Gates of Dawn (28 page)

CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE

“
BUT Sylvia?
”
she asked suddenly, about half an hour later.

The stars had faded altogether now, and a rosy brightness was spreading in all directions above the peaks across the valley. Melanie leaned against her lover
’
s shoulder and blinked her eyes in the sudden, dazzling radiance after a night of moonless darkness, and excitement stirred in her as she realized that although she had never even hoped that such a thing could happen he and she were there together near the summit of the mountain to witness the miracle of the sunrise, just as she had witnessed it with Dr. Muller. The gates of dawn were already opening wide, and the light was on their faces, transforming them, and the mellow warmth was seeping into their tired, chilled bones and creating new life.

Richard had told her that Dr. Muller had promised to follow him as soon as he could, and that they might expect him at any moment to come climbing up from the valley. Melanie, it was plain, would have to be carried off the mountain, and although Richard would have liked nothing better than to carry her down himself, he realized that the attempt would involve risks which, for her sake, he must not think of taking. And now that she was warm and in his arms and no longer alone up there above the world, she did not greatly care when—if ever—Dr
.
Muller arrived. She knew that she would never be quite so happy again as in that breathtaking period of revelation and discovery after weeks of repressed unhappiness, and she knew that Richard was inclined to share her view.

Away from all contact with the earth they knew they were supremely happy and content, and there was no one to witness their happiness. They had it all to themselves.

But the thought of Sylvia was one of the first things that brought Melanie back to earth.

“
But Sylvia?
”
she repeated.
“
Miss Gaythorpe?
”

“
Well, what about her?
”
Richard inquired, obviously puzzled.

“
I thought that you were going to marry her,
”
she told him.

He drew his dark brows together and looked down at her.

“
You did?
”

She nodded, feeling a return of the acute unhappiness that had welled over her when she had been more or less certain that it was only a matter of time before they announced their engagement.

“
I was quite certain you were going to marry her.
”

He smiled with a touch of his old whimsicalness and smoothed the soft hair back from her brow.

“
Then you shouldn
’
t have been certain of anything of the kind! Surely you never seriously believed that I would link my life with anyone as glamorous and as restless as Sylvia? She
’
s like a butterfly hovering from flower to flower, and I was merely one of the flowers. But she
’
s a good actress
—”

“
And she was perfectly serious about you, I know—she probably still is!
”
Melanie said, looking gravely up into his face. And then she remembered something.
“
Oh, Richard, what about the necklace?—the pearl necklace! Didn
’
t you mean to give it to her for Christmas
?
”

He put his fingers under her chin and lifted it, looking deep into her eyes.

“
So that was why you were interested in the necklace? As a matter of fact, my sweet, it was intended for you, but I thought if I gave it to you so soon after the beginning of our acquaintance you might be inclined to take offence, and so I gave you a cheque instead. Satisfied?
”

She nodded, putting up a hand to gently touch his face. He caught it and kissed it lingeringly, and then kissed her soft cheek and her chin and throat and brow.

“
It
’
s safely locked up and waiting for you in London,
”
he told her,
“
and will be yours as soon as we return to England.
”

The thought of returning to England with him, and eventually to the Wold House, was enough to fill her cup of happiness to the brim.

“
Forget all about Sylvia,
”
he advised her.
“
It
’
s you I
’
m going to marry, and I
’
m going to marry you immediately.
No waiting for you to change your mind! You
’
ll find me a demanding lover, my darling adored one, and I
’
m going to fly you back to London just as soon as your ankle is well enough and marry you there. You can stay with Great-Aunt Amelia for a day or so—she
’
ll love to have you—and then we
’
ll go north to the Wold House. Just think of Mrs. Abbie
’
s expression when I present you to her as her mistress! She
’
ll probably fall on my neck and kiss me, she
’
ll be so pleased.
”

Melanie
’
s expression was almost dreamy with happiness, and her eyes shone.

“
But Noel?
”
she said suddenly, remembering her.
“
We can
’
t just abandon Noel.
”

“
Certainly we can
’
t, and we won
’
t—especially after what she has done for us!
”
regarding her meaningly.
“
But Noel will be all right with Dr. Muller for a week or so, and then we
’
ll fly back and see her settled in a good school— the kind that will make serious inroads on my bank-balance unless I
’
m mistaken about Dr. Muller
’
s ideas for her—and she can come to us for the holidays. And we
’
ll spend a few weeks at the chalet. Would you like that—a honeymoon at the chalet?
”

Melanie did not let him know how great had been her fears that he was to spend a honeymoon with Sylvia at the chalet, but buried her face on his shoulder.

When Dr. Muller came up the mountain path, full of anxiety because he was not certain what had happened, he co
ul
d see at once by their faces that they had settled the question of their future lives to the complete satisfaction of each other. And he knew that he was very much odd man out. But he was the first of their friends to congratulate them.

Melanie, with a weary face but shining eyes, looked up at him as he clasped her hand and smiled into her face.

“
Thank you, Dr. Muller,
”
she said, and she wished for his sake that the affairs of everybody else in the world could work out as happily as hers had.

That night, when she was lying on a comfortable settee before a blazing fire in the living-room at the chalet, with Trudi fussing around her, Richard—bathed, and shaved, and changed, and his old immaculate, elegant self once more—stood in the doorway.

Trudi vanished discreetly. Melanie looked up and felt the hot color invade her cheeks, while her eyes wavered before his regard. He crossed over and stood beside her, and looked down at her, a quizzical gleam in his eyes.

“
It might interest you to know,
”
he said,
“
that Miss Gaythorpe flew home to England this morning and renounced all future claims upon me. She left me a little note which states quite clearly that she never wishes to see me again.
”

“
Oh, Richard!
”
She looked up at him.
“
Do you think she—she was upset?
”

“
Not at all.
”
He sat down beside her on the edge of the settee.
“
Only a slight wound to her vanity. But it will probably do her good.
”

Looking at him, so debonair, so undeniably good-looking, with an air few men managed to cultivate, Melanie wondered how she would be feeling herself if she had been forced to fly away out of his life like that. But instead of flying away she had him here beside her—and she loved him! Her breath caught in her throat. How she loved him! ...

Richard
’
s swarthy cheeks darkened a little as if a flush had risen up behind them, and his dark eyes grew darker. He bent over her and took her deliberately into his arms.
“
Yes, my sweet, I
’
m all yours!
”
he said.

THE END