Part 15 (1/2)
' She beamed at them both.
”T'll wish you very happy.
When will you marry?
' Alethea had to laugh.
”Granny, we're only just engaged!
But we thought in about six weeks' time.
' ”T never did agree with long engagements.
I met your grandfather at a Christmas party and we married on New
Year's Day.
' She sighed.
”And very happy we were, too.
As you will be.
Come and give me a kiss, Alethea.
' Tea was a gay meal, with Mrs Bustle sharing it with them so that she
could hear the exciting news while she plied Mr van Diederijk with scones and cake and the little biscuits which were her particular
forte, but it was she and Mrs Thomas who did most of the talking. Sarre seemed content to sit back and allow the conversation to flow back and forth, joining in in his pleasant calm voice from time to time, while Alethea was almost totally silent.
She had said that she would marry him and burnt her boats behind her,
now she was beset with any number of doubts.
Supposing Nick wanted to marry her after all?
Supposing he asked her not to leave, to make it up and go on as
before?
Probably it would never be the same again, but all the same.
She bade her grandmother and Mrs Bustle goodbye with her usual
serenity, however, and got into the car beside Sarre with every
appearance of feeling completely content with her future, so it was a
little disconcerting when he observed: ”T asked you to turn the page,
Alethea, I meant forwards, not back; it will serve no good purpose
brooding over what might have been.
' She coloured faintly.
”Oh--I didn't know, that is, it's hard not to remember--I didn't know it.
that you could see.
' He answered this incoherent remark with a wry smile.
”It was so very plain on your face, my dear.
Luckily your grandmother and Mrs Bustle were so busily engaged in your
wedding clothes and whether to have almond paste on the cake that they didn't notice.
' She turned to look at him.
”Are you sure it will be all right?
I will try, I promise you, but just to forget, like that.