Loving

'Edie,' Kate said in an admiring voice, 'you've changed.'

'Too true I have,' Edith answered, 'but there you are you see. Circumstances alter cases,' she said.

'Over at Clancarty,' Kate began, 'that Captain Davenport strips 'is men naked when their day's work diggin' is done to see they don't take nothing. Paddy says the priest 'as taken the matter up."

'I bet you wishes you was there,' Albert surprisingly remarked.

In reply Kate fetched him a swipe with the back of her hand across his cheek. He scrambled up while she sat on fists clenched, ready to fight and get the better of him. But he walked off and did not say a word. The dejected donkey followed at his heels. Against the everlastingly hurrying ocean with its bright glare from the beginning of the world, he wandered with the donkey drooped to his tracks as if he was a journeying choirboy.

'The sauce,' Kate said.

'E's only a kid,' Edith remarked and lay back along the sand after spreading out 'I love you' for her head. She looked straight up at the sky without wrinkling the skin about her eyes.

'There's times I could go scatty in this old country,' Kate announced calm as though nothing had occurred, 'I could really. Come on let's have one of them talks like we used to. Now what about you for a start? You tell your own girl what it's like to be loved.'

'Kate you are awful.'

'Come on now there's no one to hear with this sea. Your boy friend is in the sulks along of 'is precious donkey. You tell your Kate.'

'Oh him,' Edith said, 'you want to go easy with him. What you let slip when we woke you upset Bert.'

'What d'you mean?'

'Oh I wasn't referring to that name you mentioned.'

'Then what you're gettin' at Edie is my poking fun at you lyin' over 'im to reach me?'

'That's right. You see Kate 'e's touchy. It's calf love.'

'Don't make me laugh,' Kate said scornful. 'Calf love you call that? Why you talk like you was your young lady. We got no time for calf love dear as you call it. We're ordinary workin' folk. 'E'll be going off in a faint next.'

'Just because when I see a mouse caught by its little leg in a wheel and he opens a great mouth at me…'

'Now then,' Kate interrupted, '

'old on. I wasn't gettin' at you. I don't know why we can't be like we used to I'm sure but nowadays we don't seem able ever to do anything but go sarky at one another.'

Edith turned away from her once more. 'O. K. let it pass,' she said.

'But surely you don't intend to permit that lad to go moonin' after you like a drowned duck?'

'Well what d'you want me to do then?' Edith asked her.

'You should've seen 'is face when you was leant over. It was enough to make me bring up my dinner. And you lookin' down into his eyes as though you liked it.'

'If he'd so much as touched me I'd've shown him dear I can tell you,' Edith said. 'I'd've given a lesson he'd remember all his life,' she added.

'Well if you want my advice that's what I'd learn the kid before this day is done.'

'Why,' asked Edith, 'you don't suppose I relish his goin' mushy surely? A child like that? He wants his old mother, that's his trouble. But live an' let live is what I always say.'

'Then don't you keep on about me and you know who,' Kate said.

'O. K. dear. Now let's have a nap,' said Edith.

And in no time both were well away. The children got wet through.

Raunce's Albert crept back followed by the donkey that he could not rid himself of. He sat down by Edith. He never took his eyes off her body.

Edith found out that Agatha had a cup of tea most days with Mrs Welch. So she persuaded Miss Burch to put forward a claim to tea all round after dinner, a privilege not enjoyed by the others since before the war. Everyone was surprised when the cook agreed. But that was not all. Edith feared for Raunce's neck. She said those draughts in the servant's hall might harm him. Now coal was so short it was only a small peat fire she could lay each morning in the butler's room, and she insisted that the grate Raunce had was too narrow for peat. This no doubt could be her excuse to get him to take his cup along with her to one of the living rooms where huge fires were kept stoked all day to condition the old masters.

So it came about next afternoon that Charley and Edith had drawn up deep leather armchairs of purple in the Red Library. A ledge of more purple leather on the fender supported Raunce's heels next his you-and-me in a gold Worcester cup and saucer. Pointed french windows were open onto the lawn about which peacocks stood pat in the dry as though enchanted. A light summer air played in from over massed geraniums, toyed with Edith's curls a trifle. Between the books the walls were covered cool in green silk. But she seemed to have no thought to the draught.

'You ever noticed that little place this side of the East Gate?' he was asking.

'Well I can't say I've looked over it if that's what you're after,' she replied. He hooked a finger into the bandage round his throat as though to ease himself.

'Next time you pass that way you have a look, see.'

'Why Charley?'

'It's empty that's why.'

'It's empty is it?' she echoed dull but with a sharp glance.

'The married butlers used to live there at one time,' he explained. Then he lied. 'Yesterday mornin',' he went on canny, 'Michael stopped me as he came out of the kitchen. You'll never guess what he was onto.'

'Not something for one of his family again?' she enquired.

'That's right,' he said. 'It was only he's goin' to ask Mrs. T. for it when she gets back, that's all. The roof of their pig sty of a hovel 'as gone an' fallen on 'is blessed sister-in-law's head and's crushed a finger of one of their kids.'

'The cheek,' she exclaimed.

'A horrid liar the man is,' Charley commented. 'But it's not the truth that matters. It's what's believed,' he added.

'You think she'll credit such a tale?' Edith wanted to know.

'Now love,' he began then paused. He was dressed in black trousers and a stiff shirt with no jacket, the only colour being in his footman's livery waistcoat of pink and white stripes. He wore no collar on account of his neck. Lying back he squinted into the blushing rose of that huge turf fire as it glowed, his bluer eye azure on which was a crescent rose reflection. 'Love,' he went on toneless, 'what about you an' me getting married? There I've said it.'

'That'll want thinking over Charley,' she replied at once. Her eyes left his face and with what seemed a quadrupling in depth came following his to rest on those rectangles of warmth alive like blood. From this peat light her great eyes became invested with rose incandescence that was soft and soft and soft.

There's none of this love nonsense,' he began again appearing to strain so as not to look at her. 'It's logical dear that's what. You see I thought to get my old mother over out of the bombers.'

'And quite right too,' she answered prompt.

'I'm glad you see it my way,' he took her up. 'Oh honey you don't know what that means.'

'I've always said a wife that can't make a home for her man's mother doesn't merit a place of her own,' she announced gentle.

'Then you don't say no?' he asked glancing her way at last. His white face was shot with green from the lawn.

'I haven't said yes have I?' she countered and looked straight at him, her heart opening about her lips. Seated as she was back to the light he could see only a blinding space for her head framed in dark hair and inhabited by those great eyes on her, fathoms deep.

'No that's right,' he murmured obviously lost.

'I'll need to think over it,' she gently said. Folding hands she returned her gaze into the peat fire.