THE BONDAGE OF LOVE (44 page)

"Oh, Willie. You know, you are daft. I'm not worth all that. I really am not; I know myself, and I'm not worth all that."

"Leave it to me to gauge what you are worth. I've had long enough practice, haven't I, during all your stages? From your colourful roots stage, through the transition period when your upper half was spoilt by your lower half, with woolly stockings

45i

and shoes like clogs, then into your dressy stage. And the only thing that spoilt that was your face, your beautiful, beautiful face," - he now cupped her cheeks in his hands 'ruined with make-up. But now you are as I've always known you could be, complete."

"Ladylike, is that what you mean? Because if you do, you've put your money on the wrong filly, Willie." She laughed here, then repeated, "Wrong filly, Willie."

They stared at each other in the dim light coming through the sun-dappled trees of the avenue, and when he asked softly and simply, "Do you really love me?" she put her arms around his neck. She didn't fall against him, but leant back from him, saying "When you know what I'm doing for you, that'll be your answer."

"You've got something up your sleeve, haven't you? You've been hinting at it for days."

"Weeks, months."

"Weeks, months? What d'you mean?"

"Oh, you won't be kept in the dark much longer."

"I shouldn't be kept in the dark at all. Now come on."

"Look," she took her arms from his neck and drew herself from his embrace, saying, 'we are going to drop a bombshell in that house at the top of the drive. Oh," - she shook her head 'they know what you think about me, and they guess what I think about you. But they also know, at least some of them do, that these things fizzle out. We are young, foolish, we don't know our own minds. Oh

452.

yes, some couples of our age have got three hairns now and a fourth browning off in the oven. But as for engagement or marriage between . "

He thrust her from him, then pulled her quickly into his embrace again, and his body was shaking with laughter as he said, "I'll remind you of that some day when our fourth is browning off in the oven." And at this her own body shook now and she leant against him, and then she muttered, "Oh, Willie, Willie," his mouth sought hers and he kissed her long and hard. And now he whispered, "And I can't see us waiting for the next five years. Can you?"

"Yes. Yes, I can." Her voice was a hissing whisper now.

"For who's going to keep us in the way you have been accustomed to? My stipend," she stressed the word, 'won't do much towards it, and we're not living on your folks. Get that into your head. Anyway, come on. I'm dying to get to the house. "

His face came close to hers again and he said, "Dying to get to the house?

What for?"

"You'll see, you'll see." And now she hurried away leaving him to pick up her case again and to hurry after her, the while muttering, "There are times when I could shake you." She answered, "Yes, and there are times when I could put you on your back, and not in fun either."

"I'd like to see you doing that. Daisy Gallagher."

"You will one day, Willie Bailey."

And then they were on the open drive before the house. And there was Fiona standing at the top of the steps and Bill was about to get into his car; but seeing them, he called, "Oh, you've got here then.

Good! Good! " He slammed the car door before adding, " Come on! I've got something to show you. " And he began to walk towards the courtyard and the garages.

Willie looked up at his mother, who was standing smiling at him, shrugged his shoulders and said, "The lord commands, so we'd better obey." And he grabbed hold of Daisy's hand again, but she pulled away and said, "Go on. Go on. I know all about it. I'm going indoors." And she ran towards the steps and up them, and into the hall where Fiona was now standing looking at her in real amazement.

When Daisy said, "Well?" Fiona replied, "Oh! What a beautiful outfit.

It's lovely. Where did you? Oh, I forgot, you didn't get it at the shop. "

"I did. I did. It was put to one side for me. My lady friend thought of me the minute she saw it. When I went into the shop, a number of people were there and she took me aside and told me to wait, because she had a piece, she said, a French piece that was really elegant.

Would I mind waiting! And you won't believe it, but there's a hat goes with it and gloves. "

"No!"

"Yes. It really is a French rig-out."

"It's lovely." Fiona was fingering the material now as she added, "Good gracious! Dare I ask what you paid for it?"

"Oh, a pretty packet, for me. The suit, hat, gloves, three pieces of silk underwear, two pair of shoes it's a pity the shoes pinch twelve pounds fifty."

"Never!"

"Sure thing, twelve pounds fifty. That's a lot for me."

"Have you any idea what that suit would cost if you bought it in London?"

"Well, I would have thought it would have been in the two hundred region."

"My dear, double that and add a bit more."

"No!"

"Oh, yes. Yes. Let me look at the make?"

She helped Daisy off with the coat, and when she saw the tag, and not only the tag but also the inserted piece below the armhole, describing in French how this garment had to be cleaned, she said, "You'll never get another bargain like this. And it suits you. It's as if it were made for you. Oh, you do look nice ... no, not nice, lovely." She stared at Daisy. Then she said, "Come along in, dear. I'm expecting the others at any minute, I mean Katie and Sammy. And Bill has a surprise for Willie. You'll hear about it in a minute."

"Fiona."

Her name drew Fiona to a stop at the foot of the stairs, and she looked at the young woman who was staring fixedly at her. A different young woman from what she used to be, at least outwardly, for she still wasn't sure that Daisy would ever be any other than Daisy. But she had called her Fiona, not Mrs.

B, as Sammy did.

"Willie and I," she didn't say The', 'have something to tell you. But I'm going to pave the way first by explaining how I have prepared myself for it, in

the hope that, well, you might see me in a different light for, from where I stand now, at least how you see me now, you're certainly not going to welcome me into the family with open arms. Oh, it's all right, it's all right. "

She put up her hand to check what Fiona seemed about to say.

"Just wait a minute. Wait a minute. First of all I'll tell you, I've been going to a night school at the polytechnic for the last year or so. That's why I couldn't see, I wouldn't see, Willie on Mondays, Tuesdays or Thursdays.

And now I have three 0 levels, English, History and Social Studies."

As Daisy watched Fiona's face stretch and her hand go to her chin, she again put up a hand and said, "That's nothing. That was just preparation. Wait for it. What d'you think? I've been picked, I mean I've been accepted for a degree course at the Open University. I wrote last year but I had to wait, and then, just this morning, I heard I had been accepted."

It was now Daisy's turn to be amazed to see Fiona's mouth open wide, her head go back and a great burst of laughter come forth from her, which caused her to say tartly, "It wasn't meant to be funny."

"Funny! Funny! Oh, Daisy! It is, it is funny! You see, I too received a letter this morning. I too am starting at the Open University, for a degree in English. Oh, Daisy! Daisy!"

Who put her arms around the other first won't ever be known; but there they were, hugging each other like long-lost friends. And their loud laughter, interspersed with the exchange of comments of amazement and surprise, brought Bill and Willie to a standstill in the hall doorway.

And their expressions could only be described as incredulous and neither of them could conjure up any far-fetched reason to explain what they were

seeing. These two, this woman and this young girl who, they both knew, were at opposite poles in their thinking and attitudes with regard to life and how it should be lived, were embracing each other and crying with their laughter.

"What on earth! What's this? What's this? Am I seeing aright?" Bill's voice was a boom; and when they both turned towards him, their arms still about each other, Fiona almost spluttered as she said, "You you won't believe it."

When their laughter was rising again, Bill called impatiently, "Stop it!

Stop it! Both of you. Believe what?"

It was Daisy now, her head bobbing she looked towards Willie and gulped,

"I've got three 0 levels and ... and I was telling Fiona, and something better still." She turned now and looked at Fiona, and again they were laughing as she added, "And ... and when I told her I'd applied to ..." -

she gulped for breath 'the Open University and that I heard just today that I was in' - she again flapped her free hand towards Fiona 'she said that she too had received one this morning. And we're both going in for the . same thing. "

"Open University?" Willie's voice was high.

"You! You! And to have kept it dark. Oh, what I could

do to you. " He had hold of her now, pulling her from Fiona and saying, "

How did you manage the 0 levels? "

"The polytechnic."

"The polytechnic?" Willie now turned and looked at Bill, but Bill was staring at Fiona. She had stopped laughing and was looking back at him, and her voice was quiet now as she said, "Yes, dear. Yes. I ... I got it this morning." When he continued to stare at her, she said, "Well, aren't you going to say something?"

His head jerked to the side and his voice, without enthusiasm, said, "Good for you. Oh, aye, good for you." Then, looking at Daisy, he shook his head, and now he did smile as he said, "Dark horse, aren't you? A dark horse. But what's going to happen to Minnehaha? I suppose you'll bury her under your degree, eh?"

"No, I couldn't bury her if I tried. But I have no intention of burying her

... she's going places." She laughed again.

"But don't you think it's funny that we both' - she now put her hand out to Fiona 'have been doing the same thing and have kept it a secret?"

"Not funny," - Bill shook his head 'devious, I would say. "

"Oh, go on with you!" Daisy flapped her hand towards Bill.

"There's nothing devious about either of us. Is there, Fiona?"

Fiona smiled at her but made no answer.

There was something about his father's face and his mother's attitude to cause Willie to say loudly,

"Well, now it's my turn to throw surprises. What d'you think?" He poked his head towards Daisy.

"Dad's bought me a car."

"Really? Oh, that's wonderful." And she glanced towards Bill and, in her old manner, she said, "Aw, that's marvelous of you. Big Chief House-builder.

What is it, a BMW?"

"No, nor a Jaguar! It's a second-hand Morris Minor."

"Well, I wouldn't mind if it was, as long as it goes."

"It's a Rover," Willie said, 'and it's lovely. Come on, have a look at it.

" As he went to pull her away, she turned and said, " You coming, Fiona? "

"I've seen it, dear. I've seen it."

"Of course. Of course." Daisy looked from one to the other, then allowed Willie to pull her from the hall and down to the drive. But before they reached the courtyard they stopped their running and she said to him, "He's not pleased, is he? I mean, with Fiona."

"No, not over much; but I had thought they had this all out some time ago.

Still." He pulled her to a stop just within the courtyard and, looking into her eyes, he said, "I didn't think I could love you one ounce more than I did, but at this moment I could say. Daisy Gallagher, I adore you. And

you've done all this to get on the right side of Mam?"

There was indeed a sober look on her face now as she said, "Yes, mainly I suppose; but then it's something I've always wanted to do; I mean, to

learn English, the grammar and all that. I don't suppose you believe me. "

"Oh, I believe you, dear. I believe you. But whatever made you do it has proved you to be a very exceptional human being. And I'm so proud of you this minute I could ... bust."

"Burst, Mr. Bailey. BURST."

"B-U-S-T, Miss Gallagher. Bust."

They were again enfolded for a moment, and then they were running towards the end garage. And when she saw the car, she said, "Oh, I want to throw myself on the bonnet and hug it. But I'm wearing this very expensive dress."

When he said, "Let me take you for a run. I've driven Sammy's and Katie's, and you know I passed my test last year in ... anticipation' he spread out the word 'for I knew it was coming some time."

She said, "No, let's get back to the house; we must tell them the real news."

"Yes. Yes. Good Lord! We came full of it, didn't we? And we've never mentioned it."

"I ... I don't think I need to, not to your mam, now."

"No. No, I don't think you need to, darling. No."

When again he went to take her into his arms, she said, "No! let's get back.

I'm dying to tell somebody, anybody." And at this, joining hands, they ran from the courtyard to the house. But as they entered the hall they heard Bill's voice coming from the drawing-room, and the sound of it stopped Willie in his tracks.

"Oh, dear me," he said.

"Let's go up and tell Grandma?"

"They can't be quarrelling."

Willie's voice was low as he said, "No, not quarrelling, just discussing something, I should imagine, very deeply. I'll explain it all to you later."

They were on the first landing when he stopped her again and, still quietly, he said, "Never let me possess you wholly, Daisy. Always keep a bit of yourself for yourself. You know what I mean?" She stared at him, her face equally straight now, and then she nodded, saying, "Yes, Willie, I know what you mean. And thank you for looking at things in this way." And with this she took his face between her hands and, putting her lips on his, she kissed him gently. Then they went up the remainder of the stairs and into the

nursery.

Downstairs Bill and Fiona were facing each other across the width of the open fireplace, which left a good five feet between them, and Fiona's voice was loud as she cried, "Yes, I know. I know all credit is due to her, and I think she's marvelous. And I know that she's done this so that I would