Love
Copyright© 2024 by Elizabeth Von Arnim
Chapter 15
It was an exciting life during the next week, —so much to plan, so much to arrange, and she herself buoyant with hope and delight. She couldn’t, of course, leave London during her treatment, so to Christopher’s astonishment she urged him to go to Scotland without her.
‘But Catherine——’
He couldn’t believe his own ears.
‘Go and have a good time, Chris darling.’
‘Without you?’
‘I must stay in London.’
‘In London?’
‘Yes. Virginia may want me.’
‘Now what in God’s name, Catherine, is all this about Virginia. The other day——’
Then she told him, secure in the knowledge that she was so soon going to be young again—she didn’t in the least mind being a grandmother if she wasn’t going to look like one; on the contrary, to look like a girl and yet be a grandmother struck her as to the last degree chic—that Virginia was expecting a baby in September, and as babies sometimes appeared before they ought she must be within reach.
Well, that was all right; he understood that. What he didn’t understand was Catherine’s detachment. Why, she seemed not to mind his leaving her. He couldn’t believe it. And when it became finally evident that such was her real attitude and no pretence at all about it, he was deeply hurt. Incredibly, she genuinely wanted him to go.
‘You love Virginia more than me,’ he said, his heart suddenly hot with jealousy.
‘Oh Chris, don’t be silly,’ said Catherine impatiently.
She had never since their marriage told him not to be silly in that sensible, matter-of-fact way. What had come over her? He, who had been feeling he couldn’t breathe for all the love there was about, now found himself gasping for want of it. The atmosphere had suddenly gone clear and rarefied. Catherine seemed to be thinking of something that wasn’t him, and once or twice forgot to kiss him. Forgot to kiss him! He was deeply wounded. And she was so unaccountably cheerful too. She not only seemed to be thinking of something else but seemed amused by it, hugging whatever it was with delight. She was excited. What was she excited about? Surely not because she was going to be a grandmother? Surely that would make her brood more than ever on the difference in their ages?
‘She wants me to go to Scotland with you,’ he said, bursting in one day on Lewes. ‘She wants me to go away without her. Doesn’t care a hang. Four solid weeks. The whole of August.’
‘How sensible,’ said Lewes, not looking up from his work.
‘It’s that beastly baby.’
‘Baby?’ Lewes did look up.
‘Due in September.’
‘What? But surely——’
‘Oh, don’t be a fool. Virginia’s. She won’t leave London. Why she can’t go somewhere round near Chickover, where I could go too and be with her and get some golf as well—Lewes, old man, I believe she’s fed up with me.’
And he stared at Lewes with hot eyes.
In his turn Lewes told him not to be a fool; but the mere thought of Catherine, his Catherine, being fed up with him as he put it, sent him rushing back to her to see if it could possibly be true.
She was so airy, so much detached.
‘Now Chris, don’t be absurd. Of course you must have a good holiday and get out of London. It’s lucky that you have your friend to go with——’
That was the sort of thing.
‘But Catherine, how can you want me to? Don’t you love me any more?’
‘Of course I love you. Which is why I want you to go to Scotland.’
To read the complete story you need to be logged in:
Log In or
Register for a Free account
(Why register?)
* Allows you 3 stories to read in 24 hours.