Read Online 79 Park Avenue by Harold Robbins - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Harold Robbins
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voice. "Who is it?" Katti asked,
"Me, Peter," he answered.
A mumbled hurrying sound came from behind the closed door, then it opened. Marja stood there, looking up at him. Her eyes were wide. "Hello, Uncle Peter," she said.
He smiled down at her, his eyes searching the room for her mother. She was nowhere in sight. The kitchen table was covered with pins and pieces of white material. "Hello, Marja," he answered foolishly. "Is your mother in?"
Marja nodded. "She's putting on a dress." She stepped back from the door. "Come in, Uncle Peter.'*
He shuffled into the room clumsily and held the box of candy toward her. "I brought candy."
She took it gravely. "Thank you," she said, putting it on the kitchen table. "Mama says for me to take you into the parlor."
He took his hat off and stood there awkwardly. ^Tfou don't have to bother," he said formally. "I can stay in the kitchen."
She shook her head commandingly. "Mama says I should take you into the parlor."
Without looking back, she led him mto the long, narrow hallway that led to the front room. She was a white shadow dancing in front of him. He stumbled in the sudden dimness. He felt her hand touch his.
"Take my hand. Uncle Peter," she said quiedy. "I know the hall. You'll trip in the dark."
Her hand was warm in his big fist. She stopped suddenly and he stumbled into her. "I'm sorry," he said, aware of his clumsiness.
"It's okay," she said, taking her hand away. "I'll turn on the light."
He heard her walk away in the dark, then a click, and light flooded the room. She was standing in front of the lamp, and the light poured through her white dress. He stared at her. She seemed to have nothing underneath it.
She saw him looking, and a slight smile came to her Ups. "Like my new graduation dress. Uncle Peter?" she asked archly. "Mama just finished it before you came."
He nodded, his eyes still on the shadow of her. "Very pretty."
She didn't move away from the lamp. "I'm graduating this term, you know."
"I know," he answered. "Your father told me. He was very proud."
A shadow came into her eyes. For a moment he thought she was about to cry, but it vanished quickly. She came away from the lamp. "Next term I'll be going to high school," she said.
"So soon?" he asked in simulated surprise. "I still think of you as a baby."
She was standing m front of him now. She looked up at him. "I'm going on thirteen," she said, "I'm not a baby any more.'*
He didn't argue with her. He had seen that much.
"But Fm not too old to kiss you for the nice candy you brought us, Uncle Peter," she said, smiling.
He felt an embarrassed flush creep into his face. He shifted awkwardly, not speaking.
"Bend down, Uncle Peter," she said imperiously. "I can't reach you."
He bent forward, holding his cheek toward her. Her action took him by surprise. She put her arms around his neck and kissed him on the lips. It was not the kiss of a child, but the kiss of a woman who had been born for kissing. He felt her young body pressing against his jacket.
Clumsily he put out his hands to push her away, but accidentally they touched her breasts. He dropped his hands to his sides as if they had been in a flaming oven.
She stepped back and looked up at him, a smile in her eyes. 'Thanks for the candy. Uncle Peter."
"You're welcome," he answered.
"Sit down," she said, walking past him to the hallway. She paused in the entrance and looked back at him. "I'm not such a baby any more, am I, Uncle Peter?"
"No, you're not," he admitted.
She smiled at him proudly, then turned and ran down the hall. "Mama!" she called out. "Uncle Peter brought us a box of candy!"
He sank into a chair, remembering what her father had said to him a few days before the accident. "Another year, Peter," he had said, "and the boys will be after her like dogs after a bitch in heat."
He shook his head, his fingers still tingling where they had touched her, a strange excitement in him. Henry must have been blind. Surely the boys
"Me, Peter," he answered.
A mumbled hurrying sound came from behind the closed door, then it opened. Marja stood there, looking up at him. Her eyes were wide. "Hello, Uncle Peter," she said.
He smiled down at her, his eyes searching the room for her mother. She was nowhere in sight. The kitchen table was covered with pins and pieces of white material. "Hello, Marja," he answered foolishly. "Is your mother in?"
Marja nodded. "She's putting on a dress." She stepped back from the door. "Come in, Uncle Peter.'*
He shuffled into the room clumsily and held the box of candy toward her. "I brought candy."
She took it gravely. "Thank you," she said, putting it on the kitchen table. "Mama says for me to take you into the parlor."
He took his hat off and stood there awkwardly. ^Tfou don't have to bother," he said formally. "I can stay in the kitchen."
She shook her head commandingly. "Mama says I should take you into the parlor."
Without looking back, she led him mto the long, narrow hallway that led to the front room. She was a white shadow dancing in front of him. He stumbled in the sudden dimness. He felt her hand touch his.
"Take my hand. Uncle Peter," she said quiedy. "I know the hall. You'll trip in the dark."
Her hand was warm in his big fist. She stopped suddenly and he stumbled into her. "I'm sorry," he said, aware of his clumsiness.
"It's okay," she said, taking her hand away. "I'll turn on the light."
He heard her walk away in the dark, then a click, and light flooded the room. She was standing in front of the lamp, and the light poured through her white dress. He stared at her. She seemed to have nothing underneath it.
She saw him looking, and a slight smile came to her Ups. "Like my new graduation dress. Uncle Peter?" she asked archly. "Mama just finished it before you came."
He nodded, his eyes still on the shadow of her. "Very pretty."
She didn't move away from the lamp. "I'm graduating this term, you know."
"I know," he answered. "Your father told me. He was very proud."
A shadow came into her eyes. For a moment he thought she was about to cry, but it vanished quickly. She came away from the lamp. "Next term I'll be going to high school," she said.
"So soon?" he asked in simulated surprise. "I still think of you as a baby."
She was standing m front of him now. She looked up at him. "I'm going on thirteen," she said, "I'm not a baby any more.'*
He didn't argue with her. He had seen that much.
"But Fm not too old to kiss you for the nice candy you brought us, Uncle Peter," she said, smiling.
He felt an embarrassed flush creep into his face. He shifted awkwardly, not speaking.
"Bend down, Uncle Peter," she said imperiously. "I can't reach you."
He bent forward, holding his cheek toward her. Her action took him by surprise. She put her arms around his neck and kissed him on the lips. It was not the kiss of a child, but the kiss of a woman who had been born for kissing. He felt her young body pressing against his jacket.
Clumsily he put out his hands to push her away, but accidentally they touched her breasts. He dropped his hands to his sides as if they had been in a flaming oven.
She stepped back and looked up at him, a smile in her eyes. 'Thanks for the candy. Uncle Peter."
"You're welcome," he answered.
"Sit down," she said, walking past him to the hallway. She paused in the entrance and looked back at him. "I'm not such a baby any more, am I, Uncle Peter?"
"No, you're not," he admitted.
She smiled at him proudly, then turned and ran down the hall. "Mama!" she called out. "Uncle Peter brought us a box of candy!"
He sank into a chair, remembering what her father had said to him a few days before the accident. "Another year, Peter," he had said, "and the boys will be after her like dogs after a bitch in heat."
He shook his head, his fingers still tingling where they had touched her, a strange excitement in him. Henry must have been blind. Surely the boys
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