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Authors: Jane Aiken Hodge
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anything else here, so that I can manage that, but the Bank is something else again. Besides, I don’t know how Josephine behaves there. No, it’s hopeless.’
‘You’ll have to borrow from me,’ said Anne stolidly. ‘It’s only till madame returns, after all. You can fix things better before next time.’
Next time? Would there be a next time? All her instincts warned her that this imposture was infinitely more dangerous than she had ever imagined it could be. ‘Oh, well —’ Once again she spoke to avoid thinking. ‘Time to get dressed, I suppose. Ring for Alice, would you, Anne?’ And then, at a gentle tapping on the door. ‘Who’s that? Oh —’ She pulled the negligée more tightly round her at sight of Hyde, fully dressed to go out. He had never visited her in her room before, and his appearance now came all too alarmingly pat on what she had been thinking. In his surtout , mocked part of her mind, ridiculous. Anyway, thank God, Anne was there.
‘Good morning.’ If Hyde had noticed her look of surprise, he gave no sign of it. Anyway, she comforted herself, he was, by Josephine’s report, a rare enough visitor so she had a right to look surprised. ‘I’m sorry to disturb you so early,’ he went on, closing the door quietly behind him, ‘but I have been thinking about the party.’
She managed Josephine’s laugh. ‘As if we did anything else!’
‘You don’t find it tedious, I hope?’ Was there a note of surprise in his voice?
‘Good gracious, no! When did I ever find a party tedious? Surely you know me better than that! But, between you and me, and Anne here,’ she smiled at him wickedly, ‘I am beginning to find poor Mr. Jay and his constant visits just a trifle ennuyeux . If you should see him in town this morning, my dear [it was always a curious effort to call him that] and could manage to hint him away, if only for twenty-four hours, I would be your debtor for life.’
‘Oh, in that case,’ he advanced a disconcerting step nearer, ‘and asked so charmingly, I will make a point of seeing him this morning and telling him you are suffering from a press of business. To tell truth, I had thought you found him entertaining.’
‘Why so I do,’ she hinted at a yawn. ‘Within reason. But every day, you must admit, is the outside of enough.’
‘I am delighted to find you share my feelings. The best young man in the world, but just a trifle obvious would you say?’
‘I would indeed.’ Her sigh of relief was genuine.
He smiled at her. ‘If the worst comes to the worst, make the supreme sacrifice and send him out to Winchelsea to consider “improvements” there.’
‘Oh, I hope it won’t come to that!’
‘Frankly, so do I. I like the place very well as it is. But, talking of Mr. Jay and his party, I had almost forgot my errand to you. It occurred to me this morning that we are at the very end of the year. You might, if I know you, just possibly find yourself short of funds. So here, if you will accept it, is a small contribution towards your expenses for the party, which I have no doubt will be immense. You won’t be insulted by cash, I hope? I happen to have a good deal by me, since the cotton crop sold so well.’ And, to her unspeakable delight, he handed her a comfortably filled purse.
The touch of his fingers was electric, but, thank God, he did not feel it. And, thank God likewise, the blush she felt covering her face was reasonable enough, under the circumstances. ‘La, my dear,’ she smiled at him a little tremulously, but kept her tone light, ‘You are too good! To tell truth, I have quite dreadfully outrun the constable and was at my wits’ end where to turn! I have not even a pair of gloves fit to go with my new dress for the party. But you think of everything!’
‘I do my best to. And, in fact, here is something else for you.’ He reached into his pocket and handed her a small gold key on a length of finely wrought chain. ‘I am sorry not to have
‘You’ll have to borrow from me,’ said Anne stolidly. ‘It’s only till madame returns, after all. You can fix things better before next time.’
Next time? Would there be a next time? All her instincts warned her that this imposture was infinitely more dangerous than she had ever imagined it could be. ‘Oh, well —’ Once again she spoke to avoid thinking. ‘Time to get dressed, I suppose. Ring for Alice, would you, Anne?’ And then, at a gentle tapping on the door. ‘Who’s that? Oh —’ She pulled the negligée more tightly round her at sight of Hyde, fully dressed to go out. He had never visited her in her room before, and his appearance now came all too alarmingly pat on what she had been thinking. In his surtout , mocked part of her mind, ridiculous. Anyway, thank God, Anne was there.
‘Good morning.’ If Hyde had noticed her look of surprise, he gave no sign of it. Anyway, she comforted herself, he was, by Josephine’s report, a rare enough visitor so she had a right to look surprised. ‘I’m sorry to disturb you so early,’ he went on, closing the door quietly behind him, ‘but I have been thinking about the party.’
She managed Josephine’s laugh. ‘As if we did anything else!’
‘You don’t find it tedious, I hope?’ Was there a note of surprise in his voice?
‘Good gracious, no! When did I ever find a party tedious? Surely you know me better than that! But, between you and me, and Anne here,’ she smiled at him wickedly, ‘I am beginning to find poor Mr. Jay and his constant visits just a trifle ennuyeux . If you should see him in town this morning, my dear [it was always a curious effort to call him that] and could manage to hint him away, if only for twenty-four hours, I would be your debtor for life.’
‘Oh, in that case,’ he advanced a disconcerting step nearer, ‘and asked so charmingly, I will make a point of seeing him this morning and telling him you are suffering from a press of business. To tell truth, I had thought you found him entertaining.’
‘Why so I do,’ she hinted at a yawn. ‘Within reason. But every day, you must admit, is the outside of enough.’
‘I am delighted to find you share my feelings. The best young man in the world, but just a trifle obvious would you say?’
‘I would indeed.’ Her sigh of relief was genuine.
He smiled at her. ‘If the worst comes to the worst, make the supreme sacrifice and send him out to Winchelsea to consider “improvements” there.’
‘Oh, I hope it won’t come to that!’
‘Frankly, so do I. I like the place very well as it is. But, talking of Mr. Jay and his party, I had almost forgot my errand to you. It occurred to me this morning that we are at the very end of the year. You might, if I know you, just possibly find yourself short of funds. So here, if you will accept it, is a small contribution towards your expenses for the party, which I have no doubt will be immense. You won’t be insulted by cash, I hope? I happen to have a good deal by me, since the cotton crop sold so well.’ And, to her unspeakable delight, he handed her a comfortably filled purse.
The touch of his fingers was electric, but, thank God, he did not feel it. And, thank God likewise, the blush she felt covering her face was reasonable enough, under the circumstances. ‘La, my dear,’ she smiled at him a little tremulously, but kept her tone light, ‘You are too good! To tell truth, I have quite dreadfully outrun the constable and was at my wits’ end where to turn! I have not even a pair of gloves fit to go with my new dress for the party. But you think of everything!’
‘I do my best to. And, in fact, here is something else for you.’ He reached into his pocket and handed her a small gold key on a length of finely wrought chain. ‘I am sorry not to have
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