himself, she answered, after consideration: 'No. I always think, when things are at their worst, that tomorrow will be better. And it very often is - as when your mother, finding me, if not quite destitute, at any rate at my wits' end, invited me to stay with her. So don't despair, Torquil!'
She ended by impulsively pressing his thin hand, and smiling up into his suddenly haggard face. He stared hungrily down at her for a moment, before shaking off her hand, and saying harshly: 'Well, let us take a look at the Italian garden - and the rose-garden - and the knot-garden - and the belvedere - if that's what you wish! Oh, and the herb-garden, and the shrubbery! Not that you will see much in them at this season! But you won't care for that, I daresay!'
She stood her ground, saying calmly: 'But I do care. Take me, if you please, to the belvedere, which I have already seen from the window of my room, and which seems to command a view of the lake!'
Their eyes battled for mastery. Hers won, their coolness quenching the flame in his; but the effort to withstand his scorching gaze left her shaken. Before she could bring her thoughts into order, the flame had shrunk, and he was making an exaggerated bow, and saying gaily: 'As you wish, cousin! This way!'
She walked in silence beside him down a path which led to the belvedere, and almost shrank from him when, all at once, he stopped, compelling her to do so too by gripping her arm, and swinging her round to face him. 'Are you afraid of me, Cousin Kate?' he demanded.
'Afraid of you? No, why should I be?' she countered.
'You jumped!'
'Well, so I should think, when you startled me so much!' she said indignantly. 'For goodness' sake, Torquil, don't playact! At all events, not to me, for, whatever your entourage may feel, I am quite unimpressed! Now, if you will be so obliging as to let me go, we will proceed on our way to the belvedere!'
He gave a low chuckle, and released his painful grip on her arm. 'Strong, aren't I?' He flexed his long fingers, regarding them with an admiring smile. 'I could strangle you one-handed, you know. Wouldn't think it, to look at me, would you?'
'No, but as I haven't had occasion to consider the matter there's nothing wonderful in that!' she retorted, rubbing her arm. His chagrined face stirred her sense of fun; she broke into laughter, and said: 'Cry craven, Torquil! You have the wrong sow by the ear: I'm not so easily impressed!'
That made him echo her laughter. 'Kate, Cousin Kate, do you call yourself a sow? I should never dare do so! You are the most unusual girl!'
'I've had an unusual upbringing - and well for you if you don't call me a sow! Now, do come to the belvedere! My aunt will certainly ask if you showed it to me, and if you are obliged to say that you didn't, it will be all holiday with you!'
He threw a quick look over his shoulder, as though he feared to see Lady Broome. 'Yes. As you say! Come, let's run!'
He caught her hand as he spoke, and forced her to run beside him down the path. She made a snatch at her skirt, but arrived, breathless, laughing, and with a torn flounce, at the belvedere. ' Odious boy!' she scolded, pulling her hand out of his. 'Just look at what you've made me do to my gown! Now I must pin it up!' She opened her reticule, drew out a paper of pins, and, sitting down on the steps, began to repair the damage.
Watching with great interest, Torquil asked if she always carried pins.
'Yes, for one never knows when one may need them. There! I hope it will hold until I can stitch it - and that my aunt doesn't see me with a pinned-up flounce! She would take me for a regular Mab, I daresay. I may now enjoy the view - and, oh, yes, I do enjoy it! How very right your mama was to build a belvedere just here! May I enter it?'
'Do!' he said cordially.
She mounted the steps, and found herself in a summer-house, which was furnished with a table, and one chair. A book lay on the table and a standish was set beside it. Kate said:
She ended by impulsively pressing his thin hand, and smiling up into his suddenly haggard face. He stared hungrily down at her for a moment, before shaking off her hand, and saying harshly: 'Well, let us take a look at the Italian garden - and the rose-garden - and the knot-garden - and the belvedere - if that's what you wish! Oh, and the herb-garden, and the shrubbery! Not that you will see much in them at this season! But you won't care for that, I daresay!'
She stood her ground, saying calmly: 'But I do care. Take me, if you please, to the belvedere, which I have already seen from the window of my room, and which seems to command a view of the lake!'
Their eyes battled for mastery. Hers won, their coolness quenching the flame in his; but the effort to withstand his scorching gaze left her shaken. Before she could bring her thoughts into order, the flame had shrunk, and he was making an exaggerated bow, and saying gaily: 'As you wish, cousin! This way!'
She walked in silence beside him down a path which led to the belvedere, and almost shrank from him when, all at once, he stopped, compelling her to do so too by gripping her arm, and swinging her round to face him. 'Are you afraid of me, Cousin Kate?' he demanded.
'Afraid of you? No, why should I be?' she countered.
'You jumped!'
'Well, so I should think, when you startled me so much!' she said indignantly. 'For goodness' sake, Torquil, don't playact! At all events, not to me, for, whatever your entourage may feel, I am quite unimpressed! Now, if you will be so obliging as to let me go, we will proceed on our way to the belvedere!'
He gave a low chuckle, and released his painful grip on her arm. 'Strong, aren't I?' He flexed his long fingers, regarding them with an admiring smile. 'I could strangle you one-handed, you know. Wouldn't think it, to look at me, would you?'
'No, but as I haven't had occasion to consider the matter there's nothing wonderful in that!' she retorted, rubbing her arm. His chagrined face stirred her sense of fun; she broke into laughter, and said: 'Cry craven, Torquil! You have the wrong sow by the ear: I'm not so easily impressed!'
That made him echo her laughter. 'Kate, Cousin Kate, do you call yourself a sow? I should never dare do so! You are the most unusual girl!'
'I've had an unusual upbringing - and well for you if you don't call me a sow! Now, do come to the belvedere! My aunt will certainly ask if you showed it to me, and if you are obliged to say that you didn't, it will be all holiday with you!'
He threw a quick look over his shoulder, as though he feared to see Lady Broome. 'Yes. As you say! Come, let's run!'
He caught her hand as he spoke, and forced her to run beside him down the path. She made a snatch at her skirt, but arrived, breathless, laughing, and with a torn flounce, at the belvedere. ' Odious boy!' she scolded, pulling her hand out of his. 'Just look at what you've made me do to my gown! Now I must pin it up!' She opened her reticule, drew out a paper of pins, and, sitting down on the steps, began to repair the damage.
Watching with great interest, Torquil asked if she always carried pins.
'Yes, for one never knows when one may need them. There! I hope it will hold until I can stitch it - and that my aunt doesn't see me with a pinned-up flounce! She would take me for a regular Mab, I daresay. I may now enjoy the view - and, oh, yes, I do enjoy it! How very right your mama was to build a belvedere just here! May I enter it?'
'Do!' he said cordially.
She mounted the steps, and found herself in a summer-house, which was furnished with a table, and one chair. A book lay on the table and a standish was set beside it. Kate said:
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