Unknown by Unknown Read Free Book Online

and think in London, or if there is, I’ve never discovered it.”
    “There are the parks,” Sarah told him. “But it isn’t the same. May I go into the orchard occasionally, or is it forbidden to the oast-house tenants?”
    “And refresh your spirit? Use it all you like, nobody else goes there.” He stood upright, pushing himself away from the gate with his hands. “We must be going,” he added. “I hope you settle in all right, Miss Blaney.”
    It had been Sarah a minute ago, she thought sadly, touched by the instant of sympathy between them that had revived the feeling of trembling excitement within her again, just as though he had never said that he found her plain.
    “Thank you, Mr. Chaddox.”
    He sketched her a quick salute and was gone, Neil by his side, already talking of some other matter. She could smile like the Cheshire Cat, she told herself, but she would never make any impression on him. And then she found herself wondering who Samantha was and what she was to Robert Chaddox. The ‘fantastic Samantha’, Neil had said, and she wished with all her heart that someone would find her fantastic, someone with the electric attraction of Robert Chaddox.
     
    Sunday came almost before Sarah was ready for it. In answer to the steadily tolling bell, she walked across the field, finding her way into the churchyard. The church itself was almost empty of worshippers, but the sound of the organ filled the Victorian-restored interior, delighting her with the familiar, measured tunes of the well-known hymns and psalms of Morning Prayer. When the service was over, she shook hands with the vicar, agreed that it was yet another lovely day, and then walked slowly home again. She had thought that Robert might have read the lessons, like the great landowners she had read about in books, but there had been no sign of either him or his brother in the church and she had not liked to ask after them.
    She had barely taken off her hat when she heard the scrunch of her stepmother’s car in the drive. With a whoop of joy, she rushed out to greet her parents, aware of a peculiar feeling of relief as she saw Madge at the wheel.
    “You’re earlier than I thought!” she told them, kissing her grey-faced father on the cheek. “This is a perfect place, Dad! Did you have a good journey?”
    “Terrible!” Madge replied for him. “I thought we’d never get here. I hadn’t realised it was quite so far out of London. Daniel says anything nearer is now considered to be commuter country, but there are limits! Nobody, but nobody, has ever heard of Chaddoxboume, or anything like it, even in Canterbury!”
    “Only because you asked for a converted oast-house, dear,” Daniel said fondly. “There are very likely more than one, you know.”
    “So you kept saying! Well, here we are! Put the kettle on, Sarah, for some tea, will you? I’m parched!” Sarah cast her father a swift look of concern, but although he looked terribly tired he smiled and winked at her. “That’s only the beginning,” he told her. “We finally asked the way of a young man who said he’s our landlord’s brother—”
    “Neil Chaddox?”
    “I wouldn’t know, my dear. Madge has asked them both, and somebody called Samantha, to have dinner with us tonight. I hope you have some food in.”
    Sarah jumped. “Not enough!” she sighed. “I’ll have to spin it out somehow, I suppose. At least there are piles of vegetables and fruit in the garden. Doesn’t that sound grand?” she added.
    “It does indeed.”
    He leaned heavily on her arm as they went into the house, wheezing painfully all the way. “So you like it here, do you?” he said, lowering himself into the nearest chair.
    “Yes, I do. It’s rather nice not to have to race everywhere all the time. Of course the sun can’t always shine, but it has so far, and everything in the garden, and the orchard too, is lovely !”
    “Good girl,” said her father, amused.
    But Sarah’s mind was on the