Loving

When they were established there after she had conducted him as though he was an old man and he had sat himself down heavily he remarked, 'It come as a big shock to me my Albert leavin' the way he did.'

'But you knew he'd given in his notice love,' she objected.

'Of course I knew,' he replied querulous, 'but I never thought he meant to go, any more than Mrs Tennant took it that he did. As she told me.'

'I can't say I considered it was other than talk,' she agreed.

'To walk in just like that an' say look my month's up I must be off the way he did. I never guessed that bloodless abortion 'ad the guts,' he said with a return to his old manner.

'You never could abide him could you?' she remarked.

'That dam kid's attitude was what got my goat,' Mr Raunce explained. The high falutin' love he laid claim to, the suffering looks he darted, 'is faintin' snotty ways.'

Edith gave a single deep laugh.

'Yes go on and laugh,' Raunce said.

'No you made yourself awkward with that lad.'

'That's as may be,' he answered and seemed despondent. 'Yet there's only the one method to learn them kids a trade. It's no earthly good kissin'

'em as you did.'

'Me?' she cried. 'I never.'

'You did that and in front of the investigator johnny into the bargain.'

'Oh well,' she said.

'Have it your own way,' he replied. He relapsed into silence.

'What is it dear?' she asked.

'I'm worried,' he answered.

'What's worrying you then?'

'Nothing.'

'It's not about the old ring any more is it?' she enquired.

'Well Albert's goin' did set 'er mind on it once again. Seems that she'd told him she couldn't accept his notice while he was under suspicion, or so she made out to me. I thought we'd better make an end to that talk. "Look Madam," I said to her, "you can't deny you have the ring back so where's the evidence," I said. She says to me, "But it's what I suspect Raunce, that's where the shoe pinches," or some such phrase. "I can't guarantee it won't happen a second time Madam," I told her, "an* if anything should, then you report it to me Madam an' I'll see you don't have any more trouble. There's things I didn't know then that I know now," I says. "I see Raunce," she said. "Then you don't wish for me to do another thing and I can sleep quiet into the bargain?"

"You silly old cow you can do just that," I said to her only I didn't.'

'Charley that's not very nice,' Edith objected.

'But we've 'ad about enough surely? There's more going on in the world these days than a little crazy bastard of a cook's nephew having the laugh on us. Secreted it right here too didn't he? I shouldn't mind if I never set eyes on these blasted white pigeons again,' he ended.

'Why,' she said, 'your pain you've got's upset you.'

'You're dead right it has,' he replied. 'You don't benefit by your night's rest,' she went on. He appeared to warm to this description of his symptoms. That's exactly it,' he agreed. 'I sometimes just seem to do nothin' but turn over.'

'And d'you always think of me?' she asked taking tighter hold of the arm she had hung on to.

'You bet I do,' he answered. 'More'n you ever realize.' That's right,' she said, 'then you won't come by much harm.'

'I do love you Edie.'

'Do you?'

'D'you know I sometimes wonder if the air in these parts hadn't a lot to do with my stomach,' he began again. 'I couldn't say if it's too weak or too strong but there's something about these sea breezes might be harmful to a delicate constitution. What d'you say?' He was dead serious.

'No that's good for you.'

'Then what d'you reckon can be the matter with me Edie?' It was plain she was not worried. 'D'you think Mrs Welch is slipping a pinch of something in your food?' she asked maliciously, hardly paying attention.

'I wouldn't put that past her,' he replied. 'But she's too set on keepin' young Albert over on this side of the water to start a game like it. Why if I had proof I'd choke the life out of 'er by pokin' a peacock down that great gullet she has.' Edith laughed. 'I would straight,' he assured her in a strong voice. 'And that's a death would be too good for the woman, the diabolical mason.'

'Women can't be masons. They aren't accepted.'

'Can't they,' he retorted. That's all you know then.'

'It takes all sorts to make a world,' she remarked.

'You're telling me,' he said. Holding one of her hands in his he shut his eyes and appeared to want to rest. 'I'd tear the 'eart right out of 'er,' he added in a weak voice.

'I had a look over that little house Charley,' she murmured soft after a moment.

'You what?'

'Where we're goin' to live when we're married,' she explained.

'So you did did you?" he said stirring in his seat.

'Why whatever's the matter now?' she asked. 'You wished me to surely?'

'I shouldn't wonder if my ideas hadn't changed,' he said cautious. 'About where we plan to find a home together,' he added.

'What's come over you Charley?' she enquired. She began at last to show signs of alarm.

'What experience I've had, and I've 'ad some mind, has gone to show that it's no manner of use hanging on in a place where you're not valued,' he said.

'But there are the little extras,' she cried. That two or three quid a week you speak about.'

'Oh well,' he answered, 'it's no more'n can be picked up in any butler's job if you know the ropes. No, what's goin' on over in Britain is what bothers me. The way things are shapin' it wouldn't come as a surprise if places such as this weren't doomed to a natural death so to say.'

'Go on with you,' she replied. 'Why if Mrs Tennant loses all her dough there'll always be those that took it. Don't you tell me there isn't good pickings to be had in service long after our children have said thank you madam for the first bawlin' out over nothing at all that they'll receive.' She was beginning to speak like him.

'That's as may be girl,' he countered, 'but from all accounts there's some lovely money going in munitions.'

'Yes and then once this old war's over it's out on your ear with no work.'

'Yet you've just argued that there'll be jobs in service we can go back to,' he complained.

'Stay in what you know, that's what I always maintain,' Edith announced although she had never before expressed an opinion one way or the other.

'Well you may be right but it's this country gets me down.'

'You're fed up, Charley, on account of your stomach.'

'It's too bloody neutral this country is.'

'Too neutral?' she echoed.

'Well there's danger in being a neutral in this war,' he said, •you've only to read the newspapers to appreciate that.'

'I thought you'd given up listenin' to such talk,' she complained.

'And then my lad going over to give 'imself up, to enlist.'

'What's that to do with you an' me?' she grumbled, 'I'm unsettled. There you are. This has unsettled me Edie.'

'Charley what's the matter? You tell. Nothing serious is it dear?'

'I received a letter this morning.'

'You've had bad news?'

'Not exactly,' he admitted.

'Then who was it from?' she asked.

'My mum wrote me.'

'Your old mother? Well what did she say?'

'She's not comin' over mate, that's what."

'Not coming over?' she repeated in quite a loud voice. 'Why then we can have the little house all to ourselves dearest.'

'If we want to live there in the end,' he said.

'Whatever are you saying?' she cried really disturbed at last.

'I wrote to 'er see,' Raunce explained with some embarrassment, 'and what I said was I'd like to have her out of that awful air raid business. I know he's never been over Peterboro' yet but the way he's going it might be any minute now. I said she could do worse than come here and told 'er what you and I had thought of. It would be a weight off my mind I said and how you would look after 'er better than my sister Bell ever did.'