Act of Contrition by Janice Holt Giles

Author:Janice Holt Giles [Janice Holt Giles]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9780813189796
Publisher: The University Press of Kentucky
Published: 2021-05-15T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter Thirteen

“Don’t let me go to sleep,” he begged, “I must leave by midnight.”

She was comfortable and warm and snug, her head on his shoulder, his big length curled around her. Drowsy, she could not bear to think of his leaving. “Why? That’s only a couple of hours.”

The bed shook with his laughter. “There’s nothing I’d like more than never to move again, but don’t you think it would look better if my car were seen or heard leaving at midnight than at dawn? I’m afraid your reputation would never recover.”

“I hadn’t thought of that. Where did you leave it?”

“In the drive, naturally. I had no idea . . .”

She couldn’t resist teasing him. “Oh, yes, you did. You came fully intending to spend the night.”

“I’ll swear I didn’t! It just came about . . .”

He felt her body shake and gave her a little spank. “I ought to compromise you good and proper for making fun.”

“I wouldn’t worry about it if I were you,” she said, between giggles, “I think you have—very successfully.”

He pulled her over toward him. “Don’t keep your back to me. It’s a lovely back, but I like your front, too.”

“Mike . . .”

When they could talk again, he said, “Just the same—in a small town there’s always gossip. I imagine there’s been enough of it already.”

“About us?” She was genuinely surprised.

“About us. You are a very attractive young widow, my love, and you have a whole house entirely to yourself. There are people who would say it’s for no good reason. Especially when I come and go rather freely.”

“They wouldn’t!”

“They would, and probably have. But we’ll put a stop to it. We’re going to be seen together from now on, openly and publicly. And I’ll start the rumor that I’m getting a divorce and that we’re to be married as soon as possible, if you like. How is it done? Would Lucia do it for us?”

“Well, she would—but I don’t think it would be very good taste until . . .”

“Oh, I see. One can’t very well be married and engaged at the same time, can he?”

“Hardly. Perhaps I’d better go out with Charles a few more times.”

“That won’t be necessary,” he said, with great dignity, which dissolved into a scuffle and a pretended smothering of her with her pillow. He gave it up and subsided breathlessly. “Oh, Lord, I feel wonderful. Do you feel like that too? As if you’d just been born, all fresh and new, with a whole lifetime ahead of you for happiness?” He stretched out long in the bed, kicking the sheet aside, complaining as his foot touched the rail, “this bed is too short for me.”

“I’m not surprised. It wasn’t meant for a man.”

There was a brief silence, then he said, softly, “You mean it never—it wasn’t yours before?”

As glad as she had ever been of anything in her life she assured him, “No. It’s mine—bought when I came here.”

He seized her. “How wonderful! Just yours—and mine.” After a time he said, gently, “I suppose you loved him very much.

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