hand grasped her handlebars.
‘Mary?’ he pleaded. ‘Don’t let us part like this when we’ve only just met. I simply have to see you again!’
Mary sniffed, brushed the first errant tears aside and refused to look at him. She was too confused and upset to think straight and just wished he would go away and leave her alone.
‘Mary! Tell me when I can see you again!’
‘Never!’ she snapped.
He gritted his teeth, appalled at her reaction but grimly determined this was not an ending. He knew there was only one step he could take.
‘If you don’t agree to see me, of your own free will, I’ll call at the house,’ he said quietly.
Mary was appalled. ‘You can’t do that!’
He met her hurt and angry eyes without flinching. ‘I can and I will!’ he promised evenly. ‘I’ll do anything to see you again because you mean so much to me. I know it
sounds crazy after we only met this morning but you have done something to me, my life can never be the same again. So we have quarrelled, don’t all lovers?’ he asked hopefully.
‘We are
not
lovers!’ Mary hurled back at him. ‘You are simply some bumptious, odious know-all I had the misfortune to meet a few hours ago!’
‘I’d like us to be lovers!’ he whispered.
‘Stop it! Once and for all!’ she cried, nearly frantic.
‘Mary! Mary!’ he said, trying to gentle her temper. ‘I mean what I say. If you don’t agree to meet me I’ll defy my fierce grandmère and call at her
home.’
‘That’s blackmail!’
He thought about this for a few seconds then nodded. ‘True but I mean it, my wild, spirited sea witch!’
Mary had no idea what to do. The idea of his threat horrified her and she knew he meant exactly what he said.
‘Know this, Victor le Page, nobody threatens me, hectors or bullies me now. I had more than enough of such antics when a child. I make my own decisions and lead my own life. No one will
push me around, ever again,’ she snapped, hot words tumbling from her lips in wild temper. ‘So call at the house! And I’ll tell everyone how you have tried to blackmail me into
meeting you against my will.’
She faced him with head high and eyes sparkling. She had no idea how beautiful she looked to him. All she did know was that she was lying in her teeth but this
he
would never know.
‘My God!’ he breathed softly. ‘You are fantastically beautiful in a rage!’
He paused, head slightly tilted to one side. ‘More than that, you are magnificent!’ He admired her courage and defiance. She was totally unafraid of him and he knew he had lost his
heart to her irrevocably. ‘I’ll be at this spot a week today.
Please
come!’
Mary threw him one final hard look, then straddled the seat and attacked the cycle pedals. She left him with a mixture of rage and longing, but knew she was only doing the right thing.
THREE
Mary strolled over the fields with Sam and he eyed her curiously. During the last few days, the Mistress had commented upon how Mary appeared to have changed. She had sunk into
a quiet apathy which alarmed Tante and disturbed Sam.
There had been a letter from Duret which should have sent Mary into raptures. Instead the girl had sunk into a deeper despondency that concerned Sam and frightened Tante. At least, Sam told
himself, Tante had the good sense not to pry with questions. Sam had a shrewd idea this English girl was deep and secretive.
He had been surprised when she had come running after him, smiling a little, shy at her presumption but obviously anxious to be with him.
‘Can I walk with you, Sam?’ she had asked hesitantly.
‘Of course, my dear!’ he had agreed then, seeing her mood, offered nothing more. If she wanted to talk then he knew he was a good listener. On the other hand, if she preferred to
stroll in silence that was all right with him too.
‘I’m off to check the boundary hedges,’ he said to the fresh air in general.
Many of the leaves were already in tight, little buds, on the
‘Mary?’ he pleaded. ‘Don’t let us part like this when we’ve only just met. I simply have to see you again!’
Mary sniffed, brushed the first errant tears aside and refused to look at him. She was too confused and upset to think straight and just wished he would go away and leave her alone.
‘Mary! Tell me when I can see you again!’
‘Never!’ she snapped.
He gritted his teeth, appalled at her reaction but grimly determined this was not an ending. He knew there was only one step he could take.
‘If you don’t agree to see me, of your own free will, I’ll call at the house,’ he said quietly.
Mary was appalled. ‘You can’t do that!’
He met her hurt and angry eyes without flinching. ‘I can and I will!’ he promised evenly. ‘I’ll do anything to see you again because you mean so much to me. I know it
sounds crazy after we only met this morning but you have done something to me, my life can never be the same again. So we have quarrelled, don’t all lovers?’ he asked hopefully.
‘We are
not
lovers!’ Mary hurled back at him. ‘You are simply some bumptious, odious know-all I had the misfortune to meet a few hours ago!’
‘I’d like us to be lovers!’ he whispered.
‘Stop it! Once and for all!’ she cried, nearly frantic.
‘Mary! Mary!’ he said, trying to gentle her temper. ‘I mean what I say. If you don’t agree to meet me I’ll defy my fierce grandmère and call at her
home.’
‘That’s blackmail!’
He thought about this for a few seconds then nodded. ‘True but I mean it, my wild, spirited sea witch!’
Mary had no idea what to do. The idea of his threat horrified her and she knew he meant exactly what he said.
‘Know this, Victor le Page, nobody threatens me, hectors or bullies me now. I had more than enough of such antics when a child. I make my own decisions and lead my own life. No one will
push me around, ever again,’ she snapped, hot words tumbling from her lips in wild temper. ‘So call at the house! And I’ll tell everyone how you have tried to blackmail me into
meeting you against my will.’
She faced him with head high and eyes sparkling. She had no idea how beautiful she looked to him. All she did know was that she was lying in her teeth but this
he
would never know.
‘My God!’ he breathed softly. ‘You are fantastically beautiful in a rage!’
He paused, head slightly tilted to one side. ‘More than that, you are magnificent!’ He admired her courage and defiance. She was totally unafraid of him and he knew he had lost his
heart to her irrevocably. ‘I’ll be at this spot a week today.
Please
come!’
Mary threw him one final hard look, then straddled the seat and attacked the cycle pedals. She left him with a mixture of rage and longing, but knew she was only doing the right thing.
THREE
Mary strolled over the fields with Sam and he eyed her curiously. During the last few days, the Mistress had commented upon how Mary appeared to have changed. She had sunk into
a quiet apathy which alarmed Tante and disturbed Sam.
There had been a letter from Duret which should have sent Mary into raptures. Instead the girl had sunk into a deeper despondency that concerned Sam and frightened Tante. At least, Sam told
himself, Tante had the good sense not to pry with questions. Sam had a shrewd idea this English girl was deep and secretive.
He had been surprised when she had come running after him, smiling a little, shy at her presumption but obviously anxious to be with him.
‘Can I walk with you, Sam?’ she had asked hesitantly.
‘Of course, my dear!’ he had agreed then, seeing her mood, offered nothing more. If she wanted to talk then he knew he was a good listener. On the other hand, if she preferred to
stroll in silence that was all right with him too.
‘I’m off to check the boundary hedges,’ he said to the fresh air in general.
Many of the leaves were already in tight, little buds, on the
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