Harbinger of Spring (29 page)

He was so very near the truth that her control, already in danger of slipping, now broke completely. She covered her quivering mouth and averted her head, but she simply could not stop the great sobs which began to shake her frame. Hugh moved swiftly towards her.

‘
Sara, don
’
t—please. I
’
m sorry. I shouldn
’
t have said that, but I couldn
’
t help it. The idea of you ever
dre
amin
g
of marrying a—a fellow like that—
’

His words came to her only dimly. All the tension and unhappiness of the past few days were being released in her. Hugh put his arm around her and brought out a clean handkerchief to press into her hands. She wanted to cling to him, but she still had some restraint, some pride left. She dried her eyes and made an effort to control her tears.

‘
You
’
ll meet someone else one day, Sara,
’
Hugh was murmuring.
‘
Someone who—who really cares for you, who
’
ll look after you and cherish you.
’

His words were beginning to get through to her. Had he guessed how she felt about him? she wondered in a sort of panic. She disengaged herself from his a
r
ms.

‘
I—I don
’
t know what you
’
re talking about,
’
she told him stiffly.

‘
Oh, Sara—
’
he said in an exasperated tone.
‘
He
’
s not worth breaking your heart over. Can
’
t you see that?
’

‘
Who isn
’
t?
’
she asked blankly.

He stared at her.
‘
Why, Des, of course. Unless—
’

‘
Des?
’
she repeated in a puzzled voice.
‘
You mean you think I—I
’
m in love with
Des?
’

‘
Well, aren
’
t you?
’

‘
No!
’

‘
Then—then who?
’

She stepped back a pace.
‘
I—I don
’
t see that it
’
s any business of yours. Anyway, what makes you think
I was upset about some man
?
’
she fenced
desperately.

It was a question she shouldn
’
t
have asked. She
realized that as soon as she had asked
it. Hugh took it
up at once.

‘
For the very simple reason that you
—burst into tears
as soon as I asked you if you
’
d designed
the wedding
dress for yourself.
’

‘
I
’
m—a little upset this morning,
that
’
s all. About
something entirely different. If—if you
must know, I—I
designed that dress for—for Rosamond.
’
She could have
kicked herself immediately.
‘
No, that
’
s
not quite true.
I mean—well, Easter, the wedding season
is approach
ing and—
’

But he had stopped listening.
‘
For
Rosa? Why for
Rosa? She isn
’
t getting married. She
’
s
not even
engaged as far as I know.
’

She stared at him in astonishment.
‘
But—but you
told me yourself only yesterday that
—Rosamond had
taken a liking to the place and—
’

‘
That
’
s true. But I said nothing
about her getting
married. In any case, what on earth
has my leasing
Fenchurch Millhouse got to do with her
wanting a wed
ding dress?
’

She didn
’
t understand him.
‘
I
’
d have thought it had
everything to do with it. It
’
s
usual for people to get
married if they
’
re going to set up house
together.
’

‘
Not if they
’
re brother and sister it
isn
’
t!’

She sat down weakly.
‘
Brother
and sister
?
’

‘
You
mean you didn
’
t know?
’

‘
But
of
course I didn
’
t
know. You didn
’
t say.
Neither
of
you did. You
just introduced her by her first name and—
’

‘
And you
jumped to the conclusion
that she was my
—
that
she and
I
—
’

‘
Yes.
’

Hugh sat down
beside her
and eyed her thoughtfully.
‘
I
think
we
’
d better get one or two other things straight. Did I understand you to say that you—don
’
t care for that ex-business partner of yours?
’

‘
I never have.
’

‘
Thank goodness for that
!’

‘
Why?
’
she flashed.
‘
Just because he wears gaudy clothes and has long hair?
’

‘
No, not
“
just
because
”
. The truth is
—
But I
’
ll spare you the rest. Obviously there
’
s someone else in your life. That
’
s why you
’
re so eager to go back to London, isn
’
t
it?
’

‘
Yes, but—
’

Hugh rose to his feet swiftly.
‘
Well, I—hope you
’
ll be very happy, Sara. You
’
ve—got a rare talent, and I think you should make quite a name for yourself. Whoever it is you
’
re going to marry, he
’
s a very lucky man.
’
He was standing facing her, and she wished he would stop saying these nice things to her. Then suddenly, without the slightest warning, he grasped her by the shoulders and kissed her hard and full upon her lips. Just as suddenly, he let her go and moved swiftly towards the door. Sara stood immobile for a moment, then some instinct urged her forward.

‘
Hugh—
’

He halted. But he didn
’
t turn. Sara went round to stand before him.

‘
Hugh, why did you do that?
’
she asked softly, looking into his face.

His expression was taut. He stared at her for a moment, and Sara felt her heart freeze. The next moment she was in his arms, her name a half-groan on his lips. He held her cheek against his, his hand stroking her hair.

‘
Sara, don
’
t you know
?’
he murmured.
‘
I love you, heaven help me. I love you. I know I shouldn
’
t be saying it, but I just can
’
t help it.
’

Sara wanted to cry again, this time for happiness.
‘
Hugh, oh, Hugh,
’
she croaked.
‘
Why—why didn
’
t you tell me before?
’

He looked at her then, lifting up her chin with one finger.
‘
Does it matter to you, little one
?’

She nodded, her eyes shining, the whole of her being feeling as if it were suspended in time.
‘
It—matters more than anything in the world. You see, I—oh, Hugh, I love
you.
’

‘
Sara! Oh,
darling
—
’

He gathered her swiftly in his arms again and kissed her, this time with all the fervour of a man passionately in love. She returned his ardour, her heart beating wildly.

‘
Oh, Hugh, what fools we
’
ve been, both of us,
’
she breathed when at last he released her.

He led her to the comfort of the settee.
‘
I suppose all those in love are a little foolish. When I saw you upset, I was convinced that, in spite of his mode of dress and the way he had let you down, you were still in love with that Des fellow.
’

‘
But how could you possibly think—
’

He laughed gently and cradled her in his arms.
‘
Darling,
I
don
’
t know. I suppose because he was young and—and bright whereas in comparison I must have appeared to you very dull and staid—even old
-
fashioned.
’

‘
Don
’
t exaggerate. Anyway, I like old-fashioned
thin
gs. You intrigued me from the moment I first saw you striding through the jungle of my garden.
Our
garden. If you must talk about comparisons I never realized until I met you how—how lacking Des was in so many ways, especially after he had been down here that Saturday. Looking back, I can
’
t understand how I could actually have
liked
the kind of artificial life we led in London, or how I could even have tolerated people
l
ike Des. Yet I must have been one of them.
’

Hugh gently kissed her.
‘
The town with its life and bustle is the natural element of some people. Away from his element Des was like a fish out of water. But, darling, what about you
?
Do you
really
like the country now?
’
he asked anxiously.

She smiled,
‘
I love it.
’

‘
Do you
?
Enough to settle down here at Fenchurch Millhouse?
’

She nodded happily.
‘
When I first came down here, I must admit the silence seemed deafening. But I liked the house on sight, and it wasn
’
t very long before I had to steel myself against becoming too attached to it.
’
She smiled ruefully.
‘
But the house won. After a while I gave up trying, and the silence became beautiful. I
’
m sorry, Hugh, I
’
m afraid I can
’
t lease the place to you, after all. I
’
m staying right here. With you. That is, if—
’

‘
If what?
’
he murmured, kissing the tip of her nose.

‘
Well, aren
’
t you going to ask me to marry you? It is customary still.
’