Gypsy - Lesley Pearse [69]
‘It was good to see you again,’ he said holding out his hand. ‘Especially to find you were so talented.’
She put her hand in his and the touch of his skin on hers sent a shiver down her spine. ‘And to see you. Good luck at the game tonight.’
‘Who was that man?’ Jack asked as they walked to Houston Street. The heavy rain had emptied the streets of people and their footsteps sounded very loud.
‘Just a man who was on the ship.’
‘I never saw him.’
‘He was in first class. We spoke once when I was on deck,’ she replied.
‘So what would a toff be going in Heaney’s for?’
Beth stopped short and pulled on Jack’s arm till he was facing her. ‘Gambling?’ she suggested sarcastically. ‘But he was as surprised to see me again as I was to see him. I don’t know anything about him, not even his name, so don’t get jealous.’
‘I wasn’t,’ he retorted indignantly. ‘It just looked as if there was something between you.’
‘Nothing more than surprise,’ she said shortly.
‘Can I come in for a little while?’ Jack asked as they got to her house.
‘No, it’s too late,’ Beth said, taking her fiddle case from him.
‘I’d be really quiet,’ he said.
He had that boyish, eager look which usually made her smile, but for some reason it made her cross this time.
‘It isn’t that I’m afraid of you making a noise,’ she said impatiently. ‘It’s how it looks after one in the morning. And Sam not being around.’
Sam still didn’t entirely approve of her friendship with Jack, but it suited him to tolerate it, for Jack walking Beth home at night meant he didn’t have to worry about her. He wouldn’t even know if Jack came up for a while because he often stayed out all night himself.
‘I only wanted to cuddle and kiss you,’ Jack said dejectedly. ‘It’s too cold and wet to do that out here. You must know I’d never try to make you do anything you weren’t happy about.’
Beth moved closer to him and kissed him on the lips. The gas street light made his face seem even more angular, his scar more livid, and gave his skin a sinister yellow tinge. She felt no desire for him at all and that made her feel bad about herself. ‘I know that, I’m just tired and a bit grumpy, and you’re very wet, so go on home.’
‘I love you, Beth,’ he said, catching hold of her face between his two hands. ‘I think I fell for you the moment I first saw you. Don’t you feel the same?’
He couldn’t have picked a worse moment to tell her he loved her, and instead of being touched, she felt irritated. If she said no he’d be deeply hurt, but if she said yes she might be starting something she was likely to regret.
‘This isn’t the time, Jack,’ she said wearily.
He took a step back. Rain was shining on his face and hair and his mouth was set in a hurt, straight line. ‘There isn’t going to be a time for us, is there?’
He turned and walked away then, not even glancing back to see if she was watching him.
Chapter Fourteen
When Beth woke up on Sunday morning to find it was still raining just as heavily as it had been the previous evening, her first thought was of Jack. Since she and Sam moved into Houston Street, he’d always come round here on Sundays to take her out somewhere.
She pulled back the dividing curtain, only to find Sam’s bed hadn’t been slept in again. All at once she realized how dependent she’d become on Jack’s company and how lonely it would be without him. Knowing he’d be too bruised to come calling today, or any day, unless she apologized and told him she loved him, she pulled the covers up tightly to her neck and tried to go back to sleep.
Sam didn’t arrive back until two and was very surprised to find her still in bed.
‘Are you ill?’ he asked, sitting down beside her.
Beth told him about Jack. ‘There just didn’t seem to be anything to get up for,’ she finished.
‘If you do really care for him then you’d better get round to his place and make it up with him,’ Sam said, rubbing his stubbly chin. ‘But it’s always been my view you could do very much better than him.’
Beth sat up and glowered at her brother. ‘Just tell me how I’ll meet someone suitable.