Loving

As soon as the children were mentioned the younger woman relaxed, sat down again. There came over her face the expression of a spoiled child.

'Why of course,' she said. 'I was going to anyway.'

'You are a brick Violet. One knows one can always rely on you. Things are really becoming detestable in these big houses. I must have a word with Doctor Co

'Oh I think she's still very good,' Mrs Jack objected. Miss Swift was her own servant.

'She's excellent Violet, quite excellent. I only meant she was getting older as I am. But that's the dilemma nowadays. Whether to have matters out with the servants and then to see them all give notice, or to carry on anyhow so to speak with the existing staff and have some idea in the back of one's mind that things may change for the better? What would you do?'

'My dear I think you manage wonderfully,' Mrs Jack said in a reassuring voice.

'Well I don't know about that,' Mrs Te

'Did Jack's stepfather live here much before he died?'

'Edward would never be away from the place when he first rented it,' Mrs Te

'Well anyway I think you are doing a perfectly marvellous job,' Mrs Jack murmured.

'Thank you darling. You are a great comfort. I love this house. It's my life now. If only there wasn't this feeling of distrust hanging over one.'

'Distrust?' Mrs Jack enquired rather sharply again.

'This business about my ring,' her mother-in-law replied. 'What I always say is, if one can't trust the people about you where is one?'

'Oh but I'm sure you can? Of course Edith's very much in love with Raunce, we all know that, which makes her a bit fu

'Imaginative my dear?'

'Well you know how it is. She's trying to land Raunce. My God fthat man's a cold fish. I'm glad it isn't me.'

'Let them marry, let them live in sin if they like so long as we keep them but my dear,' the elder Mrs Te

'I ran out of fags,' he explained looking mildly at his wife who smiled faintly indulgent at him.

'Oh Jack,' his mother said, 'we're asking Captain Davenport, do you remember him, over for di

'Him?' the young man asked. 'Has he got back then?'

'I didn't know he'd been away,' Mrs Te

'Oh we saw quite a lot of him in London this time didn't we Doll,' he remarked casually to his wife.

'Well there's no one else in this desert of a place so you'll simply have to see him again that's all,' Mrs Te

The evenings were fast lengthening. Charley and Edith slipped out after supper that same day to be with each other on the very seat by the dovecote where Miss Swift that first afternoon of spring had told her charges a fairy story while they watched the birds love-making. These, up in the air in declining light, were all now engaged on a last turn round before going back inside the leaning tower to hood their eyes in feathers.

Edith laid her lovely head on Raunce's nearest shoulder and above them, above the great shadows laid by trees those white birds wheeled in a sky of eggshell blue and pink with a remote sound of applause as, circling, they clapped their stretched, starched wings in flight.

That side of Edith's face open to the reflection of the sky was a deep red.

'She passed my books all right this mornin',' he murmured.

'What books?' she asked low and sleepy.

'Me monthly accounts,' he replied.

'Did she?' Edith sighed content. They fell silent. At some distance peacocks called to one another, shriek upon far shriek.

'That'll mean a bit more put away for when we are together,' he went on and pressed her arm. She settled closer to him.

'You're wonderful,' she said so low he hardly heard.

'I love you,' he answered.

Her left hand came up to lie against his cheek.

'An' did you ask about our little house we're going to have?' she enquired.

'I did that. But Mrs T. couldn't seem to take it in. She said yes and no and went on about Michael being tiresome. But of course I didn't come straight out about it's being for us dear.'

'You wouldn't,' she made comment dreamily.

'Ah you want to move too fast in some things you do. Slow but sure that's me,' and he chuckled. 'I get 'em so they think it's their idea.'

'You're smart!' she murmured in admiration.

'Clever Charley's the name,' he echoed and kissed her forehead. 'You see girl you want to go soft. A bit at a time.'

'What's it worth to you?' she wanted to know, the hand she had against his cheek stiffening up his face. 'This job I mean,' she added.

'Why you know the money I draw dear? I've made no secret.'

'Yes but the extra on the books?'

'Oh maybe two or three quid a week.'

'Here,' she said drawing her face slightly away, 'it was more like five or six pounds when you told me a week or two back.'

'Not on your life,' he said in a louder voice. 'You've got it wrong. I couldn't have.'

'You did,' she insisted.

'All you women are the same,' he a

'You wouldn't hold out on me would you Charley?' Edith asked sweet, but looking at him.

'Come off it,' he murmured and kissed her mouth.

'I don't know but I do love you,' she said when she could.

After a time he rather unexpectedly tried her out with some news, sitting back as though to watch the effect.

'The Captain was at di

'Captain Davenport? Oh him,' and she laughed.