Loving

'Ah you're a deep one you are,' Kate immediately replied.

'I'm not and I don't know what you're after,' Edith protested beating a monogrammed pillow edged with lace between the palms of her two hands. But Kate made no reply and Edith apparently did not want to leave the matter for she tried again.

'When all's said and done love it's not as if Albert was suspected. That's just Mr Raunce's way,' she said.

'What makes you give him a Mr?' Kate asked.

'Why he's got the position now surely?'

'But he's no different to what he was,' Kate objected.

'According to one way of takin' it he's not,' Edith said, 'but whichever way we regard him he sees himself the butler.'

'O. K. if that's how you look at it.'

'Now Kate what's come over you? You wouldn't wish to spite him surely?'

'Listen,' Kate said, 'it don't matter to me what he thinks we think. All he'll be to me is Charley same as he always has been,'

'All right,' said Edith, 'I'll call him Charley and drop the mister.'

'And blush right in 'is face?'

'Kate Armstrong I'm surprised.'

'You can be surprised all right. I should worry. No I'm disappointed in you Edie, I am that.'

They stood on either side of the bed looking at each other.

'Then you do think I should never have kept silent. What you say is I should have talked up at the first go off when Mrs Welch came in at teatime?' Edith spoke as though she had been running but Kate only smiled. Kate said, 'I wouldn't play the innocent if I was you, not with me. It don't come off and that's a fact.'

'Then what you're gettin' at, without you're having what it takes to tell, what you're tryin' to say is you think I'm after 'im when he's something to you? Is that right?'

'Christ 'e's nothing to me. Charley Raunce? I'd sooner be dead.'

'I'll bet you'd sooner be dead.'

'What d'you insinuate by that Edie? I don't have to tell you you can go so far and no farther where I'm concerned thank you.'

'All right then I'll learn you something,' Edith said and she panted and panted. 'I love Charley Raunce I love 'im I love 'im so there. I could open the veins of my right arm for that man,' she said, turned her back on Kate, walked out and left her.

'You needn't have told me. I knew, don't worry,' Kate said to the now empty room, but with a sort of satisfaction as it seemed'in pain.

On the 18th Mrs Tennant left for England and Belchester. That same evening Captain Davenport dined at the Castle alone with Mrs Jack who had instructed Raunce that he need not wait up to see the Captain out.

There was nothing unusual in this to draw comment, and next morning Edith was rubbing her face, yawning like a child when it was time to call the lady. She gently knocked. She got no reply but then she never did. When she went in after knocking a second time the curtains which Miss Burch had already drawn back in the passage outside let sufficient light for Edith to see her way across the room. But she went soft, cautious so as not to stumble against the gold oar that stood out from the bed. Then she drew those curtains. She folded the shutters back into the wall. And Edith looked out on the morning, the soft bright morning that struck her dazzled dazzling eyes.

A movement over in the bed attracted her attention. She turned slow. She saw a quick stir beside the curls under which Mrs Jack's head lay asleep, she caught sight of someone else's hair as well, and it was retreating beneath silk sheets. A man. Her heart hammered fit to burst her veins. She gave a little gasp.

Then the dark head was altogether gone. But there were two humps of body, turf over graves under those pink bedclothes. And it was at this moment Mrs Jack jumped as if she had been pinched. Not properly awake she sat straight up. She was nude. Then no doubt remembering she said very quick, 'Oh Edith it's you it's quite all right I'll ring.' On which she must have recognized that she was naked. With a sort of cry and crossing her lovely arms over that great brilliant upper part of her on which, wayward, were two dark upraised dry wounds shaking on her, she also slid entirely underneath.

When Edith came to herself she found she was outside in the Long Passage, that bedroom door shut after her and with Miss Burch halted staring at her face. She said, all come over faint, 'I don't know how I was able to find me way out.'

'How d'you mean Edith?'

'An' if I'd been a'carryin' her early tea I'd 'a' dropped it.'

'And so you might dashing into me as you did.'

'In there,' Edith added. She seemed at her last gasp.

'In where?' Miss Burch asked grim.

For two moments Edith struggled to get breath.

'A man,' she said at last.

'God save us a man,' Miss Burch muttered, knocked and went straight through, shutting the door after. Edith leant against the table, the one that had naked cupids inlaid with precious woods on its top. She bent her head. She seemed afraid she might be sick. But when Miss Burch came out again as she did at once Edith drew herself straight to hear the verdict.

'E's puttin'

'is shirt on,' was all Miss Burch said, shocked into dropping her aitches. Then she added as though truly brokenhearted, 'Come on away my girl. Let 'im get off h'out.'

Edith made no move, stayed gazing at her.

'Come will you,' Miss Burch repeated gentle, 'this is no place for us my dear,' she said drawing a hand across her mouth.

At that Edith took to her heels and ran. She ran. She went straight up the back stairs. And along their passage into the deep room she shared with Kate. This girl was doing her hair before she went down to breakfast. She was at variance with Edith yet, which may have been why she did not turn round at first. But Edith's panting made her look.

'Why whatever…?' she began.

'There 'e was,' Edith broke out between gasps, 'I seen the hair of 'is 'ead, large as life, you could 'a' knocked me down with. a leaf,' she said.

The what?' cried Kate arrested.

'A man,' Edith said.

'A I. R. A. man?' Kate asked, voice rising.

'The Captain,' Edith replied calmer, put a hand to her throat and swallowed. With obviously a great leap of her mind Kate got there.

Tn your young lady's bed. Oh goody,' she shouted, at which both began to giggle helpless. 'Large as life,' one said, the other repeated, then the two of them giggled again. Tn her bed,' one said, the other echoed, and both shouted with laughter. 'All night?' shrieked Kate, and it seemed she forgot she had been at odds with Edith about Charley Raunce. 'All night,' Edith screamed back. Holding their sides they crowed with laughter.

'And 've you told old Mother Burch?' Kate asked when both were quieter.

'She seen him too,' Edith answered, as she dabbed the heel of her right hand at her eyes where these had been running.

'She did?' Kate echoed.

'She went in,' Edith called out with a high yell then fell back on the eiderdown and howled she laughed so much, faintly kicking with her legs.

Kate began to gasp as if she could not get enough air to speak.

'She went in?' she asked.

'And d'you know – what she said?' Edith said choking.

'What's that?'

'When she come out,' Edith went on by fits and starts, 'oh you'll never guess – no love you couid never – oh I shall die – Katie it hurts my side – d'you know what she said?' – and by this time Kate as she stood in front of her was doubled up hands on knees in such shrieks that she was dribbling – 'she said' – and Edith fought to get the words out – 'oh she said why 'e's puttin'

'is shirt on.' At this Kate collapsed, fell back. Both girls howled. Between screeches Kate managed to get out, 'Take care I'll wet myself.' Edith calmed at once.

'Hush dear someone'll hear.'

'Just puttin'

'is shirt on,' Kate quoted sobering.

'That's what she said,' Edith answered.

'Well Edie I'd've given a week's wages to be there I would really. What did you do?' And at this Edith went into a long description of each thought she had and every step she took after so gently knocking on that bedroom.