[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
the room; Donna heard his sigh.
Tentatively she said, 'You know, Gavin's studying the history of
glass-making, Father? He's become really interested in it. I'd no idea how
far back the process went. Gavin says Roman glass is a beautiful bluey
colour, cloudy, because the process was so erratic. Too many
imperfections, he says.'
James Cowley stared at her in surprise. 'He always did have a romantic
streak; impractical, I'm afraid.' He sighed again.
Brodie joined them and she watched her father's eyes brighten a little. 'Good
of you to come, Brodie. How's the order book?'
'No business,' Donna ordered flatly.
Her father frowned as petulantly as a sick child. 'I just want to know what ..
.'
'No business,' Brodie agreed, smiling teasingly. 'You heard her. You don't
want to get me in trouble with her, do you? She may not scare you, but she
scares me!'
Donna bristled at the mockery but hid that from her father, who was
chuckling delightedly.
"Start as you mean to go on, lad,' he said in his tired voice. 'Don't let a
woman rule the roost.'
Donna pretended to laugh, but her hackles rose, especially when Brodie
gave her another sidelong glance, his blue eyes gleaming with amusement,
not at what her father had said, but at what he knew full well must be her
reaction to it.
'Oh, I'll keep her under control,' said Brodie, winking.
This little masculine fun had one good effect it put a trace of colour back
into her father's face and he was really smiling now. Donna swallowed back
the irritation she was tempted to express.
It wasn't until she and Brodie had left the room and began walking down the
corridor that she turned on him, flushed and indignant.
'Don't do that again!' she snapped.
'What?' He opened blue eyes at her, innocent as a baby's.
'Don't give me that sweet stare you know very well what I mean! All that
stuff about keeping me in my place. I didn't say anything because I didn't
want to upset my father and you knew I'd have to grin and bear it, that's why
you did it.' She was angry enough to get confused, her words tripping over
each other.
A student nurse came towards them, very young and pretty in her rustling
uniform. She stared at Brodie, listening to them, as she passed, and he gave
her a wink, as he had James Cowley.
'No need to get so grim about it. Your father thinks a woman's place is in the
home. I was humouring him.'
'You don't think a woman's place is in the home?' she threw at him
disbelievingly, suddenly realising that the nurse was listening and irritated
about that too.
'Me? No, I think a woman's place is in a man's bed, 'said Brodie, grinning.
The nurse gave a little giggle and pattered away.
'Typical!' muttered Donna, even more furious now. He was playing to the
gallery again and she was sick of being his straight man. If he wanted
someone to bounce jokes off he could find himself another victim.
They came out of the main doors and turned towards the hospital car park
where Brodie had left his car. Gavin was sitting in it; he had fled the
hospital ambience as soon as he left his father's room, obviously. He was
sitting in the back of the car, his head back against the cushions, his eyes
closed. Donna looked at him anxiously had he been very hurt by his
father's obvious preference for Brodie's company? Gavin opened his eyes
and looked at her blankly.
'I think I'll go up to town and see a film tonight,' he said in a casual, offhand
way. 'I feel like some bright lights.'
Donna got into the car, her face concerned. 'I'll come with you,' she offered.
'We'd better not both go in case there's an emergency call from the hospital,'
said Gavin.
Brodie drove back to the house without commenting, but as he parked
outside on the drive he looked over his shoulder at Gavin. 'Skip it for
tonight, Gavin go tomorrow. You're still tired and out of sorts. You'll feel
better in the morning.'
That was a red rag to a bull. Gavin wasn't taking any advice from Brodie
tonight.
'Damn you, mind your own business!' he snarled, and banged out of the car.
Donna hurriedly got out too, but he was already opening the door of his
little sports car. By the time she could get over to him his engine was racing
and he was moving away at a speed which made her jump out of his way
with a startled cry.
'Oh, damn,' she muttered, on the point of tears, staring after him. Brodie
loomed up beside her, frowning, and she looked at him angrily, her face pale
and stiff.
'He's going to one of those clubs he'll gamble again. Why didn't you try to
stop him?'
'We'll try,' Brodie said in cool tones. 'Come on run in and change into
something pretty and we'll do a tour of his usual haunts. We'll find him at
one of them, but they won't be open until around nine. Gavin will probably
catch a film first, have a meal, then start gambling. We'll have plenty of time
to get on his trail, so stop looking so desperate. It might not be a bad thing
for you to see what exactly he's hooked on.'
She stared at him, biting her lip. 'How do you know where he may be?'
'I've had to pay some of his debts,' Brodie said drily, and she flinched.
'When Gavin doesn't pay they get in touch with his father I take the calls
and keep it from the old man's ears.' [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
zanotowane.pl doc.pisz.pl pdf.pisz.pl fopke.keep.pl
the room; Donna heard his sigh.
Tentatively she said, 'You know, Gavin's studying the history of
glass-making, Father? He's become really interested in it. I'd no idea how
far back the process went. Gavin says Roman glass is a beautiful bluey
colour, cloudy, because the process was so erratic. Too many
imperfections, he says.'
James Cowley stared at her in surprise. 'He always did have a romantic
streak; impractical, I'm afraid.' He sighed again.
Brodie joined them and she watched her father's eyes brighten a little. 'Good
of you to come, Brodie. How's the order book?'
'No business,' Donna ordered flatly.
Her father frowned as petulantly as a sick child. 'I just want to know what ..
.'
'No business,' Brodie agreed, smiling teasingly. 'You heard her. You don't
want to get me in trouble with her, do you? She may not scare you, but she
scares me!'
Donna bristled at the mockery but hid that from her father, who was
chuckling delightedly.
"Start as you mean to go on, lad,' he said in his tired voice. 'Don't let a
woman rule the roost.'
Donna pretended to laugh, but her hackles rose, especially when Brodie
gave her another sidelong glance, his blue eyes gleaming with amusement,
not at what her father had said, but at what he knew full well must be her
reaction to it.
'Oh, I'll keep her under control,' said Brodie, winking.
This little masculine fun had one good effect it put a trace of colour back
into her father's face and he was really smiling now. Donna swallowed back
the irritation she was tempted to express.
It wasn't until she and Brodie had left the room and began walking down the
corridor that she turned on him, flushed and indignant.
'Don't do that again!' she snapped.
'What?' He opened blue eyes at her, innocent as a baby's.
'Don't give me that sweet stare you know very well what I mean! All that
stuff about keeping me in my place. I didn't say anything because I didn't
want to upset my father and you knew I'd have to grin and bear it, that's why
you did it.' She was angry enough to get confused, her words tripping over
each other.
A student nurse came towards them, very young and pretty in her rustling
uniform. She stared at Brodie, listening to them, as she passed, and he gave
her a wink, as he had James Cowley.
'No need to get so grim about it. Your father thinks a woman's place is in the
home. I was humouring him.'
'You don't think a woman's place is in the home?' she threw at him
disbelievingly, suddenly realising that the nurse was listening and irritated
about that too.
'Me? No, I think a woman's place is in a man's bed, 'said Brodie, grinning.
The nurse gave a little giggle and pattered away.
'Typical!' muttered Donna, even more furious now. He was playing to the
gallery again and she was sick of being his straight man. If he wanted
someone to bounce jokes off he could find himself another victim.
They came out of the main doors and turned towards the hospital car park
where Brodie had left his car. Gavin was sitting in it; he had fled the
hospital ambience as soon as he left his father's room, obviously. He was
sitting in the back of the car, his head back against the cushions, his eyes
closed. Donna looked at him anxiously had he been very hurt by his
father's obvious preference for Brodie's company? Gavin opened his eyes
and looked at her blankly.
'I think I'll go up to town and see a film tonight,' he said in a casual, offhand
way. 'I feel like some bright lights.'
Donna got into the car, her face concerned. 'I'll come with you,' she offered.
'We'd better not both go in case there's an emergency call from the hospital,'
said Gavin.
Brodie drove back to the house without commenting, but as he parked
outside on the drive he looked over his shoulder at Gavin. 'Skip it for
tonight, Gavin go tomorrow. You're still tired and out of sorts. You'll feel
better in the morning.'
That was a red rag to a bull. Gavin wasn't taking any advice from Brodie
tonight.
'Damn you, mind your own business!' he snarled, and banged out of the car.
Donna hurriedly got out too, but he was already opening the door of his
little sports car. By the time she could get over to him his engine was racing
and he was moving away at a speed which made her jump out of his way
with a startled cry.
'Oh, damn,' she muttered, on the point of tears, staring after him. Brodie
loomed up beside her, frowning, and she looked at him angrily, her face pale
and stiff.
'He's going to one of those clubs he'll gamble again. Why didn't you try to
stop him?'
'We'll try,' Brodie said in cool tones. 'Come on run in and change into
something pretty and we'll do a tour of his usual haunts. We'll find him at
one of them, but they won't be open until around nine. Gavin will probably
catch a film first, have a meal, then start gambling. We'll have plenty of time
to get on his trail, so stop looking so desperate. It might not be a bad thing
for you to see what exactly he's hooked on.'
She stared at him, biting her lip. 'How do you know where he may be?'
'I've had to pay some of his debts,' Brodie said drily, and she flinched.
'When Gavin doesn't pay they get in touch with his father I take the calls
and keep it from the old man's ears.' [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]