Free Dance While You Can by Susan Lewis Page A

snakey vein in his neck will be throbbing away. Nobody’s life will be worth living.’
    Grinning, Henry took the paper from Alexander and handed it to me.
    ‘Did you read that bit about them being vermin?’ Alexander said, looking up at me. ‘As my mother says, we’re never going to get rid of them if father doesn’t cut out the vitriol. Still, it’s true what he’s saying. I saw them when I was there at Christmas, filthy beggars. I wonder if it’s true that they’re running a child prostitution ring. The local rag said it was.’
    ‘Not only the local one,’ said Henry. ‘There’s something about it here.’
    ‘Henry, dear boy, what on earth are you doing reading that? ’
    I laughed. ‘You’re such a snob, Alexander Belmayne.’
    ‘Couldn’t agree more,’ said Miss Angrid, coming up behind us.
    Alexander pulled a face, then turned back to Henry. ‘What does it say?’ he asked.
    ‘Headline stuff. As you say, all about the child prostitution thing. Your father is quoted as saying something about calling in Rentokil to deal with it.’
    Alexander gave a yell of laughter. ‘Renta who?’ I said.
    ‘Rentokil. The pest control people,’ Miss Angrid enlightened me.
    ‘Sounds like my father,’ said Alexander. ‘No doubt he’s pissing himself with excitement at the forthcoming battle.’
    ‘Alexander!’
    ‘Sorry, Matron, momentarily forgot myself.’ And as he threw her a kiss, I had to turn away before she saw me laughing.
    ‘Anyway,’ I continued, as Miss Angrid strolled off, ‘what are you two doing here? I thought you were going to the theatre this afternoon.’
    ‘Mr Lear’s gone sick,’ Henry answered, draining a can of shandy. ‘Titus Andronicus leftus in the lurchus.’
    Alexander held his can out for me to drink. ‘All I can say is, I’m glad I’m not at home now. Just having those people in the vicinity makes a chap itch in his bed at night.’ He stood up and came to put his arms around me, kissing the back of my neck.
    ‘Alexander!’ I cried, jumping away from him. ‘For God’s sake, someone might see!’ He laughed and I glared at him, but at the same time heard myself telling him to come to my surgery after supper.
    Henry stretched and yawned. ‘You know, I’ve been thinking,’ he said. ‘We ought to try and find a way to take you up to Oxford with us, Elizabeth.’
    A smile stretched painfully across my face as I watched Alexander sit down again and pick up a paper. It was something I didn’t allow myself to think about – the time when they would have to leave.
    ‘Hope the females at Oxford are a bit more desirable than the ones at St Winifred’s,’ Henry mused. ‘I can just see it now. Orgies and more orgies. Maybe I ought to be getting in a bit of practice. Can’t have you running off with every available female in the place, Alexander.’
    As I started to walk away I heard Alexander say, ‘Henry, old chap, what’s happened to your brain?’
    There was a pause, then Henry said, ‘I didn’t mean anything. Just wasn’t thinking. Tell her I’m sorry, will you?’
    A few minutes later, hearing my surgery door close, I walked out from behind the screen. ‘You don’t have to say anything,’ I said, before he could speak. ‘But we’re going to have to face it, you know. When you leave here, well . . .’
    ‘It’s a long time away yet, Elizabeth. Besides, me being at Oxford won’t change anything. We’ll still see each other, all the time.’
    He kissed me, and not for the first time I felt myself beginning to fall apart. I would lose him, I knew I would.
    He was grinning as he let me go. ‘And what’s so funny?’ I said.
    ‘You.’
    ‘Me! Why?’
    He shrugged. ‘I don’t know, you just are. I love your hair,’ he said, taking off my cap and pulling out the hairpins. ‘Ebony hair and ebony eyes. Lift up your skirt, I want to look at your legs.’
    ‘Can you come to the cottage later tonight, after ten?’ I said, as he ran his fingers under