An Excellent Wife by Charlotte Lamb Read Free Book Online Page A

was going to see it whether he wanted to or not. These children took after their sister. They were steamrollers in human form. Just like her.

CHAPTER THREE
    WHEN he had seen and admired the children's puppy, all big eyes and muddy paws, rescued from the garden shed where the old man had locked it and where it was whining piteously, James was given a tour by Emmy, who appeared to have made him her property and was determined that he should see everything she considered of interest in the garden. The puppy skidded along with them, tail wagging excitedly.
    James gazed obediently at the golden trumpets of the daffodils, bluetits nesting in a home-made nestbox nailed onto the side of a fir tree, a sea of green shoots which would soon, Emmy assured him, become a sea of bluebells, and the' cedar tree into which young Toby climbed to stare down at the rest of them, his skinny legs in grubby jeans dangling over a branch while the puppy scampered through the long wild grass, barking in all the secret places between shrubs which Emmy said were the dens.
    'We have one each. This is mine,' she proudly informed him, squeezing through thick branches into the small space behind and peering out at him. 'I don't let anyone else in—but you can come in, Man.'
    'I can't, I'm too big,' James said, wishing he had had a den like that when he was small. The gardeners who had looked after his father's garden would never have stood for him having a den in their immaculately maintained grounds, however. He'd only been allowed in the garden when somebody was with him, in case he did some damage.
    'Don't be sad, Man,' Emmy said, emerging again and taking his hand, giving it a comforting pat. 'Never mind. Thomas will let you play in his den, won't you, Thomas?'
    By then James had identified the two Kirby boys; Thomas must be ten and Toby fourteen. He had not liked to ask about their parents; somehow he sensed that both were dead—they were certainly never mentioned. It was Patience the children talked about.

    'Sure, okay,' Thomas said, pushing aside some leaves to display his own den, which contained an old log on which were arranged a litter of leaves. 'See?
    I've got a table.' He thought. 'And it can be a chair, too, if you want it.'
    With the children gazing at him expectantly James felt he had to bend and squeeze himself through the shrubs into the small space.
    'You can sit down on the chair,' Thomas kindly offered, joining him.
    James sat, with difficulty, because his legs were too long, and Thomas let the branches swing back. At once they were plunged into green shadow made by the last of the light flickering down through the leaves. They could only dimly see the others, outside.
    'Great, isn't it?' Thomas prompted.
    'Magic,' James said, wishing his vocabulary with children was not so limited. He had had almost no experience with them since his own childhood. It must be very sad for Emmy, Thomas and Toby to have no parents; they were lucky that they had an older sister. His mouth twisted—come on, be honest! he told himself. These kids have a happier life than you ever did, don't they?
    His father had never been unkind to him, but he'd rarely been around anyway. Given the choice, James would have swapped places with the Kirby children any day; he could see that their lives were busy, cheerful and full of affection, thanks to their sister.
    'How old is Patience?' he asked Thomas.
    'Twenty-three next week. How old are you?'
    James grimaced. 'A lot older than that.'
    'Do you have any children?'
    'No.' He had never wanted any; suddenly he wondered if his life would have been richer, warmer, if he had had some.

    'Are you married?' Thomas had the curt curiosity of a detective; his questions came like bullets.
    'No.'
    'Got a girlfriend?'
    Warily James said, 'Maybe. Have you?'
    Thomas laughed. 'Maybe.'
    James liked him. They both jumped as, from somewhere in the house, a loud voice yelled.
    'Come in for supper, all of you, and bring Mr Ormond unless