for dwelling on the disadvantages of loving Mike Forster. The good outweighed the bad. Anyway, was she so free from faults that she could sit in judgment on another human being?
She paused, taking stock of her surroundings. All of a sudden she felt uneasy, as though millions of eyes were watching her. It was almost dusk now and although she turned and looked this way and that, she saw no one, heard nothing—until Mike's voice drifted over to her from out of the blue, 'Late again, Anna,' he said, bitterly.
She gasped, then ran into his open arms. 'Mike! Where were you? Were you following me? I... I was so frightened!' she said, clinging to him in her relief.
'Anna! You big baby!' he laughed, his hands gently soothing her.
She snuggled closer. Her hospital raincoat was no great protection against the chill of the late afternoon, and she felt Mike's warmth spreading through to her. When he began to kiss her as they strolled, she accepted his kisses passively, her numb face only gradually responding.
'Hey! Come on, Anna!' he grated.
'It's cold!' she protested, lifting her face for another kiss. This time the answering pressure of her lips left him in no doubt that she was enjoying his love-making, and his arms tightened.
'Mm! You're thawing out nicely!' Mike joked, stopping near the lamppost at the foot of Brightling Hill. 'I used to think you were a real old maid! Comes of having mummy watching over you all the time, I guess,' he went on, half to himself. Anna wriggled out of his arms.
'That isn't fair, Mike! I. . . I'm not used to free love! All this jumping into bed with whoever asks you. It isn't my way. I'm sorry if I seem prudish,' she went on, but Mike's mouth came down on hers as he drew her roughly towards him, and she had no breath left to argue.
With a groan he pushed her away, and she 'staggered for a second, eyes wide with astonishment.
'Listen Anna, this is no good! All this.' Mike waved his large hands about to encompass the setting, the winter's day, the very fact that they had to meet secretly.
'I know. I do understand, Mike' she emphasised, 'but with Mother as she is . . .'
'I'll bet if I were a doctor or some fancy surgeon she'd be nice enough to me!' he said sulkily, and Anna lowered her eyes.
He could be right. Dr Alexandre or Dr Tester might be welcome. So long as they did not evince a strong interest in Anna. Mother wouldn't want to lose her only daughter, not even in marriage to a doctor.
'Perhaps if she thought we were serious, Mike, she would come to accept you,' Anna said slowly. 'She wants me to be happy.'
'Does she?' he asked bitterly, his wide mouth sullen and ugly in the unkind light. 'I don't think your mother cares for anyone but herself!' He paused to light a cigarette and took a long drag on it before he went on, 'I'm leaving soon, Anna. Got a chance of promotion.'
'Oh?' Anna's big eyes grew rounder and she felt that tears were not far away. 'I'm . . . I'm glad—for you, I mean,' she whispered, all her love showing in her expression.
Mike licked his lips, not meeting her gaze. 'I have to prove myself first, though.' Anna nodded, lost in her own thoughts. Mike was going away. Mike, the man she loved. If only she could go too! Oh, why didn't he ask her? Did he want her to wait for him, or . . . ? Or was this an excuse to finish a relationship from which he was getting so little?
Anna's lips dared not frame any of the questions her heart was asking. She was so afraid of the answers.
Mike cleared his throat and, with eyes suspiciously bright, Anna raised her face, prepared to hear the worst. 'I have to prove myself by going to their Northern Ireland factory. Just to show I'm made of strong stuff!' he joked, and Anna gasped.
'Mike! You can't! You . . . ' her voice trailed off.
'I know, Anna. I know,' Mike's arms went around her again, and wearily she rested her head on his shoulder. 'Don't worry about me. I'll be OK. And when I get back I'll have a better job, better prospects.
She paused, taking stock of her surroundings. All of a sudden she felt uneasy, as though millions of eyes were watching her. It was almost dusk now and although she turned and looked this way and that, she saw no one, heard nothing—until Mike's voice drifted over to her from out of the blue, 'Late again, Anna,' he said, bitterly.
She gasped, then ran into his open arms. 'Mike! Where were you? Were you following me? I... I was so frightened!' she said, clinging to him in her relief.
'Anna! You big baby!' he laughed, his hands gently soothing her.
She snuggled closer. Her hospital raincoat was no great protection against the chill of the late afternoon, and she felt Mike's warmth spreading through to her. When he began to kiss her as they strolled, she accepted his kisses passively, her numb face only gradually responding.
'Hey! Come on, Anna!' he grated.
'It's cold!' she protested, lifting her face for another kiss. This time the answering pressure of her lips left him in no doubt that she was enjoying his love-making, and his arms tightened.
'Mm! You're thawing out nicely!' Mike joked, stopping near the lamppost at the foot of Brightling Hill. 'I used to think you were a real old maid! Comes of having mummy watching over you all the time, I guess,' he went on, half to himself. Anna wriggled out of his arms.
'That isn't fair, Mike! I. . . I'm not used to free love! All this jumping into bed with whoever asks you. It isn't my way. I'm sorry if I seem prudish,' she went on, but Mike's mouth came down on hers as he drew her roughly towards him, and she had no breath left to argue.
With a groan he pushed her away, and she 'staggered for a second, eyes wide with astonishment.
'Listen Anna, this is no good! All this.' Mike waved his large hands about to encompass the setting, the winter's day, the very fact that they had to meet secretly.
'I know. I do understand, Mike' she emphasised, 'but with Mother as she is . . .'
'I'll bet if I were a doctor or some fancy surgeon she'd be nice enough to me!' he said sulkily, and Anna lowered her eyes.
He could be right. Dr Alexandre or Dr Tester might be welcome. So long as they did not evince a strong interest in Anna. Mother wouldn't want to lose her only daughter, not even in marriage to a doctor.
'Perhaps if she thought we were serious, Mike, she would come to accept you,' Anna said slowly. 'She wants me to be happy.'
'Does she?' he asked bitterly, his wide mouth sullen and ugly in the unkind light. 'I don't think your mother cares for anyone but herself!' He paused to light a cigarette and took a long drag on it before he went on, 'I'm leaving soon, Anna. Got a chance of promotion.'
'Oh?' Anna's big eyes grew rounder and she felt that tears were not far away. 'I'm . . . I'm glad—for you, I mean,' she whispered, all her love showing in her expression.
Mike licked his lips, not meeting her gaze. 'I have to prove myself first, though.' Anna nodded, lost in her own thoughts. Mike was going away. Mike, the man she loved. If only she could go too! Oh, why didn't he ask her? Did he want her to wait for him, or . . . ? Or was this an excuse to finish a relationship from which he was getting so little?
Anna's lips dared not frame any of the questions her heart was asking. She was so afraid of the answers.
Mike cleared his throat and, with eyes suspiciously bright, Anna raised her face, prepared to hear the worst. 'I have to prove myself by going to their Northern Ireland factory. Just to show I'm made of strong stuff!' he joked, and Anna gasped.
'Mike! You can't! You . . . ' her voice trailed off.
'I know, Anna. I know,' Mike's arms went around her again, and wearily she rested her head on his shoulder. 'Don't worry about me. I'll be OK. And when I get back I'll have a better job, better prospects.
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