leafy branches.
Suddenly he took both her hands.
“Let me stay.”
Before she could answer he had taken her in his arms and kissed her. It was a long kiss. When it ended there were tears on her cheeks and he was saying, “If you knew how I have longed to do that.”
She pushed him from her, gently but firmly.
“No, Charles, you can’t stay. I’m sorry, but the children, the servants—”
“I would leave before daylight.”
“It won’t be long until daylight. No, it’s too big a risk for you to take. Besides, Miss Glennister has ears like a faithful hound.”
“Who is Miss Glennister?”
“She’s the children’s governess. I’m not sure I could trust her. She admires Willie.” She laughed unsteadily. “I think she might have a secret passion for him. Anyway—you must go.”
He took her face in his hands, holding it up so that the moonlight fell on it.
“I’ve fallen in love with you.”
All laughter had left her. “I’ve wanted to hear you say that, and yet it frightens me. What are we to do?”
“I don’t know, Kate. I don’t know. All I can tell you is that I won’t be content to live on scraps.”
“But you must know that is all we can ever have. It’s not only my children, it’s your career. What would your party say if they knew what you were doing?”
“Let them say what they choose.”
“No, no, that’s just moonlight madness. You’ll see sense in the morning. You’re not going to throw away the whole good of your country for a woman. And a woman you can’t marry, at that.”
“If it came to the test—” he muttered. He suddenly shivered violently. He lifted his head and his face, in the dim light, was all at once austere and curiously pure.
“Somehow the one half of me must be made to meet the other,” he said, as if to himself. The bells jingled on the waiting horse. The cabman was getting impatient. Charles gave a small, courtly bow, not attempting to touch her again.
“Then will you have tea with me tomorrow? If you come up on the four o-clock train I’ll meet it.”
She nodded, feeling that already she had a reprieve, something to make her feel better about the long drive he must take alone. She wondered how she was going to live if she were going to worry about him every moment he was out of her sight.
But perhaps it would get better, easier, more acceptable. It never occurred to her to have the good sense to bring a dangerous friendship to an end.
She knew at once, the next day, that something was wrong. He greeted her almost abstractedly, his gaze brooding.
“I had meant to ask you to stay up to dinner,” he said, “but I have to catch the night mail to Ireland.”
“Has something happened?”
“There’s trouble. An innocent woman has been killed. And on her way to church! Her husband was shot at, but the bullet hit his wife sitting beside him instead.”
“Oh, Charles! How terrible!”
He looked very pale, his lips set.
“And I shall be blamed, of course. This crime was committed by one of my followers. I must keep them in control.” He smacked his clenched fists together. “I won’t have violence. The objects of the Land League are to protect, not to kill.” He repeated, “Not to kill,” in a whisper.
He had led her off the station platform, and beckoned to a cab driver.
“I’m sorry, Kate. Don’t let this spoil our tea together. We’ll go back to my hotel.”
Before they reached Cannon Street he had made an attempt to shake off his gloom.
“You’re looking lovely, Katie. And after such a late night, too. Did you have to spend the morning with your aunt?”
“Oh, yes, darling Aunt Ben. She was so understanding when I yawned and dropped things. She said she was glad to see I wasn’t wasting too much of my youth in sleep. There was plenty of time to sleep when I reached her age.”
“And what is that?”
“Nearly ninety, bless her.”
“I shall adore you when you’re ninety.”
They were both laughing when
Suddenly he took both her hands.
“Let me stay.”
Before she could answer he had taken her in his arms and kissed her. It was a long kiss. When it ended there were tears on her cheeks and he was saying, “If you knew how I have longed to do that.”
She pushed him from her, gently but firmly.
“No, Charles, you can’t stay. I’m sorry, but the children, the servants—”
“I would leave before daylight.”
“It won’t be long until daylight. No, it’s too big a risk for you to take. Besides, Miss Glennister has ears like a faithful hound.”
“Who is Miss Glennister?”
“She’s the children’s governess. I’m not sure I could trust her. She admires Willie.” She laughed unsteadily. “I think she might have a secret passion for him. Anyway—you must go.”
He took her face in his hands, holding it up so that the moonlight fell on it.
“I’ve fallen in love with you.”
All laughter had left her. “I’ve wanted to hear you say that, and yet it frightens me. What are we to do?”
“I don’t know, Kate. I don’t know. All I can tell you is that I won’t be content to live on scraps.”
“But you must know that is all we can ever have. It’s not only my children, it’s your career. What would your party say if they knew what you were doing?”
“Let them say what they choose.”
“No, no, that’s just moonlight madness. You’ll see sense in the morning. You’re not going to throw away the whole good of your country for a woman. And a woman you can’t marry, at that.”
“If it came to the test—” he muttered. He suddenly shivered violently. He lifted his head and his face, in the dim light, was all at once austere and curiously pure.
“Somehow the one half of me must be made to meet the other,” he said, as if to himself. The bells jingled on the waiting horse. The cabman was getting impatient. Charles gave a small, courtly bow, not attempting to touch her again.
“Then will you have tea with me tomorrow? If you come up on the four o-clock train I’ll meet it.”
She nodded, feeling that already she had a reprieve, something to make her feel better about the long drive he must take alone. She wondered how she was going to live if she were going to worry about him every moment he was out of her sight.
But perhaps it would get better, easier, more acceptable. It never occurred to her to have the good sense to bring a dangerous friendship to an end.
She knew at once, the next day, that something was wrong. He greeted her almost abstractedly, his gaze brooding.
“I had meant to ask you to stay up to dinner,” he said, “but I have to catch the night mail to Ireland.”
“Has something happened?”
“There’s trouble. An innocent woman has been killed. And on her way to church! Her husband was shot at, but the bullet hit his wife sitting beside him instead.”
“Oh, Charles! How terrible!”
He looked very pale, his lips set.
“And I shall be blamed, of course. This crime was committed by one of my followers. I must keep them in control.” He smacked his clenched fists together. “I won’t have violence. The objects of the Land League are to protect, not to kill.” He repeated, “Not to kill,” in a whisper.
He had led her off the station platform, and beckoned to a cab driver.
“I’m sorry, Kate. Don’t let this spoil our tea together. We’ll go back to my hotel.”
Before they reached Cannon Street he had made an attempt to shake off his gloom.
“You’re looking lovely, Katie. And after such a late night, too. Did you have to spend the morning with your aunt?”
“Oh, yes, darling Aunt Ben. She was so understanding when I yawned and dropped things. She said she was glad to see I wasn’t wasting too much of my youth in sleep. There was plenty of time to sleep when I reached her age.”
“And what is that?”
“Nearly ninety, bless her.”
“I shall adore you when you’re ninety.”
They were both laughing when
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