Read Online Always And Forever by Betty Neels - Free Book Online Page A

is only twice weekly, and there is nowhere in the village where I could work.’ She added fiercely, ‘I must be independent.’
    He took her arm and they walked on. ‘Of course. Now, I can’t promise anything, Amabel, but I know a lot of people and I might hear of something. Do you mind where you go?’
    â€˜No, as long as I can have Cyril and Oscar with me.’
    â€˜There is no question of your returning home?’
    â€˜None whatever. I’m being a nuisance to everyone, aren’t I?’
    He agreed silently to that, but he didn’t say so. She was determined to be independent, and for some reason which he didn’t understand he wanted to help her.
    He asked, ‘Have you some money? Enough to pay the rent and so on?’
    â€˜Yes, thank you. Mother let me have the money in the tea caddy, and there is still some left.’
    He decided it wasn’t worth while asking about the tea caddy. ‘Good. Now we are going to the village; I noticed a pub as we came through it—the Royal Dog and Duck. If it is open they might give us tea.’
    They had a splendid meal in the snug behind the bar: a great pot of tea, scones and butter, cream and jam, great wedges of fruitcake and, in case that wasn’t enough, a dish of buttered toast. Tiger and Cyril, sitting under the table, provided with water and any tidbits which came their way, were tired after their walk, and dozed quietly.
    He drove back presently through the dusk of late autumn, taking side roads through charming villages— Burton Agnes, with its haunted manor and Norman church, through Lund, with its once-upon-a-time cockpit, on to Bishop Burton, with its village pond and little black and white cottages, and finally along country roads to Bolton Percy.
    The doctor stayed only as long as good manners dictated, although he asked if he might call to wish them goodbye the following morning.
    â€˜Come for coffee?’ invited Miss Parsons.
    The stiff breeze from yesterday had turned into a gale in the morning, and he made that his excuse for not staying long over his coffee. When Amabel had opened the door to him he had handed her a list of agencies in York, and now he wanted to be gone; he had done what he could for her. She had a home, this aunt who was obviously fond of her, and she was young and healthy and sensible, even if she had no looks to speak of. He had no further reason to be concerned about her.
    All the same, driving down the M1, he was finding it difficult to forget her. She had bidden him goodbye in a quiet voice, her small hand in his, wished him a safe journey and thanked him. ‘It’s been very nice knowing you,’ she had told him.
    It had been nice knowing her, he conceded, and it was a pity that their paths were unlikely to cross in the future.
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    That evening Amabel broached the subject of her future to her aunt. She was careful not to mention Aunt Thisbe’s holiday in Italy, pointing out with enthusiasm her great wish to become independent.
    â€˜I’ll never be grateful enough to you,’ she assured her aunt, ‘for giving me a home—and I love being here with you. But I must get started somewhere, mustn’t I? I know I shall like York, and there must be any number of jobs for someone like me— I mean, unskilled labour. And I won’t stop at that. You do understand, don’t you, Aunt?’
    â€˜Yes, of course I do, child. You must go to York and seewhat there is there for you. Only you must promise me that if you fall on hard times you will come here.’ She hesitated, then, ‘And if I am not here, go to Josh and Mrs Josh.’
    â€˜I promise, Aunt Thisbe. There’s a bus to York tomorrow morning, isn’t there? Shall I go and have a look round—spy out the land…?’
    â€˜Josh has to take the car in tomorrow morning; you shall go with him. The bus leaves York in the afternoon around four o’clock, but if you