Loving - Henry Green [88]
I'm in bad shape. Honest, dear.' 'You wait till we're married love. I'll take care you're never sick then.' 'Oh the worry of it all,' he broke out. 'Now just you come along with me,' she said. 'Getting out in the air for a while will do you more good than any other thing.' 'I've no time.' 'No time Charley? How's that?' 'I must lay the dinner dear. Now my Albert's left, everything falls back on me you know.' 'But surely you've never forgotten how they're over to Clancarty for dinner with the Captain. Why you've a free evenin'.' 'There I go again,' he said bewildered. 'It had clean slipped my memory. Well perhaps I will at that.' 'That's right Charley,' she coaxed as she took his arm. She laid her body up against his shoulder. 'We'll sit us down by the old dovecote so you can rest. It will do you ever such a lot of good you'll see.' 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