Read Online Love Is My Reason by Mary Burchell - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Mary Burchell
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if, on reflection, he doubted the complete accuracy of this statement, at any rate he saw no reason either to correct or amplify it.
They were still sitting talking—though David no longer had his arm round her—when Lady Ranmere came in a few minutes later.
She looked very satisfied at Anya ’ s much brighter appearance, though she cast a glance of surprise on the lovely wrap she was still wearing.
“ That is Anya ’ s birthday present, ” David explained calmly. “ She is eighteen today, and I don ’ t think we should let the day go past unmarked. ”
“ Why, no, certainly not, ” agreed Lady Ranmere, fairly accurately pricing the handsome gift in her own mind. “ I hope, my dear, there will be many much happier birthdays for you in the future, and that you ’ ll remember even this one as a day when you found some good friends. ”
Anya thanked her with a shy smile, and David said, “ Anya has decided to come down to dinner with us. I think that ’ s a good thing, if she feels like making the effort. ”
“ Yes, indeed, ” Lady Ranmere approved. “ Then perhaps you would like to see your own room now, my dear? ”
“ My own room? ” Anya looked around her.
“ Yes. ” Lady Ranmere crossed to another door and opened it, displaying a small but pleasant bedroom. “ I thought you would like to be here, near me, so that you wouldn ’ t feel too much alone. ”
Anya got up from the sofa and came slowly across.
“ Do you mean—a whole room to myself? ”
“ Why, yes. ” Lady Ranmere was half touched, half amused, David saw. “ Do you like it? ”
“ It is beautiful, like everything here, ” Anya said gravely. And, entering the room, she walked round looking at everything, with the pleasure and interest of someone visiting a small museum.
The other two exchanged a smile, and Lady Ranmere said, “ Did she have any luggage? ”
“ Yes. It ’ s here somewhere. ” David glanced round and, seeing the shabby little case tied with rope standing by the door where he had left it, he went over and picked it up.
Possibly he swung it a trifle too energetically as he brought it into Anya ’ s room, or perhaps the rope was not very strong anyway. Certainly neither of the flimsy locks really fastened. At any rate, whatever the cause, even as he said, “ Here you are, ” and went to put the case near the window, the rope parted, the case opened, and there fell at David ’ s feet the small collection of miscellaneous articles which made up almost all Anya ’ s worldly possessions.
“ I say, I ’ m frightfully sorry! ” He knelt down and began to gather the things together rather clumsily.
“ It doesn ’ t matter. ” She smiled and came to help him, kneeling down opposite him to pick up the few poor bits of clothing, a book or two, several photographs—among which David recognized one of Beran, much younger, with a woman not unlike Anya herself—and a small box which evidently, from the way she handled it, contained her few personal treasures.
“ That ’ s everything, I think. ” He glanced round. “ No, here ’ s one more picture. ” And he reached for a framed photograph which had fallen further away than the others.
As he handed it to her, he glanced at it idly. And suddenly is seemed to him that someone had dealt him a blow over the heart. For, laughing up at him, were two young men, screwing up their eyes a little against what was obviously bright sunlight. And one of them was, without question, the boy whose photograph Mrs. Preston always wore—perpetual reminder of the son who had vanished more than twenty years ago.
CHAPTER FOUR
“ Who are these two young men? ” David asked hoarsely as he held out the photograph to her.
Anya glanced at it and smiled slightly.
“ Friends of my mother a very long time ago. Even before she knew my father, I think. ” She took the photograph in her hand and looked at it reminiscently. “ She told me once that she was very fond
They were still sitting talking—though David no longer had his arm round her—when Lady Ranmere came in a few minutes later.
She looked very satisfied at Anya ’ s much brighter appearance, though she cast a glance of surprise on the lovely wrap she was still wearing.
“ That is Anya ’ s birthday present, ” David explained calmly. “ She is eighteen today, and I don ’ t think we should let the day go past unmarked. ”
“ Why, no, certainly not, ” agreed Lady Ranmere, fairly accurately pricing the handsome gift in her own mind. “ I hope, my dear, there will be many much happier birthdays for you in the future, and that you ’ ll remember even this one as a day when you found some good friends. ”
Anya thanked her with a shy smile, and David said, “ Anya has decided to come down to dinner with us. I think that ’ s a good thing, if she feels like making the effort. ”
“ Yes, indeed, ” Lady Ranmere approved. “ Then perhaps you would like to see your own room now, my dear? ”
“ My own room? ” Anya looked around her.
“ Yes. ” Lady Ranmere crossed to another door and opened it, displaying a small but pleasant bedroom. “ I thought you would like to be here, near me, so that you wouldn ’ t feel too much alone. ”
Anya got up from the sofa and came slowly across.
“ Do you mean—a whole room to myself? ”
“ Why, yes. ” Lady Ranmere was half touched, half amused, David saw. “ Do you like it? ”
“ It is beautiful, like everything here, ” Anya said gravely. And, entering the room, she walked round looking at everything, with the pleasure and interest of someone visiting a small museum.
The other two exchanged a smile, and Lady Ranmere said, “ Did she have any luggage? ”
“ Yes. It ’ s here somewhere. ” David glanced round and, seeing the shabby little case tied with rope standing by the door where he had left it, he went over and picked it up.
Possibly he swung it a trifle too energetically as he brought it into Anya ’ s room, or perhaps the rope was not very strong anyway. Certainly neither of the flimsy locks really fastened. At any rate, whatever the cause, even as he said, “ Here you are, ” and went to put the case near the window, the rope parted, the case opened, and there fell at David ’ s feet the small collection of miscellaneous articles which made up almost all Anya ’ s worldly possessions.
“ I say, I ’ m frightfully sorry! ” He knelt down and began to gather the things together rather clumsily.
“ It doesn ’ t matter. ” She smiled and came to help him, kneeling down opposite him to pick up the few poor bits of clothing, a book or two, several photographs—among which David recognized one of Beran, much younger, with a woman not unlike Anya herself—and a small box which evidently, from the way she handled it, contained her few personal treasures.
“ That ’ s everything, I think. ” He glanced round. “ No, here ’ s one more picture. ” And he reached for a framed photograph which had fallen further away than the others.
As he handed it to her, he glanced at it idly. And suddenly is seemed to him that someone had dealt him a blow over the heart. For, laughing up at him, were two young men, screwing up their eyes a little against what was obviously bright sunlight. And one of them was, without question, the boy whose photograph Mrs. Preston always wore—perpetual reminder of the son who had vanished more than twenty years ago.
CHAPTER FOUR
“ Who are these two young men? ” David asked hoarsely as he held out the photograph to her.
Anya glanced at it and smiled slightly.
“ Friends of my mother a very long time ago. Even before she knew my father, I think. ” She took the photograph in her hand and looked at it reminiscently. “ She told me once that she was very fond
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