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Authors: Pauline Ash
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a bright, new, printed silk dress, but Lisa put on a fresh brown check uniform, the distinctive garb of a St. Mildred’s second-year nurse, her pale hair almost completely hidden beneath her starched cap. All three children had discarded their calipers and were overjoyed with the thought of being able to get about again. The grounds of Penderby Towers looked inviting, with their smooth lawns, concrete paths, the great ornamental pond with lilies and goldfish and the marquees and sideshows and bunting.
Lisa saw, with a sick feeling in her stomach, that Randall Carson was there, with Thalia, her mother, and Derek. Lisa hoped that she could get away with the children as soon as Jacky—brilliant and sophisticated in a white full-skirted nylon dress and jacket and a saucy little sky-blue hat—successfully opened the party, but her hopes were soon dashed. Derek caught sight of the St. Mildred’s uniform, a n d broke away from his party to come over to her.
“Lisa! I’ve been trying to get in touch with you for days! I must talk to you,” he said urgently.
“Not now, Derek,” Lisa urged. “I have to take these children to the sideshows—”
“I’ll come with you,” Derek said. But it was not to the coconut shies that he took them, but into a secluded little garden. “I’ve got to talk to you first, Lisa,” he said urgently. “Never mind the children. Look, I feel an awful heel—I don’t know how to say this, but—can’t we be back where we used to be?”
Lisa was almost speechless with surprise. “I don’t know how you can suggest such a thing, Derek, after that letter you sent me!” she said indignantly at last.
“I know—I feel awful about it now—but at the time I did think it was the best thing for both of us. The truth is, Lisa, I miss you so badly that if you’ll only come back to me, I’m prepared to take the risk of playing second fiddle to that career of yours! There, I can’t put it blunter than that, can I?”
“And what about my sister Jacky?” she said quietly.
He reddened. “Honestly, Lisa, there’s nothing in it. She just likes going around with me. I didn’t connect her with you at first—why should I? I didn’t even know you had a sister, let alone a sister on the stage. You never said!”
That was true, she reflected ruefully. She had been only too anxious not to mention Jacky and her wild ways.
“No, I never said anything about it,” she agreed, “but now you know, and frankly I think that Jacky’s more suited to you than I am. You talk about risks, but I can’t risk being hurt like that any more. Sorry, Derek, but I’d rather things were left as they are.”
Derek watched her leave the little garden with a quiet dignity. He was furious with himself. He had rushed things. He should have taken it easy. But, with Jacky around, there was so little time and opportunity. This had seemed the one chance he would have of getting Lisa back, and he had lost it.
Jacky felt frustrated. Having opened the party, the only way she could slip away unseen to the now almost deserted house was to murmur some excuse about powdering her nose.
Jacky was lucky. No one was about when she walked across to an invitingly open ground-floor french window with all the casualness of one of the family. She had her stage training to thank for that. It was not difficult, either, from Derek’s descriptions; to find his mother’s rooms.
As he had said, his mother was careless. Several pieces of jewelry lay about the dressing table. Jacky, unable to help herself, stared in fascination at a clip shaped like a brilliant bird of paradise. Her hand closed over it and within seconds she was out of the room, down the stairs and out the way she had come, without being seen.
Only Lisa had seen her sister, with that special look on her face, going toward the house and Lisa’s heart sank. She must stop Jacky whatever happened, for that look—intent, a little furtive—meant that Jacky was gripped by
Lisa saw, with a sick feeling in her stomach, that Randall Carson was there, with Thalia, her mother, and Derek. Lisa hoped that she could get away with the children as soon as Jacky—brilliant and sophisticated in a white full-skirted nylon dress and jacket and a saucy little sky-blue hat—successfully opened the party, but her hopes were soon dashed. Derek caught sight of the St. Mildred’s uniform, a n d broke away from his party to come over to her.
“Lisa! I’ve been trying to get in touch with you for days! I must talk to you,” he said urgently.
“Not now, Derek,” Lisa urged. “I have to take these children to the sideshows—”
“I’ll come with you,” Derek said. But it was not to the coconut shies that he took them, but into a secluded little garden. “I’ve got to talk to you first, Lisa,” he said urgently. “Never mind the children. Look, I feel an awful heel—I don’t know how to say this, but—can’t we be back where we used to be?”
Lisa was almost speechless with surprise. “I don’t know how you can suggest such a thing, Derek, after that letter you sent me!” she said indignantly at last.
“I know—I feel awful about it now—but at the time I did think it was the best thing for both of us. The truth is, Lisa, I miss you so badly that if you’ll only come back to me, I’m prepared to take the risk of playing second fiddle to that career of yours! There, I can’t put it blunter than that, can I?”
“And what about my sister Jacky?” she said quietly.
He reddened. “Honestly, Lisa, there’s nothing in it. She just likes going around with me. I didn’t connect her with you at first—why should I? I didn’t even know you had a sister, let alone a sister on the stage. You never said!”
That was true, she reflected ruefully. She had been only too anxious not to mention Jacky and her wild ways.
“No, I never said anything about it,” she agreed, “but now you know, and frankly I think that Jacky’s more suited to you than I am. You talk about risks, but I can’t risk being hurt like that any more. Sorry, Derek, but I’d rather things were left as they are.”
Derek watched her leave the little garden with a quiet dignity. He was furious with himself. He had rushed things. He should have taken it easy. But, with Jacky around, there was so little time and opportunity. This had seemed the one chance he would have of getting Lisa back, and he had lost it.
Jacky felt frustrated. Having opened the party, the only way she could slip away unseen to the now almost deserted house was to murmur some excuse about powdering her nose.
Jacky was lucky. No one was about when she walked across to an invitingly open ground-floor french window with all the casualness of one of the family. She had her stage training to thank for that. It was not difficult, either, from Derek’s descriptions; to find his mother’s rooms.
As he had said, his mother was careless. Several pieces of jewelry lay about the dressing table. Jacky, unable to help herself, stared in fascination at a clip shaped like a brilliant bird of paradise. Her hand closed over it and within seconds she was out of the room, down the stairs and out the way she had come, without being seen.
Only Lisa had seen her sister, with that special look on her face, going toward the house and Lisa’s heart sank. She must stop Jacky whatever happened, for that look—intent, a little furtive—meant that Jacky was gripped by
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