Loving - Henry Green [78]
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?' Edith laughed at this. 'O. K. dear,' she said, 'you win. You go on asking then?' 'You are going to be married Edie?' 'We are that,' Edith said, lying down full length. Both girls looked up at the ceiling, stretched out on their backs airing their feet. 'Well I wish you all I could wish meself,' Kate said in a low voice. 'Thanks love,' Edith replied matter of fact. 'When's it going to be?' 'As soon as I've got me a few pretties together I shouldn't wonder,' Edith answered. At this a sort of snorting sob came from the other bed. Edith rolled to look, then sat up. 'Why you're crying,' she exclaimed. She came across and sat on the edge of Kate's eiderdown.