"You've taken to this naturally," he told her, helping her down. "You might have been doing it all your life."
In a sense it was true she thought. She might not have been driving all her life, but she had been breathing in this atmosphere all her life. She should have told him long ago, but she had refused, wanting to enjoy this sweet time for a little longer.
But the time had come when she must be brave, whatever the consequences.
As they drove home she tried to think of the right words. When they reached the house she waited until they had gone inside before taking a deep breath and saying,
"My Lord, there's something I must tell you."
"One moment – " he had turned to the hall table where a letter lay, evidently having been delivered while they were out. He tore it open and an expression of delight spread over his face.
"Thank goodness!" he said, waving the contents. "I was afraid I might not be able to get them."
"Get what, my Lord?"
"Tickets. Theatre tickets. They're like gold dust. No, no – " he saw her expression and hastened to reassure her. "This isn't like that other time. These are for the Gaiety Theatre, where the greatest stars appear and royalty attends. I have a box. Do say you will share it with me."
"But when," she asked, half laughing at his boyish enthusiasm.
"Tonight. Say you'll come."
"Yes," she said, unable to resist him. "Of course I will."
"Be ready to leave in an hour."
She had a thrilling few minutes going through her clothes, overjoyed that once
But what she also remembered was the sense of vision, of standing on a high mountain and seeing as far as her inner eye could see. She wanted to stay there for ever.
At last he fell silent, watching her in the soft glow of the firelight.
"I've done all the talking and not let you say a word," he said.
"But I've enjoyed listening," she protested. "Now I know so much more than I did before. You make everything so easy to understand."
"Only to you," he said. "Now I must let you go to bed. I've kept you up so late that I shall not mind if you're a little late coming to work tomorrow morning."
"I shall be there at the usual time, my Lord," Dorina said primly.
He laughed and held out a hand to help her to her feet.
They emerged into the hall to find just one light throwing a faint glow. Everyone else had gone to bed, and the house was quiet.
Dorina followed him up the main staircase. When they reached the first floor, her room was on the left while his was on the right. There were soft lights glowing where the passages turned.
"Goodnight," Dorina said. "It was a wonderful evening. I have never enjoyed myself more."
As she looked up at the Earl, she saw that he had a strange look in his eyes. It was quite different from the predatory admiration she had seen there at the Alhambra. Now there was sincerity and respect, as well as tenderness.
She caught her breath. It was almost too much for her.
"Goodnight, my Lord."
"Goodnight – Dorina."
In a daze she made her way to her room, resisting the temptation to look back and see if he was still watching her. When her door was safely closed she went to the mirror and surveyed herself.
She was still in the plain clothes she had worn all day, her hair pulled severely back. There seemed to be nothing alluring about the woman who faced her, nothing to tempt a man to draw closer.
And yet he had wanted to draw closer. Not because she was pretty but because their minds met. Their hearts too were meeting, although much must happen first. They were not ready, but it would happen soon.
She could dream about that.
*
Over the next few days, the Earl often took her to the factory to see the horseless carriage and show her how to drive it. Under his tutelage she became a very good driver, with an instinctive feel for what the vehicle could do.
"You've taken to this naturally," he told her, helping her down. "You might have been doing it all your life."
In a sense it was true she thought. She might not have been driving all her life, but she had been breathing in this atmosphere all her life. She should have told him long ago, but she had refused, wanting to enjoy this sweet time for a little longer.
But the time had come when she must be brave, whatever the consequences.
As they drove home she tried to think of the right words. When they reached the house she waited until they had gone inside before taking a deep breath and saying,
"My Lord, there's something I must tell you."
"One moment – " he had turned to the hall table where a letter lay, evidently having been delivered while they were out. He tore it open and an expression of delight spread over his face.
"Thank goodness!" he said, waving the contents. "I was afraid I might not be able to get them."
"Get what, my Lord?"
"Tickets. Theatre tickets. They're like gold dust. No, no – " he saw her expression and hastened to reassure her. "This isn't like that other time. These are for the Gaiety Theatre, where the greatest stars appear and royalty attends. I have a box. Do say you will share it with me."
"But when," she asked, half laughing at his boyish enthusiasm.
"Tonight. Say you'll come."
"Yes," she said, unable to resist him. "Of course I will."
"Be ready to leave in an hour."
She had a thrilling few minutes going through her clothes, overjoyed that once
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