Loving

The evenings were fast lengthening. Charley and Edith slipped out after supper that same day to be with each other on the very seat by the dovecote where Miss Swift that first afternoon of spring had told her charges a fairy story while they watched the birds love-making. These, up in the air in declining light, were all now engaged on a last turn round before going back inside the leaning tower to hood their eyes in feathers.

Edith laid her lovely head on Raunce's nearest shoulder and above them, above the great shadows laid by trees those white birds wheeled in a sky of eggshell blue and pink with a remote sound of applause as, circling, they clapped their stretched, starched wings in flight.

That side of Edith's face open to the reflection of the sky was a deep red.

'She passed my books all right this mornin',' he murmured.

'What books?' she asked low and sleepy.

'Me monthly accounts,' he replied.

'Did she?' Edith sighed content. They fell silent. At some distance peacocks called to one another, shriek upon far shriek.

'That'll mean a bit more put away for when we are together,' he went on and pressed her arm. She settled closer to him.

'You're wonderful,' she said so low he hardly heard.

'I love you,' he answered.

Her left hand came up to lie against his cheek.

'An' did you ask about our little house we're going to have?' she enquired.

'I did that. But Mrs T. couldn't seem to take it in. She said yes and no and went on about Michael being tiresome. But of course I didn't come straight out about it's being for us dear.'

'You wouldn't,' she made comment dreamily.

'Ah you want to move too fast in some things you do. Slow but sure that's me,' and he chuckled. 'I get 'em so they think it's their idea.'

'You're smart!' she murmured in admiration.

'Clever Charley's the name,' he echoed and kissed her forehead. 'You see girl you want to go soft. A bit at a time.'

'What's it worth to you?' she wanted to know, the hand she had against his cheek stiffening up his face. 'This job I mean,' she added.

'Why you know the money I draw dear? I've made no secret.'

'Yes but the extra on the books?'

'Oh maybe two or three quid a week.'

'Here,' she said drawing her face slightly away, 'it was more like five or six pounds when you told me a week or two back.'

'Not on your life,' he said in a louder voice. 'You've got it wrong. I couldn't have.'

'You did,' she insisted.

'All you women are the same,' he announced calm, 'you ask so many questions you get a man tied in knots. Then you never forget but bring it up later. Why it couldn't have been that much dear. Mrs T. would notice. She's not short-sighted let me tell you.'

'You wouldn't hold out on me would you Charley?' Edith asked sweet, but looking at him.

'Come off it,' he murmured and kissed her mouth.

'I don't know but I do love you,' she said when she could.

After a time he rather unexpectedly tried her out with some news, sitting back as though to watch the effect.

'The Captain was at dinner,' he said.

'Captain Davenport? Oh him,' and she laughed.

'What's comical about that?' he enquired. 'I thought you might consider it a trifle strange so soon after you know what.'

She just lay on him without replying.

'A bit thick it looked to me after he'd followed her right over to England,' he went on.

'Captain Davenport?' she repeated. 'You just put that silliness out of your mind.'

'Can you beat it? With all the rumpus you made at the time,' he announced. For answer she turned her face up and kissed him.

'Women are a mystery,' he added. He kissed her avidly.

Some minutes later he spoke once more. 'Was that right what you said about Mr Jack taking liberties?' he asked.

'Wouldn't you like to know,' she replied.

'No girl,' he objected drawing a bit away from her again, 'I got the right to learn now I hope.'

'You don't have to worry your head about him either,' she said.

'I'm the best judge of that,' he muttered.

'Why Charley you're not ever goin' to be jealous of a stuck-up useless card like him surely?'

'You've got such peculiar notions,' he said. 'It'd be hard to tell what you consider is right or wrong.'

'Say that a second time,' she demanded.

'Now sweet'eart,' he said, 'don't go ridin' your high horse.'

'I'm not ridin' nothing.'

'Then what's it all about?' he asked.

'Seems to me you're trying to make out I gave that boy en-s couragement.'

'Yes they do take 'em young for the army,' he replied.

'Were you?' she went on. 'Because I won't stand for it Charley.' But she was only grumbling.:- 'Who me?' he said. 'Not on your life. You wouldn't reply to my question.'

'What girl would?' she enquired sweet. s 'I'd have thought any woman could give a straight answer if she was asked whether a certain individual had offered… well offered…' and he seemed at a loss.

'Offered what?' she murmured obviously amused.

'Well all right then, tried to kiss her?' he ended.

'An' I should never've thought there was a man breathing would be so easy as to expect he'd be told the truth.'

'Oho so that's the old game,' he laughed. 'Keeping me on a string is it, to leave me to picture this that and the other to do with you and him?'

'If you can bring your imagination to such a level you're to be pitied,' she answered tart.

'All I did was to ask,' he objected.

'You're free to picture what you please,' she replied. 'I've got no hold on your old imagination, not yet I haven't.'

'What d'you mean not yet?'

'I mean after we're married,' she whispered, her voice gone husky. 'After we're married I'll see to it that you don't have no imagination. I'll make everything you want of me now so much more than you ever dreamed that you'll be quit imaginin' for the rest of your life.'

'Oh honey,' he said in a sort of cry and kissed her passionately. But a rustling noise interrupted them.

'What's that?' he asked violent.

'Hush dear,' she said, 'it'th only the peacockth.'

And indeed a line of these birds one after the other and hardly visible in this dusk was making tracks back to the stables.

'Whatever brought you to think of that cow son at a time like this,' he asked awkward.

'There'th a lot you'd like to know ithn't there,' she answered.

'Oh give us a kiss do,' he begged.

'If you behave yourthelf,' she said.

After tea one afternoon Edith went up to her room to lie down. She was tired. Agatha and Miss Swift were still confined to bed. The extra work this caused was hard.

She found Kate stretched out already. The rain pattered on ivy round their opened window.

'I'm dead beat I am,' this girl said to Edith who answered, 'Well I don't suppose hard work ever did anyone any harm.'

'But don't it keep pilin' up against you dear all the time,' Kate remarked. Then she added as Edith sat to roll down her stockings. 'There's one thing we still get you can't buy the other side.'

'What's that?'

'Silk stockings,' Kate explained, 'It certainly is a change to hear you have a good word for this place,' Edith said.

Kate let it pass. 'Why don't we have the talks we used to Edie?' she asked.

'Land's sakes I expect it's we're too tired for anything when we do get up in the old room,' Edith answered.

'We used to have some lovely talks Edie.'

'Maybe we've got past talkin'.'

'What d'you mean by that?'

'Well things is different now Kate.'

'If you're referring to the fact that you've an understandin' with Mr Raunce that's no reason to tell me nothing about you, or about him for that matter, is it?'