Loving - Henry Green [82]
then?' 'Sweetheart,' he protested. 'With me carryin' you a cup of tea and all?' 'Well it's usually half cold at that,' he said, seeming to pull himself together. 'Oho,' she cried and began to do her hair with Mrs Jack's comb. 'Then I won't bring no more.' 'I'd been intending to speak to you about that very point,' he began shamefaced. 'I don't know that you should continue with the practice. It might lead to talk,' he said. 'Charley you don't say I'm not to,' she appealed and seemed really hurt. 'Why, don't you like me fetchin' your tea?' 'It's not that dear.' She turned vast reproachful eyes on him. 'I was kidding myself you would fancy me above any other to open your eyes on first thing,' she repeated softly grumbling. 'It's the rest,' he moaned. 'Just because I'm keeping myself for you on our wedding night you reckon they'd think you're free with me?' she asked as though he had hit her. 'Well that's what would happen isn't it, being as they are?' he enquired. 'Oh Charley,' she went on gentle but reproachful, 'that's cowardly so it is?' 'You know I love you don't you?' he entreated and took hold of her hands. She was limp. 'Yes.' 'Well then,' he went on, 'we don't want no chitter chatter do we?' 'You mean no one shouldn't know in case you change your mind about our being married?' she asked. There was laughter now in her voice. 'What's comical in that when you've just spoken a lie?' he demanded. 'All right then I'll not bring your old tea again that's all.' She laid her arms round his neck and gave him a powerful kiss. Putting his hands against her shoulders he pushed her away. 'You said yourself we were on a good thing an' didn't want to lose this place,' he explained. 'I never imagined you could do without me pulling your curtains. So the first you set eyes on every new day should be me.' 'I love you that's why honey,' he said. 'O. K.,' she said, 'but you're to do the explainin' with Mother Burch mind.' 'That's a good girl. Holy smoke,' he exclaimed, 'an' there's my lad forgotten to lay their table I'll be bound. I'll be seeing you,' he said. He fairly stumbled out. Some days later Mrs Jack unexpectedly entered the Blue Drawing Room to find her mother-in-law in tears beneath a vaulted roof painted to represent the evening sky at dusk. Mrs Tennant immediately turned her face away to hide her state. She was seated forlorn, plumb centre of this chamber, on an antique Gothic imitation of a hammock slung between four black marble columns and cunningly fashioned out of gold wire. But she had not concealed her tears in time. Mrs Jack saw. She went across at once. 'Why you poor thing,' she said rubbing the point of Mrs Ten-nant's shoulder with the palm of a hand. 'I'm sorry to make such a fool of myself Violet,' this older woman said from between gritted teeth and got out a handkerchief. 'I think you've been perfectly wonderful dear,' Mrs Jack suggested. 'Really I don't know how your generation bears it,' Mrs Tennant went on. She blew her nose while Mrs Jack stood ill at ease. As she rubbed the shoulder of her husband's mother she was surrounded by milking stools, pails, clogs, the cow byre furniture all in gilded wood which was disposed around to create the most celebrated eighteenth-century folly in Eire that had still to be burned down. 'You've been absolutely magnificent Violet,' Mrs T. continued. 'Here he's been gone three days God knows where on active service if he hasn't already sailed. There's been not a whimper out of you once.' 'Don't,' his wife said sharp and gripped that shoulder in such a way as to hurt the older woman. 'No you must let me,' Mrs Tennant began again but calmer as though the pain was what she needed. 'It's so hard for my generation to talk to yours about the things one really feels. I never seem to have the chance to speak up over the great admiration I hold you in my dear.' 'You mustn't.' Her mother-in-law ignored this though she must have recognized that it had been uttered in anguish. 'I grant you,' she went on, looking straight in front of her, 'your contemporaries have all got this amazing control