Dance While You Can by Susan Lewis

Author:Susan Lewis [Lewis, Susan]
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi, azw3
Tags: General, Fiction
ISBN: 0099517833
Google: HQG9dp0saiQC
Amazon: B005Q68V86
Publisher: Random House
Published: 1990-01-02T00:00:00+00:00

– 19 –

The initial awkwardness of meeting again, this time in the cold light of morning, was augmented by Elizabeth’s guilt at leaving her daughter. Throughout the short flight to Guernsey she tried hard not to let me see how she was fretting, but by the time we stepped off the plane I could tell she was near to tears. Unable to bear her anguish, I took her in my arms and told her I would book us seats on the next flight back to London.

‘I want to be with you, Alexander,’ she said.

‘You will be. We can always see each other in London, as often as you like. I just don’t want you to be unhappy.’

‘I’m not. I won’t be. I know in my heart that Charlotte will be all right. She’s with people who love her, she probably won’t even miss me.’ She tried to laugh and I watched her face as she fought with her emotions. ‘I can’t seem to think. I’ve wanted this for so long, but now . . .’

‘These yours, squire?’

We looked round to see a baggage-handler hauling our suitcases off the conveyor belt. It wasn’t a particularly educated guess he’d made as everyone else had long since departed. I thanked him, took our cases, and turned back to Elizabeth.

‘I’m afraid, Alexander. I’m afraid of the way I feel. And afraid to go back again in case I lose you.’

‘You won’t lose me, darling. I promise, you’ll never lose me again. If you want to go home then all you have to do is say.’

For a long time she stared down at our luggage, her hands now firmly stuffed inside her coat pockets, her hair falling around her face. When at last she looked up her eyes were swimming with tears. ‘I think we’d better hurry if we don’t want to miss the boat, don’t you?’

I felt such a rush of relief that I dropped the bags and gathered her into my arms.

‘Do you suppose we’re being dreadfully selfish?’ she asked, when we were aboard the ferry.

‘Dreadfully,’ I replied, without a moment’s hesitation. ‘Not to mention irresponsible, self-indulgent . . .’

‘You’re begining to remind me of that awful schoolboy I used to know.’

‘And if you remember, I was always at my very worst when I was with you.’ She laughed and looked away, but not before I saw the colour that had come to her cheeks. ‘Almost,’ I added, ‘as bad as you.’

By the time we docked at Creux Harbour the barrier that had risen between us that morning had disappeared. A horse and carriage carried us up over the steep hill towards our hotel, and Elizabeth was almost childlike in her enthusiasm for the rugged beauty that greeted us. Wild spring flowers spread between the trees and hedgerows, creating a carpet of violet blue that swayed in the breeze, and the winding pathways that eased into the long grass promised even more celebrations of undisturbed nature. On either side of the crumbling road, primroses peeped out of the banks, smiling into the face of the sun.

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