"Tony! What on earth is the matter?" Felicity was unable to restrain her anxiety. It betrayed itself not only in her voice but in the tense poise of her whole body.
"Felicity, it's awful ... I would never have believed such a thing could happen-I feel so ashamed, I hardly know how to tell you."
"Tony, darling," Felicity slipped her arm through her brother's and drew closer to his side. "Tell me, what's happened. Perhaps it's not as bad as you think-whatever it is, you know I'll help all I can."
A nursemaid pushing a pram paused beside the seat to wait for a small child to catch up with her. Neither Felicity nor Tony attempted to speak until, grasping the small child by the hand, the nurse had passed beyond hearing.
"Felicity-it's Alaine-I never even dreamed it could happen. When it did happen I couldn't really believe it. I love her, Felicity, I love her with all my heart-she's-she's wonderful, I never believed it possible to care for anyone as I care for her."
His voice was hoarse and, torn as he was by some inward emotion, it was difficult for Felicity to grasp immediately his meaning. Suddenly realization came flooding her whole being with a feeling of disbelief, but in her heart she knew this was no wild ranting, she had only to look at her brother's face to read the truth of that passionate avowal. Some deep sense of loyalty forbade her to utter the words of condemnation which sprang, to her lips. This was no time for blame, only for sympathy and understanding. She drew closer in a show of wordless compassion, while she tried to bring some kind of order to her troubled mind. That this should have happened to her brother was something Felicity could scarcely bear to contemplate. Guy had been such a friend to Tony, had given him the hospitality of his home, and now, after the vicissitudes through which Guy had passed with Alaine, and they had appeared to have reached some haven of peace and understanding, was Tony to be the instrument to disrupt that marriage now a mere few days ahead?
Deeply aware of her brother's suffering, she spoke gently with some restraint she was far from feeling. "'It's nothing short of a calamity, Tony, that I understand, but darling, perhaps it need not be so disastrous as you think." She forced into her voice a tone of consolation and although she hardly knew it, it carried a note of pleading. "Alaine need not know-she need never know, you are going away so soon now, I don't suppose you'll ever meet again. You'll forget, Tony, honestly you will-I've forgotten Peter-you I see I do understand, it will be all right, darling, really it will."
"It's not as easy as all that." Tony gave a short laugh which held only bitterness and pain. "You see, Alaine knows too-" Aware of his sister's startled exclamation he went on, eagerly seeking her understanding. "I couldn't help her knowing-it was just one of those things-I believe, it happened the very first moment we met, at the airport. Of course then neither of us had the slightest idea, we just went on unsuspecting, completely blind to the truth-then it happened, last night, suddenly-it was like a bolt from the blue, we were both taken completely unaware-we were meant for one another, Felicity, I believe it was ordained the very day we were born!"
There was such an expression of utter despair in Tony's voice and attitude that Felicity felt her eyes pricked with tears. What could she do? What could she say? She felt completely lost and incapable of uttering one word of consolation.
Perhaps with some hope of rousing his sister from the silent depression into which she had sunk, Tony went on in explanation. "It seems now as if Fate must have been laughing at us both, jeering at our crass stupidity. Once we returned to London I didn't expect to see much of her, I don't think it even worried me. I knew we liked one another, but I realized she was engaged to Guy, we were just good friends, got on swimmingly together, that was all-I don't suppose either of us would ever have tumbled to the truth if it hadn't been for the Colonel; you know he is in town, staying with Guy, he kept asking Alaine to the flat, so naturally we kept on meeting, and more than that-" He paused to add effect to his words. "The old man meant well, he couldn't have had the slightest notion of the avalanche he was letting loose, but he almost pushed us together, suggested she should take me to Fettle's and show me over an English studio, then when she finished up there-which perhaps you know she did about a week ago-he got her to take me around. When I went down to Oxford for the day it was his suggestion that she should drive me in Guy's car. It was all so crazy and yet we didn't see any danger, and Alaine was at such a loose end when she stopped work, she was only too glad of any diversion. Well, you know the outcome, I needn't say any more," he ended despairingly.
"What do you and Alaine intend doing?" Felicity's tone was flat and expressionless, she seemed dead to all emotion, only a mist of tears veiled her eyes blotting out the still expanse of water and dimming the green of the surrounding grass and trees.
"What can we do?" The question was a cry for help, an unspoken longing for her support and understanding.
Mechanically Felicity returned the pressure of Tony's hand on hers but as yet she could not trust herself to speak. Almost frenziedly she searched her heart for some way out, it seemed a problem beyond solution; while every nerve in her body cried out to him to renounce this love, to leave Alaine, her conscience told her this was wrong. How could she wish Alaine to marry with a lie in her heart and on her lips? When she managed to speak her voice was little above a whisper. "What had you planned to do? You and Alaine must have some idea."
"I must go away, of course, at once, I must never see her again. I've been walking about half the night and all this morning-I must have tramped miles trying to get things straightened out. At first I wanted to go direct to Guy, I felt I couldn't bear another moment of deception, but Alaine begged me to wait-anyway, until I'd seen you. We were even mad enough to discuss the possibility of a runaway marriage, then facing Guy with the accomplished fact, but we both realized we couldn't do that, we feel despicable enough as it is. There is no solution but for me to go."
"I suppose that is the only thing to do?" Although Felicity put the question there was no conviction in her words, only a note of deep dejection.
"We have no other choice. I'd give all I possess to be able to undo what's happened. It can't be undone, that's the devil of it, this is no mere infatuation, we love one another. I've had a few affairs like most men, but this is something different, something wonderful beyond realization."
"I see." Just two words but they were a cry of despair, and rallying all the strength she could command, Felicity went on speaking. "I believe that in deciding to separate, you-and Alaine too-are acting with the best of motives, but is it right? Is it fair? Wouldn't it be better to remain and face up to things? What happiness can the future hold for Alaine if she married Guy with the secret of her love for you locked in her heart? It would always be an unseen barrier between them and far more cruel to Guy than to speak the truth now before it is too late. The date for their marriage is so near..." Her voice trembled ominously as she struggled on. "She can't go through with this thing, she mustn't."
Felicity's vehemence seemed temporarily to shatter her brother's assurance, for a moment he was silent, then denying her words with a forlorn shake of the head, he went on to explain. "We felt like that at first, but later, when we'd had a chance to think things over properly we realized it was hopeless. Guy has been my friend, it would be like a stab in the back. I have no option but to go quickly out of their lives, and Alaine agrees that there is no other way out."
For a fleeting second Felicity found her heart warming to Alaine's action, it showed that she lacked neither gratitude nor sympathy and showed a courage which Felicity admired. "But how could such a marriage last? How could it bring anything but dire unhappiness?" She was not directly addressing her brother, it was as if she spoke her thoughts aloud.
"I don't know-I can only pray it will be all right-for both of them." His voice was utterly weary and downcast, then with an effort he rose to his feet and held out his hand to Felicity. "We'd better be going. I've left my suit-case at Alaine's flat, I told her I'd collect it there after I'd seen you-I have to say good-bye to her..." His words trailed away as he walked slowly by Felicity's side towards the park gates.