[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
suspicious."
'So she wasted all that money!' Perry was far better off without such an
odious person, Janis firmly decided. Glenda, planning to rob him of his
inheritance, must have known he would never have the money with which to
pay the enormous bill.
The only times Janis was sure of seeing her husband were in the evenings,
for his lunch and tea - 'baggings' was the surprising name given to the
various snacks sent out to the men - he took in the fields, wherever he
happened to be working. Sometimes he would come in very tired, and would
not trouble to change for dinner, but when he did, he expected Janis to do the
same.
Changing that evening, Janis looked about her with excitement, feeling
warm and secure - as though she really belonged; as the room belonged, too,
having been lost for a little while.
She dressed carefully, in a misty blue creation of silk chiffon and,
remembering Avril's warning, took particular pains with her hair and
manicure. But she did not paint her nails, for she had heard Perry lecturing
Avril on that subject. What would he say about the furniture? she wondered.
Perhaps she would not find the courage to mention it at all.
Perry was waiting when she came downstairs, and she faltered, as she
always did, whether to blame for anything or not,
'I'm s-sorry& '
'There's no need to be, Janis. I'm rather early.' His dark eyes flickered over
her with faint interest. 'A new dress?'
'No - yes, I mean I haven't worn it before, but I bought it that first day
when I went to town with Avril.'
He responded to her agitation with amusement and, she thought, the merest
suggestion of mockery. She felt, somehow, that he was thinking of Glenda,
and the way she had deceived him, and that he was on his guard against
being taken in a second time.
Because Dr. Grant had ordered plenty of rest, Perry had dinner served at
seven-thirty, instead of eight. Some time between eight-thirty and nine he
would be sure to look at the clock, and Janis, knowing that her company was
no longer desired, would instantly obey the unspoken command and go to
her room. There she would spend the next hour reading, or just looking out
on to the orchard - a pink and white carpet of fallen blossom now - and
wonder what Perry found to do on his own - and whether he were as lonely
as she... ?
Tonight, engrossed in accounts and estimates connected with the farm, Perry
seemed to have forgotten the time. They had taken coffee in the playroom,
Janis hardly daring to move for fear he would look up and notice she was
still there. Several times during dinner she had opened her mouth to tell him
about changing the furniture over, but the more she thought about it the more
presumptuous it appeared, and at last she decided to say nothing.
Eventually he looked up. Instead of glancing at the clock, he asked Janis
when she was going to see the doctor.
'Tomorrow - at eleven.'
'I thought so. Perhaps you will do something for me? - it will save me going
into town myself.'
'Yes; anything,' Janis responded eagerly, pleased that he should let her do
some little task for him.
'That is nice and obliging of you, Janis,' he said, with a faint smile.
'However, I only want you to take some papers to Hannings' office along
with a letter I shall give you. It is the reply which is important, so you must
wait for it.'
'Yes.'
'I'll leave them with Bebby as I shall be out very early in the morning. I want
to make a start on the hay tomorrow if possible.'
The week of heavy rain, and the heatwave which followed, had made cutting
possible a fortnight earlier than usual, and Janis had heard Perry express
anxiety about the weather's breaking, for he had not yet bought the modern
equipment and, therefore, the haymaking would take some considerable
time. Surprised that he should mention it - for he did not seem to care
whether she were interested in his work or not - she said impulsively,
'Can I help with the haymaking?'
'You?'
'Bebby says it's a race against the weather - that everyone helps, even
Mottram and Gregson.'
'Have you forgotten Dr. Grant's instructions?'
'My leg is much better now; he said so '
'But he hasn't given you a clean bill of health?'
Janis was puzzled by his eagerness, and his obvious disappointment when
she replied,
'It will be another month or two before he can do that. But he said I could
learn to ride, so it must have improved, mustn't it?'
Perry moved impatiently, increasing her puzzlement.
'Did you ask him if you could learn to ride?' he inquired curiously.
'Yes.'
'Why?' Janis hesitated, plucking nervously at her dress. Avril had told her
that she and Perry rode every morning in the winter, and Janis had thought it
would be a good idea if she learnt to ride, so that next winter - by which time
she and Perry would be better friends - she would be able to accompany
them. 'Well, Janis?'
'I thought it would be nice to go with you and Avril sometimes,' she said
lamely.
'But I'm too busy to ride.'
'I meant in the winter.'
'Janis,' he said softly after a pause, 'have you forgotten our arrangement?'
She looked up blankly.
'No - of course not....' What did he mean ? Was it his intention never to go
outside the door with her? She recollected that he had only been out with her
in the car, merely dropping her at the doctor's rooms and calling back later to
pick her up. The prospect of such an existence chilled her. Perry had said it
would be degrading to live in the same house with nothing between them,
but surely it would be more degrading to live together in the way he was now
suggesting.
'Are we never going to be friends?' she whispered desperately, and he stared
at her in amazement. When he spoke his eyes had resumed their familiar
hardness.
'I don't think friendship between us is either likely or necessary, and I'll be
obliged if you will strictly adhere to the terms of our agreement. You need
not bother to see Hannings for me; I'll get Avril to do it.' He waved an
imperious hand towards the door. .'Please leave me now - I have work to do.'
He picked up his papers again, and Janis, tears blinding her, stumbled from
the room.
Upstairs, she flung herself on the bed. If only she could understand him!
Surely he was not going to treat her like this all her life? And why did he
keep on referring to their agreement? It was up to him to decide when he
wanted. ... Suddenly she frowned, recalling the way in which he had phrased [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
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suspicious."
'So she wasted all that money!' Perry was far better off without such an
odious person, Janis firmly decided. Glenda, planning to rob him of his
inheritance, must have known he would never have the money with which to
pay the enormous bill.
The only times Janis was sure of seeing her husband were in the evenings,
for his lunch and tea - 'baggings' was the surprising name given to the
various snacks sent out to the men - he took in the fields, wherever he
happened to be working. Sometimes he would come in very tired, and would
not trouble to change for dinner, but when he did, he expected Janis to do the
same.
Changing that evening, Janis looked about her with excitement, feeling
warm and secure - as though she really belonged; as the room belonged, too,
having been lost for a little while.
She dressed carefully, in a misty blue creation of silk chiffon and,
remembering Avril's warning, took particular pains with her hair and
manicure. But she did not paint her nails, for she had heard Perry lecturing
Avril on that subject. What would he say about the furniture? she wondered.
Perhaps she would not find the courage to mention it at all.
Perry was waiting when she came downstairs, and she faltered, as she
always did, whether to blame for anything or not,
'I'm s-sorry& '
'There's no need to be, Janis. I'm rather early.' His dark eyes flickered over
her with faint interest. 'A new dress?'
'No - yes, I mean I haven't worn it before, but I bought it that first day
when I went to town with Avril.'
He responded to her agitation with amusement and, she thought, the merest
suggestion of mockery. She felt, somehow, that he was thinking of Glenda,
and the way she had deceived him, and that he was on his guard against
being taken in a second time.
Because Dr. Grant had ordered plenty of rest, Perry had dinner served at
seven-thirty, instead of eight. Some time between eight-thirty and nine he
would be sure to look at the clock, and Janis, knowing that her company was
no longer desired, would instantly obey the unspoken command and go to
her room. There she would spend the next hour reading, or just looking out
on to the orchard - a pink and white carpet of fallen blossom now - and
wonder what Perry found to do on his own - and whether he were as lonely
as she... ?
Tonight, engrossed in accounts and estimates connected with the farm, Perry
seemed to have forgotten the time. They had taken coffee in the playroom,
Janis hardly daring to move for fear he would look up and notice she was
still there. Several times during dinner she had opened her mouth to tell him
about changing the furniture over, but the more she thought about it the more
presumptuous it appeared, and at last she decided to say nothing.
Eventually he looked up. Instead of glancing at the clock, he asked Janis
when she was going to see the doctor.
'Tomorrow - at eleven.'
'I thought so. Perhaps you will do something for me? - it will save me going
into town myself.'
'Yes; anything,' Janis responded eagerly, pleased that he should let her do
some little task for him.
'That is nice and obliging of you, Janis,' he said, with a faint smile.
'However, I only want you to take some papers to Hannings' office along
with a letter I shall give you. It is the reply which is important, so you must
wait for it.'
'Yes.'
'I'll leave them with Bebby as I shall be out very early in the morning. I want
to make a start on the hay tomorrow if possible.'
The week of heavy rain, and the heatwave which followed, had made cutting
possible a fortnight earlier than usual, and Janis had heard Perry express
anxiety about the weather's breaking, for he had not yet bought the modern
equipment and, therefore, the haymaking would take some considerable
time. Surprised that he should mention it - for he did not seem to care
whether she were interested in his work or not - she said impulsively,
'Can I help with the haymaking?'
'You?'
'Bebby says it's a race against the weather - that everyone helps, even
Mottram and Gregson.'
'Have you forgotten Dr. Grant's instructions?'
'My leg is much better now; he said so '
'But he hasn't given you a clean bill of health?'
Janis was puzzled by his eagerness, and his obvious disappointment when
she replied,
'It will be another month or two before he can do that. But he said I could
learn to ride, so it must have improved, mustn't it?'
Perry moved impatiently, increasing her puzzlement.
'Did you ask him if you could learn to ride?' he inquired curiously.
'Yes.'
'Why?' Janis hesitated, plucking nervously at her dress. Avril had told her
that she and Perry rode every morning in the winter, and Janis had thought it
would be a good idea if she learnt to ride, so that next winter - by which time
she and Perry would be better friends - she would be able to accompany
them. 'Well, Janis?'
'I thought it would be nice to go with you and Avril sometimes,' she said
lamely.
'But I'm too busy to ride.'
'I meant in the winter.'
'Janis,' he said softly after a pause, 'have you forgotten our arrangement?'
She looked up blankly.
'No - of course not....' What did he mean ? Was it his intention never to go
outside the door with her? She recollected that he had only been out with her
in the car, merely dropping her at the doctor's rooms and calling back later to
pick her up. The prospect of such an existence chilled her. Perry had said it
would be degrading to live in the same house with nothing between them,
but surely it would be more degrading to live together in the way he was now
suggesting.
'Are we never going to be friends?' she whispered desperately, and he stared
at her in amazement. When he spoke his eyes had resumed their familiar
hardness.
'I don't think friendship between us is either likely or necessary, and I'll be
obliged if you will strictly adhere to the terms of our agreement. You need
not bother to see Hannings for me; I'll get Avril to do it.' He waved an
imperious hand towards the door. .'Please leave me now - I have work to do.'
He picked up his papers again, and Janis, tears blinding her, stumbled from
the room.
Upstairs, she flung herself on the bed. If only she could understand him!
Surely he was not going to treat her like this all her life? And why did he
keep on referring to their agreement? It was up to him to decide when he
wanted. ... Suddenly she frowned, recalling the way in which he had phrased [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]