Henry Green - Nothing

"You're wonderful my dear" he said softly.

"Oh John how disagreeable" she murmured. "So you don't feel you can? Is that it?"

"I hadn't said so. Then do you wish a double wedding?"

"Certainly not. Never!"

He kissed her hand.

"And Mr Thicknesse?" he inquired.

"Oh John you're laughing at me!"

"I'm not" he said and squeezed her hand hard. "I've been over this so often in my mind! But couldn't it be rather late in the day?"

She tried to draw away but he held her fast.

"So you think I'm too old now?" she protested in a low voice.

"That's the last thing Jane. If you only knew how often I'd dreamed of this."

"Oh you have!"

"Yes, again and again."

"When?" she demanded with more confidence it seemed.

"Here there and everywhere" he replied.

"Only that?" she reproached him.

He gently kissed a round cheek.

"And Dick?" he whispered.

She jerked away from him.

"Really" she said "it's too much. You are almost becoming like my Philip."

"I'm sorry Jane."

"But there's nothing, there never has been anything between me and poor dear Richard."

"Yes darling" he agreed.

"So what?" she demanded.

He kissed her on the mouth. She kissed him back almost absentmindedly.

"Will you?" she asked.

"Yes darling" he replied.

"You mean to say you've actually asked me to marry you after all these years?" she crowed, taking his face between her hands and beginning to kiss his eyes.

"I have" he answered half smothered, and plainly delighted.

"But this is wonderful!" she cried.

After an interval during which they kissed, held one another at arm's length, looked fondly on each other and kissed again Mr Pomfret exclaimed "I can't hardly believe everything."

"Nonsense, don't say that John. Think how much more it means to me."

"You? Anyone would be proud to marry you!"

"Ah how little you know my dear. But there is one matter" she warned, drawing a little away for the last time. "We aren't to have the old days over again if you please. You'll have to give up Liz."

"I never knew her then" he protested.

"I know that already" she said. "I mean now."

"Well of course" he promised. "We hardly ever saw one another anyway except at Sunday lunch and that was only because I was sure to see you there."

"It was!" she cried. "No how truly sweet! Not that I believe you!"

He laughed. "We're going on like an old married couple already" he propounded.

"Who is?" she demanded. "Speak for yourself my sweet old darling. Oh you'll have to look out now!"

"Oh Lord Jane have I said the wrong thing?"

"I should say so" she answered and then she giggled. "But there, I expect you'll learn in time. Not that you'll get any other alternative will you, except to be taught by me I mean?"

"I suppose not. Back to school is it?"

"Oh yes yes" she murmured beginning to kiss him again.

He spent the night with her, whispering part of the time because of Philip Weatherby, but they had no more serious conversation.

THE next Sunday John Pomfret took Mrs Weatherby to lunch at the hotel and was shown to the table he had been given so often when entertaining Liz. As he sat down he looked round and saw Dick Abbot playing host to Miss Jennings, again at the very spot where Jane had so often been a guest of the man's.

"See who's here" Mr Pomfret invited Mrs Weatherby.

"Oh don't I know it" she sighed and kept her eyes lowered. "I spotted that couple John as soon as we came in and was so afraid you'd go over with that heavenly goodheartedness of yours."

However he waved in their direction upon which Jane had to turn round, put on a look of great surprise and blow two kisses. Richard and Miss Jennings replied with rather awkward smiles.

"Can't cut 'em anyway" Mr Pomfret muttered.

"There." Mrs Weatherby laughed. "We've almost got through that and dear me I was so dreading it!"

"Don't smile Jane for heaven's sake" he implored "or they'll imagine we're laughing at them."

"I could cock a snook at her the horrid creature" she replied "only I'd never do anything to upset sweet Pascal."

"Oh well if they set up house together, that rather lets you and me out surely."

"Speak for yourself" she said grinning at him. "I haven't a bad conscience."

"Which means you don't have one at all" he laughed.

"I expect yours may be just as clever" she answered.

In the meantime Liz was protesting vigorously to her companion.

"But it disgusts one Richard that's all. To flaunt themselves like this! I asked you particularly to bring me today just in case they might be here. Looking down their noses at each other, simpering like mad."

"Careful now" he said.

"I don't know we've anything to be careful about. Not us"

"Don't want them to crow."

"Oh they'll do that in any case Richard."

"Then we'd better quickly crow over them."

"So what am I to do?" she smiled. "Stick my poor tongue out at John?"

"When did you get your letter?"

"Three days ago."

"Got mine twenty-four hours before yours at that rate Liz."

"Which only goes to prove he's under her thumb completely. Can't you just hear Jane nagging at him to find out if he'd written yet?"

"Military discipline eh? Oh well I don't suppose a bit of that again'll hurt him."

"A taste of the old Scrubs more likely" she replied with a pure and apparently genuine Cockney intonation. He glanced curiously at her.

She beamed on Mr Abbot.

"My darling" she said. "I almost rather feel I may have had the most miraculous escape."

"How's that?"

"But haven't you often noticed the way some people seem doomed to bring terrible great trials on themselves? Dear old John, I can admit now, is just one of those."

"You're arguing against yourself Liz."

"How, dear?"

"You meant Jane would be his trouble didn't you?"

"Well who else? Saving your presence of course."

"And was he also doomed when he kept company with you?"

She laughed.

"How about yourself then, now darling?" she demanded.

"Prefer to choose my own disaster" he replied.

"And have you?"

"Looks very much like" he agreed. She laughed delightedly.

"Oh I'm truly beginning to feel as if I'd escaped" she cried.

"Careful Liz, they'll think we're despising 'em."

"Well aren't we?"

"I'm not."

"Oh cheer up Richard. They can't eat us."

"No but we should keep things in decent order" he explained.

"Whatever you say my dear" she agreed. "Mayn't I even smile?"

"You've got a lovely smile Liz."

"Good heavens a compliment at long last and from you Richard! Now I don't wish to pry but how exactly did Jane write, when, you know, what we've just been talking about?"

"Four days ago you mean?"

"When else?"

"Why d'you want to be told Liz?"

"Because of course I'd like to find out if she dictate John's letter."

"Couldn't say" he objected.

"To compare yours with the one John wrote me" she explained.

"Compare notes" he said with no apparent enthusiasm. "I'm not sure Liz. I mean we were both given our marcing orders in those letters weren't we? If we put our heads together it might be like a dog going back to his own sick almost."

"Don't be disgusting! I'd like to be sure that's all."

"But of what?"

"Why Richard I explained all that. To make certain Jane told him every word to say."

"Oh I don't know, Liz" he temporized.

"I don't know about you I agree" she rallied him. "Of course long before I'd received this ridiculous screed from John I'd told the man till I was blue in the face that it could be no go between us where I was concerned and what he wrote really only took notice that at last he'd had to admit l was right."