‘Gnawing his moustache,’ she thought; ‘poor lamb!’
The moment he rounded the corner she ran down, slipped across the street and up the first flight. Outside Wilfrid’s door she stood with her hand raised to the bell. Then she rang.
‘Am I too late, Stack?’
‘The General’s just gone, Miss.’
‘Oh! May I see Mr Desert? Don’t announce me.’
‘No, miss,’ said Stack? Had she ever seen eyes more full of understanding?
Taking a deep breath, she opened the door. Wilfrid was standing at the hearth with his head bent down on his folded arms. She stole silently up, waiting for him to realize her presence.
Suddenly he threw his head up, and saw her.
‘Darling!’ said Dinny, ‘so sorry for startling you!’ And she tilted her head, with lips a little parted and throat exposed, watching the struggle on his face.
He succumbed and kissed her.
‘Dinny, your father – ’
‘I know. I saw him go. “Mr Desert, I believe! My daughter has told me of an engagement, and – er – your position. I – er – have come about that. You have – er – considered what will happen when your – er – escapade out there becomes – er – known. My daughter is of age, she can please herself, but we are all extremely fond of her, and I think you will agree that in the face of such a – er – scandal it would be wholly wrong on your part–er–to consider yourself engaged to her at present.” ’
‘Almost exact.’
‘And you answered?’
‘That I’d think it over. He’s perfectly right.’
‘He is perfectly wrong. I have told you before, “Love is not love which alters when it alteration finds”. Michael thinks you ought not to publish “The Leopard”.’
‘I must. I want it off my chest. When I’m not with you I’m hardly sane.’
‘I know! But, darling, those two are not going to say anything; need it ever come out? Things that don’t come out quickly often don’t come out at all. Why go to meet trouble?’
‘It isn’t that. It’s some damned fear in me that I was yellow. I want the whole thing out. Then, yellow or not, I can hold my head up. Don’t you see, Dinny?’
She did see. The look on his face was enough. ‘It’s my business,’ she thought, ‘to feel as he does, whatever I think; only so can I help him; perhaps only so can I keep him.’
‘I understand, perfectly. Michael’s wrong. We’ll face the music, and our heads shall be “bloody but unbowed”. But we won’t be “captains of our souls”, whatever happens.’
And, having got him to smile, she drew him down beside her. After that long close silence, she opened her eyes with the slow look all women know how to give.
‘Tomorrow is Thursday, Wilfrid. Will you mind if we drop in on Uncle Adrian on the way home? He’s on our side. And about our engagement, we can say we aren’t engaged, and be all the same. Good-bye, my love!’
Down in the vestibule by the front door as she was opening it, Stack’s voice said:
‘Excuse me, miss.’
‘Yes?’
‘I’ve been with Mr Desert a long time, and I was thinking. You’re engaged to him, if I don’t mistake, miss?’
‘Yes and no, Stack. I hope to marry him, however.’
‘Quite, miss. And a good thing, too, if you’ll excuse me. Mr Desert is a sudden gentleman, and I was thinking if we were in leeaison, as you might say, it’d be for his good.’
‘I quite agree; that’s why I rang you up this morning.’
‘I’ve seen many young ladies in my time, but never one I’d rather he married, miss, which is why I’ve taken the liberty.’
Dinny held out her hand. ‘I’m terribly glad you did; it’s just what I wanted; because things are difficult, and going to be more so, I’m afraid.’
Having polished his hand, Stack took hers, and they exchanged a rather convulsive squeeze.
‘I know there’s something on his mind,’ he said. ‘That’s not my business. But I have known him to take very sudden decisions. And if you were to give me your telephone numbers, miss, I might be of service to you both.’
Dinny wrote them down. ‘This is the town one at my uncle, Sir Lawrence Mont’s, in Mount Street; and this is my country one at Condaford Grange in Oxfordshire. One or the other is almost sure to find me. And thank you ever so. It takes a load off my mind.’
‘And off mine, miss. Mr Desert has every call on me. And I want the best for him. He’s not everybody’s money, but he’s mine.’