The New Moon with the Old by Dodie Smith

Author:Dodie Smith [Dodie Smith]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781780335247
Publisher: Constable & Robinson
Published: 2012-09-19T04:00:00+00:00

6

Growing Up

She was back sooner than he expected but he was already on the look-out, intending to have the front door open for her. As she came up the steps he said: ‘I didn’t want you to ring the bell in case it disturbed Miss Whitecliff She’s lying down.’

‘Good. I don’t want to see her,’ said Rosalind. ‘I just want a word or two with you.’

Her tone now was casual but neither rude nor threatening. He followed her into the drawing-room, closed the door and turned to make his apology. But before he could speak she said: ‘Sit down, do you mind? Over there,’ indicating a chair opposite the one she flung herself into. She then favoured him with a long, cool, speculative stare. As a response to such a stare an apology would, he felt, seem like crawling, so he merely stared back, gravely but with a readiness to smile.

At last she said: ‘I was told to look at you. Well, I’ve looked.’

‘Yes, I did notice it,’ said Drew.

‘Mr Severn said no one could blame me for thinking the worst before I met you, but I ought to have seen at once that I was wrong. He’s probably right. Anyway, I do see it now. I suppose I owe you an apology.’

He was surprised she could say this and still remain unsmiling. No doubt she was proud – in which case the apology meant all the more. Smiling himself, he said regretfully: ‘Ah, you got in ahead of me. I was going to apologize to you.’

‘What for? Oh, for threatening to put me out of the house? Damn cheek, still … Do you know what Mr Severn said when I told him that? You haven’t half made a hit with old man Severn. He said: “Good. Shows the boy has a temper. I did think he might be a bit too saintly.” Are you saintly? I’ve always imagined saintly youths were dull.’ There was the faintest hint of a smile in her eyes now

‘Dull I may be,’ said Drew. ‘But saintly, no.1 assure you.’ At last she smiled fully and it was as if a light had been turned on to her fine-boned beauty, illuminating its resemblance to Miss Whitecliff’s. For a moment they sat silently, looking into each other’s eyes. And while the moment lasted Drew was utterly happy. It had come right, just as he had known it would.

It was she who broke the silence. Still smiling, she said:

‘You’ve got it wrong. Dull you aren’t – but you are a bit saintly. Don’t worry. It’s curable.’

She changed her position, crossing one long leg over the other and drawing her tight skirt upwards. Something about the action surprised him … yes, of course: Clare and Merry, when crossing their legs, either left their skirts alone or twitched them downwards. He had never before seen a girl deliberately pull her skirt above the knee – and some considerable way above. Perhaps the skirt was too tight to pull down; anyway, it was pleasant to see a little more of such elegant legs and he was in no way shocked.

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