Page 105 of The Irish Gypsy
"Give me time?" she begged with tears in hereyes.
He kissed her temple and murmured:
"Tonight I am coming
To visit you in your dream
And none will see and question me--
Be sure to leave your door unlocked!"
She surrendered her mouth to his, half faintwith the thought of separation. "I feel I am dying of love," shewept.
"I have the cure," he promised. He opened thewindow and called to the driver, "Stop at the next inn. My lady isill and in need of attention."
The couple who kept the inn were consumed bycuriosity when the well-dressed gentleman swept in with a woman inhis arms and demanded their best bedroom. They spent the next threehours conjecturing what was happening above-stairs.
Chapter 28
Kitty was worried. She counted again to makesure there was no error in her calculations.
"It's not possible," she told herself, but aninner voice contradicted her mockingly. "Not only possible, butprobable after such wanton behavior. But Patrick would have beencareful. He would never have been negligent in such matters, notagain," she told herself.
Then his voice came to her loud and clear:"I'll do everything in my power to....bind you closer to me."
"Oh, no; please, Lord, no! Don't let him havedeliberately gotten me with child," she prayed silently.
"Let's see: It happened at the end ofSeptember, beginning of October....that would make it....seven,eight, nine....end of June, beginning of July. No, I'm onlyfrightening myself! Next month everything will be back to normal,"she promised herself fervently.
In November her menses again proved elusive.With many sighs, Kitty resigned herself to the inevitable. At leastshe wouldn't be big enough to show before Christmas, when socialactivities couldn't be avoided. She really didn't know what shehoped to accomplish with her secrecy, and the mocking voice fromwithin kept repeating, "Ignore it as much as you like, it won't goaway!"
So far she had managed to avoid Patrick bybecoming almost reclusive, and whenever his words came back to herabout demanding that she leave Charles, she pushed them resolutelyaway. The scandal she would bring down upon their heads frightenedher. Not for herself; she had never given a tinker's damn whatanyone said about her, but Charles would be devastated. She couldnever hurt him so cruelly. Then there was Charles Patrick. Howcould she take him from Charles? It was unthinkable. She wouldsacrifice her own happiness a thousand times over before she woulddo that. "Oh, Patrick, why can't you understand?" she askedsilently.
The morning sickness began; in fact, itlasted most of the day. Just before Christmas, Charles came uponher gazing unhappily through their bedroom window. He came upbehind her to see what held her solemn attention on the groundbelow. She was watching some birds eat some crumbs. "Remember theblue and yellow parrots that flashed through the trees on theisland? Do you miss them sometimes?" he asked.
"Oh, no, I love the starlings. They make melaugh when they run on their little red legs."
"Then why are there tears on your cheeks?" heasked softly.
"Well, they make me feel sad, especially whenthey lift one foot up and tuck it underneath them because theground is so cold."
"It all sounds most fanciful to me. Come andtell me what's ailing you, darling," he coaxed gently.
"I'm with child," she blurted.
He stared at her in amazement.
"You're shocked," she said.
"No, only surprised, and I shouldn't besurprised after pushing you to seek diversion, should I?" he askedgently.
"Charles, I wish with all my heart that Ididn't have to hurt you like this," she said wretchedly.
He patted the sofa. "It isn't the end of theworld, Kathleen; come while we consider it carefully. If there'sone thing I've learned in life it's that everything in the worldhas its advantages and its disadvantages. Charles Patrick needs abrother or a sister; it will do him a world of good. My stock insociety will go up as they whisper, 'There's life in the old dogyet', and you will just adore another baby."
"And the disadvantages?" she askedfaintly.
There were crinkles around his eyes, "I can'tthink of any."
