“You betcher,” replied Charlie. He kissed her hand and returned to his naturally irritated ladies.
“Does that surprise you?” asked Emily.
Edward awoke from his moment of blasphemy. “You are so very beautiful. It did not surprise me that he came.”
“No. But did it surprise you that he went?”
“I suppose he saw how absolutely furious I was getting.”
“No. He danced with me. I dance very badly. I once broke a bone in my left foot and it doesn’t steer very well. It’s an unromantic disability, to dance badly....”
“It doesn’t seem so to me.”
Their supper was cold and tasteless now.
“I wish I could tell you how much I love you, Emily.”
“You have, dear,” said Emily kindly. Her fierce wide eyes were fixed upon him. They were deep set, and Edward looked with a feeling of terrifying intimacy at the shadows about them and at the diagonal prolonged dimple that led from the inner corner of her eye to her cheek. He felt he could see her thinking, “I have been rather brazen and silly tonight. You mustn’t forgive me, you must love me all the better for it....”