Read Online 1944 - Just the Way It Is by James Hadley Chase - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: James Hadley Chase
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remembering all these little points and knowing the strength of Harry Duke, his heart sank suddenly.
When he came to think of it, he could see Clare with Harry. They’d look right. They were both determined, both good at their jobs, both ambitious.
He said, ‘You liked Harry, didn’t you?’
‘I don’t know,’ she said guardedly. ‘I hardly spoke to him.’
‘Are you glad you met him?’
‘Well, he is a little unusual, isn’t he? But, I suppose he knows lots of girls.’
Peter took out his cigarette case and lit a cigarette miserably. ‘He doesn’t have a regular,’ he said, trying to be casual. ‘Girls fall for him all right. Sometimes he takes them up, sometimes he doesn’t. But if he does, he drops them again after a while. I’m sorry for the girl who falls for Harry.’
There was a long silence, then Clare patted his hand, ‘You think I might be one of those girls, don’t you, Peter?’
‘Why, of course not,’ Peter said, feeling blood mounting to his face. ‘What on earth do you mean?’
She laughed quietly. ‘Oh, I know you better than you know yourself,’ she returned. ‘But, you don’t have to worry. Harry Duke wouldn’t do for me and I wouldn’t do for Harry Duke. You see, Peter, I’ve lived too long among men like that. Newspapermen, gamblers and businessmen. I’m so sick of their hardness. I’m so tired of their eternal quest for money, their willingness to sacrifice everything to get what they want. One time, I could have fallen for Harry Duke, but not now. I’m like Fairview. All I want is to be left alone to stagnate in the little happiness that’s left to me.’
Peter pulled her closer to him. ‘But you don’t know Harry,’ he said. ‘He’s not like that. He’d be swell to you as he’s been swell to me. Oh, I know he’s tough and hard and wild, but not when he’s fond of someone. He’s not like that then.’
‘Are you afraid he’d take me away?’ Clare looked up at him and smiled, but her eyes were worried.
‘I don’t know, but I’ll find out,’ Peter said. ‘I’ll know if he’s interested in you or not.’
She gave a little shiver. ‘Let’s go home now, Peter. Will you forgive me for spoiling your evening?’
‘You haven’t.’ He started the engine. ‘You’ve made me happy. Haven’t you told me that you love me?’
‘You do believe me, don’t you?’
‘Of course I do. I’m beginning to think you’re a bit of a problem for all that.’
‘Do you mind?’
‘No, I suppose not. Life would be very dull if I could get everything I wanted. But I want you, darling, when you feel less low, I’m going to begin a siege. Now I know how you feel about me, I’m going to pester you until you do marry me.’
When they reached Clare’s little bungalow, Peter switched off the engine and looked down at her. ‘Well, here we are. What shall I do - walk home or bring the car over tomorrow night?’
‘You’d better come in, Peter.’ There was something in her voice that suddenly stirred his blood.
‘It’s late,’ he said. ‘I’ve got a full day tomorrow. I’ll get back, I think.’
‘I mean you needn’t go back tonight,’ she said, in a small voice.
He put his hand on hers. ‘You don’t really mean that, do you?’ he said, feeling his heart beating unevenly.
‘Of course,’ she slid her arms round him, ‘I can’t give you much, Peter, and you’ve been so patient.’
Just for a brief second, it had sounded so marvellous, then when she said about being patient it all dissolved into ashes.
He shook his head. ‘No, Clare,’ he said, ‘go in and get yourself some sleep. You’re a darling and I love you, but I’m waiting.’
She slid quickly out of the car. ‘Good night, Peter,’ she said. ‘I didn’t want to make things difficult. You’re right, of course. I think you’re always right, my dear.’
She ran up. the little path and disappeared into the shadow of the house. He heard her open the door and then close
When he came to think of it, he could see Clare with Harry. They’d look right. They were both determined, both good at their jobs, both ambitious.
He said, ‘You liked Harry, didn’t you?’
‘I don’t know,’ she said guardedly. ‘I hardly spoke to him.’
‘Are you glad you met him?’
‘Well, he is a little unusual, isn’t he? But, I suppose he knows lots of girls.’
Peter took out his cigarette case and lit a cigarette miserably. ‘He doesn’t have a regular,’ he said, trying to be casual. ‘Girls fall for him all right. Sometimes he takes them up, sometimes he doesn’t. But if he does, he drops them again after a while. I’m sorry for the girl who falls for Harry.’
There was a long silence, then Clare patted his hand, ‘You think I might be one of those girls, don’t you, Peter?’
‘Why, of course not,’ Peter said, feeling blood mounting to his face. ‘What on earth do you mean?’
She laughed quietly. ‘Oh, I know you better than you know yourself,’ she returned. ‘But, you don’t have to worry. Harry Duke wouldn’t do for me and I wouldn’t do for Harry Duke. You see, Peter, I’ve lived too long among men like that. Newspapermen, gamblers and businessmen. I’m so sick of their hardness. I’m so tired of their eternal quest for money, their willingness to sacrifice everything to get what they want. One time, I could have fallen for Harry Duke, but not now. I’m like Fairview. All I want is to be left alone to stagnate in the little happiness that’s left to me.’
Peter pulled her closer to him. ‘But you don’t know Harry,’ he said. ‘He’s not like that. He’d be swell to you as he’s been swell to me. Oh, I know he’s tough and hard and wild, but not when he’s fond of someone. He’s not like that then.’
‘Are you afraid he’d take me away?’ Clare looked up at him and smiled, but her eyes were worried.
‘I don’t know, but I’ll find out,’ Peter said. ‘I’ll know if he’s interested in you or not.’
She gave a little shiver. ‘Let’s go home now, Peter. Will you forgive me for spoiling your evening?’
‘You haven’t.’ He started the engine. ‘You’ve made me happy. Haven’t you told me that you love me?’
‘You do believe me, don’t you?’
‘Of course I do. I’m beginning to think you’re a bit of a problem for all that.’
‘Do you mind?’
‘No, I suppose not. Life would be very dull if I could get everything I wanted. But I want you, darling, when you feel less low, I’m going to begin a siege. Now I know how you feel about me, I’m going to pester you until you do marry me.’
When they reached Clare’s little bungalow, Peter switched off the engine and looked down at her. ‘Well, here we are. What shall I do - walk home or bring the car over tomorrow night?’
‘You’d better come in, Peter.’ There was something in her voice that suddenly stirred his blood.
‘It’s late,’ he said. ‘I’ve got a full day tomorrow. I’ll get back, I think.’
‘I mean you needn’t go back tonight,’ she said, in a small voice.
He put his hand on hers. ‘You don’t really mean that, do you?’ he said, feeling his heart beating unevenly.
‘Of course,’ she slid her arms round him, ‘I can’t give you much, Peter, and you’ve been so patient.’
Just for a brief second, it had sounded so marvellous, then when she said about being patient it all dissolved into ashes.
He shook his head. ‘No, Clare,’ he said, ‘go in and get yourself some sleep. You’re a darling and I love you, but I’m waiting.’
She slid quickly out of the car. ‘Good night, Peter,’ she said. ‘I didn’t want to make things difficult. You’re right, of course. I think you’re always right, my dear.’
She ran up. the little path and disappeared into the shadow of the house. He heard her open the door and then close
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