hurry for it. Keep it as long as you want.’
She said nothing to this, and they stood in silence for some moments, she avoiding his gaze, which she knew was fixed upon her. Then she gave a little nod, an awkward half-smile, and said, ‘Well – goodbye, then.’
He smiled. ‘Till next Sunday – yes, goodbye.’
She turned and started away. It was some fifty yards to the house, and over every inch of those fifty yards the repeating thought went through her brain that she was behaving like a fool. How could she have agreed to meet him again? No good could ever come of it.
She came to the gate and, turning, saw him still standing there, watching her. Then, suddenly, she was hurrying back towards him. As she came to a halt before him, she said without preamble, gabbling the words, ‘I’m sorry, butI can’t see you next Sunday. I simply shan’t have time. I’m very sorry.’ A brief pause. ‘Goodbye.’
‘Oh, wait a second,’ he said as she started away. ‘What about – well – can’t we meet on some other day?’
She turned back to face him. ‘I – I don’t know,’ she stammered. ‘Listen – I must go.’ She turned away, and then immediately turned back to him again. ‘Send me your address,’ she said, ‘and I’ll send you back your book.’
He frowned. ‘What? I don’t want the book. You can keep it.’
‘Oh, but –’
‘It’s just a book.’
She gave a little nod. ‘Well – thank you.’ Another little nod. ‘I’m sorry,’ she said. ‘I’m really so sorry.’ She turned away for the last time. ‘Goodbye.’
As she walked away she could feel his eyes on her back. This time when she got to the gate, she did not look back.
The following Sunday afternoon, returning to the Haskins’ after getting Mrs Shalcross’s midday dinner, Lily took her usual route past the park. As she drew near the entrance she saw Joel there, sitting on a bench by the gates. For a moment she faltered in her step, and briefly considered changing direction, but he had his eyes on her, she could see, and as she approached, he got up from his seat and came towards her.
‘See, you can’t get rid of me that easily,’ he said.
She stood self-consciously before him. She felt foolish and ill-kempt. Through carelessness in Mrs Shalcross’s kitchen she had stained her dress, and now she could feel that a couple of her hair pins were coming loose.
‘I began to think you weren’t coming,’ he said. ‘Or maybe that you’d taken another route home.’
‘I had to stay on with the old lady. I’ve been doing jobs for her around the house.’ She shook her head. ‘I – I can’tstop, I’m afraid. I told Mrs Haskin I’d be back in good time.’
‘Can’t you spare a few minutes? Ten minutes won’t hurt.’
When she did not answer, he said, ‘Five minutes, then. Come and sit down for five minutes.’ As he spoke there came from within the park the sound of the band striking up. ‘There you are,’ he said, ‘here’s the music – just for you.’
‘No, really, I’ve got to go. I’m sorry.’
With her words she stepped away, and at once he moved along beside her.
They walked without speaking alongside the park railings, then crossed the street to turn at the corner of Nelson Way, Lily walking at a smart pace, her basket over her arm. The music of the band faded behind them. After they’d gone a little way, Joel said, chuckling, ‘Well, you can certainly step it out, Lily. Good job I’ve got long legs.’
She slowed her pace a little. At the next corner she came to a halt. As Joel stopped beside her, she said, ‘You don’t need to come any further, thank you.’ She felt the skin on her face hot, flushed. She wanted only to get away.
‘What’s the matter?’ Joel said. ‘Have I done something to offend you? Have I said something?’
‘What? No, of course not.’ She looked down, unable to meet his gaze.
‘Then tell me what it is – what’s wrong. It’s like I’ve become some
She said nothing to this, and they stood in silence for some moments, she avoiding his gaze, which she knew was fixed upon her. Then she gave a little nod, an awkward half-smile, and said, ‘Well – goodbye, then.’
He smiled. ‘Till next Sunday – yes, goodbye.’
She turned and started away. It was some fifty yards to the house, and over every inch of those fifty yards the repeating thought went through her brain that she was behaving like a fool. How could she have agreed to meet him again? No good could ever come of it.
She came to the gate and, turning, saw him still standing there, watching her. Then, suddenly, she was hurrying back towards him. As she came to a halt before him, she said without preamble, gabbling the words, ‘I’m sorry, butI can’t see you next Sunday. I simply shan’t have time. I’m very sorry.’ A brief pause. ‘Goodbye.’
‘Oh, wait a second,’ he said as she started away. ‘What about – well – can’t we meet on some other day?’
She turned back to face him. ‘I – I don’t know,’ she stammered. ‘Listen – I must go.’ She turned away, and then immediately turned back to him again. ‘Send me your address,’ she said, ‘and I’ll send you back your book.’
He frowned. ‘What? I don’t want the book. You can keep it.’
‘Oh, but –’
‘It’s just a book.’
She gave a little nod. ‘Well – thank you.’ Another little nod. ‘I’m sorry,’ she said. ‘I’m really so sorry.’ She turned away for the last time. ‘Goodbye.’
As she walked away she could feel his eyes on her back. This time when she got to the gate, she did not look back.
The following Sunday afternoon, returning to the Haskins’ after getting Mrs Shalcross’s midday dinner, Lily took her usual route past the park. As she drew near the entrance she saw Joel there, sitting on a bench by the gates. For a moment she faltered in her step, and briefly considered changing direction, but he had his eyes on her, she could see, and as she approached, he got up from his seat and came towards her.
‘See, you can’t get rid of me that easily,’ he said.
She stood self-consciously before him. She felt foolish and ill-kempt. Through carelessness in Mrs Shalcross’s kitchen she had stained her dress, and now she could feel that a couple of her hair pins were coming loose.
‘I began to think you weren’t coming,’ he said. ‘Or maybe that you’d taken another route home.’
‘I had to stay on with the old lady. I’ve been doing jobs for her around the house.’ She shook her head. ‘I – I can’tstop, I’m afraid. I told Mrs Haskin I’d be back in good time.’
‘Can’t you spare a few minutes? Ten minutes won’t hurt.’
When she did not answer, he said, ‘Five minutes, then. Come and sit down for five minutes.’ As he spoke there came from within the park the sound of the band striking up. ‘There you are,’ he said, ‘here’s the music – just for you.’
‘No, really, I’ve got to go. I’m sorry.’
With her words she stepped away, and at once he moved along beside her.
They walked without speaking alongside the park railings, then crossed the street to turn at the corner of Nelson Way, Lily walking at a smart pace, her basket over her arm. The music of the band faded behind them. After they’d gone a little way, Joel said, chuckling, ‘Well, you can certainly step it out, Lily. Good job I’ve got long legs.’
She slowed her pace a little. At the next corner she came to a halt. As Joel stopped beside her, she said, ‘You don’t need to come any further, thank you.’ She felt the skin on her face hot, flushed. She wanted only to get away.
‘What’s the matter?’ Joel said. ‘Have I done something to offend you? Have I said something?’
‘What? No, of course not.’ She looked down, unable to meet his gaze.
‘Then tell me what it is – what’s wrong. It’s like I’ve become some
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