Ah, yes! The day! His brow clouded, and he turned away.
"I am glad you are coming," said Mrs. Linchmore, "as Frances does not ride."
Frances not ride! For a moment Amy felt glad, then sorry. Would they think she had come purposely to prevent a tete-a-tete?
"I did not know Miss Strickland was not to be of the party," said Amy, as her husband lifted her to the saddle.
"Nor I," he replied.
"You are not sorry I am going with you, Robert?"
He looked at her in surprise. "Sorry, Amy?"
"I mean; that is, I thought yesterday that perhaps you would like me to go."
"Of course, not only yesterday, but to-day and every day," and then he mounted, and went on with Mrs. Linchmore.
So the ride did not begin very auspiciously.
Amy was a good rider, a graceful and fearless one, although perhaps not such a dashing horse-woman as Frances, and her husband looked at her with pride and pleasure as she cantered along on her spirited horse at his side. The exercise soon brought a glow to her cheeks, and a bright light to her eyes, while she laughed and chatted so joyously that Robert thought he had never seen her look so lovely, and forgot the dark lady at his side and riveted his attention on his wife.
"Take care, Amy," said he, as her horse gave a sudden start, "tighten the curb a little more."
But Amy only laughed. "I like him to jump about," she said, "it shows he is in as good spirits as his mistress."
"I certainly never saw Mrs. Vavasour in such spirits," remarked Mrs.
Linchmore, feeling herself neglected.
But Amy was not to be checked by a grave look from her rival. Since yesterday, when she had stood at the window with her eyes filled with tears watching her and her husband ride away, she had determined on standing her ground as Robert"s wife; she would not fall away from his side at the first danger that threatened, and quietly without an effort allow another to wean his heart from her, but would win back his love to where it had been; and then, not till then, open her heart--as she ought to have done long ago--and tell him all.
Had Frances known of Amy"s determination, or even of her contemplated ride, she would not have been walking so quietly along the lane rejoicing in the success of her stratagems. As she emerged into the road she met Bertie, who clapped his hands, and sprung out of his perambulator before Hannah"s vigilant eye perceived him.
"I"ll go with you," he said, taking Frances" hand.
"Come back, Master Bertie, this moment," said his nurse.
"Let him come," exclaimed Frances, "you are a very naughty boy, all the same, for being so disobedient."
"Please don"t take him far, Miss, for it"s most time for us to be turning home."
"No; only to the turnpike gate and back."
She took the boy"s hand and away they went, Bertie chatting pleasantly until they reached the gate, where he made a stand and began climbing it, notwithstanding Frances" remonstrances. The continued talking brought Matthew to the window.
"There"s some folks from the Hall," said he to his sister-in-law, who was busy peeling some potatoes.
Jane dropped the knife and turned sharply round. "Go out to them," she said, "we don"t want them in here."
"It"s only a young gentleman a-climbing the gate," he replied.
Jane picked up the knife and after a moment went on with her work; but Bertie had seen a cat with its kitten on the door-step; and had run into the cottage before Frances could prevent him.
"Go away! don"t come in here!" screamed Jane.
"Put down the knife and hould yer oncivil tongue, yer dafty!" exclaimed Marks. "What the devil d"yer mean by it! Walk in, young gentleman, y"ere welcome to play with the cat as long as yer like. Take a seat, Miss,"
and he brought forward one of the chairs and dusted it.
But Frances took no heed of the invitation. "I am very angry with you, Bertie," she said, "What will Hannah say? Come away?"
But Bertie would not, but went up to Jane with the kitten in his arms.
"Very well," replied Frances, "I shall call Hannah," but in reality she went outside and waited for him, while Matthew, hat in hand, followed and talked to the young lady.
"I wish p.u.s.s.y was my very own," said Bertie presently, after playing with it for a few moments.
Jane had seated herself in a chair with her face half turned from him and paid no heed to his remark.
"Will you give it me?" he asked in his childish way, pulling at her dress to attract her attention.
"It isn"t mine," she replied.
Bertie put the kitten in her lap. "Isn"t it pretty?" he said. "Don"t you love it?"
"No."
"Do you love the big cat?"
"No."
"Don"t you love anything?"
"No. Nothing."
"What"s your name?"
"Jane."
"You"re a naughty, cross woman, Jane, and _I_ shan"t love you."
"You don"t need to," she replied. "Go away!"
But Bertie continued playing with the kitten still laying in her lap. As he stooped his little face over it, his soft, dimpled cheek touched Jane"s hand, while his fair, curly hair waved almost across the other.
Presently Jane raised her hand, took off his cap and stroked his head gently.
Bertie looked up half surprised. "Do you think it pretty?" he asked.
"I don"t know." But she did not take her hand away.
"Would you like to have some of it?" he asked again, as Jane pa.s.sed her fingers through one of the silky curls. "Cut it. Where"s the scissors?"