Dear Tiberius; (aka Nurse Nolan) (26 page)

Then he leaned a little toward her, and all at once the importance of what he had said to her outside in the snow just before she stumbled, came welling over her, and she wondered whether, after all, he had really said it, or whether perhaps she had imagined it.

“
There is no likelihood whatsoever of my marrying again
....

“
No
likelihood
!”

Then what...? Why were they all so wrong? Mrs. Abbott, Fiske—Miranda! And had he not even hinted at it himself once, before Miss Harling came to Ketterings? And
what about Lynette Harling
?
What about that magnificent engagement ring?

As all these bewildered thoughts flocked through her mind she did not realize that she was staring at Sir John rather strangely, and that there was a most curious expression in her own large eyes. If only she could be convinced— if only he would say it again! Those words that could put an end to so many nightmare imaginings, so many secret fears for Miranda! Even though it could make no real difference to herself—the fact that he was not going to marry again— that no other woman would have him....

“
What is it?
”
he asked quietly, bringing a flood of color to her cheeks.
“
What is it, Lucy?
”

Lucy felt utterly dumb and confused.

“
Nothing,
”
she said,
“
nothing!
”

“
Are you sure?
”

“
Y-yes.
”

He bent forward and possessed himself of one of her hands, inspecting the well-kept, delicate pink nails.

“
Somehow
I
don
’
t think you
’
re being strictly truthful,
”
he said. Then, much more abruptly, looking directly at her,
“
Why did you say outside that things might be better for Miranda when
I
married again, Lucy—and whom am I to marry?
”

“
I
... I thought you were going to marry Miss Harling,
”
she replied in an embarrassed whisper.

His dark eyebrows arched themselves.

“
Indeed! And what gave you that impression?
”

“
You
...
you more or less said so at one time
...
I
mean, you hinted that there were going to be changes.... And then Miss Harling herself...! I thought you admired her tremendously.
”

“
I do,
”
he told her, with quiet emphasis.
“
As a dancer
I
think she is superb, and any man would recognize the fact that she is lovely! Ever since I
’
ve known her I
’
ve been immensely interested in her and predicted a spectacular career for her. I
’
ve also helped her in certain ways, but we are no more than friends. We never shall be anything more than friends!
”

He heard Lucy give a kind of hurriedly caught-back little gasp, and try as she would, she could not prevent a certain light like sunshine on snow stealing into her eyes. He gripped the hand he held hard and suddenly he caught and gripped her other one just as hard. He could feel her trembling slightly.

“
Lucy,
”
he said,
“
Lucy! Tell me one thing! Are you and Wern going to marry?
”

Lucy shook her head.

“
No.
”

“
Has he asked you?
”

“
He won
’
t ever ask me
...
because he knows it wouldn
’
t be any use!
”

Sir John
’
s eyes darkened, and his face seemed to pale a little. Lucy knew that she was clinging to his fingers, and although he was rigidly refraining from drawing her toward him, she was swaying up against him. He released her hands and caught her by her shoulders and looked right down into her eyes.

“
Lucy,
”
he said, in a strange, repressed voice,
“
do you want me to marry again?
”

Lucy
’
s blue eyes were swimming with a mixture of love and pleading.

“
Please!
”
she gasped, and felt his arms close around her, and he held so tightly that she could hardly breathe.

When at last they drew apart Lucy
’
s eyes were rapturous, and it was Sir John who was shaking a little. Lucy
’
s lips were scarlet and burning from the first kiss she had ever received in her life that had opened the doorway to a completely new existence, and Sir John
’
s firm mouth was exquisitely tender.

“
Oh, Lucy!
”
he murmured,
“
if I
’
d only known...!
”

“
I can
’
t think why you didn
’
t,
”
she answered, burying her face on his shoulder.
“
I always thought it was so obvious— that every time I looked at you
I
gave myself away!
”

“
And I thought you disapproved of me very strongly, although you tried to be nice to me sometimes for Miranda
’
s sake! I even thought you despised me!
”
He put his fingers under her chin and lifted it.
“
Instead of which you do
...
love me a little, don
’
t you, darling?
”

She shook her head.

“
I love you so much that it
’
s been like a fire consuming me! I sometimes thought I
’
d die if you wouldn
’
t love me in return!
”

His eyes glowed.

“
My dearest!
”
he exclaimed.
“
Is that true?
”

For an answer she again gave him her lips, and when at last he lifted his head he told her with so much sincerity in his voice that he was unable to keep it perfectly steady,
“
I don
’
t merely love you, Lucy—I can
’
t honestly imagine how I could have faced the future without you! To have had to stand by and watch you marry someone like Wern—even though he
’
s probably much more worthy of you than I am—would have been more than I could have
born
e, I think. You see,
”
he explained, gently stroking her cheek,
“
when you came into my life
I
was schooled into a way of existence that seemed to suit me at the time, but it was an existence that contained none of the softening influences. I expect I was pretty hard at that time, because although
I
can make money easily, I
’
ve never had very much happiness. My wife died when Miranda was still only a baby, and although
I
never loved her violently
I
was fond of her. Miranda—for whom I had plans although I kept them to myself—had that serious accident that looked like it would keep her an invalid for life, and
I
felt that was another deliberate blow. And then you suddenly arrived at Ketterings!
”

“
I
thought you were cold and hard,
”
she told him, gazing at him adoringly.
“
I never dreamed I could make any impression on you.
”

“
You haven
’
t merely made an impression. You
’
ve made a slave of me for life!
”

“
I
can
’
t believe it!
”
she whispered.

“
You will, because I
’
ll prove it!
”
A passionate quiver crossed his face.
“
How soon will you marry me, Lucy, beloved?
”

“
As soon as you want me to do so,
”
she answered.

There was silence between them for several minutes, and then he said,
“
Do you think Miranda will forgive me for all my past neglect when I present you to her as a stepmother?
”

Lucy
’
s face became suffused with the most radiant color. It was the first time she had been able to think of herself in that capacity, and she could hardly believe all this was true. Perhaps before long she would wake up and discover it was a dream!

There was a sudden, most curious rumbling noise outside the chalet and they lifted their heads to listen to it. To Lucy it sounded very like distant thunder, and yet it was thunder that grew louder moment by moment and was accompanied by a vague, rushing sound. The earth beneath them seemed to tremble as whatever it was that was gaining momentum outside came roaring down the mountainside like a miniature Niagara Falls and charged—or so it seemed—straight at the chalet.

Sir John did not move, but he held Lucy very tightly against him. She looked up at him wonderingly.

“
What is it?
”
she asked.

He thrust her head down into his shoulder, and although she felt not the slightest fear, she shut her eyes as the roaring swept close beside the chalet, slicing past it like a knife, and then went on down into the valley, where, following another noise like a kind of muffled explosion, it settled down into silence.

Sir John
’
s eyes wore a kind of screen when Lucy looked up into them again. She could feel his heart thundering rather heavily against her.

“
What was it?
”
she repeated.

“
An avalanche,
”
he answered.
“
It wasn
’
t as close as it seemed, but it was close enough, and it
’
s probably blotted out our homeward path. Not much hope of our getting back on skis!
”

But Lucy thought to herself,
an avalanche
! But it had passed them by! Like all the shadows in her life it had gone onward and left her secure at last with the man she loved.

This, then, was no dream!

The following evening, i
n the lounge of the Hotel Arlberg, Lucy sat enthroned in the most comfortable deep leather chair, while around her all the members of the Wern family looked at her with varying degrees of regret in their hearts, but with smiling goodwill lifted their glasses and toasted her future as Lady Ash.

Lady Ash!

She lifted her eyes quickly and met those of Sir John, who was standing just behind her chair, and his eyes seemed to kindle and come alive as he gazed back at her. Otherwise he was standing very still in his regulation evening clothes, a spare, dark figure with sleek head inclined slightly toward her, and one hand resting on the back of her chair.

A little glow filled her heart as the thought passed through her mind that if she wanted to put out her own hand and touch him she could. He was hers now! One day, soon, she would be his wife.

Miranda had only just allowed herself to be put to bed— not by Lucy, because her ankle was still swollen, and Dr. Wern was insistent that she rest it—and the events of that day had filled her with so much excitement that she was not likely to fall asleep very easily. For on top of the excitements of the day had been the anxiety of the night before—or rather, the anxiety had come first, but, fortunately, that was now stilled. But Miranda had been shaken by it. First the information about the avalanche that might have carried away the chalet, and then the possibility of getting through with a sleigh until so many hours had passed and daylight dawned again. Dr.
Wern
, she had known, had been consumed with anxiety,
a
nd she had hated his being anxious. But most of all she had been full of fears for Lucy—her one and only Lucy—and even her father
’
s uncertain fate had made her wish that she had been somewhat kinder to him while she had had the chance.