Sweet Sanctuary by Charlotte Lamb Read Free Book Online Page B

woman…"
    Jimmy gave Kate a grin of proffered conspiracy. "Dad knows very well that Mrs. Cooper would step in at a moment's notice—she's always made it quite clear that she's willing to cheer his later years, shed sunshine on his life's downward slope…"
    Old James threw a handful of straw at him and stamped away, shaking his head, muttering, "Impudence!"
    "I can't really stay for tea," Kate told Jimmy. "I didn't think you were serious. I have to walk back now. Mrs. Butler will wonder where I am."
    "We have a telephone—ring her."
    "No, I couldn't do that. I work for her. I'm not a guest in the house."
    "Surely you have some time off?"
    Kate looked blank. "I'd never thought of it. I have so little to do even when I am working that I hadn't thought of asking for time off."
    "Disgraceful! The union would have something to say about that! You must do something about it as soon as possible, then I can take you into Maiden to the pictures."
    "I haven't been to the cinema for ages," she exclaimed.
    "High time you did, then! Will you do that? Tell Aunt Elaine I want to date you." Kate blushed. "Well, thank you, but…"
    He groaned. "Oh, come on… don't be cruel! If you knew how empty my life would be, if you said no, you couldn't refuse!"
    Very pink, but smiling, she shook her head at him. "You don't expect me to believe that, of course?" He was an engaging young man, and she suspected, very popular with her own sex, for all his pretended loneliness. That carefree, cheerful manner would be quite attractive to most girls, even if Sylvia ignored him, and Kate felt sure that he had a string of girlfriends somewhere.
    "What do I have to do to prove my need? Cry? Stand on my head?" He did a graceful handstand and gazed at her, upside down, his feet waving way above her head. "There… are you convinced?"
    She walked away, laughing, despite her cynical disbelief in his plea. Jimmy righted himself and hurried after her.
    "I'll walk back with you," he announced, adding complacently, "That will give me time to persuade you to agree…"
    "I'm very flattered by the invitation," she said, "but don't you think I should wait until I've been at Sanctuary for a while before I start asking for time off? Another time, perhaps?"
    "You look so pliant, so sweet and feminine," he complained. "Why are you being hard and unyielding to me?"
    She saw Nicholas suddenly, coming slowly towards them through the green pasture, wearing biscuit-coloured slacks and a chocolate-coloured pullover.
    "Where the hell have you been?" he demanded tersely as he reached them. "Aunt Elaine has been worrying herself sick over you."
    "I'm sorry—" Kate began unhappily.
    "It was my fault," Jimmy broke in quickly, smiling at her. "I persuaded her to pay us a short visit."
    "She's old enough to say no," snapped Nicholas. "And old enough to know that she doesn't pay private visits during working hours. She was supposed to be walking the dogs, not flirting."
    "I was not flirting," Kate snapped, her colour and her temper flaring together. "I'm sorry if I walked too far, but I didn't realise how late it was getting."
    "Look here, Nick," Jimmy said, "I think you're being a bit unreasonable…"
    "Your opinion is irrelevant," Nick said coolly. "Goodbye, Jimmy." Putting a hand under Kate's elbow, he walked her away, fast, ignoring the boisterous attempts made by the dogs to attract his attention.
    "I thought you were a sensible girl," Nick said to her cuttingly. "Surely you can see that young Jimmy is a flirt? Have you no common sense, wandering off with him like that, without, letting anyone know where you were?"
    "Mrs. Butler told me to take the dogs for a long walk. She didn't say I should be back by any specified time."
    "Your own sense must have told you that you'd gone too far," he said angrily.
    Kate was silent because she was near to tears. For a while they walked in silence, then he glanced aide-long at her averted little face. His own face softened. "All right, I'm a male