His hands
remained by his sides. Her welcome found no response from him. She
came to a standstill, and, swaying a little, stretched out her hand
and steadied herself by grasping the back of a chair.
"Wingrave," she murmured, and her voice was full of musical reproach.
Aynesworth turned to leave the room, but Wingrave, looking over her
head, addressed him.
"You will remain here, Aynesworth," he said. "There are some papers at
that desk which require sorting."
Aynesworth hesitated. He had caught the look on Lady Ruth's face.
"If you could excuse me for half an hour, Sir Wingrave," he began.
"I cannot spare you at present," Wingrave interrupted. "Kindly
remain!"
Aynesworth had no alternative but to obey. Wingrave handed a chair to
Lady Ruth. He was looking at her steadfastly. There were no signs of
any sort of emotion in his face. Whatever their relations in the past
might have been, it was hard to believe, from his present demeanor,
that he felt any.
"Wingrave," she said softly, "are you going to be unkind to me--you,
whom I have always thought of in my dreams as the most generous of
men! I have looked forward so much to seeing you again--to knowing
that you were free! Don't disappoint me!"
Wingrave laughed shortly, and Aynesworth bent closer over his work,
with a gathering frown upon his forehead. A mirthless laugh is never a
pleasant sound.
"Disappoint you!" he repeated calmly.
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