be more than happy to give our marriage his blessing.’
An inspiration struck her. ‘Under the — circumstances: since you have now mentioned the other lady — would not a big wedding perhaps prove embarrassing?’
He shrugged again. ‘A little. But as I have said — there are these two divisions in our present society. And my mother, of course, would wish it to be a great occasion.’
His mother! They had not, naturally, counted on interference from such a quarter; a man picked up a mistress without reference to his mama, but a daughter-in-law of course was different. Suppose the Countess of Tregaron were to be more scrupulous than her son in taking up references! ‘Could we not,’ suggested Gilda timidly, ‘slip away by our two selves anyway — why?’ He smiled at her fondly. ‘Are you ashamed?’
‘What — wed in secret? How could this be possible? — though it’s true that my family are at present abroad. But anyway — why?’ He smiled at her fondly. ‘Are you ashamed of your bargain?’
A little ashamed, perhaps — though not as he meant it. And a little ashamed, also, of what she must do now. For the look in his eyes had been a prompting: there might be more ways of killing a cat than by filling it up with cream, but this cat looked very hungry for cream. Her life had been planned as the exploitation of her physical beauty and passion, for gain, and now the first step in that direction must be taken. She got up slowly and moved away a little and hung her head and drooped an adorable lower lip — so that he must as a matter of course, jump up and follow her, come close to her, catch at her hands and ask her what was the matter, did she really care so much to have their marriage kept private, did it mean such a lot to her…? And she, with her hands in his, bent her head till the bright hair brushed his lips and murmured that life was so sad and lonely, she had stood so long alone and undefended, it had been so wonderful that soon, soon, he would be always with her, she need no longer struggle on her own… But now…‘All this fuss and preparation — how long will it not take? Weeks and months — you’re a man, my lord, you don’t think of these things, but a great wedding can’t be all arranged in the twinkling of an eye: I know for I’ve been through one already.’ And on that occasion the bridegroom had at least — at least been anxious to have things hurried forward… (Lest he die of old age, meantime, thought Gilda to herself, glancing up, all heaven in her eyes, at the portrait of the unknown octogenarian above the mantelshelf.)
‘Do you think I’m not anxious? If I could marry you tomorrow—’
‘Ah, but you can’t marry me tomorrow. Your lady mother, the Tregaron family, his Royal Highness, all the rest of your world, my lord — they won’t let you. So that, though you and I may wish it, we, though we’re the principals, must wait.’ And meanwhile, she added, giving in with a pretty grace, moving away from him, slipping her hands out of his, he must release her hand, she was a woman alone, it was not comme il faut that he should come so close; she didn’t know what her duenna would say. And she’d be right to say it. Once they were married, of course—
He came after her, caught her to him again. ‘Damn your duenna—!’
‘With all my heart,’ she said, almost laughing, looking up at him with a look very different from the look of pure maidenly love she had given the portrait. ‘But as I say, after all she would be in the right.’ And she gave him a little push, the palms of her hands against his breast. ‘So let me go now, or I must call her in — for propriety’s sake.’ And she hung her head again and forced a blush — which came with a somewhat disconcerting ease, when she felt herself so close to him — and murmured that they did not want a repetition of — of what had happened when — when first he had kissed her…
His left arm held her fast,
An inspiration struck her. ‘Under the — circumstances: since you have now mentioned the other lady — would not a big wedding perhaps prove embarrassing?’
He shrugged again. ‘A little. But as I have said — there are these two divisions in our present society. And my mother, of course, would wish it to be a great occasion.’
His mother! They had not, naturally, counted on interference from such a quarter; a man picked up a mistress without reference to his mama, but a daughter-in-law of course was different. Suppose the Countess of Tregaron were to be more scrupulous than her son in taking up references! ‘Could we not,’ suggested Gilda timidly, ‘slip away by our two selves anyway — why?’ He smiled at her fondly. ‘Are you ashamed?’
‘What — wed in secret? How could this be possible? — though it’s true that my family are at present abroad. But anyway — why?’ He smiled at her fondly. ‘Are you ashamed of your bargain?’
A little ashamed, perhaps — though not as he meant it. And a little ashamed, also, of what she must do now. For the look in his eyes had been a prompting: there might be more ways of killing a cat than by filling it up with cream, but this cat looked very hungry for cream. Her life had been planned as the exploitation of her physical beauty and passion, for gain, and now the first step in that direction must be taken. She got up slowly and moved away a little and hung her head and drooped an adorable lower lip — so that he must as a matter of course, jump up and follow her, come close to her, catch at her hands and ask her what was the matter, did she really care so much to have their marriage kept private, did it mean such a lot to her…? And she, with her hands in his, bent her head till the bright hair brushed his lips and murmured that life was so sad and lonely, she had stood so long alone and undefended, it had been so wonderful that soon, soon, he would be always with her, she need no longer struggle on her own… But now…‘All this fuss and preparation — how long will it not take? Weeks and months — you’re a man, my lord, you don’t think of these things, but a great wedding can’t be all arranged in the twinkling of an eye: I know for I’ve been through one already.’ And on that occasion the bridegroom had at least — at least been anxious to have things hurried forward… (Lest he die of old age, meantime, thought Gilda to herself, glancing up, all heaven in her eyes, at the portrait of the unknown octogenarian above the mantelshelf.)
‘Do you think I’m not anxious? If I could marry you tomorrow—’
‘Ah, but you can’t marry me tomorrow. Your lady mother, the Tregaron family, his Royal Highness, all the rest of your world, my lord — they won’t let you. So that, though you and I may wish it, we, though we’re the principals, must wait.’ And meanwhile, she added, giving in with a pretty grace, moving away from him, slipping her hands out of his, he must release her hand, she was a woman alone, it was not comme il faut that he should come so close; she didn’t know what her duenna would say. And she’d be right to say it. Once they were married, of course—
He came after her, caught her to him again. ‘Damn your duenna—!’
‘With all my heart,’ she said, almost laughing, looking up at him with a look very different from the look of pure maidenly love she had given the portrait. ‘But as I say, after all she would be in the right.’ And she gave him a little push, the palms of her hands against his breast. ‘So let me go now, or I must call her in — for propriety’s sake.’ And she hung her head again and forced a blush — which came with a somewhat disconcerting ease, when she felt herself so close to him — and murmured that they did not want a repetition of — of what had happened when — when first he had kissed her…
His left arm held her fast,
Similar Books
