Loving - Henry Green [63]
you looking so excited?' Edith giggled. 'Am I?' she asked, wiping away at stains on Miss Moira's deep blue skirt. 'You should see yourself.' 'Well I expect I've had a day and a half. But what've you been up to? That's what I want to be told thanks.' 'Edith why are you?' 'Can you keep secrets ducky?' Edith asked in reply. 'A secret oo how lovely,' Miss Moira exclaimed. 'I don't suppose you know how.' 'Oh I promise. Let my lips be sealed,' the child said. May I drop dead she added to herself. 'Well then. Only don't breathe to nobody mind. Your Edith's had a proposal.' 'Oh Edith has Albert at last? And are you going to marry him?' Edith put the handkerchief away and kissed her. 'There that's better,' she said. 'Do tell,' the child pleaded warm. 'One secret for another,' Edith announced. 'You say what you've been along of.' 'Will you marry him then?' 'Look I've told you my secret. Now you come out with yours. Fair's fair,' Edith said. 'We've been with Albert.' 'That's no secret.' 'It was.' 'What's dark about that then?' Edith wanted to know. 'He's got my grandma's ring. The one she lost.' 'Has he so? And what's he done with it?' Edith enquired casual. 'I don't know,' the little girl lied, on account of dropping dead perhaps. 'Which Albert, yours or mine?' Edith asked soft. 'Mine,' Miss Moira answered. 'Oh I do love him.' 'Are you goin' to be married?' 'Of course.' 'Isn't that lovely,' Edith said. 'But what's he been up to with that ring meantime?' she went on carefully disinterested. 'I don't know, honest I don't,' the child lied once more. And Edith let it go. And the day laden with sunshine, with the noise of bees broke in upon their silence. There was a sharp smell of geraniums. 'Well I must be off now,' Miss Moira said. She ran away stepping high. 'I don't know,' Charley grumbled good natured again at Albert in the pantry as the lad washed his face, 'I don't rightly know what to make of you an' that's a fact. Speakin' out of turn like you did. There's times I ask myself if you'll ever learn.' 'I'm sorry Mr Raunce.' 'That's O. K. my lad,' said Charley unexpectedly mild. To-day of all days I wouldn't wish to have a disagreement with nobody. But you must use your best endeavours. 'Owever hard it may seem to keep mum for 'eaven's sake keep mum. That's your place and in a manner of speakin' it's mine. You've no knowledge of this ring, nor I have, we none of us know. What's more it's no concern of ours. When Mrs T. made a rumpus soon as she first lost it well then it was up to anyone she spoke to to make a search. She's always puttin' things down where she can't find 'em. But after the first upset let sleepin' dogs lie. D'you get me?' 'Yes Mr Raunce.' 'It did your heart credit to speak up when you did, mind. But you'll discover it don't pay to have a heart on most occasions. Anyway not with a man of his stamp. Where did 'e say 'e come from? What's 'is trade card?' Albert picked up the man's bit of pasteboard and handed it to Charley. 'Not with wet fingers,' Mr Raunce began again. ' 'Ow many times do I have to tell you, wipe your hands when you pass anything and clean your teeth before you have to do with a woman. Holy Jesus', he sang out without warning, 'holy Moses,' he corrected himself, 'what's this?' 'What's the matter Mr Raunce?' 'Why the Insurance Company. I knew it all along. See 'ere. "Irish Regfna Assurance." Don't you read that the way I do.' 'No Mr Raunce.' 'Why spell me out those letters. Irish Regina Assurance. I. R. A. boy. So 'e was one of their scouts, must a' been.' 'I. R. A.?' 'Where's my girl?' Raunce asked and dashed out. A few days passed. Then one morning while they were at their dinner in the servants' hall that telephone began to ring away in the pantry. Albert came back with a message he had written out in block letters. 'Returning Monday, Tennant,' Raunce read aloud into a silence. 'Well thank God for it,' he added, 'and about time if you ask me.' 'I never knew you so keen to start work again,' Agatha remarked malicious. 'That's all right Miss Burch,' he said. 'There's more in this than meets the eye,'