Loving - Green Henry - Страница 30

At this Edith burst into giggles bringing her hand still with its bit of straw up to her mouth as, eyes welling, she looked direct into Albert's below her. He lay quiet and yellow in a simper. This brought her up sharp.

'Can't you even have a joke?' she asked.

'Well you're a pretty pair no mistake,' Kate said and yawned. They found she was sitting to rearrange her tow locks.

'Not so comical as you, you believe me,' Edith answered removing herself from off Albert. He turned over onto his stomach again, facing Ireland.

'What have I done now then?' Kate wanted to know. 'Can't a girl treat herself a nap?'

'Forget it dear,' Edith told her.

'I don't know as I want to forget,' Kate replied. 'It's not nice finding people makin' fun of you when you're asleep.'

'It's only what you brought out love,' Edith sweetly said.

'What was that then?'

'You called a name.'

'Is that all,' Kate announced and blushed, which was unusual with her. 'Why from the fuss you two made lain right in each other's arms you'd imagine it might be something serious.'

'We wasn't,' Albert said sharp, twisting his head towards her. His eyes did not seem to see.

'Oh all right let it pass,' Kate replied. Her blush had gone. 'But you can take it from me what I witnessed was sufficient to make them precious children look twite if they'd noticed.'

'Just let 'im be,' Edith said indifferent.

'There's one thing I won't have,' Kate quoted looking with malice at Edith, 'an' that is the children bein' worried by it the little lambs.'

Edith gave a short laugh.

'Why who said that?' Albert asked.

'Miss Swift.'

'What for?' he enquired.

'And I say she's an old duck stickin' up for them,' Edith interrupted. They don't want to be bothered with what I witnessed, not yet awhiles any old how. They got plenty of time to learn.'

'You mean what you saw when you called Mrs Jack?' the lad said scornful. 'That old tale?'

'E won't believe it yet,' Kate announced as if delighted.

'Call it a tale if you will,' Edith answered. There's many a time I've wished I hadn't been the one. But you ask Agatha Burch if you disbelieve me. Stark naked she sat up in bed as the day she was born.'

'Get out?' Albert politely said.

'Well she's right Miss Swift is,' Edith added above the boy's head. Their mother's everything to them I should hope? Nor you'd never get 'em to believe if you did tell them. Not like you and someone I could mention.'

That's enough,' Kate said violent. 'I've had all I can stomach from…'

'Land's sakes,' Edith called scrambling to her feet, 'will you just look what they're at now all three,' she cried making off at a run down to the ocean.

'Come on,' Kate said, 'give us a kiss when she's not lookin'.'

But he would not, did not even bother to reply. Yet the moment Edith came back he rolled over to ask if she had forgotten she had still to return him that gauntlet glove.

'What glove?' she asked as she sat down once more.

'Why the one you had full of eggs it must be six weeks since.'

'I got one or two things of hers when Mrs T. arrives,' she said.

'How's that Edie?' Kate asked opening her gimlet eyes.

'Oh nothing dear, nothing which is to say that concerns you,' Edith sweetly answered. 'It's only that she will leave things lying idle.'

'Like her ring,' Kate commented shrewd. 'Which was worth more than an old king's ransom I'll be bound.'

'Which ring?' the lad enquired.

'Why Albert I will admit you're chronic,' Edith said. 'You mean to lie there and tell us you never heard of Mrs Tennant's ring that was mislaid.'

'I never heard nothing.'

'No more he would,' Kate announced. "He's simple that's all.'

'Well,' Edith said, 'I made sure you must have. It was only that she's lost another valuable, a ring this time. But I chanced to come upon it the other day.'

'You did?' Kate exclaimed sitting up, 'an' you never told me.'

'Oh I've got it hid away trust little Edith,' Edith announced dully. 'They're never goin' to pin a thing on me they can call stealing by findin'. Once she gets back I'll tell her just where she'll come upon it,' she said.

'An object like that,' was Kate's comment. 'It's hid well away. There's only Miss Moira I've showed to an' she'd never tell. I worship that child,' Edith said.

'There you go again,' Kate exclaimed, 'when she's right under the thumb of Mrs Welch's precious lad. They both are. After what 'e done to that peacock one or two sapphires in a ring would be mincemeat for 'im.'

'So you've seen it,' Edith asked suddenly intense. 'Me?' Kate wanted to be told. 'Not me I never.'

'How do you come to know it was a sapphire ring then?'

'Because I've got eyes in my head, silly. I've seen 'er wear it.'

'Oh if that's all,' Edith pronounced turning away again. 'From the way you talked I thought you must've known.'

'So you 'id the ring away then?' Albert said. 'Well what else could I do, use your sense do. I didn't want to hand that over to Agatha Burch so she could get the credit did I?'

'She'd've told you were the person that came across it.' That's what you think Albert. You talk like one of these Irishmen you're so innocent but then there's more behind what they say than they let on to. If you want to know they're an improvement.'

'Edie,' Kate said in an admiring voice, 'you've changed.'

'Too true I have,' Edith answered, 'but there you are you see. Circumstances alter cases,' she said.

'Over at Clancarty,' Kate began, 'that Captain Davenport strips 'is men naked when their day's work diggin' is done to see they don't take nothing. Paddy says the priest 'as taken the matter up."

'I bet you wishes you was there,' Albert surprisingly remarked.

In reply Kate fetched him a swipe with the back of her hand across his cheek. He scrambled up while she sat on fists clenched, ready to fight and get the better of him. But he walked off and did not say a word. The dejected donkey followed at his heels. Against the everlastingly hurrying ocean with its bright glare from the beginning of the world, he wandered with the donkey drooped to his tracks as if he was a journeying choirboy.

'The sauce,' Kate said.

'E's only a kid,' Edith remarked and lay back along the sand after spreading out 'I love you' for her head. She looked straight up at the sky without wrinkling the skin about her eyes.

'There's times I could go scatty in this old country,' Kate announced calm as though nothing had occurred, 'I could really. Come on let's have one of them talks like we used to. Now what about you for a start? You tell your own girl what it's like to be loved.'

'Kate you are awful.'

'Come on now there's no one to hear with this sea. Your boy friend is in the sulks along of 'is precious donkey. You tell your Kate.'

'Oh him,' Edith said, 'you want to go easy with him. What you let slip when we woke you upset Bert.'

'What d'you mean?'

'Oh I wasn't referring to that name you mentioned.'

'Then what you're gettin' at Edie is my poking fun at you lyin' over 'im to reach me?'

'That's right. You see Kate 'e's touchy. It's calf love.'

'Don't make me laugh,' Kate said scornful. 'Calf love you call that? Why you talk like you was your young lady. We got no time for calf love dear as you call it. We're ordinary workin' folk. 'E'll be going off in a faint next.'

'Just because when I see a mouse caught by its little leg in a wheel and he opens a great mouth at me…'

'Now then,' Kate interrupted, '

'old on. I wasn't gettin' at you. I don't know why we can't be like we used to I'm sure but nowadays we don't seem able ever to do anything but go sarky at one another.'

Edith turned away from her once more. 'O. K. let it pass,' she said.

'But surely you don't intend to permit that lad to go moonin' after you like a drowned duck?'