this.’
‘I’ve got to try and be sensible.’ She briefly raised her eyes to his. ‘Goodbye, Joel.’
Without waiting for a response she turned away, and left him standing there.
*
The following Sunday when she came by the park he was there again. As she drew closer he came towards her, greeting her with a smile and a hello.
‘I didn’t expect to see you here,’ she said.
‘Didn’t you? Would you believe me if I said I just happened to be passing by?’
She had to smile. ‘Well, no – I have to say I wouldn’t.’
‘No, and I wouldn’t blame you. It wouldn’t be the truth.’ He paused. ‘You said to me that my father would have taught me well, didn’t you? Well, he’s taught me many things, one of them being that I should never take no for an answer.’
‘I’ll remember that,’ she said, then added, ‘Though if you wait for me again next week you’re going to wait a very long time.’
‘Ah, yes, you’re going home – to Compton Wells.’
‘For a fortnight. I leave first thing Sunday morning.’
He gave a nod and sighed. ‘And soon after you return I shall be off to France – and then come back for Cambridge, for the new term.’
He was studying her intently as he spoke, and she said after a moment, ‘What’s wrong? Have I got smuts on my nose?’
‘I’m trying to read your expression,’ he said. ‘I’m wondering whether I dare ask you to walk with me for a spell – seeing as how I can’t come and waylay you next Sunday.’
Her mouth broadened into a smile, and he put his head a little on one side and said, ‘Oh, Lily, I appreciate everything you say, but let’s not let a perfectly good friendship go to waste. We can be friends, I know we can. And I’d never see you get hurt, I promise you I wouldn’t.’
‘Oh, don’t,’ she said quickly. ‘Don’t make promises.’
‘I mean it.’
‘I know you do, but – I’m eighteen years old. Old enough to go through life with my eyes open.’
They stood for some moments without speaking, then he said, ‘Well – are we going for a walk?’
Still not answering, she stood reconsidering.
‘It’s only a walk in the park,’ he said. ‘It’s not a trip to the moon.’
‘Yes. Yes, all right. Just for a little while.’ After all, she said to herself, what harm could it do? It was just a little walk in the sun. And besides, she had made clear to him her reservations, her awareness of the barrier of their differing situations, and she would not allow anything to sway her from her position of commonsense.
Side by side they walked past the bandstand while the band played a lilting waltz melody. Lily said, ‘I don’t know this song,’ to which Joel replied, ‘It’s called ‘Gardenias for my Lady’. I heard it sung at the music hall.’
Lily listened to the strains of the music for a few seconds, then said, ‘It’s a very pretty tune,’ and added, ‘I don’t think I’ve ever seen a gardenia. I wouldn’t even know what one looks like. What colour are they?’
‘White. They’re white.’
‘Do they grow in England?’
‘I’ve no idea,’ Joel said.
With the music following their steps they walked once more beside the pond, where the mallards again basked in the sun, and then sat for a little while talking and looking out over the water.
There was not much time, though, and only a little later Joel walked back with her in the direction of the Haskins’ house. They came to a stop some fifty yards or so from the front gate.
Joel said with a sigh, ‘The rest of the summer’s going to fly by, I know it. Before you can say Jack Robinson it’ll be over and I’ll be back at Cambridge.’
‘Oh, I envy you that,’ Lily said.
‘Going to Cambridge? Studying law?’
‘Well, not necessarily to study law, but to be able to study – for years even.’
‘They don’t have ladies there, you know. There are no young ladies training to be lawyers.’
‘That’s not right,’ she said. ‘It’s not
‘I’ve got to try and be sensible.’ She briefly raised her eyes to his. ‘Goodbye, Joel.’
Without waiting for a response she turned away, and left him standing there.
*
The following Sunday when she came by the park he was there again. As she drew closer he came towards her, greeting her with a smile and a hello.
‘I didn’t expect to see you here,’ she said.
‘Didn’t you? Would you believe me if I said I just happened to be passing by?’
She had to smile. ‘Well, no – I have to say I wouldn’t.’
‘No, and I wouldn’t blame you. It wouldn’t be the truth.’ He paused. ‘You said to me that my father would have taught me well, didn’t you? Well, he’s taught me many things, one of them being that I should never take no for an answer.’
‘I’ll remember that,’ she said, then added, ‘Though if you wait for me again next week you’re going to wait a very long time.’
‘Ah, yes, you’re going home – to Compton Wells.’
‘For a fortnight. I leave first thing Sunday morning.’
He gave a nod and sighed. ‘And soon after you return I shall be off to France – and then come back for Cambridge, for the new term.’
He was studying her intently as he spoke, and she said after a moment, ‘What’s wrong? Have I got smuts on my nose?’
‘I’m trying to read your expression,’ he said. ‘I’m wondering whether I dare ask you to walk with me for a spell – seeing as how I can’t come and waylay you next Sunday.’
Her mouth broadened into a smile, and he put his head a little on one side and said, ‘Oh, Lily, I appreciate everything you say, but let’s not let a perfectly good friendship go to waste. We can be friends, I know we can. And I’d never see you get hurt, I promise you I wouldn’t.’
‘Oh, don’t,’ she said quickly. ‘Don’t make promises.’
‘I mean it.’
‘I know you do, but – I’m eighteen years old. Old enough to go through life with my eyes open.’
They stood for some moments without speaking, then he said, ‘Well – are we going for a walk?’
Still not answering, she stood reconsidering.
‘It’s only a walk in the park,’ he said. ‘It’s not a trip to the moon.’
‘Yes. Yes, all right. Just for a little while.’ After all, she said to herself, what harm could it do? It was just a little walk in the sun. And besides, she had made clear to him her reservations, her awareness of the barrier of their differing situations, and she would not allow anything to sway her from her position of commonsense.
Side by side they walked past the bandstand while the band played a lilting waltz melody. Lily said, ‘I don’t know this song,’ to which Joel replied, ‘It’s called ‘Gardenias for my Lady’. I heard it sung at the music hall.’
Lily listened to the strains of the music for a few seconds, then said, ‘It’s a very pretty tune,’ and added, ‘I don’t think I’ve ever seen a gardenia. I wouldn’t even know what one looks like. What colour are they?’
‘White. They’re white.’
‘Do they grow in England?’
‘I’ve no idea,’ Joel said.
With the music following their steps they walked once more beside the pond, where the mallards again basked in the sun, and then sat for a little while talking and looking out over the water.
There was not much time, though, and only a little later Joel walked back with her in the direction of the Haskins’ house. They came to a stop some fifty yards or so from the front gate.
Joel said with a sigh, ‘The rest of the summer’s going to fly by, I know it. Before you can say Jack Robinson it’ll be over and I’ll be back at Cambridge.’
‘Oh, I envy you that,’ Lily said.
‘Going to Cambridge? Studying law?’
‘Well, not necessarily to study law, but to be able to study – for years even.’
‘They don’t have ladies there, you know. There are no young ladies training to be lawyers.’
‘That’s not right,’ she said. ‘It’s not
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