Then She Fled Me (22 page)

The next few days seemed to be given up to dress-making. Sarah was demanded for constant fittings which tried her very much, and Kathy, her mouth full of pins, would plead:
“
We
’
ve less than a week. Sarah,
p
l
ease
stand still.
”
But when the dress was nearly finished and Sarah looked at herself in Aunt Em
’
s old-fashioned pier glass, she had to admit that her sister
’
s labors were rewarded. The leaf-green velvet clung to her slender body with a loving grace which hid the sharpness of her still growing young bones, and she had never thought her skin so white until she saw her uncovered neck and shoulders.

“
It
’
s exactly right,
”
Kathy pronounced, sitting back on her heels.
“
And now I see the fuller skirt would have been a mistake even if we
’
d had enough stuff. It makes you look very slender but that narrow Empire line suits you. Is it comfortable?
”

Sarah took a careful step.

“
I think so. It won
’
t split, will it
?
”

“
There should be plenty of width to dance. Try.
”
Sarah took another step, and another, and soon she was turning and twisting round the room, waltzing, breaking into reel steps, singing any tune that came into her head.

The door was open, and Adrian on his way to the nursery paused to watch, Sarah did not see him, but Kathy did and she beckoned him in.

“
Come and admire,
”
she said.
“
I
’
m rather proud of my latest creation.
”

Sarah came to an abrupt halt and as she stood there without speaking for a moment while his cool eyes travelled slowly over her, the color crept under her skin.

“
You
’
ve been extremely clever, Kathy,
”
he said slowly.
“
She looks like some picture in an old book of fairy tales. She only needs one of those tall head-dresses Dulac was so fond of.
”

“
Well,
”
said Sarah, feeling a little embarrassed under his eyes,
“
I
’
m not going to dance in a tall head-dress for anyone. As it is Kathy won
’
t let me wear a vest and I shall freeze.
”

He smiled but his eyes were grave
.

“
I
’
m glad I persuaded you to come,
”
was
a
ll he said.

The weather got colder still as the year drew to its close, and Nonie said it wouldn
’
t surprise her if it snowed. The lawns were white with frost each morning and Aunt Em started chilblains. Sarah was busy on the farm getting in fodder against a possible cold snap that would cut them off from provisions for a while, and Adrian borrowed th
e
car one day and drove into Knockferry.

“
You
’
d better go by the north road,
”
Aunt Em said on New Year
’
s Eve.
“I
t looks very like snow and the south road may be icy.
”

“
And you
’
d better let me drive,
”
Adrian observed with a lifted eyebrow, and they were all surprised when Sarah meekly said she would.

Dressing for the dance that evening, Adrian remembered the last time he had worn dress clothes. It must have been the Albert Hall benefit concert at which he was the soloist, the night of the fog and the accident. His last public appearance, he thought grimly as he tied his white tie. White tie and tails, symbol of gaiety, of special occasions all over the world, but for him the uniform of his profession, the reminder of waits in draughty artists
’
rooms all over Europe, of concert platforms, of the raised batons of conductors, of applause sweeping across a full house. And tonight? Tonight he was putting on the recognized uniform of the reveller, a man who was going to a dance in an obscure little town in the west: of Ireland where no one had ever heard of Adrian Flint the pianist.

Sarah was in the kitchen being looked over by Nonie.
“
Ah, sure, you
’
ll come into your own this night,
”
the old woman said.
“
Miss Kathy has her mother
’
s beauty, God rest her soul, but you
’
ll not want for partners, me doty.
”

“
I wish,
”
said Sarah, twisting her hands,
“
I wish my father could have seen me tonight.
”

“
Och, he died too soon for you,
”
Nonie said.
“
But you do him credit, Miss Sarah. Take that thought with you to the ball and be sure there
’
s none there that won
’
t envy you.
”

Sarah hugged her.

“
Darling, Nonie, you always comfort me,
”
she said, and Nonie pushed her away with a gentle hand.

“
Ah, get along with you! An
’
remember, now, no sitting with your dress pulled over your two knees and you thinking you have the trousers on. You
’
re one of the young ladies of Dun Rury an
’
don
’
t let anyone forget it.
”

She ran into the snug. They were all there, waiting for her, and she looked at Adrian in his unfamiliar clothes and thought: now he looks just like his photograph on the program. They all admired her frock again, and she said gaily:
“
Everyone
’
s contributed to turning me into a young lady. Aunt Em bought the stuff, Kathy made it, Nonie provided the stockings, and Danny silvered my shoes. Thank you all.
”

Adrian said, one eyebrow lifted:

“
I haven
’
t contributed anything, but here it is—the best I could do in Knockferry.
”

For the first time since he had known her she seemed uncertain of him. She took the worn leather case he held out to her without a word, and opened it slowly, lifting out the delicate, old-fashioned necklace of moonstones and holding them up to the light.

“
Here, let me put it on for you,
”
he said, and snapped the necklace round her throat.

“
It
’
s exactly right,
”
Aunt Em said, sounding bewildered!
“
It
’
s exactly right for the frock.
”

“
That
’
s what I thought,
”
Adrian said.
“
But I wasn
’
t so lucky with Kathy. This is all I could find to match Joe
’
s pendant.
”

The puzzled unhappiness flew from Kathy
’
s eyes as she took the
small brooch with the single aquamarine stone which he held out to her, and pinned it to her frock.

“
Oh, Adrian, thank you,
”
she said.
“
You shouldn
’
t have done it after that lovely wireless you gave us, but thank you—I shall treasure it always.
”

She flew round the room, displaying her present to each member of the family in, turn, laughing and exquisite, but Sarah stood fingering
the
moonstones, and had no words for anyone at all.

Joe was waiting for them at the entrance to the Assembly Rooms. He had got his hair under control, but beside Adrian
’
s fair sleekness he still looked a little untidy.

“
There
’
s glory for you!
”
he said when he beheld Sarah but Kathy was too anxious to get to the ballroom to pay
attention to stray quotations. She had the first dance with Adrian, and Joe, inviting Sarah on to the floor, said solemnly:

“
I wouldn
’
t have believed it. My scraggy little tomboy! Well, it only goes to show.
”

“
What?
”
asked Sarah with interest.

“
I haven
’
t an idea. Concentrate on your dancing.
”

She was nervous when she got up to face Adrian. She remembered her reluctance to come to this
dan
ce and
she remembered, too, his hands on her shoulders and his voice saying:
“
Look at these hands
...
are they so objectionable to you?
”
She slipped into his arms and thought only of the music.

“
You see,
”
he said when the music stopped,
“
there was nothing to be afraid of.
”

After that it was easy. Adrian danced well in a conservative manner, but he had few surprise steps and she found him quite easy to follow. There were no tables to sit at, only rows of chairs round the room, and between dances they either sat on these or sought the stairs or other convenient places. It was Sarah
’
s evening. After the initial uncertainty, she enjoyed every minute of the dance, and Adrian was amused to see she attracted more partners outside their party than her sister did.

In the interval he bought her a drink, and she looked hastily round before bringing the glass to her lips.

“
Would you have preferred it in the ladies
’
cloak room?
”
he asked, and she giggled.

“
You
’
re awfully nice, Adrian,
”
she said.
“
I
’
m glad I came.
”
She fingered her necklace and her eyes were suddenly shy.
“
I never thanked you for it,
”
she said.
“
I—I
’
m not used to presents from strangers, you see.
”

“I’m still a
stranger?
”
he asked, his eyes on the delicate hollow under the necklace.

“
No—no, you
’
re not,
”
she said with surprise.
“
I feel I know you quite well.
”

He smiled a little crookedly.

“
You know me as well as anyone else,
”
he said cr
yp
tically.

They went back to the ballroom, and on the way they were stopped by a friend of Joe
’
s whom they had met earlier in the evening.

“
I
’
d like you to meet Mrs. Mallory,
”
she said.
“
She
’
s over from Eng
l
and on a visit and thinks she
’
s met you bef
o
re.
”

Sarah looked at the woman who was turning to greet Adrian. She was smart, sophisticated, very English, not the sort of woman who ordinarily attended the Assembly Rooms in Knockferry.

“
I don
’
t think
—”
Adrian was saying courteously, and
Mrs. Mallory broke in with a drawl:

“
Flint, didn
’
t you say, Michael? Aren
’
t you Adrian Flint, the pianist? We met once at a party after your Brussels recital four years ago, and I was at the Albert Hall concert the night of that awful fog—your last public appearance, wasn
’
t it? My dear man, you
look marvellously well— such a tragedy that they couldn
’
t patch you up again. Do come and see me when you
’
re back in England. You
’
ll find me in the book.
”

Adrian made some polite rejoinder and they passed on to the ballroom. She could feel his hands trembling as he took her on to the floor.

“
You mustn
’
t mind,
”
she said fiercely.
“
You
’
ve got to get used to it
.
”

He held her a little closer,
so that she could not see his face.

“
Yes. I
’
ve got to get used to it,
”
he said.
“
The trouble is I
’
ve hidden myself too long.
”

“
Does it matter?
”
she said.
“
Does it matter about silly women like that? What you had all those years, what you gave to the world, no one can take from you. You should be proud to have
h
ad so much.
”

He brushed the top of her head with his chin.

“
Wise Sarah,
”
he said.
“
What a pity you can
’
t be as wise for yourself.
”

“
For myself?
”
She looked up at him, puzzled.

“
Never mind. Perhaps someone will be wise for you. Now don
’
t talk any more.
”