Gone Away Read Online Free Page A

love, to see those lips melt into a smile? No, he chided himself, it wouldn’t do; he must win her confidence again and bring the light of contentment slowly back into the deep pools of her eyes.
    “What about tomorrow? Can I call for you in the morning?” There was an inflection of eagerness in his tone.
    “I’ve got an appointment at the agency in the morning. I’ve got to tell them I’m fixed up with a job. I really must go.” Patricia’s reply was flat and dispirited.
    “Then the afternoon. I’ll ring you at one. You’ll come? Promise.”
    “ I ... I expect so.” The words were torn from Patricia’s lips. What should she say? How could she refuse? Previous engagements were obviously a mere pretence; besides, by a definite refusal she might show her hurt. “I really must go now.” She forced a smile and made to pull away her hand, still closely held in her companion’s grip. She must get away quickly before the tears stinging her eyes could no longer be controlled.
    “Patricia, dear, say you’ll come ... You’ve got to. I’ve so much to say to you.”
    Kay found himself staring incredibly, unbelievingly, at a sparkling tear on Patricia’s fringed lashes. Scarcely aware of his action, he took her roughly in his arms and, before she had time to realize his intention, he had pressed a long burning kiss upon her mouth. And then before Patricia was aware of what had happened, Kay had pushed her gently away, and she stood dazed an d astounded, watching his tall figure pass through the doorway out of her sight.

 
    CHAPTER THREE
    Patricia awoke the next morning conscious of a sense of unreality and a feeling of utter bewilderment. It was a few moments before she could place this strange bedroom, so different from her simple room at home, with its wallpaper of climbing roses and its chintz-curtained windows, in which, except for brief periods of holiday, she had awakened every morning for as many years as she could remember. Gradually this strange hotel bedroom, with its austere furnishings, recalled her to her new existence, and like a shaft of blinding light through the darkness, memory returned.
    For a second Patricia’s fingers trembled on her lips, and it was as if she could feel again the pressure of Kay’s mouth against hers, feel anew his arms crushing her to him, and a tremor of pain ran through her body at the memory. It had been wrong, an indignity she would never forget, an episode that must forever sear her memory; and yet ... Patricia felt the sting of tears; she had wanted it, loved it. Just a fleeting second, but a moment of perfect joy, such heights to which she had never believed it possible to reach.
    Perhaps that was where the greatest hurt lay. She longed to feel indignation and wrath, yet nothing but despair filled her heart. Despair at the knowledge of what could be, and would of necessity never be again. To have loved, to have been loved for just one fleeting_ moment, to begin and end all in one passionate kiss. For it must be the end; that Patricia knew just as surely as she knew she loved this passing stranger. That he was to blame for his thoughtless action never entered her head. There was only one thing clear in her mind: whatever suffering such a decision must cost, she could never see him again. There was the other girl to consider, the girl he intended to make his wife, the girl whom he had temporarily forgotten. For her sake—yes, and for Kay’s too—she must go.
    Patricia slipped from her bed and began to dress. Although her actions were unhurried, her gestures were purely mechanical as she went through the usual routine of washing and dressing. With a disinterested glance in the mirror, she combed through her hair and dabbed powder on her nose and beneath her suspiciously reddened eyes. She looked awful, she mused, but it couldn’t be helped; perhaps the fresh air would bring some color into her cheeks and help to blow away the traces of tears. With scant care, she