Page 51 of A Winter’s Romance
T he curate came forward eagerly as they came out of the church. He took both of Miss Wilberforce’s hands and saying, “Elisabeth! A word with you, please, my dear. May I crave permission to come and see you tomorrow afternoon?”
Elisabeth? My dear? thought James. How dare he!
“Oh, Mr. Pounds! We have a visitor at the moment and…”
Mr. Pounds, thought James. Good. Use his surname. Put him in his place.
“You cannot be ignorant of the reason for my wishing to see you, my dear. I shall not keep you long. Afterwards I shall beg a few words with your father, of course.”
A few words with your father? thought James. Of course? He’s certainly sure of himself!
“But, I don’t think…”
“Good, then. It’s settled. Let’s say two o’clock?”
It was as well for the curate that Anthea Brookstone chose that moment to run up to Mr. Fortescue and pull him away, for he was about to point out to the curate that Miss Wilberforce had clearly stated she was too busy with a visitor to see him and if he didn’t understand when a woman says no she means no, he would be glad to take him behind the church and teach him some manners.
But as it was, his own manners made him go with Anthea, though not without casting a look behind him to see what Elisabeth was doing. She was watching him, but when she saw his eyes on her, she turned to help her father.
“James, darling! Who are those people you were sitting with?” cried Anthea. “They look like cits! Surely you can get away! Come home with me! Only Mama and Papa are there and my pip of a brother… well, Grandmother and Grandfather of course, but they don’t count. So we will have lots of time to ourselves. Do come!”
“I’m sorry, Anthea, but I cannot change my plans. I, er… I owe Mr. and Miss Wilberforce a good deal.”
“Wilberforce? Never heard of them! Who are they? What can you possibly owe them? Give them a few pounds and come to us! Nothing could be better!”
“No, Anthea. It’s impossible.”
The same complaining voice that had come from the box earlier now called, “Anthea! What are you doing? For heaven’s sake, come along. We’re all positively frozen!”
“I have to go, James, but I’ll see you tomorrow. Bye!” And she ran off before he could say anything more.
James was walking back to Elisabeth and her father when Wilf trotted up.
“’Ello Gov’nor! I were just comin’ to get yer away from that Anthea Whatever’ernameis. I remember she were after yer something terrible couple o’ months ago.”
“What do you know about it, you scoundrel? Anyway, where were you when you were supposed to be in church?”
“I were in church, God’s truth, I were. In th’ back. I can’t go sitting up front with the toffs. Miss all the fun!”
“What fun? Church isn’t supposed to be fun.”
“If yer a toff, it ain’t, but fer the likes o’ me it’s all right!”
“I hope you haven’t been picking people’s pockets.”
This was a profession Wilf used to engage in when he was on the streets, and James had a hard time breaking him of it.
“On me honor, I ain’t, Guv’nor! No, I were a-cuddlin’ a female, that’s what. She give me the eye in church and we met up out back after.”
“Good God! I’d no idea you were in the petticoat line.”
“I ain’t a patch on you, but I gets about.”
“Well, be careful. We don’t want a lot of brats running around the place.”
“Don’t you worry ‘bout me, Guv’nor. Look after yer own self. That Anthea, she’ll get ‘er ‘ooks in if she can.”
James remembered Elisabeth’s laughing remarks about the ivy, how it was smooth on the outside but had little gripping claws underneath.
He gave a bark of laugher. “I’m a hard man to hook,” he said, but then, catching up with Miss Elisabeth Wilberforce, he thought, but it depends on the ivy .