[At Love’s Cost by Charles Garvice]@TWC D-Link book
At Love’s Cost

CHAPTER XIII
18/18

You--you were right about the horse: he ought not to have slipped--Where's my hat?
Oh here it is.

The horse isn't lame, I hope ?" "No," she said, setting her teeth in her great effort to appear calm and unmoved.

"He is standing beside Rupert--" She had got thus far when her voice broke, and she turned her face away quickly; but not so quickly that he did not see her exceeding pallor, the heavy droop of the lids, the sweep of the dark lashes on her white cheek.
"Why--what's the matter, Miss Heron ?" he asked, anxiously, and with all a man's obtuseness.

"_You_ didn't happen to come to grief in any way?
I didn't fall on you ?--or anything?
I--" She tried to laugh, tried to laugh scornfully; for indeed she was filled with scorn for this sudden inexplicable weakness, a weakness which had never assailed her before in all her life, a weakness which filled her breast with rage; but from under the closed lids two tears crept and rolled down her cheek; and against her will she made confession of this same foolish weakness.
"It is nothing: I am very foolish--but I--I thought you were badly hurt--for the moment that you might even be--killed!" He staggered to his feet and caught her hand and held it, looking at her with that look in a man's eyes which is stronger and fiercer than fire, and yet softer than water; the look which goes straight to a woman's heart.
"And you cared--cared so much ?" he said, in a voice so low that she could scarcely hear it, hushed by the awe and wonder of passion.
She tried to withdraw her hand, biting her lips, setting them tightly, in her battle for calmness and her old _hauteur_ and indifference; but he held the small hand firmly, felt it quiver and tremble, saw the violet eyes raised to his with a troubled wonder in them; and her name sprang to his lips: "Ida!" he breathed..


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