“That,” he might have told her, was a hard-on bulging up in his loose-fitting trousers, but there was no need to explain, because the physical manifestation of his desire for her rapidly subsided under the barrage of her teary innocence.

“There now,” he said ineffectually. “I’m sorry if I frightened you. I did not mean to do it.”

She stood. “How dare you touch me in such a rough manner?”

He could not help it; he smiled at the sudden realization of the absurdity of the whole episode. “I am sorry,” he said.

Believing from his smile that he found her somehow ridiculous, she turned instinctively vindictive. “What would Aunt Sarah say if I told her?”

“Oh, God.”

“Never fear, sir!” she said in a sneering tone. “I see that you are at heart a coward.”

“Every man is at heart a coward. I think though that I must tell your grandmother privately what happened and apologize to her, as I have just done to you.”

“You will most certainly do no such thing! I implore you. For she would only blame me!” Her tone of outrage turned to whimpering accusation. “How could you, Uncle Leon? Just because I talked to you—because nobody else was there—because you gave me little presents. Well, you may have them all back. Whatever could you have thought? I mean, look at you. Your clothes are all covered with sawdust from the mill—”

He quickly began to dust and beat at his clothing. Bending, he slapped larger bits of sawdust that clung to the bottoms of his trouser legs.

“And you’re old!”

He left off slapping his trouser legs and slowly lifted his head and straightened his body. He wanted to slap her. Instead, after a moment, he managed to lift his hands and indicate the buggy. “If you please, I shall take you home now.”

“Do you promise you won’t say anything to Granny?”

He nodded.

“If you drive fast, we’ll be back before anyone is there. If they are, I’ll think of something.”

As they came to the buggy, the horse arched his tail and shat with obvious satisfaction. She burst into tears again, and he was rescued from his anger by laughter. “Oh, get in, child, and let me take you home.”

She got into the buggy unassisted, and he pulled himself up to the driver’s seat with a grunt. They did not talk as they left the grove and made their return. But as they came into the driveway to Oaks, she said, “I feel ever so much older than when we left.”

“So do I,” he replied.

13