Read Online The House Above the River by Josephine Bell - Free Book Online Page A

… you …”
    â€œYou are thinking of yesterday. When you came into the room. Do you know what I was about to do?”
    Susan reddened.
    â€œI was not going to kiss her, you little clot; I was going to shake the hysteria out of her, if I shook her head off.”
    Susan exploded into laughter: Giles joined in, and for some seconds neither could speak.
    â€œSeriously, though,” said Giles, at last, with an effort, “I swear it happened as I’ve said; eight years ago, I mean. It amazes me now to think I didn’t see the snags at that time. They stick out a mile. I suppose she really isn’t quite normal.”
    â€œPoor thing,” said Susan, also recovering her gravity. “She seems to exist by making herself miserable.”
    She paused, and then asked shyly, “Did you really not know she lived here?”
    â€œCertainly not. Why do you think I might have known?”
    â€œHenry thinks you did. He thinks Miriam asked you to come.”
    â€œGood God! Did he tell you so?”
    â€œYes.”
    â€œI see.”
    He wondered if he were seeing too much. Miriam had hinted at a close relationship between this girl and her cousin. All the more reason for discarding such a suggestion.
    â€œHe is wrong,” he exploded. “You are all wrong. Milling about these caves of suspicion and suggestion and beastliness! I swear she was the last person I expected, or wanted, to see. I wish I’d gone into Lézardrieux, instead of this place. I would have, if the wind hadn’t been just right for coming here.”
    â€œPoor Giles,” she said, not teasing him, but with full adult understanding.
    â€œSusan!”
    He took her hand and held it, and they walked on together, not speaking until they came out of the. trees and saw the river below them, and Shuna , swinging up and down on a heavy swell, but lying safe to her anchor, with the ebb rushing past her.
    â€œShe doesn’t give a damn,” said Giles, proudly, and Susan, with an unreasonable pang of jealousy, knew there would always be two women in his life, and one was Shuna .
    He dropped Susan’s hand and went forward to the top of the stage, looking up and down the river.
    â€œThe dinghy seems to be bumping your launch a bit,” he said. “I’ll slip down and fix it.”
    â€œDo you want any help?”
    â€œProbably not. But come down if you like. The ladder’s as slippery as hell, and stinks of river mud and fish, but not to worry.”
    He went down rapidly to the lowest stage, while Susan followed, moving rather clumsily in her rubber boots, because they tended to slip on the iron rungs. Giles did not wait to help her. He seemed to take it for granted she could look after herself.
    â€œDoes Henry go out much in the launch?” he asked, as Susan joined him.
    â€œWhen the weather is good, yes. We’ve been for several trips since I’ve been here. He likes fishing, which I find rather boring. But there’s plenty of excitement otherwise.”
    â€œHow?”
    â€œHe knows all the little channels between the rocks. He was brought up here, apart from school.”
    â€œI know.” Giles thought of his own scared entry down the main channel, and laughed. “That’s why he wasn’t much impressed by our coming in in the fog. He could do it himself, blindfold, I suppose?”
    â€œI expect so,” Susan agreed, and added, “I don’t like the launch much, anyhow. I’d rather sail.”
    â€œDo you sail?”
    â€œNo. But I want to.”
    â€œYou’d better come round to Lézardrieux with us, when we do manage to get off.”
    â€œI’d love to,” she said, eagerly. But as they turned from the boats to go back up the stage, she said sadly, “I expect Miriam would find some excuse to stop me, though.”
    â€œTo hell with Miriam!”
    â€œIt never works out like that. She brings the hell to