Free The Love Child by Victoria Holt Page B

kissed me I was aware of an excitement which I had never felt before.
    It was so comforting to be loved. Moreover, he did not regard me as a child, I thought to myself, and it was as though I were talking to Leigh.
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    “Jocelyn,” I replied, “I think I love you, too. I know that if they really had been looking for you and had taken you, I should have been more unhappy than I have ever been before.”
    “It’s love, my dearest Priscilla,” he said, “and it will grow and grow and wrap itself about us for the rest of our lives.”
    So we kissed and plighted our troth, as they say. He gave me the ring he was wearing on his little finger. It was gold with a stone of lapis lazuli. It was big and would only stay on my middle finger and even then was in danger of slipping off.
    It was hard to leave him then, but I knew that I must if I were going to get back before dark.
    He was reluctant to let me go but I reminded him that we must be more careful than ever now.
    “Do not have the lantern lighted when you sleep,” I warned. “It could guide people to you. Oh, do be careful, Jocelyn.”
    “I will,” he assured me. “I have the future to think of now.”
    Leigh came back that evening.
    We were all overcome with joy at the sight of him and the news was good.
    He told us about it as we sat over supper in the winter parlour after the servants had all gone away. Even so he spoke in whispers and warned us to do the same, and every now and then went to the door to make sure that no one was near.
    “Harriet says she will have him,” he told us. “He is to be John Frisby whose mother acted with her, and whom she knew as a child actor himself when she played in London.
    He can stay there for as long as he likes. She’ll brief him when he arrives and make sure that if any other actors come visiting her, he will be warned about them. She’s excited. She was excited right from the beginning of the prospect. She said she was getting a little tired of being in the country, but now it would be as good as a play. I’m going off now to see him. I shall have to get a horse for him somewhere.
    In fact I had one at a horse dealer’s … Shoulden way. I can collect it tonight and take it down to him. I want him on his way.”
    “Do we need food?” asked Christabel. “They are getting a little suspicious in the kitchen.”
    “No,” said Leigh. “He’ll have money and he can feed himself during the journey. Soon after he’ll be with Harriet. All he wants is the horse and directions how to get there. I think our part of the plot is almost over.”
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    I told him about the people and the dogs and how terrified we had been-but I did not mention our conversation and its result.
    “Yes,” said Edwin. “I guessed it would be tricky there for more than a night or two.
    It will be a relief when he is with Harriet.”
    We were all rather subdued, and as soon as supper was over Leigh went out again.
    I overheard one of the servants say: “Master Leigh’s no sooner in than out.”
    “He’s got his lady to see to. She’s been without while he’s been with his mother.”
    “If it’s her I think it is she wouldn’t have been without altogether … only without Master Leigh.”
    There followed giggles which annoyed me. But I had to curb my irritation. I wanted to say: It is not a mistress he is visiting tonight. But how foolish that would be.
    Leigh’s reputation had served us well during this affair, but at the same time I felt irritated that he had itand more so because I was well aware that he deserved it.
    I was watching at my window for his return. It must have been an hour or so after midnight when he came in. I had to know what had happened. I slipped on a cloak over my nightdress, put on slippers and ran down to the hall. He came in quietly. The moon-now waning-gave a little light through the tall, narrow windows.
    “Leigh!”
    “So it’s you.”
    “I had to know.”
    “All’s well,” he said. “I got the horse