Free Victoria and the Nightingale by Susan Barrie

the tremble in her voice, and the color on her cheekbones was agitated. “Don’t you see, Sir Peter . . . it’s like having a tooth extracted. The sooner you go to the dentist’s the better when you know it’s got to come out!”
    “But you’re only returning to London because you think Miss Islesworth doesn’t want you at Wycherley Park.”
    “She doesn’t.”
    “How can you be certain?”
    “She—she said so.”
    “Did she?” Sir Peter looked interested. They heard the rumble of the bus, and Johnny ran out to make absolutely certain it really was the bus and not a heavy truck that was unloading stores at the inn. As soon as he was out of earshot the owner of Wycherley Park spoke incisively. “Give the child another day, Miss Wood ... just one more day! I promise I’ll take you to the station myself if you elect to leave tomorrow, but for this one day—and it’s going to be a remarkably fine one!” glancing at the windows— “forget that you have any pressing problems, and make up your mind to relax in sylvan solitude. I’m going to take you both for a drive, and I promise to show you something interesting. I think Johnny will find it very interesting! You, too, if you’ll stop thinking about dreary places like railway stations, and London parks where the park keepers won’t let live wires like Johnny play on the strips of dried-up grass.”
    “The grass in London parks is not dried up.” Victoria felt she had to defend it... after all, she had been thankful for London parks many times in her career. “And park keepers have a lot to try them. Even Johnny can be trying sometimes.”
    “But not so trying that you wish to be separated from him?”
    “Of course not!”
    “Then I think you ought to grant me this one day at least.”
    “But won’t Miss—? What about Miss Islesworth?”
    “Her mother is arriving by the afternoon train, and they’ll have a lot to talk about. This morning she has an appointment with the hairdresser.”
    “So you are free to devote yourself to other causes?” Victoria could have bitten out her tongue as soon as she had spoken, and she simply couldn’t understand why she was being so unfair. He had been more than good to herself and Johnny, and she had absolutely no right to feel either irritation or a most peculiar sensation that was almost like envy as she leveled what was almost an accusation. And certainly her tone was a trifle acid.
    “If you put it like that, yes.”
    They had both risen and walked to the window to look through it for Johnny, and she knew that the sudden coolness in his eyes was well merited as he turned to survey her. So was the faint hint of reproach.
    “I—I’m sorry.” In an apologetic rush the words poured out. “I don’t really know how to thank you for all you’ve done for Johnny during his stay in your house, and I realize I must sound extraordinarily ungrateful just because—”
    “Yes?” he prompted. “Just because ...?” And he went on watching her.
    “Oh, I suppose because it can’t continue.” She flushed more brilliantly than ever as she decided to be truthful. “You’ve done so much. But it has to end. I’m devoted to Johnny, and I want him to have all the advantages and the opportunities that he can get from life, but I realize he mustn’t expect to receive them at your hands. Your obligation—and it was never really an obligation—is finished, done with! When you take us to the station tomorrow you’ll probably never see either of us again.”
    “You make it sound very final,” he said.
    “Well, it is final.” She straightened her slim back against the wall. Her blue eyes were almost defiant. “Sir Peter, I think we ought to go today.”
    The bus was on the point of leaving outside the inn, and Johnny was standing in the road and having a conversation with the bus driver.
    “That child likes making contacts,” Sir Peter observed, and smiled briefly as he glanced toward him. Then he turned back to