10.6 Óa 有加攢一領毯仔

10.6 Óa ū ke chhoân chi̍t niá thán-á

I thâu-khak hiòng āu koài-koài tiuh chi̍t-ē, piáu-sī kóng, gōa-kháu ê sè-kài.

"Ta̍k-hāng tāi! Só͘-ū ê lâng! Lóng-chóng."

Kóng liáu, i àⁿ-sin lo̍h-lâi, hiông-hiông chim yi iu-iu ê bīn.

"Nái, óa put-koán," i kóng. "Lán lâi lah, kî-thaⁿ put-koán. M̄-koh í-āu lír nā hoán-hé án-ne chò...!"

"M̄-thang sak góa cháu," yi khún-kiû.

I iōng chéng-thâu-á bong yi ê chhùi-phé, koh hiông-hiông chim yi.

"Án-ne, óa berh ji̍p-khì," i jiû-jiû kóng. "Kín kā hō͘-moa thǹg-tiāu."

I kā chhèng kòa hó, thǹg tiāu tâm ê gōa-thò, koh khì the̍h thán-á.

"Óa ū ke chhoân chi̍t niá thán-á," i kóng, "án-ne, ē-tàng chi̍t niá iōng lâi kah."

"Góa bē-tàng lâu siuⁿ kú," yi kóng. "Àm-tǹg sī chhit tiàm pòaⁿ."

I kín-kín kā khòaⁿ chi̍t-ē, koh khòaⁿ sî-pió-á.

"Ē-sái," i kóng.

I kā mn̂g koaiⁿ hó, tiám chi̍t pha sè-sè ê hóe tī tiàu tio̍h ê hong-teng. "Chá-bān, lán ē ū tn̂g ê sî-kan." i kóng.

I sió-sim kā thán-á pho͘ hó, chi̍t-niá áu tio̍h ê hō͘ yi chò chím-thâu. I tī í-thâu-á chē chi̍t-ē-á, tō kā yi khiú óa, chi̍t chhiú kā lám tio̍h, iáu chi̍t chhiú so yi ê sin-khu. Óa i sin-piⁿ, yi thiaⁿ tio̍h i chhoán-khùi ê siaⁿ. Tī yi he po̍h-po̍h ê lāi-kûn ē-bīn, yi siáⁿ to bô chhēng.

"Eh! bong lí kám-kak ū kàu chán!" i kóng, chhiú ná so yi ê io hām kha-chhng-phé he iú-mī-mī, sio-ho-ho, koh sîn-pì-pì ê phôe-hu. I, bīn àⁿ lo̍h-khì, iōng chhùi-phé lù yi ê pak-tó͘ kap tōa-thúi, chi̍t kái koh chi̍t kái. Yi koh sió-khóa kám-kak kî-koài, án-ne ná ē hō͘ i hiah sóng. Yi bô liáu-kái, thàu kòe bong yi seng-tōng, sîn-pì ê sin-khu, i hoat-hiān tio̍h yi ê súi, chit-chióng sī súi ê chòe-ko sóng-khoài. Kan-ta jia̍t-chêng ē-tàng kám-siū tio̍h che. Jia̍t-chêng nā sí, a̍h-sī bô jia̍t-chêng ê sî, súi só͘ ín-khí ê bí-miāu thiàu-tāng tō bô hoat-tō͘ liáu-kái, sīm-chì ē pī khin-sī; un-loán, seng-tōng ê chiap-chhiok ê hit chióng súi, pí ba̍k-khòaⁿ ê súi ke chin chhim-khek. Yi kám-kak tio̍h i ê chhùi-phé tī yi ê tōa-thúi, pak-tó͘ kap āu-táu liu-tāng, iáu-ū i ê chhùi-chhiu, hām he jiû koh ba̍t ê thâu-mo͘ tī hia lù, yi ê kha-thâu-u khai-sí teh chùn. Tī chhim-chhim ê lāi-té, yi kám-kak sin ê ngiauh-tāng, sin ê lō͘-thé teh chhut-hiān. Yi sió-khóa ē kiaⁿ, sió-khóa hi-bāng i mài koh án-ne kā so. M̄-koh i kā lám tio̍h. Chū án-ne, yi teh tán, teh tán.

Tng i chìn-ji̍p yi ê lāi-bīn, tī hia chhut-la̍t, pàng-sang koh boán-chiok, ta̍t-kàu i ê thian-hā thài-pêng ê sî, yi iáu-koh teh tán. Yi kám-kak ka-tī sió-khóa pī pàng-sak. Yi chai, che ū chi̍t pō͘-hūn sī yi ê chhò. Yi siūⁿ boeh ka-tī pó-chhî hun-lī. Chit-má yi káⁿ tio̍h siū tio̍h chek-pī. Yi tó tiām-tiām, kám-kak i tī yi lāi-té ê tōng-chok, i chhim-chhim ji̍p-khì ê choan-sim, teh chōaⁿ chéng ê sî i ê hut-jiân ka-lún-sún, kap āu-lâi bān-bān kiám-khin ê chùn-tāng. He kha-chhng-phé ê chùn-tāng, khak-si̍t ū tām-po̍h hó-chhiò. Lí nā sī cha-bó͘, koh ū chham-ka chit-lō sū, khak-si̍t he cha-po͘ lâng ê kha-chhng-phé ê chùn-tāng chhiau-kip hó-chhiò. Khak-si̍t, cha-po͘ lâng ê chit-chióng chu-sè kap tōng-chok chiâⁿ hó-chhiò.

M̄-koh yi tó tiām-tiām, bô kiu-lun. Sīm-chì kàu i kiat-sok ah, yi mā bô khí-tāng ka-tī lâi tit-tio̍h ka-tī ê boán-chiok, yi bat án-ne tùi Michaelis; yi tó tiām-tiām, ba̍k-sái bān-bān tīⁿ koh ùi ba̍k-chiu lâu lo̍h.

I mā tó tiām-tiām. M̄-koh i kā lám ân, iōng kha-thúi khàm tī yi khó-liân bô khàm ê kha-thúi téng, kā âⁿ-sio. I tó tī yi ê têng-bīn, ū óa-óa, ōng-ōng ê un-loán.

"Lí ē léng bô?" i mn̄g, siaⁿ-im jiû koh sè, ná chhiūⁿ yi sī chin kīn, chin óa. M̄-koh, yi kám-kak pī pàng-sak, lī hn̄g-hn̄g.

"Bē! M̄-koh góa tio̍h cháu ah," yi khin-siaⁿ kóng.

I thò͘ chi̍t ê khùi, kā lám khak ân leh, koh pàng sang, hioh-khùn.

I bô khòaⁿ tio̍h yi ê ba̍k-sái. I siūⁿ-kóng, yi kap i pêⁿ sóng-khoài.

"Góa tio̍h cháu ah," yi koh kóng.

I khí-sin, kūi tī yi sin-piⁿ chi̍t-ē-á, tī iû-teng bî-bî ê kng-sòaⁿ nih, chim yi ê tōa-thúi tiong-kan, koh kā yi ê kûn khàm hó, siūⁿ to bô siūⁿ tō kā ka-tī ê saⁿ liú-á liú hó, liân sin-thé mā bô se̍h kòe-lâi.

"Chi̍t kang, lír to̍h lâi chhun-sià hia," i ná kóng, ná khòaⁿ yi, ba̍k-sek un-loán, khún-tēng, chū-chāi.

M̄-koh yi tó hia bô tāng, ná khòaⁿ i, ná teh siūⁿ: Chheⁿ-hūn-lâng! Chheⁿ-hūn-lâng! Yi sīm-chì sió-khóa oàn-hūn i.

I chhēng hó gōa-thò, chhōe tio̍h i he lak tī thô͘-kha ê bō-á, koh kā chhèng hàiⁿ chiūⁿ keng-thâu.

"Lâi pah!" i kóng, iōng he un-loán, pêng-hô ê ba̍k-chiu khòaⁿ yi.

Yi bān-bān khiā khí-lâi. Yi bô boeh cháu, m̄-koh mā bē-giàn lâu tī chia. I pang yi kā khin- hō͘-saⁿ chhēng hó, khòaⁿ yi khoán hó-sè ah.

Jiân-āu, i kā mn̂g phah-khui. Gōa-kháu í-keng chin àm ah. Gîm-chîⁿ kha, tiong-sim ê káu khòaⁿ tio̍h i, hoaⁿ-hoaⁿ-hí-hí khiā khí-lâi. Sap-sap-á hō͘ tī o͘-àm tiong phú-phú teh lo̍h. Thiⁿ chin àm ah.

"Óa to̍h the̍h hong-teng," i kóng. "Bē tú tio̍h pā-lâng lah."

Tī e̍h lō͘, i kiâⁿ tī yi thâu-chêng, kā hong-teng pàng kē-kē, chiò tio̍h tâm-tâm ê chháu, siám-kng ê o͘-sek chhiū-kin ná-chhiūⁿ chôa, iáu-ū ám-tām ê hoe. Kî-thaⁿ ê pa̍t-hāng kan-ta sī chi̍t-pìⁿ phú-sek ê hō͘-bū kap oân-choân ê o͘-àm.

"Chi̍t kang, lír tio̍h lâi chhun-sià," i kóng, "Hó m̄? M̄-koán thau soaⁿ-iûⁿ a̍h mî-iûⁿ, lán lóng tio̍h hông tiàu."

Yi kám-kak bē liáu-kái, i hit chióng ki-koàn, tùi yi ê mî-mî boeh, in nn̄g lâng tiong-kan pēng bô siáⁿ, i mā m̄-bat chin-chiàⁿ kap yi kóng-ōe, jî-chhiáⁿ yi jím-put-chū thó-ià i ê thó͘-ōe. "Lír tio̍h lâi" ká-ná m̄-sī kóng hō͘ yi thiaⁿ, sī hō͘ phó͘-thong ê cha-bó͘. Yi jīn tio̍h chhia-lō͘ piⁿ ê mô͘-tē-n̂g (毛地黃, foxglove) hio̍h, chai-iáⁿ in tāi-khài kiâⁿ kàu tó-ūi ah.

"Chit-chūn 7 tiám 15," i kóng, "lí ē-hù lah." I kái-piàn siaⁿ-tiāu, ká-ná ū kám-kak yi ê léng-tām. In oat-kòe chhia-lō͘ ê siōng bóe oat, kiâⁿ hiòng chin-bo̍k chhiûⁿ kap hoe-hn̂g ê mn̂g khì ê sî, i kā hóe pûn hoa. "Lán tī chia khòaⁿ ē tio̍h," i kóng, khin-khin lia̍h yi ê chhiú-kut.

M̄-koh, he bô kán-tan ah, kha ē-bīn ê thô͘ sī sîn-pì, m̄-koh i iōng kha ta̍h khì kám-kak: i kiâⁿ koàn-sì ah. Káu hoe-hn̂g ê mn̂g, i kā chhiú-tiān kau hō͘ yi. "Hoe-hn̂g nih ū khah kng," i kóng, "m̄-koh, che lí the̍h tio̍h, bián-tit kiâⁿ chhoa̍h khì."

Chin ê, tī khòng-khoah ê hoe-hn̂g nih ká-ná ū phú-sek ê kúi-á hóe. I hut-jîn kā khiú óa, koh kā chhiú tī yi ê saⁿ lāi-bīn bōng, iōng he sip koh léng ê chhiú so yi he un-loán ê sin-khu.

"Bong tio̍h chit-khoán sin-khu, góa sí mā ū-ta̍t," i kóng tī nâ-âu. "Lír nā ē-tàng thêng khah kú leh."

Yi koh kám-kak tio̍h i tùi yi jia̍t-lia̍t ê su-iàu.

M̄-mó͘, góa tio̍h cháu," yi sió-khóa khí-kông kóng.

"Ái," i ìn, hut-jiân kài-piàn thāi-tō͘, phàng yi khì.

--

10.6 Óa 有加攢一領毯仔

伊頭殼向後怪怪 tiuh 一下, 表示講, 外口 ê 世界.

"逐項代! 所有 ê 人! 攏總."

講了, 伊 àⁿ 身落來, 雄雄唚她憂憂 ê 面.

"Nái, óa 不管," 伊講. "咱來 lah, 其他不管. M̄-koh 以後 lír 若反 hé án-ne 做...!"

"毋通捒我走," 她懇求.

伊用指頭仔摸她 ê 喙䫌, koh 雄雄唚她.

"Án-ne, óa berh 入去," 伊柔柔講. "緊 kā 雨幔褪掉."

伊 kā 銃掛好, 褪掉澹 ê 外套, koh 去提毯仔.

"Óa 有加攢一領毯仔," 伊講, "án-ne, ē-tàng 一領用來蓋."

"我 bē-tàng 留 siuⁿ 久," 她講. "暗頓是七點半"

伊緊緊 kā 看一下, koh 看時表仔.

"會使," 伊講.

伊 kā 門關好, 點一葩細細 ê 火 tī 吊著 ê 風燈. "早慢咱會有長 ê 時間." 伊講.

伊小心 kā 毯仔鋪好, 一領拗著 ê 予她做枕頭. 伊 tī 椅頭仔坐一下仔, tō kā 她搝倚, 一手 kā 攬著, 猶一手挲她 ê 身軀. 倚伊身邊, 她聽著伊喘氣 ê 聲. Tī 她彼薄薄 ê 內裙下面, 她啥都無穿.

"Eh! 摸你感覺有夠讚!" 伊講, 手 ná 挲她 ê 腰和尻川䫌彼幼麵麵, 燒熇熇, koh 神秘秘 ê 皮膚. 伊, 面 àⁿ 落去, 用喙䫌鑢她 ê 腹肚 kap 大腿, 一改 koh 一改. 她 koh 小可感覺奇怪, án-ne ná 會予伊 hiah 爽. 她無了解, 透過摸她生動, 神秘 ê 身軀, 伊發現著她 ê 媠, 這種是媠 ê 最高爽快. 干焦熱情 ē-tàng 感受著這. 熱情若死, 抑是無熱情 ê 時, 媠所引起 ê 美妙跳動 tō 無法度了解, 甚至會被輕視; 溫暖, 生動 ê 接觸 ê 彼種媠, 比目看 ê 媠加真深刻. 她感覺著伊喙䫌 tī 她 ê 大腿, 腹肚 kap 後斗溜動, 猶有伊 ê 喙鬚, 和彼柔 koh 密 ê 頭毛 tī 遐鑢, 她 ê 跤頭趺開始 teh 顫. Tī 深深 ê 內底, 她感覺新 ê ngiauh 動, 新 ê 裸體 teh 出現. 她小可會驚, 小可希望伊莫 koh án-ne kā 挲. M̄-koh 伊 kā 攬著. 自 án-ne, 她 teh 等, teh 等.

當伊進入她 ê 內面, tī 遐出力, 放鬆 koh 滿足, 達到伊 ê 天下太平 ê 時, 她猶 koh teh 等. 她感覺家己小可被放捒. 她知, 這有一部份是她 ê 錯. 她想欲家己保持分離. 這馬她 káⁿ 著受著責備. 她倒恬恬, 感覺伊 tī 她內底 ê 動作, 伊深深入去 ê 專心, teh 濺種 ê 時伊 ê 忽然 ka-lún-sún, kap 後來慢慢減輕 ê 顫動. 彼尻川䫌 ê 顫動, 確實有淡薄好笑. 你若是查某, koh 有參加 chit-lō 事, 確實彼查埔人 ê 尻川䫌 ê 顫動超級好笑. 確實, 查埔人 ê 這種姿勢 kap 動作誠好笑.

M̄-koh 她倒恬恬, 無勼圇. 甚至到伊結束 ah, 她 mā 無起動家己來得著家己 ê 滿足, 她 bat án-ne 對 Michaelis; 她倒恬恬, 目屎慢慢滇 koh ùi 目睭流落.

伊 mā 倒恬恬. M̄-koh 伊 kā 攬絚, 用跤腿崁 tī 她可憐無崁 ê 跤腿頂, kā âⁿ 燒. 伊倒 tī 她 ê 頂面, 有倚倚, 旺旺 ê 溫暖.

"你會冷無?" 伊問, 聲音柔 koh 細, ná 像她是真近, 真倚. M̄-koh, 她感覺被放捒, 離遠遠.

"袂! M̄-koh 我著走 ah," 她輕聲講.

伊吐一个氣, kā 攬較絚 leh, koh 放鬆, 歇睏.

伊無看著她 ê 目屎. 伊想講, 她 kap 伊平爽快.

"我著走 ah," 她 koh 講.

伊起身, 跪 tī 她身邊一下仔, tī 油燈微微 ê 光線 nih, 唚她 ê 大腿中間, koh kā 她 ê 裙崁好, 想都無想 tō kā 家己 ê 衫鈕仔鈕好, 連身體 mā 無踅過來.

"一工, lír to̍h 來村舍遐," 伊 ná 講, ná 看她, 目色溫暖, 肯定, 自在.

M̄-koh 她倒遐無動, ná 看伊, ná teh 想. 生份人! 生份人! 她甚至小可怨恨伊.

伊穿好外套, 揣著伊彼 lak tī 塗跤 ê 帽仔, koh kā 銃幌上肩頭.

"來 pah!" 伊講, 用彼溫暖, 平和 ê 目睭看她.

她慢慢徛起來. 她無欲走, m̄-koh mā 袂癮留 tī 遮. 伊幫她 kā 輕便雨衫穿好, 看她款好勢 ah.

然後, 伊 kā 門拍開. 外口已經真暗 ah. 砛簷跤, 忠心 ê 狗看著伊, 歡歡喜喜徛起來. Sap-sap-á 雨 tī 烏暗中殕殕 teh 落. 天真暗 ah.

"Óa 著提風燈," 伊講. "袂拄著 pā 人 lah."

Tī 狹路, 伊行 tī 她頭前, kā 風燈放低低, 照著澹澹 ê 草, 閃光 ê 烏色樹根 ná 像蛇, 猶有暗淡 ê 花. 其他 ê 別項干焦是一片殕色 ê 雨霧 kap 完全 ê 烏暗.

"一工, lír tio̍h 來村舍," 伊講, "好 m̄? 毋管偷山羊抑綿羊, 咱 lóng 著 hông 吊."

她感覺袂了解, 伊彼種奇怪, 對她 ê mî-mî 欲, ín 兩人中間並無啥, 伊 mā m̄-bat 真正 kap 她講話, 而且她忍不住討厭伊 ê 土話. "Lír 著來" ká-ná 毋是講予她聽, 是予普通 ê 查某. 她認著車路邊 ê mô͘-tē-n̂g (毛地黃, foxglove) 葉, 知影 in 大概行到佗位 ah.

"這陣 7 點 15," 伊講, "你會赴 lah." 伊改變聲調, ká-ná 有感覺她 ê 冷淡. In 斡過車路 ê 上尾斡, 行向榛木樹 kap 花園 ê 門去 ê 時, 伊 kā 火歕 hoa. "咱 tī 遮看會著," 伊講, 輕輕掠她 ê 手骨.

M̄-koh, 彼無簡單 ah, 跤下面 ê 塗是神秘, m̄-koh 伊用跤踏去感覺: 伊行慣勢 ah. 到花園 ê 門, 伊 kā 手電交予她. "花園 nih 有較光," 伊講, "m̄-koh, 這你提著, 免得行 chhoa̍h 去."

真 ê, tī 曠闊 ê 花園 nih ká-ná 有殕色 ê 鬼仔火. 伊忽然 kā 搝倚, koh kā 手 tī 她 ê 衫內面摸, 用彼溼 koh 冷 ê 手挲她彼溫暖 ê 身軀.

"模著這款身軀, 我死 mā 有值," 伊講 tī nâ-âu. "Lír 若 ē-tàng 停較久 leh."

她 koh 感覺著伊對她熱烈 ê 需要.

"M̄-mó͘, 我著走," 她小可起狂講.

"Ái," 伊應, 忽然改變態度, 放她去.

--

10.6

He gave a curious backward jerk of his head, indicating the outer world.


’Things! Everybody! The lot of ‘em.’

Then he bent down and suddenly kissed her unhappy face.


’Nay, I don’t care,’ he said. ‘Let’s have it, an’ damn the rest. But if you was to feel sorry you’d ever done it—!’

’Don’t put me off,’ she pleaded.

He put his fingers to her cheek and kissed her again suddenly.

’Let me come in then,’ he said softly. ‘An’ take off your mackintosh.’


He hung up his gun, slipped out of his wet leather jacket, and reached for the blankets.


’I brought another blanket,’ he said, ‘so we can put one over us if you like.’


’I can’t stay long,’ she said. ‘Dinner is half-past seven.’

He looked at her swiftly, then at his watch.

’All right,’ he said.

He shut the door, and lit a tiny light in the hanging hurricane lamp. ‘One time we’ll have a long time,’ he said.

He put the blankets down carefully, one folded for her head. Then he sat down a moment on the stool, and drew her to him, holding her close with one arm, feeling for her body with his free hand. She heard the catch of his intaken breath as he found her. Under her frail petticoat she was naked.

’Eh! what it is to touch thee!’ he said, as his finger caressed the delicate, warm, secret skin of her waist and hips. He put his face down and rubbed his cheek against her belly and against her thighs again and again. And again she wondered a little over the sort of rapture it was to him. She did not understand the beauty he found in her, through touch upon her living secret body, almost the ecstasy of beauty. For passion alone is awake to it. And when passion is dead, or absent, then the magnificent throb of beauty is incomprehensible and even a little despicable; warm, live beauty of contact, so much deeper than the beauty of vision. She felt the glide of his cheek on her thighs and belly and buttocks, and the close brushing of his moustache and his soft thick hair, and her knees began to quiver. Far down in her she felt a new stirring, a new nakedness emerging. And she was half afraid. Half she wished he would not caress her so. He was encompassing her somehow. Yet she was waiting, waiting.

And when he came into her, with an intensification of relief and consummation that was pure peace to him, still she was waiting. She felt herself a little left out. And she knew, partly it was her own fault. She willed herself into this separateness. Now perhaps she was condemned to it. She lay still, feeling his motion within her, his deep-sunk intentness, the sudden quiver of him at the springing of his seed, then the slow-subsiding thrust. That thrust of the buttocks, surely it was a little ridiculous. If you were a woman, and a part in all the business, surely that thrusting of the man’s buttocks was supremely ridiculous. Surely the man was intensely ridiculous in this posture and this act!

But she lay still, without recoil. Even when he had finished, she did not rouse herself to get a grip on her own satisfaction, as she had done with Michaelis; she lay still, and the tears slowly filled and ran from her eyes.

He lay still, too. But he held her close and tried to cover her poor naked legs with his legs, to keep them warm. He lay on her with a close, undoubting warmth.

’Are yer cold?’ he asked, in a soft, small voice, as if she were close, so close. Whereas she was left out, distant.

’No! But I must go,’ she said gently.


He sighed, held her closer, then relaxed to rest again.

He had not guessed her tears. He thought she was there with him.


’I must go,’ she repeated.

He lifted himself kneeled beside her a moment, kissed the inner side of her thighs, then drew down her skirts, buttoning his own clothes unthinking, not even turning aside, in the faint, faint light from the lantern.

’Tha mun come ter th’ cottage one time,’ he said, looking down at her with a warm, sure, easy face.

But she lay there inert, and was gazing up at him thinking: Stranger! Stranger! She even resented him a little.

He put on his coat and looked for his hat, which had fallen, then he slung on his gun.

’Come then!’ he said, looking down at her with those warm, peaceful sort of eyes.

She rose slowly. She didn’t want to go. She also rather resented staying. He helped her with her thin waterproof and saw she was tidy.

Then he opened the door. The outside was quite dark. The faithful dog under the porch stood up with pleasure seeing him. The drizzle of rain drifted greyly past upon the darkness. It was quite dark.

’Ah mun ta’e th’ lantern,’ he said. ‘The’ll be nob’dy.’


He walked just before her in the narrow path, swinging the hurricane lamp low, revealing the wet grass, the black shiny tree-roots like snakes, wan flowers. For the rest, all was grey rain-mist and complete darkness.


’Tha mun come to the cottage one time,’ he said, ‘shall ta? We might as well be hung for a sheep as for a lamb.’


It puzzled her, his queer, persistent wanting her, when there was nothing between them, when he never really spoke to her, and in spite of herself she resented the dialect. His ‘tha mun come’ seemed not addressed to her, but some common woman. She recognized the foxglove leaves of the riding and knew, more or less, where they were.

’It’s quarter past seven,’ he said, ‘you’ll do it.’ He had changed his voice, seemed to feel her distance. As they turned the last bend in the riding towards the hazel wall and the gate, he blew out the light. ‘We’ll see from here,’ he said, taking her gently by the arm.

But it was difficult, the earth under their feet was a mystery, but he felt his way by tread: he was used to it. At the gate he gave her his electric torch. ‘It’s a bit lighter in the park,’ he said; ‘but take it for fear you get off th’ path.’

It was true, there seemed a ghost-glimmer of greyness in the open space of the park. He suddenly drew her to him and whipped his hand under her dress again, feeling her warm body with his wet, chill hand.

’I could die for the touch of a woman like thee,’ he said in his throat. ‘If tha’ would stop another minute.’

She felt the sudden force of his wanting her again.

’No, I must run,’ she said, a little wildly.


’Ay,’ he replied, suddenly changed, letting her go.

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