Read Online Cousin Kate by Georgette Heyer - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Georgette Heyer
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'Is it private, this room? Ought I to be in it?'
'Oh, yes! I don't care.'
'You may not, but perhaps your mama might!'
'Why? She doesn't sit here!'
'Is it yours, then? I'm very much obliged to you for letting me see it.' She moved to the front of the round tower, and stood resting her hands on the stone ledge, looking out between the slender pillars to the lake below, and to the trees and the flowering shrubs beyond the lake. 'It is very beautiful,' she said, in a troubled tone. 'Very beautiful, and yet very sad. Why should still water be so melancholy?'
'I don't know. I don't find it so. Come down to the bridge! There is a willow grows aslant a brook, That shows his hoar leaves in the glassy stream - only it isn't a brook! Just a deep lake!'
She followed him down the steps to the stone bridge which was flung across the narrow end of the lake. He went ahead of her to the middle of the bridge, and stood there, leaning his arms on the parapet, and watching her with a mocking smile. 'Come along!' he coaxed. 'I won't throw you in!'
She laughed. 'No, won't you?'
'Not if you don't wish it!'
'I most certainly do not wish it!'
'Don't you? Not at all? I often think how pleasant it would be to drown.'
'Well, it wouldn't be in the least pleasant!' she said severely. 'Are you trying to make my flesh creep? I warn you, I have a very matter-of-fact mind, and shall put you to a non-plus! What lies beyond the lake?'
'Oh, the Home Wood! Do you care to walk in it?'
'Yes, of all things! If we have time? What is the time?'
'I haven't a notion. Does it signify?'
'I was thinking of my aunt.'
'Why?'
'She may need me to do something for her!'
'Mama? Good God, she doesn't need anyone to do things for her!' he said impatiently. 'Besides, she told me to take you all about!'
'Oh, then in that case!—' she said, yielding.
It was pleasant in the wood, sheltered from the slight but sharp wind, and with the sun filtering through the trees. There were several grassy rides cut through the undergrowth, and in a clearing bluebells had been planted. Kate exclaimed in delight at these, and could scarcely drag herself away. 'How much I envy you!' she said impulsively. 'I have never lived in the English countryside, until last year, and then, you know, it wasn't springtime. The autumn tints were lovely, but oh, how it did rain!'
'Where was this?' he asked.
'In Cambridgeshire, not far from Wisbech. I was employed as governess to two detestably spoilt children, and as the elder was only seven our walks were restricted. Thank God I left before the third could be handed over to me!'
'A governess!' he said, looking very much struck. 'Does Mama know this?'
'Of course she does! You may say that she rescued me!' She glanced up at him inquiringly. 'Didn't she tell you?'
'Tell me? Oh, no! How could you suppose she would? She never tells me anything!'
'Perhaps she thought I shouldn't wish it to be known.'
'More likely she didn't wish it to be known! Very high in the instep, my dear mama! Keeps the world at a proper distance !'
Kate was shocked, for there was a note of venom in his voice. After a moment's hesitation, she said diffidently: 'You should not speak so, least of all to me. Recollect that I have cause to be grateful to her! Indeed, she has almost overwhelmed me by her kindness!'
'Has she, by Jove? I wonder why?' he said ruminatively, his eyes narrowed, and gleaming strangely. 'You may depend upon it that she has a reason! But what can it be?' His eyes slid to her face, saw in it a deep disapproval, and shifted. 'Oh, are you shocked?' he said derisively. 'Do you believe that one should love and honour one's parents? Well, I don't, do you hear me? I don't! I am treated like a child - not allowed to do this - not allowed to do the other - kept in seclusion-spied on—' He broke off, his face convulsed with rage. He covered it with his shaking hands, and said chokingly: ' She is to blame! She has my father so much under her thumb - oh, you
'Oh, yes! I don't care.'
'You may not, but perhaps your mama might!'
'Why? She doesn't sit here!'
'Is it yours, then? I'm very much obliged to you for letting me see it.' She moved to the front of the round tower, and stood resting her hands on the stone ledge, looking out between the slender pillars to the lake below, and to the trees and the flowering shrubs beyond the lake. 'It is very beautiful,' she said, in a troubled tone. 'Very beautiful, and yet very sad. Why should still water be so melancholy?'
'I don't know. I don't find it so. Come down to the bridge! There is a willow grows aslant a brook, That shows his hoar leaves in the glassy stream - only it isn't a brook! Just a deep lake!'
She followed him down the steps to the stone bridge which was flung across the narrow end of the lake. He went ahead of her to the middle of the bridge, and stood there, leaning his arms on the parapet, and watching her with a mocking smile. 'Come along!' he coaxed. 'I won't throw you in!'
She laughed. 'No, won't you?'
'Not if you don't wish it!'
'I most certainly do not wish it!'
'Don't you? Not at all? I often think how pleasant it would be to drown.'
'Well, it wouldn't be in the least pleasant!' she said severely. 'Are you trying to make my flesh creep? I warn you, I have a very matter-of-fact mind, and shall put you to a non-plus! What lies beyond the lake?'
'Oh, the Home Wood! Do you care to walk in it?'
'Yes, of all things! If we have time? What is the time?'
'I haven't a notion. Does it signify?'
'I was thinking of my aunt.'
'Why?'
'She may need me to do something for her!'
'Mama? Good God, she doesn't need anyone to do things for her!' he said impatiently. 'Besides, she told me to take you all about!'
'Oh, then in that case!—' she said, yielding.
It was pleasant in the wood, sheltered from the slight but sharp wind, and with the sun filtering through the trees. There were several grassy rides cut through the undergrowth, and in a clearing bluebells had been planted. Kate exclaimed in delight at these, and could scarcely drag herself away. 'How much I envy you!' she said impulsively. 'I have never lived in the English countryside, until last year, and then, you know, it wasn't springtime. The autumn tints were lovely, but oh, how it did rain!'
'Where was this?' he asked.
'In Cambridgeshire, not far from Wisbech. I was employed as governess to two detestably spoilt children, and as the elder was only seven our walks were restricted. Thank God I left before the third could be handed over to me!'
'A governess!' he said, looking very much struck. 'Does Mama know this?'
'Of course she does! You may say that she rescued me!' She glanced up at him inquiringly. 'Didn't she tell you?'
'Tell me? Oh, no! How could you suppose she would? She never tells me anything!'
'Perhaps she thought I shouldn't wish it to be known.'
'More likely she didn't wish it to be known! Very high in the instep, my dear mama! Keeps the world at a proper distance !'
Kate was shocked, for there was a note of venom in his voice. After a moment's hesitation, she said diffidently: 'You should not speak so, least of all to me. Recollect that I have cause to be grateful to her! Indeed, she has almost overwhelmed me by her kindness!'
'Has she, by Jove? I wonder why?' he said ruminatively, his eyes narrowed, and gleaming strangely. 'You may depend upon it that she has a reason! But what can it be?' His eyes slid to her face, saw in it a deep disapproval, and shifted. 'Oh, are you shocked?' he said derisively. 'Do you believe that one should love and honour one's parents? Well, I don't, do you hear me? I don't! I am treated like a child - not allowed to do this - not allowed to do the other - kept in seclusion-spied on—' He broke off, his face convulsed with rage. He covered it with his shaking hands, and said chokingly: ' She is to blame! She has my father so much under her thumb - oh, you
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