Her answer was very soft: "Oh, Val!"
He had dreamed of this moment, but always in an imperative mood, as the
masterful young lover, and now he felt humble, touched, trembly. He was
afraid to stir off his knees lest he should break the spell; lest, if he
did, she should shrink and deny her own surrender--so tremulous was she
in his grasp, with her eyelids closed and his lips nearing them. Her
eyes opened, seemed to swim a little; he pressed his lips to hers.
Suddenly he sprang up; there had been footsteps, a sort of startled
grunt. He looked round. No one! But the long curtains which barred off
the outer hall were quivering.
"My God! Who was that?"
Holly too was on her feet.
"Jolly, I expect," she whispered.
Val clenched fists and resolution.
"All right!" he said, "I don't care a bit now we're engaged," and
striding towards the curtains, he drew them aside. There at the
fireplace in the hall stood Jolly, with his back elaborately turned. Val
went forward. Jolly faced round on him.
"I beg your pardon for hearing," he said.
With the best intentions in the world, Val could not help admiring him
at that moment; his face was clear, his voice quiet, he looked somehow
distinguished, as if acting up to principle.
"Well!" Val said abruptly, "it's nothing to you."
"Oh!" said Jolly; "you come this way," and he crossed the hall. Val
followed. At the study door he felt a touch on his arm; Holly's voice
said:
"I'm coming too."
"No," said Jolly.
"Yes," said Holly.
Jolly opened the door, and they all three went in. Once in the little
room, they stood in a sort of triangle on three corners of the worn
Turkey carpet; awkwardly upright, not looking at each other, quite
incapable of seeing any humour in the situation.
Val broke the silence.
"Holly and I are engaged."
Jolly stepped back and leaned against the lintel of the window.
"This is our house," he said; "I'm not going to insult you in it. But my
father's away. I'm in charge of my sister. You've taken advantage of me.
"I didn't mean to," said Val hotly.
"I think you did," said Jolly. "If you hadn't meant to, you'd have
spoken to me, or waited for my father to come back."
"There were reasons," said Val.
"What reasons?"
"About my family--I've just told her. I wanted her to know before things
happen."
Jolly suddenly became less distinguished.
"You're kids," he said, "and you know you are.
"I am not a kid," said Val.
"You are--you're not twenty."
"Well, what are you?"