THE BONDAGE OF LOVE by Yelena Kopylova Read Free Book Online Page A

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    their spinsterhood, and how they could get rid of it if they would only give him a chance. "
    "Here!" She pushed a jacket at him.
    "Get that smarmy look off your face. I'm not holding this in front of you for you to examine the lining. Get it on."
    "But... but why?"
    "For the simple reason, if you're wearing that and it's buttoned up to your neck and you've got a foil in your hand, it helps you to bend your knees, and to know where your heel should go."
    As he looked at her he had the strangest feeling. It was something akin to that which he felt for Sammy. In this moment he also felt he couldn't get home quickly enough to tell both his mam and dad about her, and the things she said. In a way she could almost match Mr. Love.
    Yet, it was strange: when he got home he didn't mention their one-sided conversation; in fact, he had little to say about Daisy Gallagher for almost a year after attending this first fencing class in the Sports Centre.
    It was Katie who did the talking when they got home. She had seen a
    demonstration of karate and another of judo. They were different, but both were for self-defence. She was going to take up judo first, because this would teach her how to throw. Karate was supposed to be the gentler type of defence, but this required one to have very strong arms. And yet, no, she had said, as if it were she herself who had been delivering the lecture, it really depended on
    the swiftness and the movements of the body. You bent backwards and you brought the assailant with you. And here she had actually described what she had seen, with Sammy being a willing model on this occasion. And she had finished, "Everybody was so nice," only for Sammy to put in, "Oh! Oh! Oh!
    What about Daisy?"
    "Oh ... yes, Daisy. I must tell you more about Daisy sometime, Mam.
    She's a scream. You know whom she put me in mind of? " She now turned to Sammy.
    "Your father. When she opens her mouth, somehow you've got to laugh; more so when she's angry."
    "Yes, and you put your foot in it. In fact, your two feet, by laughing in the wrong places. And' -Sammy had turned to Bill 'she called her po-face and promised to wipe the grin off her face." And Bill, looking at Katie, said, "The girl said that to you?"
    "Yes. Yes, she did." Katie was laughing back at him.
    "And you didn't do anything?"
    "No. I know when to shut up."
    As Bill looked at her, he thought, I wish, my dear, you had learned that earlier, for then Rupert would still be a visitor to the house.
    Since he had gone and Davey had died it seemed that they had lost half their family. And Fiona was feeling that, too, he knew. Something was worrying her; he couldn't get to the bottom of it. It had nothing to do with the child. Oh, no. She loved Angela as much as he did now, and was even more protective of her. But
    there was something; at times she acted as if she was lonely. But that was ridiculous; she had six of them to look after, besides himself. Of course, she did it with the help of Nell, who was also her close friend. And she was on excellent terms with her mother now. So what could be troubling her? Oh, well, perhaps he should take her out more;
    he would if he could spare the time. Well, he would just have to spare the time, and the Hunt Ball would be the beginning of it. As the saying went,
    "There's no good in keeping a dog and barking yourself."
    And he had all those dogs on the works, and two good managers, and all his own tribe were foremen. So, yes, he would give himself more leisure in the future, and that would likely straighten everything out.
    The Hunt Ball was a great success. They were welcomed personally in the hall by George Ferndale and his wife Elsa.
    George Ferndale was a keen horseman. He was also a barrister and a member of the board of the Sir Charles Kingdom trust.
    Bill had found him a likeable enough man. He was built big and had a brusque manner to match his frame. He was what Bill called a no-nonsense fella. His wife, of course, was the