Fortune's Lead by Barbara Perkins Read Free Book Online Page A

back now, and very much in evidence. ‘You’re very suitable in every way. You’re attractive, graceful, and you know how to dress. You can listen when a man talks, and you’re good company. Besides, you’re a responsible young woman who doesn’t feel it’s necessary to be endlessly solemn about it. And you don’t like horses.’ He counted the points off on his fingers while I tried, vainly, to recognize myself in the picture he was painting. He said, ‘I think you’d be an extremely good influence on Esther. Somehow, by hook or by crook, I’ll make her learn to be feminine if it’s the last thing I do. But—’ he paused, looking at me conspiratorially, ‘we mustn’t, of course, let her know we’re doing it!’
    ‘I haven’t any qualifications as a secretary at all,’ I pointed out. ‘You’re being very kind, but—’
    ‘It’s more of a hostess than a secretary. And I think you’d do it admirably. I really can’t give parties without a hostess.’
    ‘But I don’t know anything about—’
    ‘You’re used to meeting people—and from what you’ve told me about your home, quite used to organizing things too.’ He seemed determined to override my objections. ‘If it’s the domestic arrangements you’re worried about, those will be taken care of.’ He waved the domestic arrangements away with one airy hand.
    ‘What I need is someone to be about the place and look after things. The feminine touch. It really is sadly lacking at the moment.’ He made a plaintive face at me. ‘Now really, Shah, you wouldn’t condemn me to a complete stranger, would you? I must have someone who can be part of the family. And think,’ he added, smiling at me, ‘of the dreary winter we’re both going to spend, if you go and take a job just like your last one, and I have to cope with Esther all by myself!’
    I drew a deep breath, my thoughts in confusion. Finally I said, ‘But I’m really not a—secretarial hostess. I’m a nurse.’
    ‘But you wouldn’t mind having a change for a while, would you? Try this for a few months. After that,’ he added, looking at me thoughtfully, ‘we’ll see.’
    That made my heart give an uneven lurch. It all seemed too much like fate—but I couldn’t imagine myself acting as Henry’s hostess. The nearest I’d ever got to anything similar was entertaining the Bishop for lunch because both my mother and Jill were in bed with ‘flu and I happened to be there. I said, helplessly, ‘I don’t think I’m the right type at all. I mean, thank you for suggesting it, but—you don’t really know anything about me!’
    ‘I know a great deal about you. Come, come, Shah.’ He studied me with amusement. ‘I’m quite a good judge of character, you know—better than my relations give me credit for! I could probably tell you more about you than you know yourself!’ His eyes, suddenly, were kind as well as humorous. ‘I know for example that you’ve been suppressing your natural self for years to fit in with the ideas of this stupid Robert—who must have very little taste! Besides, you’d be doing me a great favour if you’d come. Won’t you consider it?’
    ‘I really don’t know.’ It was a tempting offer, coming out of the blue like this, and Henry was far too nice anyway for me to be able to say a direct no. And it would, certainly, be different... perhaps too different for me to cope with. ‘I don’t really know if I could do that kind of job.’
    ‘Try. Go on, Shah, break out!’ He grinned at me very wickedly, and then became brisk. ‘Let’s talk about the practical details. You’d have to live in the house, of course—but I think you’d find it comfortable, and I’d want you to treat it as your home. Working hours would be irregular. I’d pay you ...’ he named a sum of what seemed astronomical proportions, without blinking an eyelid, ‘and of course you’d have your keep. And you’d need a car to drive—that we could provide—you do drive,