The Career of Katherine Bush. Glyn Elinor
a miserable hour to arrive in Paris otherwise – you would be knocked up for the day."
He was holding her hand, and the nearness of him thrilled her, in some new and delicious way. She hesitated, though, for a moment – she never acted on impulse. She crushed down a strange sensation of gasp which came in her throat. After all, of what matter if she stayed – or started to-night? – since she had already cast the die, and did not mean to shirk the payment of the stakes.
"Very well," she said, quite low.
"I hoped you would agree, pet," he whispered, encircling her with his arm, "I meant to persuade you, and I am going to make you so awfully happy – I sent my servant this afternoon to take the rooms for us, and everything will be ready."
This sounded agreeable enough, and Katherine Bush permitted herself to smile, which was a rare occurrence; she would spend hours and days without the flicker of one coming near her red lips.
In the uncertain light, Lord Algy felt it more than he actually saw it, and it warmed him. She was, as he had confessed to his best friend in the battalion, an enigma to him – hence her charm.
"She treats me as though I were the ground under her feet at times," he recounted to Jack Kilcourcy. "I don't think she cares two damned straws for me really, but, by Jove! she is worth while! She has no nonsense about her, and she is so awfully game!"
He had taken good care never to let Jack see her, though – or tell him her name!
It was not long before they reached the hotel, and Katherine Bush was a little angry with herself because she felt a quiver of nervousness when they were in the big hall.
Lord Algy knew all the ropes, and his air of complete insouciance reassured her. A discreet valet stepped forward and spoke to his master, and they were soon in the lift, and so to a well-lighted and warmed suite.
"These colours and this imitation Chippendale are rather awful, aren't they," Lord Algy said, looking round, "but we must not mind, as it is only for one night; the Palatial in Paris will be different – I am glad Hanson saw to the flowers."
Huge bunches of roses stood upon the table and mantelpiece. Katherine Bush thought it a splendid place, but if it appeared rather "awful" to him, she must not show her admiration.
"Tea will come in a moment – I mean chocolate, pet – and I think we shall be as jolly as can be. In there is your room; they will have brought up your valise by now, I expect."
Katherine Bush moved forward and went through the door. A cheery fire was burning, and the curtains were drawn, and on a chair there was a big cardboard box. She looked at it, it was addressed "Mrs. Rufus."
"Who – is that – ? – and what is it for?" she asked, in a voice deep as a well.
"It is just a fur-lined coat, darling," Lord Algy answered, as he pulled undone the string, "and a little wrap – I thought you would be so awfully cold on the boat – and probably would not have been able to bring much luggage."
A slight flush came into the young woman's white cheeks, something in her loathed taking presents.
"Thanks awfully – I'll be glad to have you lend them to me for this trip – but why is it addressed 'Mrs. Rufus'? – Mr. Devereux has got a sister of that name."
Lord Algy laughed.
"Well, you see, I could not have it 'Fitz-Rufus,' because every one knows that is the Merioneth name, given us poor devils by the Normans, because we were such a red-headed lot, and I bet they found our own too difficult to pronounce!" He began pulling out the coat and a soft pink silk dressing-gown from the box. "I always am just 'Rufus' when I come out like this." He laughed again a little constrainedly; it had just struck him that the latter part of his sentence was perhaps not very felicitously expressed – since he knew Katherine Bush was no chorus lady, accustomed to temporary wedded appellations!
She looked him straight in the eyes with her strange, disconcertingly steady grey-green ones – and then she smiled again – as the Sphinx might have done before being set in eternal immobility of stone.
Lord Algy felt stupidly uncomfortable, so he folded her in his arms with a fond caress, a far better plan he had always found than any argument or explanation with women.
Katherine Bush realised the joy of it. She was ready for every grade of pleasure as well as experience. This was how things were done in Lord Algy's world, then – So be it.
Together they looked at the coat and wrap, and he helped her to take off her hat and jacket, and try them on. They were very friendly, and Lord Algy suggested that as the dressing-gown was almost a teagown and was fairly pretty, she might wear it for dinner, which they would have in the sitting-room.
"You'll look sweet in pink, darling," he lisped, as he kissed her ear, "and it will be so soft and cosy."
Then the waiter knocked at the door and said the chocolate was ready, so they went back to the sitting room.
He was quite adorable as he assisted her to pour in the cream – but Katherine Bush now decided she would keep him at arm's length for a while; the game was really so entertaining, and its moves must be made to last as long as possible.
Lord Algy enjoyed fencing, too, so they talked in a more matter-of-fact way for an hour or more, and then she told him she would go and change for dinner, as it would be ready in twenty minutes.
"I'll have to be your maid, darling – I make an awfully good maid – I never bungle with the beastly hooks – and I should love to brush your hair!"
His eyes shone with light-hearted passion, and his good-looking face was close to her own.
"You shall perhaps – to-morrow," Katherine Bush retorted – and slipping into the room beyond she shut the door.
Lord Algy flung himself into an armchair, lit a cigarette and laughed softly. He had never had such an experience as this.
"She is a wonder!" he said to himself. "Astonishing for her class – for any class – She reminds me of some French heroine – what's her name – fellow wrote jolly nice stuff – oh – er —Mademoiselle de Maupin, of course! By Jove! I believe I am going to have a time like that chap had – only she won't go off into limbo on Monday night! – Confound it, I believe I'm in love!"
Then he threw away his cigarette end, and went round through the outer passage to his room beyond hers, where he found his servant turning on his bath in the bathroom which divided their apartments.
"Madame did not seem to require it – yet," Hanson said respectfully, "so I have turned on Your Lordship's first."
And in a few minutes Lord Algy was splashing in the Lubin scented water, while he gaily whistled a tune.
And Katherine Bush heard him as she was sponging her white face – and stopped and listened surprisedly.
"Whatever can he be having a bath for at this time of day," she said to herself, "and it is not Saturday!"
Then the thought came, it might be the custom of his class to bathe before dinner! A scarlet spot grew in each cheek – she must never forget to learn and profit by her lessons, so she deliberately went and knocked on the communicating door and called out:
"Algy! you are mean to take the first! – When you have finished, turn on mine."
And then she stood and trembled for a minute, while she piled up her great mass of ashen hair.
"All right, darling!" he called back. "Only I must have my reward!"
"When I please!" the young woman said to herself. "And not until."
At dinner, she looked quite pretty, the pink suited her pale skin, and the unusual feminine fluffiness of the garment altered her rather stern appearance. She had not yet begun to employ any art whatever, or to alter the rough bundling up of her hair, but now, out to enjoy herself under the most propitious and rose-coloured circumstances, her strange, sullen eyes shone with a subtle fascination, and her deep voice had tones in it which seduced the ear.
She had never dined with him before, only lunched, and now it behooved her to observe