from the thorns,I said, taking my hand and working it about.
He smiled at me and for the first time I remembered how untidy I must be looking in the overall, which was too big for me, and my hair escaping from its pins.
hank you,I said.
hall we pick this up?he asked.
He stooped and lifted the pot.
o damage,he commented.
hope not. It one of the church best.
t rather fine. Where do you want it?
n the altar. But I shall have to fill it with water now and put the roses back.
shouldn try carrying it up three steps full again if I were you.
t was silly of me but I had done it before I thought.
He put the pot on the altar and I stooped to pick up the pail of water. He took it from me and carried it up to the altar. I stuck in the flowers in a manner which would have completely shocked Sally Summers.
here going to be a wedding here tomorrow,I said. decorating the church. I not very good at it, as you can see, but it will all be adjusted properly before the day. I suppose you came in to look at the church?
es, it a fine old place.
orman. Part of it anyway. My father would be pleased to show you round. He got all the history at his fingertips.
He was studying me intently. o youe the vicar daughter.
es.
ell, I glad to meet you. I am only sorry that my arrival caused you such inconvenience.
ou can put it down to my carelessness.
o you feel all right now?
uite all right, thanks.
little shaken?
o. Ie fallen many times in my youth.
He smiled. ave you much more to do to the flowers?
ots, but Il have to go. The dressmaker is due at any moment and I daren keep her waiting. She so much to do and she is the local flower arranger too, so she does not only have to assure herself that I shall be right for The Day, but she has to make my dismal handiwork presentable.
ell,he said, must not detain you.
should have loved to show you the church,I said regretfully, for I had not at this stage learned to disguise my feelings and I was tremendously stimulated for some reason which I did not understand then; although he was attractive in looks, I had seen other good-looking men, and our conversation had not been particularly sparkling. In fact I felt more tongue-tied than I ever had before. I only knew that I was excited and so glad that he had come into the church.
erhaps some other time,he said.
o you often come this way?
his is the first time,he told me. ut I shall come again. And when I do I shall find you and keep you to your promise.
We came out of the church together. He bowed and put on his hat, which he had taken off when he came into the church. He was in riding kit and he went to his horse, which was tethered by the lych gate.
I went into the vicarage. Sally Summers was already there fidgetingly looking at the clock.
t all right, Sally,I said. e been to the church. Ie got the water for you and put some of the flowers into the containers. Not the right way, of course, but it will be easier for you.
h, thank you, Miss Anabel. Now just let me make sure that this dress is right. I was at the Manor yesterday to see to Miss Jessamy. A regular picture she looks.
I was stripped of my overall and old clothes and put into the blue silk chiffon.
hy, bless us, Miss Anabel, there blood on your hands,cried Sally.
pricked them on the rose stems. I stumbled up the steps and dropped the pot and flowers and all.
Sally tut-tutted and said: don want any blood on this dress, miss.
e stopped bleeding now,I answered dreamily.
And there I was resplendent in my bridesmaid dress and wishing the strange man could see me now.
I looked into the future and saw him arriving at the church.
s the vicar daughter here? She promised to show me the church.
And we would walk round together and he would come again and again.
I could imagine what it would be like at the Manor that morning. Everyone would be running to and fro and Aunt Amy Jane would be like a captain on the bridge of his ship seeing that orders were carried out.
And Jessamy?
He smiled at me and for the first time I remembered how untidy I must be looking in the overall, which was too big for me, and my hair escaping from its pins.
hank you,I said.
hall we pick this up?he asked.
He stooped and lifted the pot.
o damage,he commented.
hope not. It one of the church best.
t rather fine. Where do you want it?
n the altar. But I shall have to fill it with water now and put the roses back.
shouldn try carrying it up three steps full again if I were you.
t was silly of me but I had done it before I thought.
He put the pot on the altar and I stooped to pick up the pail of water. He took it from me and carried it up to the altar. I stuck in the flowers in a manner which would have completely shocked Sally Summers.
here going to be a wedding here tomorrow,I said. decorating the church. I not very good at it, as you can see, but it will all be adjusted properly before the day. I suppose you came in to look at the church?
es, it a fine old place.
orman. Part of it anyway. My father would be pleased to show you round. He got all the history at his fingertips.
He was studying me intently. o youe the vicar daughter.
es.
ell, I glad to meet you. I am only sorry that my arrival caused you such inconvenience.
ou can put it down to my carelessness.
o you feel all right now?
uite all right, thanks.
little shaken?
o. Ie fallen many times in my youth.
He smiled. ave you much more to do to the flowers?
ots, but Il have to go. The dressmaker is due at any moment and I daren keep her waiting. She so much to do and she is the local flower arranger too, so she does not only have to assure herself that I shall be right for The Day, but she has to make my dismal handiwork presentable.
ell,he said, must not detain you.
should have loved to show you the church,I said regretfully, for I had not at this stage learned to disguise my feelings and I was tremendously stimulated for some reason which I did not understand then; although he was attractive in looks, I had seen other good-looking men, and our conversation had not been particularly sparkling. In fact I felt more tongue-tied than I ever had before. I only knew that I was excited and so glad that he had come into the church.
erhaps some other time,he said.
o you often come this way?
his is the first time,he told me. ut I shall come again. And when I do I shall find you and keep you to your promise.
We came out of the church together. He bowed and put on his hat, which he had taken off when he came into the church. He was in riding kit and he went to his horse, which was tethered by the lych gate.
I went into the vicarage. Sally Summers was already there fidgetingly looking at the clock.
t all right, Sally,I said. e been to the church. Ie got the water for you and put some of the flowers into the containers. Not the right way, of course, but it will be easier for you.
h, thank you, Miss Anabel. Now just let me make sure that this dress is right. I was at the Manor yesterday to see to Miss Jessamy. A regular picture she looks.
I was stripped of my overall and old clothes and put into the blue silk chiffon.
hy, bless us, Miss Anabel, there blood on your hands,cried Sally.
pricked them on the rose stems. I stumbled up the steps and dropped the pot and flowers and all.
Sally tut-tutted and said: don want any blood on this dress, miss.
e stopped bleeding now,I answered dreamily.
And there I was resplendent in my bridesmaid dress and wishing the strange man could see me now.
I looked into the future and saw him arriving at the church.
s the vicar daughter here? She promised to show me the church.
And we would walk round together and he would come again and again.
I could imagine what it would be like at the Manor that morning. Everyone would be running to and fro and Aunt Amy Jane would be like a captain on the bridge of his ship seeing that orders were carried out.
And Jessamy?
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