England -- Social life and customs -- 20th century -- Fiction; Love stories; Social classes -- England -- Fiction; Young women -- Fiction
Then the waiter knocked at the door and said the chocolate was ready, so
they went back to the sitting room.
He was quite adorable as he assisted her to pour in the cream--but
Katherine Bush now decided she would keep him at arm's length for a
while; the game was really so entertaining, and its moves must be made
to last as long as possible.
Lord Algy enjoyed fencing, too, so they talked in a more matter-of-fact
way for an hour or more, and then she told him she would go and change
for dinner, as it would be ready in twenty minutes.
"I'll have to be your maid, darling--I make an awfully good maid--I
never bungle with the beastly hooks--and I should love to brush your
hair!"
His eyes shone with light-hearted passion, and his good-looking face was
close to her own.
"You shall perhaps--to-morrow," Katherine Bush retorted--and slipping
into the room beyond she shut the door.
Lord Algy flung himself into an armchair, lit a cigarette and laughed
softly. He had never had such an experience as this.
"She is a wonder!" he said to himself. "Astonishing for her class--for
any class--She reminds me of some French heroine--what's her
name--fellow wrote jolly nice stuff--oh--er--_Mademoiselle de Maupin_,
of course! By Jove! I believe I am going to have a time like that chap
had--only she won't go off into limbo on Monday night!--Confound it, I
believe I'm in love!"
Then he threw away his cigarette end, and went round through the outer
passage to his room beyond hers, where he found his servant turning on
his bath in the bathroom which divided their apartments.
"Madame did not seem to require it--yet," Hanson said respectfully, "so
I have turned on Your Lordship's first."
And in a few minutes Lord Algy was splashing in the Lubin scented water,
while he gaily whistled a tune.
And Katherine Bush heard him as she was sponging her white face--and
stopped and listened surprisedly.
"Whatever can he be having a bath for at this time of day," she said to
herself, "and it is not Saturday!"
Then the thought came, it might be the custom of his class to bathe
before dinner! A scarlet spot grew in each cheek--she must never forget
to learn and profit by her lessons, so she deliberately went and knocked
on the communicating door and called out:
"Algy! you are mean to take the first!--When you have finished, turn on
mine."
And then she stood and trembled for a minute, while she piled up her
great mass of ashen hair.
"All right, darling!" he called back. "Only I must have my reward!"
"When _I_ please!" the young woman said to herself. "And not until."
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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