Imogen by Jilly Cooper Read Free Book Online Page B

the whole lot,’ she said firmly.
    ‘That’s what’s wrong with this country,’ snapped the woman, straightening her trilby and storming through the doors. ‘Bloody civil servant,’ she shouted back at Imogen.
    ‘I must not cry,’ said Imogen, gritting her teeth. ‘I must not drip like a Chinese water torture.’
    ‘I say,’ said Gloria, rushing up and patting her hair, ‘that Richard Strauss man in the velvet jacket’s just phoned up from a call box and asked me out. Goodness, what’s up with you?’
    ‘A woman with a boxer just called me a bloody civil servant.’
    ‘Old cow, she’s not allowed to swear in a library, it’s in the by-laws too, and anyway we’re not civil servants, we’re local government officers.’ She switched back to the Richard Strauss man. ‘He didn’t even know my name, just asked for the “glamorous one”,’ she said, squinting at her reflection in the glass door. ‘Didn’t think I was looking very good today either.’
    Imogen went wearily back to her overdue postcards, laboriously filling in the computer number of each book.
    ‘I say,’ breathed Gloria, ‘get a load of him.’
    ‘Don’t bother me,’ said Imogen. ‘I’ve got to finish these beastly things. Anyway I’m not interested in men any more.’
    ‘You’ll be interested in this,’ said Gloria faintly.
    ‘No I won’t ever again. My life is over,’ said Imogen. Then a familiar husky voice said very softly:
    ‘Have you got a book called “Would the Assistant Like to Come out to Lunch”? ’
    Imogen looked up and gave an unbelieving cry. For there, resplendent in a white suit and dark blue shirt, was Nicky. She gave a whimper and a gasp and, getting clumsily to her feet, ran round her desk and crashed into him, burying her face in his shoulder.
    ‘I can’t believe it,’ she said, her voice thick with tears.
    ‘Hey, hey,’ said Nicky, lifting her chin with his finger, and smiling down at her. ‘There’s no need to cry, little one. I said I’d come back, didn’t I?’
    ‘I didn’t think I’d ever see you again.’
    ‘Didn’t you get my postcard?’
    ‘Yes, I did. It was lovely.’
    Nicky shook his head. ‘Oh ye of little faith,’ he said gently and, well aware that there was now a gaping audience, including Miss Nugent, watching him, he bent his head and kissed her lingeringly.
    ‘But what are you doing here?’ said Imogen, wiping away her tears with the back of her hand, ‘I thought you were in Edinburgh.’
    ‘Got a walkover. Chap I’m playing pulled a muscle. Wants to rest it for Wimbledon. I don’t have to play till tomorrow afternoon. Can I have a bed for the night, preferably yours?’
    Imogen laughed joyfully, ‘Of course you can. I’ll ring Mummy. The only problem is the boys have been home for half term, so the place’ll be in a bit of a shambles.’
    Nicky was stroking her face now, tenderly smoothing away a smudge of mascara with his thumb. ‘Can you get out for some lunch now?’ he said softly.
    Imogen eyed a disapproving and approaching Miss Nugent.
    ‘Not really. I’ve already eaten and I’m on till eight. Oh, isn’t it a drag?’
    ‘Well, that works out quite well,’ said Nicky. ‘I’ll go and have a work-out down at the club, and then I’ve got to do a short interview for Yorkshire Television. This afternoon seemed a good opportunity. I’ll be through by eight. I’ll come and pick you up and we’ll go and have dinner somewhere.’
    ‘But I’m not dressed for it,’ wailed Imogen, conscious of her old grey sweater and jeans.
    ‘You look beautiful,’ said Nicky who only noticed how her grey eyes shone at the sight of him and how the stitches of the old sweater gaped over her bosom and how, with no make-up on, she looked about fourteen. ‘You could never look anything else.’
    There was a disapproving cough behind them. Nicky turned a dazzling smile on Miss Nugent.
    ‘You must be Imogen’s boss,’ he said. ‘I’ve heard so much about