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life. But this staying with her also meant that he was happy; a great
compassion surged within her and she vowed to give him every second of
the six months he still had. Not one cross word would ever pass between
them, not one tiny interlude of un- happiness should he receive at her hands.
At last he said he really must leave and she accompanied him to the door.
Moonlight shone on the garden; spring flowers spread their perfume over
the still quiet air and moths gathered in the light emitted from the small
hallway beyond the open door.
'Good night, Judi.' Soft the words, caressing as a summer breeze; something
stirred Judi's senses and even before he took her gently to him she felt her
heart begin to beat over-rate. His kiss was as gentle as his touch and when
presently he held her from him he looked deeply into her eyes and she felt
that he searched for some sign that she had liked his kiss ... and in the
fullness of what at this stage she assumed to be her generosity she went on
tiptoe and offered her lips once more. He caught her to him then, in a sort of
avid desperation, and this time a measure of ardency took a little of the
gentleness from the kiss. 'Dear little Judi,' he whispered. 'Good night, until
tomorrow.'
'Good night, Vidas,' she returned, and it was with the greatest difficulty that
she managed to keep the emotion out of her voice. 'We'll have a lovely day
together.'
Vidas had suggested they had a day out, driving in the country and stopping
for meals. On the Monday he proposed taking her to Dorchester to arrange
for the wedding, and afterwards they would spend the rest of the day in
Bournemouth.
'I'll call for you about ten,' he was saying as he slid into the car. He lifted a
hand on driving away; the tail lights flashed off and on as he took the bend
before being lost to sight. Slowly, Judi went back into the house, and only
then did the whole episode appear like a dream, vivid enough, but totally
unreal. And as the moments passed it became more and more unreal, with
Vidas Theron taking on a shape and form as nebulous as the gods and heroes
of ancient Greek mythology.
Her father just stared and stared when she unfolded her story to him on his
return from the short holiday. When at length she had finished speaking she
watched as, still dazed, he began shaking his head. She listened as he told
her she was crazy to think she could pull off such a deception without its
being discovered.
'Why,' he exclaimed, 'the moment you sign the register he'll know you're not
the girl who signed the letters!'
Judi's eyes went to the photograph on the sideboard.
'I've been practising,' she said and, following the direction of her gaze, Bill's
eyes opened wide.
'Copying her autograph from that on her photo!' For a moment he seemed
bereft of speech as he stared at his daughter, appearing so calm and
unaffected by his astonishment. 'Judi, I don't know what's come over you!
This is fraud -1 expect you know that?'
For a long moment she remained silent, her mind going back to the day in
Bournemouth. So unbelievably wonderful it had been; and she and Vidas
might have known each other for months. He took her arm as they walked
along after parking the car. He bought her a beautiful diamond engagement
ring which he slipped on her finger in the garden of the hotel to which he had
taken her for lunch; the wedding ring he kept in his pocket. They strolled on
the promenade, hand in hand like true lovers; they sat and stared at the sea,
or passed a remark now and then about people on the beach. And the sun
came out for them and remained warm and bright for the whole of the day.
'I consider the fraud justified, Father. Vidas can't marry Hannah because she
isn't here. She chose her career, believing she could marry Vidas later, but of
course she can't. He needs someone, Father ... he needs me.'
He shook his head from side to side, staring wordlessly at her. She had told
him everything, even to her own feelings for Vidas - her compassion and
resolve to make him happy while he lived. There could be nothing wicked in
sentiments such as these, she firmly maintained, but her father then said,
'The money he's going to leave you? Are you trying to tell me that it means
nothing? - that it hasn't influenced you in this unbelievable decision you've
made?'
She hesitated before admitting in all honesty that, in the very beginning, the
money had in fact influenced her.
'But very soon I knew it was not the money,' she added, a little hurt and
angry by the sudden cynical lift of his brow. 'I don't expect you'll believe me,
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