“I am not in the least scared of Aunt Dolphinton!”
“Well, if you ain’t scared of her, you’re scared of what the rest of ’em will say. Don’t blame you: told Kit I’d as lief have nothing to do with it myself. However, shouldn’t be surprised if the family thought you’d done the right thing. I can tell you one who will, and that’s m’mother. What’s more, there’s two of us in it. I won’t hedge off.”
The Rector hesitated. “That is all very well, but—”
“I’ll tell you what it is, Hugh: no sense in refusing! Paltry thing to do, because if you won’t corne up to scratch there’ll be nothing for it but for me to take ’em to the next parish first thing tomorrow morning, and hand ’em over to the parson there.”
Miss Plymstock was moved to grasp him by the hand, saying warmly: “You’ve got a great deal of commonsense, Mr. Standen, and I like you for it!”
“You like Freddy too?” said Lord Dolphinton, pleased. “I like Freddy! I like him—”
“Now you’ve set him off again!” said Freddy reproachfully.
“That will do, Foster!” said the Rector. “If you are determined on this course, I will perform the ceremony.”
“Then that’s settled all right and tight,” said Freddy. “They’ll have to stay here till the knot’s tied, but you won’t mind that. Going to drive Kit to Arnside now, but we’ll come over in the morning, and take ’em to Church.”
Miss Charing, blinking at these competent plans, said: “Yes, but, Freddy, where are they to go when they are married? The thing is, you see, that it will take a little time for Hannah’s lawyer to settle everything with Dolph’s Mama, and until it is all quite safe she does not wish Lady Dolphinton to see Dolph, and also they will not have any money, which makes it particularly awkward for them.”
“I shall be happy to offer you the hospitality of my house for as long as you wish to remain here, Miss Plymstock,” said the Rector, untruthfully, but in a very Christian spirit.
“No, that won’t do,” said Freddy, considering the matter. “Aunt Dolphinton’s bound to come after them. Don’t see how you could keep her out. They’ll have to go to Arnside.”
“Arnside?” repeated Kitty blankly. “Freddy, they could not!”
“Yes, they could. I don’t say it’s where I’d choose to spend my honeymoon, but there’s nothing else for it. Thing is, it’s the one place my aunt dashed well can’t get into. Told me yourself the old gentleman had all the doors barred against her!”
“Yes, he did, but you know how much he dislikes to have guests staying with him! He would never permit them to do so!”
“Got a strong notion he will,” said Freddy darkly. “Going to tell him it’ll make Aunt Dolphinton as mad as fire if he does. Lay you odds that card will take the trick! Shouldn’t wonder at it if it put him in high croak, what’s more.”
“Freddy, you are perfectly right!” said Miss Charing, awed. “Nothing ever puts him in such spirits as being disagreeable to Dolph’s Mama! I daresay he will be very much obliged to us for putting him in the way of serving her such a turn!”
“Just what I was thinking,” nodded Freddy. “Going to tell ’em to put the horses to now. No sense in dawdling here any longer: might put the old gentleman in a bad temper if we were late.”
The Rector begged them to dine with him, but they were resolute in declining the invitation. Kitty put on her bonnet and pelisse, the chaise was brought to the front-gate, and after faithfully promising to return in time to support the bride and groom through the wedding ceremony on the morrow, Mr. Standen and his betrothed left the Rectory.
“Oh, Freddy, what a day this has been!” sighed Miss Charing, sinking back against the squabs of the chaise.
“Devilish!” he agreed. “Brushed through it pretty well, though. All we have to do now is to see ’em safely married, and then we can be comfortable. Mind, there may be a kick-up over the business, but we can’t help that.”
“I know it, and I wanted so much not to drag you into it!” said Kitty remorsefully. “I thought, if only you knew nothing about it, it would serve as a reason for you to put an end to our engagement!”
“Yes, I know you did. Told me so, in that letter you wrote me. Dashed cork-brained notion! Stands to reason if you’re in it I must be too.”
“No, Freddy, it does not,” said Kitty, in a constricted tone. “You know it is all a hoax, our engagement. I am determined to end it. I ought never, never to have thought of such a thing!”
“Now, Kit, don’t say we must quarrel, because I won’t do it!” begged Freddy.
“Oh, no, how could I quarrel with you? I think we should tell everyone that we—we find we are not suited.”
“No, we shouldn’t,” said Freddy. “Silly thing to say, because everyone must know it ain’t true. Got a better notion. Daresay you won’t like it, but it’s what I should like.”
“What is it?” asked Miss Charing rather huskily.
“Send that dashed notice to the Gazette, and get married,” replied Freddy.
Something that sounded suspiciously like a sob broke from Miss Charing. “Oh, no, no! Freddy, pray do not! You know it was all my doing! You never wanted to be engaged to me!”
“No, I didn’t,” he acknowledged. “Thing is, changed my mind! Haven’t said anything, because, to tell you the truth, I thought Jack was right: got engaged to me to make him jealous.”
Miss Charing blew her nose. “I did. I was utterly wicked, and shameless, and stupid!”
“No, no! Very understandable thing to do. Devil of a fellow, Jack! Trouble is—wouldn’t make you a good husband, Kit. Been worrying me for a long time. Thought you was in love with him. Don’t mind telling you it was as much as I could do to keep a still tongue in my head when he asked you to marry him tonight. What I mean is, like you to have everything you want. Wished it was me, and not Jack, that’s all.”
Miss Charing raised her face from her handkerchief. “I was never in love with Jack in my life!” she said. “I thought I was, but I know now it was no such thing. He seemed just like all the heroes in books, but I soon found that he is not like them at all.”
“No,” agreed Freddy. “I’m afraid I ain’t either, Kit.”
“Of course you are not! No one is! And if somebody was, I should think him quite odious!”
“You would?” said Freddy hopefully. “I must say, Kit, I think you would too. Well, what I mean is, if you ever met anyone like that fellow the Fish talked of—fellow who snatched up some female in the middle of a party, and threw her on his horse—dashed embarrassing, you know! Wouldn’t like it at all!”
“No, indeed I shouldn’t!”
“You don’t feel you could marry me instead? Got no brains, of course, and I ain’t a handsome fellow, like Jack, but I love you. Don’t think I could ever love anyone else. Daresay it ain’t any use telling you, but—well, there it is!”
“Oh, Freddy, Freddy!” sobbed Miss Charing.
“No, no, Kit, don’t cry!” begged Freddy, putting his arm round her. “Can’t bear you not to be happy! I won’t say another word. Never thought there was any hope for me. Just wanted to tell you.”
“Freddy, I love you with all my heart!” Kitty said, turning within his arm, and casting both her own round his neck. “Much, much more than you could possibly love me!”
“You do?” exclaimed Freddy, tightening his hold. “Well, by Jove! Here, take this dashed bonnet off! How the deuce am I to kiss you with a lot of curst feathers in my face?” He found the strings, tugged ruthlessly at them, and cast the offending bonnet aside. “That’s better! Been wanting to kiss you for weeks!”
Miss Charing, assisting him to achieve this ambition, was for some moments unable to make any remark. But the rude handling of her headgear seemed to her to call for reproof, and she presently murmured, with her head on his shoulder: “I daresay my bonnet is quite ruined.”
“If it comes to that, I’m dashed sure my neckcloth is,” said Mr. Standen. “It do
n’t signify about the bonnet. I don’t like it above half. Buy you a new one.”
“No. Just a set of garnets!” said Kitty, with a tiny gurgle.
“Garnets?” said Freddy scornfully. “You don’t suppose I’m going to buy you trumpery things like that, do you? Got my eye on some good rubies. Just the thing!”
“Oh, no, Freddy!”
“And don’t you say ‘Oh, no!’ because now that we really are engaged, I can dashed well give you anything I like!”
“Yes, Freddy,” said Miss Charing meekly.
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