The Chain of Destiny by Betty Neels Read Free Book Online Page B

can’t think of anything we would want to talk about, Professor.’
    She didn’t much like his smile. He said softly in a silky tone. ‘You may be mouselike despite that hair of yours, but your tongue, like a mouse’s tooth, is sharp.’ He opened the door. ‘Goodnight, Suzannah.’
    She mumbled goodnight as she whisked past him.
    He stood at the open door watching her disappear across the hall, and the look on his face made Lady Manbrook say, ‘Such a nice girl, Guy, so neat and tidy and hard-working.’
    He smiled at his aunt and wondered what Suzannah would say to that; no girl, however self-effacing, would consider that a compliment. He shrugged huge shoulders, impatient with himself for his unwilling interest. It had been easy enough to arrange this job for her with his aunts; he had done that, he reflected, out of pity and because he considered that she had been unfairly treated by Phoebe. He had no reason to feel interest in her future; he had made it possible for her to have a couple of months’ respite, and in that time she could decide what she wanted to do. She would have to earn her living. He strolled back to his chair and sat for another hour or so listening to his aunts’ gentle chatter.
    Suzannah bounced into her little flat, fed Horace, lit the fire and got her coat, all the while muttering andgrumbling to Horace, who ate his supper in a single-minded fashion and didn’t bother to answer.
    â€˜He’s a very rude man,’ declared Suzannah. ‘I think he dislikes me very much—it’s most unfortunate that we had to meet again.’ She tugged her coat-belt tight in a ruthless fashion, scooped up Horace and went outside. Horace, during the previous week, had indicated in a positive fashion just where he preferred to take his walk. She followed him across the yard, along the back drive and then circled the grounds of the house, which brought them to the front gates. There was never anything about at that time of the evening; Horace meandered along, stopping to savour a few blades of grass as he went. They were on the last leg of their walk, rounding the curve of the drive back to the courtyard, when the Bentley swooped silently round the corner, to brake sharply within a foot of Horace.
    The professor poked his handsome head out of the car window. He said testily, ‘For heaven’s sake—must you stroll around in the dusk without a light? I could have killed that cat.’
    However, Suzannah had Horace, shocked and indignant, clasped firmly against her. ‘This,’ she pointed out in a voice squeaky with fright and rage, ‘is a private drive. I wasn’t to know that you would come tearing round the corner at ninety miles an hour!’
    He laughed. ‘Thirty at the most. And I’m a good driver. But let it be a lesson to you in the future.’ He withdrew his head and drove on, leaving her very cross indeed.
    Safely in her room again, she looked at the clock. It was time for her to get ready for Sunday supper. She went into the tiny bathroom and began to clean her teeth. ‘I hope I never see the beastly man again,’ she told Horace through a mouthful of toothpaste.
    The second week slid away pleasantly enough; the old ladies seemed to have taken their nephew’s suggestions to heart, for she was narrowly questioned each day as to whether she had worked for longer hours than he had suggested, and when Saturday came she was told to take the day off.
    Something she was glad enough to do; the dance programmes had been dealt with and neatly catalogued and she was well into the newspaper cuttings; much harder work but even more interesting, although tiring too. Besides, she had two weeks’ pay in her pocket and the desire to spend some of it was very great. There wasn’t enough for a dress, but she was handy with her needle; material for a skirt and wool for a sweater would leave money over for her to