“It's only been a few weeks," she said, “but it feels like a lifetime."
He knew what she meant. “Thank goodness you weren't hurt," he answered.
“What will happen to Bergman?"
“He'll be extradited, I expect. Your folk in America will deal with him."
“He was very clever."
“He certainly was."
“But not so clever as you were, Kenneth."
He glanced at her, suspecting a leg-pull; but to his astonishment there was genuine admiration in her eyes.
“Twenty times cleverer than I was," he replied, gruffly. “I made an unholy mess of this case."
“Think so?"
“I know it."
“Then why did Uncle Bill make you an Inspector?"
He smiled, looking down at her with warm affection. “To make up for what I had to suffer from you, I expect."
She glanced at him beneath her lashes. “You are smart, Inspector! Sure promotion isn't going to your head?"
He tried to sound flippant, easy, a man of the world. “It has a bit," he said.
“Explain, please."
“I — I — well, now that I'm an Inspector I'm not quite so poverty-stricken as I was."
“I guess that's so," she said, evenly.
“If anyone would marry me," he went on, striving to control his hands which were shaking, “I could now afford to ask her."
Her eyes widened and flashed with mischief, and he knew suddenly that they had recaptured their most private and personal "crazy" mood. It was a moment of exquisite happiness — poised as they were on the brink of the greatest happiness of all.
"Kenneth,” she said, leaning close to him with an expression of deep concern, "we must find you a girl!"
"Perhaps," he said, "no girl would have me."
"Oh, but I’m sure someone would. Someone past the first flush of girlhood, of course — say about forty."
"M’m." He chuckled, involuntarily. "She wouldn't get much of a bargain," he added.
"I know that, my dear." Veronica Jane wrinkled her nose at him. "But women make curious choices, as you should know."
He turned away from her, kicking up a piece of turf with his heel. His need of her was so great that he found it difficult even to look at her.
"I was thinking of somebody younger," he confessed.
"Oh! So you have somebody special in mind?"
"As a matter of fact I have. She's very lovely, and — and very sweet."
She flushed, and her voice was unsteady when she answered: "I guess she must be pretty cute to satisfy an old and experienced man like you."
He kept looking down at the turf. "The trouble is, Veronica Jane, I'm neither old nor experienced."
"I know, Kenneth." The moment of make-believe was passing. It was time to face the truth, and instinctively she knew how to do it. "Did you — did you get terribly fed up with me — while I was your case?" she asked.
"Of course I didn't." He frowned and kicked again. "I got fed up with myself."
"Why?"
"Well, I felt such a gloomy old stooge beside you. You were always in such good spirits, so happy…"
"I wasn't, you know."
"How do you mean?"
"I wasn't happy when you were so distant and cold and stubborn. I just put on an act."
"Veronica Jane — I'm sorry. I wouldn't hurt you for the world. When I think of some of the things I said…"
She laughed, a little uncertainly. "We weren't very polite to each other, I guess."
She saw his hands tighten on his knees and his face become intent. Then he swung round with outstretched arms and caught her shoulders, and she stifled the beginnings of an involuntary sob.
“Veronica Jane,” he said, “forgive me. It was my fault. You’re the bravest, finest girl I’ve ever known. In comparison I'm hopeless, and as dull as ditch water. But — I love you. That's the root of all the trouble. I love you, love you, love you — and I can't feel that — that you could ever love me…”
Her arms went out, and her cheek was pressed against his, pressed so close that to his initial dismay he felt the touch of her tears.
“Oh, Kenneth — darling Kenneth — I never found you dull in my life, and I've been waiting for you to say you loved me, ever — ever since that night at the Kintyre Gathering when we danced together."
He could scarcely believe it was true. “You — you do love me?" he stammered.
She kissed him. “There," she said, softly. “Does that convince you?"
It convinced him. He caught her to him, in a way undreamt of by the author of The Science of Police Detection. His eyes were warm and tender and full of desperate longing; and she closed hers as she returned his kisses…
Some time later, as the sun sank behind Cnoc Ban to their left and they were more or less sensibly discussing their future, they heard a step in the bracken behind them. They turned to see Wee Ned looking down at them, stroking his whiskers. A mischievous light danced in his eyes.
“Weel, weel!" he remarked.
Veronica Jane jumped to her feet and went lightly forward and kissed him, taking him completely by surprise.
“We're being married in the autumn, Ned. Here — in Glendale. You must come to the wedding."
“Och, I'll be there." He fingered his cheek, where the kiss had fallen. Then he turned to Kenneth. “Weel, son — she got ye. Just like Jane Dallas got her man."
He sighed a little. “Kemty boy," he added, soberly, “ye're lucky! Damned lucky…"
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Table of Contents
Chapter 1
Veronica Jane
Chapter 2
First Encounter
Chapter 3
Duet In Two Keys
Chapter 4
Enter A Thin Man
Chapter 5
Glendale
Chapter 6
Shadow-Play
Chapter 7
A Chink In The Armour
Chapter 8
The Poachers
Chapter 9
Nerves
Chapter 10
Second Encounter
Chapter 11
At Glendale Kirk
Chapter 12
The Intangible Clue
Chapter 13
The Crouching Dog
Chapter 14
Search Party
Chapter 15
Last Encounter
Chapter 16
Borgadaille Cliff
Chapter 17
Vigil
Chapter 18
Bulldog Bill Has A Bet
Escort to Adventure Page 22