'It's impossible.'
Claire stared at him in amazement. She had not been prepared for
this. He met her eyes, but every nerve in his body was protesting.
'Bill!'
'I'm sorry.
'But, Bill!'
He set his teeth. It was just as bad as he had thought it would
be.
'But, Bill, I've explained. I've told you how--'
'I know.'
Claire's eyes opened wide.
'I thought you loved me.' She came closer. She pulled at his
sleeve. Her voice took on a note of soft raillery. 'Don't be
absurd, Bill! You mustn't behave like a sulky schoolboy. It isn't
like you, this. You surely don't want me to humble myself more
than I have done.' She gave a little laugh. 'Why, Bill, I'm
proposing to you! I know I've treated you badly, but I've
explained why. You must be just enough to see that it wasn't
altogether my fault. I'm only human. And if I made a mistake I've
done all I can do to undo it. I--'
'Claire, listen: I'm engaged!'
She fell back. For the first time the sense of defeat came to her.
She had anticipated many things. She had looked for difficulties.
But she had not expected this. A feeling of cold fury surged over
her at the way fate had tricked her. She had gambled recklessly on
her power of fascination, and she had lost.
Mr Pickering, at that moment brooding in solitude in the smoking-room
of Lady Wetherby's house, would have been relieved could he have
known how wistfully she was thinking of him.
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