CHAPTER 25
Not long afterwards, Henry pressed into Lynn’s hand a small parcel. From the shape and apparent texture it seemed to be a box wrapped in decorative paper and tied with coloured tape.
‘It’s a present for you,’ he said.
‘Another one, Henry? You’ve been spending your money again.’
‘Not really,’ he said. ‘Not this time. Well, except for a bit of wrapping paper and a presentation box. That’s all. I can probably afford that.’
‘You spend far too much on me,’ Lynn scolded him gently, then reached up to kiss him first lightly, then more passionately, tongue flickering over his lips and pressing herself closely into him, enjoying the sensation of his hand running along the length of her body. ‘Thank you anyway. You are far too kind. What is it?’
‘Open it and see,’ suggested Henry.
Lynn opened the paper, pushing the small and decorative rosette into one side of her hair, then unfastened the box. Inside it, nestling on fine tissue paper and surrounded by cotton wool was a pendant. It looked very familiar.
‘It’s your sixpence,’ she exclaimed in astonishment.
‘No.’
‘You mean it’s another one, just the same?’ She looked more carefully. ‘No, it is yours. I recognise the chip on the edge.’
‘It’s the same one, but when I said no,’ said Henry, ‘I meant that it is now yours.’
‘Your sixpence? Your family? But Henry, I can’t possibly take this from you.’ She sounded distressed.
‘You can. It’s mine to give,’ he reminded her.
‘I don’t understand. Why? I mean, I know how much this matters to you.’
‘So do I,’ he said. ‘That’s why I want you to have it.’
‘But you’ve given me so much already.’
‘And I’m giving this as well. Would you like me to explain?’
Lynn nodded dumbly.
‘I’ve told you several times of how I don’t find it easy to get along with people, at least not very closely,’ said Henry. ‘It’s the way in which I was brought up. When I left the orphanage and moved into a house of my own, I had only three things which I could call mine. A sixpence, a soft toy vaguely resembling a cat, and a jam jar flower vase. The last two I made at school. You’ve seen them. You know the story. Until I got my first week’s pay, I slept on the floor in a sleeping bag, and even that was borrowed. I built up my belongings gradually as I could afford them, and that was a slow business indeed. It must have been a couple of years or more before I felt comfortable.’
‘You’ve done a bit better since then’, she said.
‘Quite a lot better,’ he agreed. ‘But it’s only money after all, an easy thing to say when you have plenty of it. It was different when I was younger. Under those circumstances, it becomes necessary to develop a hard shell. I don’t readily give of myself, Lynn, but when I do, it has to be total. I have no use for the attitude of fifty fifty shares. It has to be one hundred percent or nothing. Remember what I said about casual encounters? Well, that’s part of it. You can’t have something I’ve already given to somebody else. Others may do as they wish, but that’s the way I feel about it. Well, when we get back home, I intend to pay a visit to my solicitor and draw up my will. You’ll inherit everything, naturally, one reason for getting married, as wives have rights of inheritance which may be a little more difficult otherwise, especially as I still have money tied up in Sweden. Having said that, and apart from the fact that there are even better reasons for marrying you than problems of inheritance, if I keep my sixpence, it can’t ever be everything. It can only be ninety nine and some odd fraction of a percent, or some figure like that with the decimal point running a trifle short of infinity perhaps. That’s close, but it’s not close enough. You have access to my money and property as from now. Everything. The rest is simply a formality of paperwork. The sixpence is only part of it, an important part perhaps, but part only.’
‘But...’
Henry pressed his fingers over her lips. ‘No buts, Lynn. Take it. Please. For me. Keep it for me. Wear it for me. Wear it with pride. Wear it with love if you like. You note it still has the chain to fasten around your neck. Not that I’m insisting, but that’s where I would like to see it in future. It would please me very much indeed.’
Lynn nodded slowly. ‘There is an item of jewellery I’ve seen sometimes,’ she said, choking a little on the words. ‘It is made in two parts, and each member of a couple wears one of the parts to show their togetherness.’
‘I know the fashion,’ said Henry. ‘It used to be very popular years ago. I thought it may have gone out again.’
‘No. Or perhaps it just came back in,’ she said. ‘I used to think that was very romantic, a really nice idea, but this is something that goes far, far beyond it. It’s... it’s like an explosion in the mind. Oh, Henry, it’s beautiful. I’ll always treasure it. There’s nothing better you could have given.’
She stumbled forward and came into his warm, protecting arms. He took out a handkerchief and dabbed her eyes, wiping away the saltiness from her cheeks.
‘I have nothing to give you in return,’ she said, when she could speak again.
Henry simply raised one eyebrow and looked at her steadily, shaking his head slightly.
‘Oh,’ she said at last. ‘Of course. I understand. This is one hundred percent. There’s no thought of receiving something in payment.’
Henry nodded happily. ‘That’s right. You’re a clever lass, Lynn.’
‘Then anything I give to you is because I want to give, not simply because you want it, or in exchange for something I might want,’ she said. ‘Taking in account my upbringing, that’s a new thought to me. Thank you, Henry. I’ll never forget this. You won’t regret it.’