When Two Paths Meet

by Neels, Betty

  ‘I am, in fact, a coward,’ she muttered, changing into her outdoor clothes in the cold cloakroom. He was still away, but she couldn’t wait to scurry back to Mrs Potts’, pack a case, and take herself off in the early morning, ostensibly to stay with an aunt, but in actual fact to spend her days off in Winchester. Shirley had mentioned casually that there was a small cheap hotel close to the bus station there, and she could spend her days at museums and the cathedral and go window shopping. At least she wouldn’t see Jason.

  She raced through the hospital, a bundle of nerves, and made for the main doors, to dart through them, straight into Jason’s outstretched arms.

  ‘Oh, dear!’ said Katherine, aware as she said it that it was a silly, meaningless thing to say. Dodie would have had some witty quip ready on her tongue. She stood, held tight by his arms, staring speechlessly into his face. It told her nothing. She had never known a man, she reflected crossly, who could look so bland. ‘I’m going away,’ she said rather breathlessly. ‘Days off, you know...’

  ‘Yes, I know.’ He smiled faintly. ‘I thought you might like to know that I’m back—just in case you might have something to say to me.’

  ‘No—yes—no, I haven’t.’

  ‘Undecided? A little peace and quiet while you think it over?’ He whisked her across the forecourt and into the Bentley, and was beside her, driving away, before she could utter a word.

  ‘I should like to go home.’

  ‘Well, I thought you might.’ He was driving round the close, within moments they would be at his own front door.

  ‘I shan’t get out,’ she spoke very loudly, to convince herself as well as him.

  He drew up and turned to look at her. ‘Listen to your heart, Katie, my darling girl, and listen to me telling you that I love you.’

  ‘You’re not fair!’ She sucked in her breath like a child.

  ‘No, I know that, but then, you’re such a very stubborn girl. If you had listened to your heart in the first place, and not rushed helter-skelter into a whole maze of silly imaginings...’

  ‘I’m not silly,’ said Katherine peevishly.

  ‘Yes, you are, but don’t worry, I love you when you’re silly, just as much as I love you when you’re being fiercely practical.’

  He got out, walked round to her side, opened the door and scooped her out. Standing on the pavement before his house, she found her voice.

  ‘It’s no use, I won’t go in. I’m going away for my days off.’ She added, ‘But I intended coming to see you after that. I thought I’d be quite—quite sensible by then, you see. You said I’d know where to find you, and I’d have to see you again so that I could apologise—I didn’t give you a chance to speak...’

  Jason sorted out this speech apparently to his satisfaction. ‘Well, since you’re here, you might as well come inside and apologise handsomely.’

  ‘No,’ said Katherine. It cost quite a lot to say it.

  ‘Well, my darling girl, if you prefer to stand out here in this biting wind, by all means do so. That is, if you don’t mind going to the altar with a streaming cold.’

  ‘The altar?’

  ‘I’ve always fancied the idea of a really quiet wedding, just us and one or two friends. I’ll get a licence tomorrow.’

  She was conscious of two great arms enfolding her. They felt heavenly, but she said firmly, ‘Dodie?’

  ‘My dearest heart, neither Dodie nor any other woman who may have taken my passing fancy means anything to me. But you—the moment I saw you standing there in that old dressing-gown, looking like an earnest mouse with the most beautiful eyes in the world—I lost my heart, Katie, and you have held it in your hand ever since. I never knew that falling in love could be such a devastatingly sudden thing, or so fragile...I hardly dared breathe for fear you might take fright and scamper off.’

  ‘Well, I had thought about doing that. You see, I thought that you and Dodie...’

  ‘Plague take the girl! I love you, Katie, my darling. Will you marry me?’

  She said dreamily, ‘I fell in love with you in the canteen at the hospital. You’d told them to give me a good breakfast.’

  His vast chest heaved with laughter. ‘Oh, my darling girl!’ He freed an arm and opened his door. ‘Come home, my love.’

  She held back for a moment. ‘You really love me— want to marry me? It’s not just a dream?’

  ‘If you come inside, I’ll do my best to convince you on both counts,’ said Jason, and bent to kiss her.