Read Online I'll Never Marry! by Juliet Armstrong - Free Book Online Page A

have a dog at Garsford House? ”
    Ruth ’ s brown eyes lit up. “ I ’ m always wishing we had one, ” she confessed. “ Most of us, are, I think. ”
    “ Well, Sally had some puppies a few weeks ago: rather nice ones. Would one of her offspring suit y o u? ”
    “ O-oh! ” The exclamation came simultaneously from both children. Then, quite suddenly, Ruth ’ s expression of delight faded, and she said, stumbling over her words: “ But I forgot. I don ’ t think I ought to take one from you—not, at least, without explaining something. ”
    Andrew stared at her in complete mystification; but Catherine—and Maureen, too, it seemed—guessed what was coming, and showed no surprise when the child went on in a rush: “ We all know about the fuss there ’ s been over your hedge—and we ’ re all terribly sorry. But I think you ought to know that it was mostly my fault. ” She hesitated, shifting from one foot to the other, then continued: “ Miss Dewney ’ s ever so nervous of cows, and I couldn ’ t resist pulling her leg, and pretending that those heifers were dangerous, and that I thought I could see a bull in the distance. Afterwards I tried to convince her I was only joking, but it wasn ’ t any good; she made us go a roundabout way, and then it was ‘ through the gap, and no more arguing ’ . ”
    “ You ’ re a very bad girl! ” His voice was severe, but there was a twinkle in his blue eyes. “ However, I suggest we drop that subject—thorny in more ways than one—for good and all, and that Miss Emberley brings you two over to tea one afternoon to choose a puppy. A Sunday suits me best. I ’ m busy most other days, at this time of year. ”
    Ruth said nothing; her rosy, smiling face expressed her gratitude and pleasure. But Maureen, dancing about excitedly, exclaimed: “ It ’ s your afternoon off next Sunday, Miss Emberley! Can ’ t we go then? ”
    Catherine raised her eyes to Andrew ’ s. He was looking, she observed, decidedly amused.
    “ Would that be too soon? ” she asked, with as much composure as she could muster. “ We shall have to ask Matron for permission, of course. ”
    “ Any Sunday will do, ” he assured her, adding with a faint smile: “ My only stipulation is that you shall bring the children yourself. No excuse to be offered for none will be taken. ” And whistling to Sally, who was receiving a great petting from the children, he strode off, a giant of a man in his open - necked blue shirt, and shabby flannel trousers.
    The children ’ s spirits were high, as they went about their errands in the village, and so, too, though she tried to preserve an appearance of calm decorum, were Catherine ’ s.
    Andrew ’ s frank apology would in itself have made it easy for her to forget his ill-temper and rudeness; but the knowledge that he had felt sore and disappointed at her failure to put in an appearance at the picnic, and had actually experienced a twinge of jealousy on seeing her going into the cafe at Great Garsford in Roland Alldyke ’ s company, gave her a queer little thrill.
    It was the first time, to her knowledge, that she had ever been the cause of masculine jealousy; but though she told herself sternly that the odd sense of satisfaction which it brought was due to foolish feminine vanity , she knew in her heart that this was not the whole story.
    She was pleased at his evident liking for her because, despite his brusqueness and quick temper, she liked him so much herself—not in any sentimental way, but because she found his irony amusing and his company a stimulus.
    Rather to her relief, she was spared the necessity of giving Matron the first news of the invitation, and of the offer of a puppy. She had the notion that Matron ’ s serenely smiling eyes sometimes saw rather more than they were meant too, and was not certain that she could have broached the subject with quite the bland composure which the occasion demanded.
    Ruth and Maureen were in the