He looked down at her unsmilingly, but there was a gleam of appreciation in his eyes. “You will not win, Ican tell you now,” he said, “but it seems that I have justgiven up my right to insist that you accept my decision.”He bent forward quite unexpectedly and kissed her on theforehead.
They turned back toward the house to rejoin his guests.
Chapter 15
Rebecca had danced with Mr. Carver and Mr. Bartlett. The street and the green were crowded with people. Sheguessed that almost everyone for miles around had comeinto the village for the evening festivities. Harriet haddanced constantly but had been nowhere near Mr. Bartlett.Maude must be feeling great relief. It looked as if herstepdaughter was going to accept the inevitable with theminimum of fuss. Maude herself had danced with Christopher, and she was standing now a little removed from thedancers talking to Philip. Both of them looked grave. Itwas the first time Rebecca has seen them together since thenight of the Langbourne ball.
She looked at Philip quite dispassionately. He was extremely handsome in his dark clothes and with his gleaming blond hair. And she felt nothing. There should surely be some panic at the realization of what she had just givenup. There should be some regret over the loss of a goodman as a prospective husband. But she felt nothing, exceptperhaps relief that she no longer had to pretend even toherself that her life was taking a course that was pleasingto her.
It was becoming more and more difficult to seek out Christopher. It seemed clear that he had been making asgreat an effort as she during the day to avoid a meeting.Several times she had been close enough to him to speakor at least to smile, but he had chosen to pretend she was not there. Even at the dinner table he had not looked at her once as far as she knew. Tonight he had danced everydance and had always been intent on talking to his partnerwhen she was dancing near.
How was she to approach him? Ask him to dance with her? The very idea was enough to make her feel quitefaint. Tap him on the shoulder and ask if she could have aword with him? She would never pluck up enough courage. Perhaps it would be better after all to say nothing. Ifhe had wanted her to know about his involvement in theschool, he would have told her himself. He would notthank her now for broaching the topic. And the occasionwas hardly suitable for such a conversation.
Rebecca leaned against a tree outside the tavern in an unconscious effort to avoid notice by would-be dancingpartners. She should seek out Maude or Mrs. Sinclair. Itwas unseemly to be alone thus. But her eyes were restingalmost absently on Christopher as he returned a flushedyoung lady to her mama’s side. And finally, quite accidentally, their eyes met. They both looked away hastily andthen back at each other again. And this time the look heldfor several moments until Rebecca looked down inconfusion.
Julian was at her side, grinning with the joy of the evening’s activities, asking her to join him for the nextcountry dance. She pushed her back away from the tree.
“Sorry, youngster,” Christopher’s voice said, “this dance has been promised to me, I believe?”
He was smiling when Rebecca turned to him, and holding out a hand for hers.
“Thank you, Julian,” she said, turning back to the younger brother. “Perhaps later?” And she placed herhand in Christopher’s.
Even then she said nothing, but allowed him to lead her to join a set. It was a particularly vigorous and intricatecountry dance. They were separated frequently, and evenwhen they danced together there were so many figures toexecute and so many steps to remember that there was no chance to speak even a word. When it was over, he laid her hand on his arm in a courtly gesture that seemedstrange in such a setting, and looked around him.
“Would you care to join my mother and sisters?” he asked. “I am sure they would be delighted with yourcompany.”
Rebecca tightened her grip on his sleeve and drew a nervous breath. “Christopher,” she said, “I have beenwishing to talk to you. All day.”
He looked down into her face, a gleam of something in his eyes for a moment. “What is it?” he said. “Shall wewalk?”
They walked in silence until they had passed the dense crowd around the dancing area and were strolling along theless crowded street outside the church. He had taken herhand and tucked it more comfortably beneath his arm.Rebecca could feel the blood pounding through her temples. Had she done the right thing? How was she to beginto speak to him?
“Is something troubling you, Becky?” he asked at last. “Can I be of any service to you?”
“No, there is nothing wrong,” she said, “But I had to talk to you before you return to town. I have done you aninjustice and I feel conscience-bound to apologize.”
He laughed briefly. “You apologize to me?” he said. “What can you have possibly done to wrong me?”
“I have thought of you as being shallow and uncaring, and have treated you accordingly,” she said. “I reallybelieved that you visited the school only because youwished to impress others. I did not know that it is onlythrough your generosity that the school exists at all. Imight have known, of course. You were ever concernedabout the plight of the poor. And I did not know aboutCyril’s eyeglasses. I thought that Philip had paid for them,you see, and I felt anger that you would still visit theschool and show special interest in the boy when you haddone nothing to really help him.”
She was talking very fast.
Christopher lightly covered her hand with his. “Hush,” he said. “You do not need to say more, Becky. I amvexed with Everett for telling you as much as you know. Ithought I could have trusted him.”
“I had guessed part of the truth,” Rebecca said. “He merely confirmed my suspicions.”
“Well,” he said, “perhaps no real harm has been done. I am conceited enough to be pleased that there is perhapsat least something in me about which you will be able tothink kindly. But I am not sure my motives have been as pureas you might think. I believe I was thinking less of thewelfare of your boys than I was of enabling you to achieveone of your dreams. I like to think that I would havehelped Everett even if I had not known of your interest inthe scheme, but I cannot be sure that I would.”
Rebecca looked up at him, a slight frown on her face. “You did it for me?” she asked. “Why? Was it a salve toyour conscience?”
He winced. “You might call it that,” he said. His hand was still over hers. They had walked, without realizing it,past the church and the schoolhouse and onto the countrylane that led to both their homes. The crowds were allbehind them.
“I thank you anyway,” she said. “The school has meant a great deal to me.”
“Then I am happy,” he said. “And would you like another room added, Becky, so that you can have yourgirls’ school too? I shall give it to you as a wedding gift,shall I?” His hand tightened momentarily around hers.
Rebecca did not answer immediately. “I think I have a long battle ahead before I can persuade Philip that there isa need for a girls’ school,” she said, “but I do mean tofight it. And I shall not say no to the gift if you still wishto give it when the time comes. But it will not be awedding gift, Christopher.”
