across at Verity. ‘ You ’ d like to go? ’
‘ Very much, if we ought to spare the time. ’
‘ We ’ ll spare it, ’ he said. ‘ What time ought we to leave, and does one dress? ’
An hour later they set out in his car. As they left, Clere ’ s lights were beginning to wink out—all over Matron ’ s quarters, in the kitchens, in the school houses. Tomorrow there would be all the clamour and bustle of the arrival and disposal of several hundred boys and their gear, and tonight Clere was making ready to come alive.
Daniel drove in silence for some miles after checking with Verity the best road to take from the coast to the city. Then he said, ‘ By the way, Captain Bellamy tells me he couldn ’ t have asked for a better guide than you were on his first visit to Clere. He says that, if he hadn ’ t been in the neighbourhood again, this time with his wife, he wouldn ’ t have troubled to make another visit; that he appreciated your having given him at least two hours of your own time, and wanted me to tell you so. So will you take that as an honourable amend for my criticisms this afternoon? ’
‘ Of course, ’ Verity said. And then, ‘ I ’ d better make amends in return. It wasn ’ t the truth when I told you Mr. Dysart was too busy to see Captain Bellamy. He wanted to play golf, and he has told me since that as he was on vacation at the time he doesn ’ t min d your knowing as much. ’
Daniel nodded. ‘ As if I hadn ’ t guessed you were covering up for him, ’ he remarked.
You kn ew I was? How? ’
He threw her a swift glance. ‘ Because I ’ ve noticed that when you ’ re thrown on the defensive you tend to bristle. It ’ s as palpable a reaction as a tigress ’ s shielding of her young. So you went to warn Dysart— “ Fly, All Is Discovered ” —only to find him entirely unabashed? ’
Verity admitted, ‘ Something like that. I ought to know by now that it ’ s not easy to disconcert him. He ’ s a very restful person, with his attitude of “ Live and let live ” to everything. ’
‘ You ’ re fond of him, are you? ’
‘ I am. Everyone is. And I ’ ve known him so long. He came to Clere not much later than my father did. ’
‘ Yes, so I understand. ’ After a pause Daniel went on, ‘ A propos of nothing, except that contrition seems to be in the air, I ’ ve been owing you an apology for some time. Do you remember our first incognito meeting on the shore? Well, I got my feet wet, you ’ ll be gratified to hear. ’
‘ You did ?’ Verity could not keep a bubble of triumph from her voice.
‘ Yes, though only my feet. I didn ’ t wait until I got sea-water into the engine of the car. But as I think you guessed, I didn ’ t accept that one could possibly be caught by the tide on such flats. So, being the self-opinionated type, I decided to see the phenomenon for myself. And did—to my discomfiture and to your obvious pleasure. ’
Verity dimpled. ‘ I ’ m not pleased. Just —’
‘ Nonsense. There are few minor pleasures to match that of a justified “ I told you so ” . You ’ re as smug as a cat after cream, and I can ’ t blame you. Now ’ —he changed the subject again— ‘ what are we to hear tonight? ’
She took the programme from her bag and read it to him. ‘ “ Fingal ’ s Cave ” as the overture; Cesar Franck ’ s “ Symphonic Variations ” , Moussorgsky ’ s “ Pictures from An Exhibition ” and after the interval, Beethoven ’ s Seventh. ’
‘ Who is the soloist for the Symphonic Variations? ’
She told him, and they talked music most of the rest of the way.
Parking the car took some time and the orchestra had begun to tune up when they went to their seats. As she sat Verity gave a little shiver of pleasure.
‘ Don ’ t you agree that tuning up is one of the nicest noises there are? I once won two guineas in a competition for suggesting that, a cat ’ s purr and the kind of “ plop ” a strawberry makes
‘ Very much, if we ought to spare the time. ’
‘ We ’ ll spare it, ’ he said. ‘ What time ought we to leave, and does one dress? ’
An hour later they set out in his car. As they left, Clere ’ s lights were beginning to wink out—all over Matron ’ s quarters, in the kitchens, in the school houses. Tomorrow there would be all the clamour and bustle of the arrival and disposal of several hundred boys and their gear, and tonight Clere was making ready to come alive.
Daniel drove in silence for some miles after checking with Verity the best road to take from the coast to the city. Then he said, ‘ By the way, Captain Bellamy tells me he couldn ’ t have asked for a better guide than you were on his first visit to Clere. He says that, if he hadn ’ t been in the neighbourhood again, this time with his wife, he wouldn ’ t have troubled to make another visit; that he appreciated your having given him at least two hours of your own time, and wanted me to tell you so. So will you take that as an honourable amend for my criticisms this afternoon? ’
‘ Of course, ’ Verity said. And then, ‘ I ’ d better make amends in return. It wasn ’ t the truth when I told you Mr. Dysart was too busy to see Captain Bellamy. He wanted to play golf, and he has told me since that as he was on vacation at the time he doesn ’ t min d your knowing as much. ’
Daniel nodded. ‘ As if I hadn ’ t guessed you were covering up for him, ’ he remarked.
You kn ew I was? How? ’
He threw her a swift glance. ‘ Because I ’ ve noticed that when you ’ re thrown on the defensive you tend to bristle. It ’ s as palpable a reaction as a tigress ’ s shielding of her young. So you went to warn Dysart— “ Fly, All Is Discovered ” —only to find him entirely unabashed? ’
Verity admitted, ‘ Something like that. I ought to know by now that it ’ s not easy to disconcert him. He ’ s a very restful person, with his attitude of “ Live and let live ” to everything. ’
‘ You ’ re fond of him, are you? ’
‘ I am. Everyone is. And I ’ ve known him so long. He came to Clere not much later than my father did. ’
‘ Yes, so I understand. ’ After a pause Daniel went on, ‘ A propos of nothing, except that contrition seems to be in the air, I ’ ve been owing you an apology for some time. Do you remember our first incognito meeting on the shore? Well, I got my feet wet, you ’ ll be gratified to hear. ’
‘ You did ?’ Verity could not keep a bubble of triumph from her voice.
‘ Yes, though only my feet. I didn ’ t wait until I got sea-water into the engine of the car. But as I think you guessed, I didn ’ t accept that one could possibly be caught by the tide on such flats. So, being the self-opinionated type, I decided to see the phenomenon for myself. And did—to my discomfiture and to your obvious pleasure. ’
Verity dimpled. ‘ I ’ m not pleased. Just —’
‘ Nonsense. There are few minor pleasures to match that of a justified “ I told you so ” . You ’ re as smug as a cat after cream, and I can ’ t blame you. Now ’ —he changed the subject again— ‘ what are we to hear tonight? ’
She took the programme from her bag and read it to him. ‘ “ Fingal ’ s Cave ” as the overture; Cesar Franck ’ s “ Symphonic Variations ” , Moussorgsky ’ s “ Pictures from An Exhibition ” and after the interval, Beethoven ’ s Seventh. ’
‘ Who is the soloist for the Symphonic Variations? ’
She told him, and they talked music most of the rest of the way.
Parking the car took some time and the orchestra had begun to tune up when they went to their seats. As she sat Verity gave a little shiver of pleasure.
‘ Don ’ t you agree that tuning up is one of the nicest noises there are? I once won two guineas in a competition for suggesting that, a cat ’ s purr and the kind of “ plop ” a strawberry makes
Similar Books
Killing Halfbreed
Zack Mason
The Coincidence 03 The Destiny of Violet and Luke ARC
Jessica Sorensen
On Broken Wings
Francis Porretto
Beloved Wolf
Kasey Michaels
Sugar Cube
Kir Jensen
Guardian Awakening
C. Osborne Rapley
Inspector Specter
E.J. Copperman
The Pages
Murray Bail
After Claude
Iris Owens