“He took me out to dinner, and we went on to a dance at the Burlington Rooms. Then we went to his flat for supper. I didn’t want to go at first, because it was after two, but he begged so hard and said he was leaving London next day. We became engaged then.”
Eric was still conscious of an omission.
“It was never announced, was it?,” he asked.
“No. He didn’t want us to marry until he knew whether he was going to stay on in the army. He wants to be demobilized as soon as possible; he has friends in the City—”
“But that’s no reason why the engagement shouldn’t be announced,” Eric persisted.
“He didn’t want it. He made me promise to keep it a secret. I oughtn’t to have told you, but last night—”
She broke off and began to cry again.
“Well, what happened then?” he asked her after a pause.
“After that—My work in his department was over; and, when Aunt Connie asked me to come and stay with her, I went. Johnnie didn’t like my going, he said he’d never see anything of me—”
“But I thought he was going away himself?”