The girl in the blue dress by Mary Burchell Read Free Book Online Page A

should she feel
otherwise? She was unaware how completely Toni had set Beverley on the right
track.
    The question now, thought Beverley, was, what did
she intend to do next? Should she assume that she had found out all it was
necessary for her to know, and just go home? She could always say to her mother
that there had been no answer to her knock when she had called at Geoffrey's
cottage. Or should she go and see Geoffrey, after all?
    Although one part of her shrank from any interview
with him, now that this unacknowledged barrier cut across their once happy
relationship, a painful, restless curiosity also urged her to go. She must know
how he looked when she told him of her unexpected connection with the Waynes.
She must see for herself if there were anything in his manner which could
possibly be a clue to his attitude towards Sara.
    After all, she might think she knew about Sara's feelings. But how was she even to guess at
Geoffrey's u 4uuu ntil she had seen his reactions to the mention of Sara's
name?
    With a curious mixture .of distaste
and eagerness, she retraced her steps to the cottage, and went round, once more
by the garden path to the studio. When
she knocked, his absorbed voice bade her, "Come"
in " And, suppressing a tremor of unfamiliar nervousness, she entered, trying
to look exactly as she would have looked if she knew nothing at all of this new complication, and had merely come down to
the studio to give him her own exciting news.
    "Hello" He glanced up from his easel, and save her the faintly absent smile with which
he often greeted her when he was busy. "I thought you might look in
this evening."
    "Did you?" She drew near and looked at
the beautiful flower study which appeared to absorb his attention. "Isn't
it getting a bit dark for working?"
    "Yes. The best of the
light is fading. But I'm not putting more than a touch to this."
    She had the odd impression
that he had not been doing anything to it at all until her knock sounded.
    "What's the news? Any answers from the advertisement yet?"
    "Yes." She forced a
bright, pleased smile to her lips. "I had a very interesting reply this
morning, and went for an interview this afternoon. It's all arranged. If I give
satisfaction, I think I'll have a lot of nice work, for two or three months to come."
    "You don't say!" He smiled at her with
real interest. "All for one client?"
    "Yes. At least, all for one family."
    "Well, that's fine. Who are they?"
    "The Waynes. Of Huntingford Grange."
    She was aware that the hand which held his brush remained
suspended for a second. Then he said, "How odd! I know them quite well. I
painted a portrait of the eldest girl early
this year. You must have seen it. Oh, no, it was just before you came back
from London, I guess."
    "Yes, it must have been." Her calmness
matched. his, she thought, and he could have no idea how dreadfully her heart
was sinking. "I heard about the portrait."
    "From whom?" He gave her a quick glance, and
she saw that his attractive dark eyes, which she had always thought before were
so open and candid were slightly narrowed."
    "Oddly enough, from her fiancé, Franklin
Lowell. He gave me a lift back home in his car, and he mentioned your
work."
    "Did he?" said Geoffrey flatly.
    "Yes. And he told me that it was he who bought
that first picture of yours, Geoffrey. The portrait of me in the blue and white
frock."
    "Yes. That's right." He sounded
depressingly with out interest in that.
    "You never told me."
    "No? I don't know that there was any reason
why I should. He was only a name. And not a
name that I specially wanted to talk about."
    "Why not? Don't you like him?"
    "No, " said Geoffrey without elaboration.
    She must have looked rather grave, possibly even a
little disapproving, for after a moment he said with a smile, "Why? Should
I?"
    "N-no. There's no reason why you should, of course.
Except that he appreciates your work. And, I thought he was quite a nice fellow
myself."
    The moment she had used the words she