The Widow and the Wastrel by Janet Dailey Read Free Book Online Page B

she assured him.
    "That's all of them," the young male clerk inserted courteously as he closed the rear door of her car. "Mr. Shaw wanted me to be sure to remind you that if any of the clothes didn't fit properly you were to bring them back."
    "Thank you," Elizabeth nodded.
    There was a puzzled light in Allan Marsden's eyes as he watched the clerk re-entering Shaw’s Men's Shop. When his gaze swung curiously to Elizabeth, she very nearly didn't explain. But she liked Allan. She had accepted three dates with him, the last being nearly two weeks ago. He had been a pleasant, undemanding companion, although what she had told Jed was true, she didn't feel the need for a man's constant attention or companionship. With all those parcels in the back seat of the car bearing Shaw's name, it would be unfair to let Allan speculate why she should be buying men's clothes, especially considering that the news would be all overtown within an hour that Jed was back.
    "That was one of my more formidable tasks," Elizabeth smiled, gesturing with her hand toward the rear of the car. "My brother-in-law has just returned after a lengthy absence. His clothes haven't caught up with him yet, so I was appointed to buy him a few things."
    "Your brother-in-law?" His sandy brow lifted in surprise. "Forgive me, I always assumed your late husband was an only child."
    "Jed is the younger brother, but he's been out of the country for several years."
    "Then you and Mrs. Carrel must be enjoying the reunion," he smiled.
    "Yes," she agreed, knowing it was impossible to discuss the uneasy hostility that was tainting her life.
    "I intended to call you tonight." Allan stepped down from the curb, bringing himself closer to her. "I put-chased two tickets to your charity dinner and I was hoping that you would give me the privilege of being your escort."
    There was no reason for her not to accept, but Elizabeth found herself refusing. "I'm sorry, Allan, but I do have to be there early to supervise the arrangements. As one of the committee chairmen, I’ll have other duties throughout the evening that I'll have to see to. Perhaps it would be best if we simply planned to see each other there," she suggested.
    She sensed his objection to her alternate proposal, but he didn't express it or allow any disappointment to show. If he was interested in her and she was fairly certain of that, he seemed to have no intentions of rushing her. Perhaps it was because he didn't want to risk offending a Carrel and take the chance of having a black mark placed on his record by the family's influence in the community. That was a bitterly distasteful thought.
    "The weatherman promises that Sunday is supposed to be a beautiful day. How about you and me and Amy going for a picnic? Say around two?" Allan countered.
    Hesitating for a second, Elizabeth was unwilling to refuse a second invitation from him even though she was just as reluctant to accept it.
    "Would you call me this evening, Allan?" she stalled. "I'm not certain what plans Rebecca—my mother-in-law—might have made, with Jed back and all."
    "Of course I'll phone," he smiled, "and keep my fingers crossed."
    "I'll wait for your call," Elizabeth promised, reaching for the handle of the driver's door. "I really must get back now."
    "Yes, I'm due at the office, too. I'll talk to you this evening, Elizabeth."
    He was still standing on the sidewalk as she backed out of the parking place. She waved to him self-consciously, wishing she had refused the second invitation outright and wondering why she didn't want to go.
    The Carrel home was two miles outside town, established many years ago by one of the ancestors who had combined his career as a judge with that of a gentleman farmer. In later years, the slight isolation from the rest of the community added to the image that they were apart from others like feudal lords of old.
    Elizabeth didn't drive the car into the garage, but parked it next to the sidewalk to make it easier to unload