name would be in the dust. Separated from Calvin I would be no more than an object of pity, the cast-off wife and no one would have known any more than that.’ She paused and squeezed his hands, ‘By living with you openly I’ve shown the world the reason why Calvin cast me aside, I’ve become a woman to scorn in the eyes of some people. I think I’ve proved that I love you, Will.’
‘You’re right, of course. Forgive me.’ He raised her hand and kissed the calloused palm. ‘You could have encouraged Calvin, gone back to him, shared the comfort of his mansion but you came home to me. I was a fool to doubt you.’
He knelt at her feet, wrapped his arms around her waist and touched her throat with his lips. ‘I love you so much that it’s like a pain inside me.’
Eline put her hands on his cheeks and kissed his mouth. ‘Prove how much you love me,’ she whispered with her lips still against his. He rose at once and swept her up into his arms and gently set her down on the bed.
The shop in World’s End, approached from the back, turned out to be little more than a shed, and within was a rough workbench, cluttered with bits of leather, hob nails, a last and other implements of the cobbling trade. Will Davies sat at a bench, hammering a sole into place on a leather boot. He looked up and smiled. He was a handsome devil but no more handsome than Calvin Temple, Arian mused.
‘Hello,’ she said, ‘I’m looking for something special; a nice pair of boots, must be dainty, mind, something preferably designed by Eline herself.’
‘You want to speak to Eline?’ Will said rising from the bench. ‘I’ll give her a shout – she’s inside the house coping with our son.’ The pride in his voice was apparent and Arian could see a little of the charm that had induced Eline to leave her husband.
‘Arian Smale!’ Eline came forward, her cheeks flushed. She had the look of a happy woman about her. ‘There’s nice to see you! What are you doing in town, shopping is it?’
‘I’m looking for a special pair of boots,’ Arian said, smiling, envying Eline’s obvious contentment. ‘I’m going to work as a book-keeper, at least for the time being and my boss wants me to look the part.’ She didn’t think it politic to mention that she was still working for Eline’s husband.
‘A book-keeper is it? Well, I’m glad to see you getting on. I was always pleased with your work, mind, I gave you quite a lot of responsibility and you carried it well, fair play.’
But Price Davies had soon put a stop to that, Arian thought bitterly.
‘Well you’ve come to the right place if you want nice boots.’ Will Davies’s voice broke into Arian’s thoughts. ‘Eline has been designing again, she’s done so well that we’ve expanded our premises,’ he smiled ruefully. ‘Come on in. Right along the passage there you’ll find our shop.’ He led the way and Eline took Arian’s arm, ‘It’s not much, mind, but to us it’s a big step forward.’
William flung open a door and gestured round the large room with the big window facing the front. ‘Our landlady has actually let us use this part of the house as a shop instead of us having to sell from the back yard.’ He pointed to a row of roughly made shelves.
‘Would you like to see some examples of what Eline has done?’
‘Will, don’t be so pushy. Take no notice of him.’ Eline was actually blushing. ‘The stuff here is quite ordinary, I’m trying to build up a stock, you see.’
‘Well, that’s what I’m here for, to see some boots. Come on, Eline, don’t be modest. Show me something hard-wearing and smart.’
It was fun to sit on a stool and try on the boots Eline spread out on the floor before her. They were fashioned in leather that was fine even by Arian’s high standards and she rubbed her fingertips over a pair of boots in brown, polished leather with kid inserts on the front, admiring them openly.
She eventually found a pair that fitted
‘You’re right, of course. Forgive me.’ He raised her hand and kissed the calloused palm. ‘You could have encouraged Calvin, gone back to him, shared the comfort of his mansion but you came home to me. I was a fool to doubt you.’
He knelt at her feet, wrapped his arms around her waist and touched her throat with his lips. ‘I love you so much that it’s like a pain inside me.’
Eline put her hands on his cheeks and kissed his mouth. ‘Prove how much you love me,’ she whispered with her lips still against his. He rose at once and swept her up into his arms and gently set her down on the bed.
The shop in World’s End, approached from the back, turned out to be little more than a shed, and within was a rough workbench, cluttered with bits of leather, hob nails, a last and other implements of the cobbling trade. Will Davies sat at a bench, hammering a sole into place on a leather boot. He looked up and smiled. He was a handsome devil but no more handsome than Calvin Temple, Arian mused.
‘Hello,’ she said, ‘I’m looking for something special; a nice pair of boots, must be dainty, mind, something preferably designed by Eline herself.’
‘You want to speak to Eline?’ Will said rising from the bench. ‘I’ll give her a shout – she’s inside the house coping with our son.’ The pride in his voice was apparent and Arian could see a little of the charm that had induced Eline to leave her husband.
‘Arian Smale!’ Eline came forward, her cheeks flushed. She had the look of a happy woman about her. ‘There’s nice to see you! What are you doing in town, shopping is it?’
‘I’m looking for a special pair of boots,’ Arian said, smiling, envying Eline’s obvious contentment. ‘I’m going to work as a book-keeper, at least for the time being and my boss wants me to look the part.’ She didn’t think it politic to mention that she was still working for Eline’s husband.
‘A book-keeper is it? Well, I’m glad to see you getting on. I was always pleased with your work, mind, I gave you quite a lot of responsibility and you carried it well, fair play.’
But Price Davies had soon put a stop to that, Arian thought bitterly.
‘Well you’ve come to the right place if you want nice boots.’ Will Davies’s voice broke into Arian’s thoughts. ‘Eline has been designing again, she’s done so well that we’ve expanded our premises,’ he smiled ruefully. ‘Come on in. Right along the passage there you’ll find our shop.’ He led the way and Eline took Arian’s arm, ‘It’s not much, mind, but to us it’s a big step forward.’
William flung open a door and gestured round the large room with the big window facing the front. ‘Our landlady has actually let us use this part of the house as a shop instead of us having to sell from the back yard.’ He pointed to a row of roughly made shelves.
‘Would you like to see some examples of what Eline has done?’
‘Will, don’t be so pushy. Take no notice of him.’ Eline was actually blushing. ‘The stuff here is quite ordinary, I’m trying to build up a stock, you see.’
‘Well, that’s what I’m here for, to see some boots. Come on, Eline, don’t be modest. Show me something hard-wearing and smart.’
It was fun to sit on a stool and try on the boots Eline spread out on the floor before her. They were fashioned in leather that was fine even by Arian’s high standards and she rubbed her fingertips over a pair of boots in brown, polished leather with kid inserts on the front, admiring them openly.
She eventually found a pair that fitted
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