An Angel Runs Away Read Free Page B

sister – was very beautiful – and she ran away with Papa the night before she was to be married to the Duke of Avon.”
    “And who was your father?”
    “He was a Curate – the Curate of the village Church of Chessington. Afterwards he became Vicar of a little village in Worcestershire – where I was born.”
    “I can understand if your mother ran away the night before her marriage, it must have annoyed the family.”
    “They none of them ever spoke to Mama again – but she was so happy with Papa that it did not matter and, although we were very poor and often had very little to eat – we used to laugh and everything was wonderful – until they were – both k-killed last year in a carriage accident.”
    Again her voice was not hysterical, but the Marquis could hear the pain in it and realised how deeply it had upset her.
    “It was then,” she went on, “that Uncle Lionel came to the funeral and – when it was over – he took me back with him – and I have been miserable ever since.”
    “What have you done to make him angry?” the Marquis asked.
    “He just hates me for being – Papa’s child – and I cannot do anything that is right – and it’s not only the beatings and the slaps – and Sarah pulling my hair – but the fact that there is no – love in that big house – while our little Vicarage was always full of love – like sunshine.”
    She was just stating a fact, the Marquis recognised, and not trying to impress him in any way.
    Then, after they had driven a little farther, he asked,
    “What made you run away today, particularly?”
    “It was because you were coming to – propose to Sarah and everybody was in a fluster. Sarah changed her gown several times to impress you – and because she said I was slow at doing what she wanted she – hit me with her hairbrush – and told her mother that I was being deliberately – obstructive because I was – jealous!”
    Ula paused and then she went on,
    “Aunt Mary said, ‘Are you surprised? No one will ever marry Ula, since she is without a penny to her name and the child of a common Parson, who left a pile of debts because I expect he was even too stupid to think of paying them out of the poor-box’.”
    Ula gave a deep sigh.
    “I suppose she thought that she was making a joke, but I suddenly realised I could not – bear it any longer – and when Sarah hit me again – I ran out of the room and out of the house – and I swear I will never – never – go back!”
    “What will you do with yourself?” the Marquis enquired.
    “I intend to go to London and I intend to become a Cyprian!”
    The Marquis was so astonished he jerked the reins of the horses so that they threw up their heads.
    “ A Cyprian !” he exclaimed. “Do you know what you are saying?”
    “Yes, I do. Cyprians have a lot of money given to them. Cousin Gerald, Sarah’s brother, came home last week – and at first there was a terrible row because some of the tradesmen had written to Uncle Lionel to say that, as he would not pay his debts, they intended suing him in the Courts.”
    She glanced up at the Marquis as she spoke to see if he was listening and she went on,
    “He raged at Gerald for some time, then Gerald said, ‘I am sorry, Papa, but I spent all my allowance on a very pretty little Cyprian. She asked me so nicely to give her what she wanted that I found it impossible to refuse her. I feel sure you understand’.”
    “And what did your uncle say?” the Marquis enquired.
    “He laughed and said, ‘I do understand, my boy, and I felt the same when I was your age. Very well, I will settle these debts, but you are not to be so extravagant in the future’.”
    “So that made you feel that you could be a Cyprian?”
    “I-I am not quite – certain what they do,” Ula admitted, “but I am sure – somebody will be able to tell me.”
    “And whom do you intend to ask?”
    She smiled at him and he thought as he looked at her again that she looked