Page 51 of The Irish Gypsy
Patrick then did something he'd never donebefore. He slapped her. She ran from the room in tears.
Then he had Barbara to contend with. She flewto her sister's defense and attacked Patrick head on. "Don't youdare to breeze in here and blame Julia for what is a direct resultof your own high-handed behavior! You're the one who went merrilyoff to engage yourself to Grace what's-her-face and left Kitty witha broken heart. Now you return and find she has contracted amarriage with an eligible man of her own age instead of finding herprostrate with grief and pining for you. So you fly into a jealousrage and slap Julia."
He looked as if he were about to slap Barbaratoo, but she went on heedlessly, "I think Simon must love Kittyvery much. He took her without dowry, without hardly a stitch toher back, if it comes to that. He's not very flush in the pocketuntil he comes into his uncle's money. He could easily have hadLord Brockington's sister, who has about thirty thousand a year, Ibelieve."
"Good God, it would take twice that amount toget rid of her in the marriage market," he hooted.
"Anyway, it seems to me you're playingdog-in-the-manger. You wouldn't marry Kitty, but you don't wantanyone else to have her. Well, you're making a damned cake ofyourself, because it's afait accompliand that's that!"
Patrick did what every other man would dounder the circumstances. He got drunk. It didn't help. His temperwas savage with everyone and everything. He called Kitty every vilename he could lay his tongue to. Patrick was cut to the heart thatshe preferred Simon Bloody Brownlow to himself. He felt totallybetrayed. Bitterness ate at him relentlessly. Finally he vowed toput the little jade out of his mind by throwing himself into hiswork, and he again made plans for a voyage to America.
Kitty saw very little of Simon the first weekof their marriage. He spent all of his time with his friends,mostly outdoors. Since there were not enough horses for everyone toride, Kitty didn't attempt it. She helped Mrs. Hobson with thecooking, knowing the fare was more appetizing when she took a handin it. At the end of the week, when Madge and Brockington returnedto London, Kitty was glad to see their backs. They got drunk everynight and spent their evenings gambling; she did not think theywere very good influences on Simon. He begged them not to leave,and he was lifeless and despondent for the first few days afterthey were gone. Then Kitty got a great surprise: A horse wasdelivered from Tattersall's. She was practically on the verge oftears when she learned it was a wedding present from Patrick. "Oh,how can I ever thank him?" she exclaimed.
"Don't thank him, thank me," grinned Simon."I dropped him a note giving the hint about how poorly mounted youwere," he boasted.
Kitty was shocked. "Simon, you shouldn't havedone such a thing. How humiliating! I don't want anything fromPatrick."
"Nonsense! Just think of all the money hehas. I couldn't possibly make ends meet if it weren't for thebenevolence of my friends. Madge always supplies the wine andBrockington the brandy. Put all those useless ideas to the back ofyour head, Kit, and decide what you're going to call her," Simonurged.
Kitty shook her head. "I'll call herBrandywine for the obvious reason that's the only other weddingpresents I received." She put out her hand to fondle the softmuzzle and tears stung her eyelids at the thought of Patrick."I....I have no riding habit, Simon," she faltered.
"Oh, stuff! There's trunks full of ridingbreeches and jodhpurs I had when I was a boy. Come on, we'll findsomething that fits you," he urged.
"Simon, I couldn't wear breeches. What wouldpeople say?"
"What people? There's none to see but me." Hetook her by the hand and led her up to the attics where the trunksof old clothes were stored. He piled her arms high with buckskinsand velvet breeches and lace-edged shirts.
She tried them on and was both delighted anddismayed that they fit her.
His eyes showed his pleasure at herappearance. "If your hair were shorter, you and Terry could passfor twins," he said and laughed. "Stay right where you are, Kit,and I'll get the scissors.
"No, no, you mustn't!" she protested.
"Come on, Kit, be a sport. What a famousjoke. Let me cut off just a little?" he coaxed.
"Simon, no! I don't want my hair cut off.Come back immediately!"
Simon came back, but not before he had founda pair of scissors. To Kitty's horror, she realized that Simon wasperfectly capable of doing something to her against her wishes. Sheprotested and begged, but he held her down. Laughing like someonehaving the greatest fun in the world, he brandished the scissorsabove her curls. She grew alarmed at Simon's odd behavior andfinally agreed to let him cut just a couple of inches off thebottom.
Kitty could see that Simon became easilybored and restless. She realized that he was shockingly immature.One afternoon when she was riding with Simon, he said he'd catch arabbit for their dinner and produced a ferret from his saddlebag.Kitty hated ferrets. She dismounted and began to run through thetrees.
"Kit, come back. Don't be such a baby," hesaid with a laugh.
"No, I hate them. They're so long and slinkyand their little red eyes frighten me."
"Coward!" he taunted. "Come and see how welltrained it is."
"No! It's cruel to the rabbit to put thosehorrible things down their warren. It almost frightens them todeath and I don't want to watch!"
He began to chase her. She screamed and ranas fast as she could to get away from him. She knew he had asadistic side and was capable of anything once he caught her. Shefell to her hands and knees to try to escape in the underbrush, butwith a pounce he was on top of her and she was struggling blindlyagainst him. She gave a huge sigh of relief when she realized Simonwas empty-handed, and they lay with him sprawled on top of her. Byaccident his hand came in contact with her breast. He drew it awayquickly.
"Kit, you're all breasts in these damnedshirts of mine. Why don't you bind yourself so you don't wobbleabout so much?"
Kitty was really surprised and saidindignantly, "I'm a woman, not boy," and as soon as the words wereout she realized that was exactly what Simon wanted. He called her'Kit', a masculine version of her name. He wanted her in pants andhe had even cut her hair. She brooded on this with a vagueuneasiness.
By Thursday night Simon could stand thesolitude of the country no longer. He informed Kitty and Terrancethat they were going up to London. "Brockington's mother is givinga ball. You must be the most ravishing woman at the party. I wantyou to come too, Terry. My clothes should fit you. Let's go up nowand find you something really elegant," Simon insisted.
Simon took Kitty to Harridges, the mostexpensive shop in London, where she spent a very pleasant hourtrying on magnificent ball gowns. Kitty's choice hovered betweenthe mauve chiffon and the misty rose silk, but Simon insisted upona very low-cut white ruffled gown with a silver tissue overdress.It was extravagantly priced, but Simon waved away her protests.
