me,” Pericles murmured. “But why should you want to? Kimon and Peggy - ” “Exactly,” he said. “I’ve never seen Peggy happier than since you came here, and Kimon is more thoughtful of her feelings. They both love you, Morag, and I think they need you. Would
that be enough for you?”
It wasn’t, but she could hardly say so. How could she begin to explain that she wanted his love too? She shut her eyes and tried to imagine what it would be like if the arm that held her would tighten - and if he should kiss her, just the once, as if he meant it.
“Yes, it would be enough,” she said. “But I’d stay anyway. You don’t have to marry me. I’ll stay as long as you want me!”
He put up his hand and pulled on the lobe of her ear, much as he might have done to Peggy. “Oh, Morag! Generous as ever, with never a thought for yourself!” “Sloppy, don’t you mean?”
“It’s rather a nice characteristic when not taken to excess. If you marry me, there will be no more regrets for David, and no more romantic incidents with Takis. You will be my wife, do you understand that? In Greece, we take these things very seriously - ”
“But don’t you want to marry someone you love?” He deserved so much better, she thought. First Susan whom his family had chosen for him, and now herself because his children liked her!
“What about you?” He turned the question.
She took a deep breath. “I want to marry you,” she said.
CHAPTER FOUR
Morag found saying goodbye to the children almost unbearable. “I
suppose we have to go to England?” she said to Pericles.
“I think so. Your family will expect to see you safely married to me. It
will only be a week before we’re back here. It isn’t very long.”
“I know,” she said. “But I wish we could be married here.”
“I don’t think my mother would thank you for the suggestion. All that
trouble and fuss for an English girl she scarcely knows!”
Morag managed a smile. “I thinks she likes to embarrass me.”
“You’ll get used to it!”
Morag wasn’t so sure. She found it difficult enough to come to terms with the idea of being Pericles’ wife without her future mother-in-law’s comments as to how her son would treat her once the ring was safely on her finger. Not that Morag believed that Perry was likely to beat her, or starve her, or even row with her in front of his family, but he was half Greek and the Greeks expected their wives to be subservient to them, and who knew which half of his blood dominated in Pericles? He might be as Greek in that as his name!
Pericles looked at her doubtful face and laughed. “Don’t you want to introduce me to your family?” he asked curiously.
She was immediately enthusiastic. “Oh yes!” A flash of amusement entered her eye. “I shall very much enjoy showing you off to them. You’re much better than anything that Delia has been able to produce!” Her expression clouded over for an instant. “You don’t mind, do you? You’ll probably like her,” she added stiffly. “Most men do!”
“I hope I shall too,” he drawled.
Morag felt despair round her heart. Delia would take one look at him and she would want him as surely as she had wanted anything else of Morag’s, as she had wanted David. Well, she had taken David and Morag had cared, but she had not broken her heart over it, though for a time she had thought she had. But supposing Delia were to take Pericles from her? He was bound to find her beautiful and attentive and far, far more sophisticated than Morag could ever be. He was bound to prefer her to herself. It went without saying, and it was the one thing that she couldn’t bear to happen. Pericles might not love her, but somehow or other he had stolen her heart from her, and that was the only reason she was marrying him, though she had agreed with every one of the practical reasons he had suggested to her, beginning with the children and ending with her own broken romance and the
that be enough for you?”
It wasn’t, but she could hardly say so. How could she begin to explain that she wanted his love too? She shut her eyes and tried to imagine what it would be like if the arm that held her would tighten - and if he should kiss her, just the once, as if he meant it.
“Yes, it would be enough,” she said. “But I’d stay anyway. You don’t have to marry me. I’ll stay as long as you want me!”
He put up his hand and pulled on the lobe of her ear, much as he might have done to Peggy. “Oh, Morag! Generous as ever, with never a thought for yourself!” “Sloppy, don’t you mean?”
“It’s rather a nice characteristic when not taken to excess. If you marry me, there will be no more regrets for David, and no more romantic incidents with Takis. You will be my wife, do you understand that? In Greece, we take these things very seriously - ”
“But don’t you want to marry someone you love?” He deserved so much better, she thought. First Susan whom his family had chosen for him, and now herself because his children liked her!
“What about you?” He turned the question.
She took a deep breath. “I want to marry you,” she said.
CHAPTER FOUR
Morag found saying goodbye to the children almost unbearable. “I
suppose we have to go to England?” she said to Pericles.
“I think so. Your family will expect to see you safely married to me. It
will only be a week before we’re back here. It isn’t very long.”
“I know,” she said. “But I wish we could be married here.”
“I don’t think my mother would thank you for the suggestion. All that
trouble and fuss for an English girl she scarcely knows!”
Morag managed a smile. “I thinks she likes to embarrass me.”
“You’ll get used to it!”
Morag wasn’t so sure. She found it difficult enough to come to terms with the idea of being Pericles’ wife without her future mother-in-law’s comments as to how her son would treat her once the ring was safely on her finger. Not that Morag believed that Perry was likely to beat her, or starve her, or even row with her in front of his family, but he was half Greek and the Greeks expected their wives to be subservient to them, and who knew which half of his blood dominated in Pericles? He might be as Greek in that as his name!
Pericles looked at her doubtful face and laughed. “Don’t you want to introduce me to your family?” he asked curiously.
She was immediately enthusiastic. “Oh yes!” A flash of amusement entered her eye. “I shall very much enjoy showing you off to them. You’re much better than anything that Delia has been able to produce!” Her expression clouded over for an instant. “You don’t mind, do you? You’ll probably like her,” she added stiffly. “Most men do!”
“I hope I shall too,” he drawled.
Morag felt despair round her heart. Delia would take one look at him and she would want him as surely as she had wanted anything else of Morag’s, as she had wanted David. Well, she had taken David and Morag had cared, but she had not broken her heart over it, though for a time she had thought she had. But supposing Delia were to take Pericles from her? He was bound to find her beautiful and attentive and far, far more sophisticated than Morag could ever be. He was bound to prefer her to herself. It went without saying, and it was the one thing that she couldn’t bear to happen. Pericles might not love her, but somehow or other he had stolen her heart from her, and that was the only reason she was marrying him, though she had agreed with every one of the practical reasons he had suggested to her, beginning with the children and ending with her own broken romance and the
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