Read Online The Case Of William Smith by Patricia Wentworth - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Patricia Wentworth
Ads: Link
him that he couldn’t really trust himself. He must do a little more to the Krows, and then he must get up and go away, because if he stayed he couldn’t be sure that he wouldn’t make love to Katharine, and of course he couldn’t do that. She was all alone here, and she had asked him to tea. He couldn’t possibly take advantage of her kindness. And of course he couldn’t make love to her at the shop. The sort of employer who takes advantage of his position to embarrass the girls who work for him rose with horrifying distinctness. He plunged back into the Krows.
Katharine watched him. It wasn’t very difficult to guess what he was thinking. It gave her that feeling between laughter and tears which she had so often when she was with William Smith. He was in love with her, and he wanted to tell her about it, but didn’t like to because she worked at Tattlecombe’s and it might make it difficult for her. She wasn’t quite sure whether she wanted him to say anything yet. It was the kind of moment in their relationship, exquisite and fleeting, which had its own particular charm just because it could not be indefinitely prolonged. It had the quality of a February day. The picture rose before her mind — a light air stirring, a hand’s breadth of blue in the sky, the almost imperceptible drifting of the clouds, a little mist to enhance and enchant the half-seen landscape — fruit, flower, and all still a dream of the bud. It had its charm — but February passes on its way. Like Faust she could have said, ‘Schöner Augenblick verweile doch.’
William put his papers together and got up.
‘I think I’d better go now.’
She smiled, and said, ‘You can stay to supper if you like.’
He stood there frowning a little. The living-room was more soberly suited than Carol’s bedroom, the furniture less modern. Katharine’s blue dress made a pleasant harmony with the rough brown leather of her chair. The dull background brightened her hair, her eyes. Her lips smiled at him. He said in a stubborn voice,
‘I’d better go.’
‘Why? Sit down again and talk a little.’
He shook his head.
‘No — I’ll be going. Thank you very much for asking me.’
It was only after the front door had shut that they remembered he had neither said goodbye nor touched her hand again.
Quite a number of interested heads looked out of gable windows as he drove away. There were four radios in full blast. A female with a strident voice was informing her offspring that she would cut his liver out if he didn’t come in. Behind the plane trees the new moon, curved and shining, was going down the western sky. In the living-room of the flat Katharine listened to the sound of William’s gears and his noisy retreat. Everyone in the mews would know that she had come home with a young man and he had stayed for hours.
She said, ‘Oh, William darling,’, and laid her head down upon her arm.
Chapter Seven
By the first post in the morning Katharine received a letter from Cyril Eversley. It ran:
‘My dear Katharine,
I am afraid I have not your present address, but I hope this will be forwarded. Brett tells me you have let your flat and gone away to take up some work — unspecified. So I do not even know whether you are still in town, or whether you would be able to lunch with me at the club on Wednesday next. Admiral Holden is coming up to go into your affairs with Brett and myself, and I thought it would be very nice if you could meet us afterwards for lunch. I know he would appreciate it. I am sure you will be glad to hear that the usual half-yearly dividend has now been paid into your account. I hope you have not been inconvenienced by the slight delay. We shall all look forward to seeing you on Wednesday — 1.15 at the club.
Yours affectionately,
Cyril Eversley.’
She put the letter away to answer when she got home in the evening.
So Admiral Holden was on the war-path, and her half-year’s dividend had been paid in. She
Katharine watched him. It wasn’t very difficult to guess what he was thinking. It gave her that feeling between laughter and tears which she had so often when she was with William Smith. He was in love with her, and he wanted to tell her about it, but didn’t like to because she worked at Tattlecombe’s and it might make it difficult for her. She wasn’t quite sure whether she wanted him to say anything yet. It was the kind of moment in their relationship, exquisite and fleeting, which had its own particular charm just because it could not be indefinitely prolonged. It had the quality of a February day. The picture rose before her mind — a light air stirring, a hand’s breadth of blue in the sky, the almost imperceptible drifting of the clouds, a little mist to enhance and enchant the half-seen landscape — fruit, flower, and all still a dream of the bud. It had its charm — but February passes on its way. Like Faust she could have said, ‘Schöner Augenblick verweile doch.’
William put his papers together and got up.
‘I think I’d better go now.’
She smiled, and said, ‘You can stay to supper if you like.’
He stood there frowning a little. The living-room was more soberly suited than Carol’s bedroom, the furniture less modern. Katharine’s blue dress made a pleasant harmony with the rough brown leather of her chair. The dull background brightened her hair, her eyes. Her lips smiled at him. He said in a stubborn voice,
‘I’d better go.’
‘Why? Sit down again and talk a little.’
He shook his head.
‘No — I’ll be going. Thank you very much for asking me.’
It was only after the front door had shut that they remembered he had neither said goodbye nor touched her hand again.
Quite a number of interested heads looked out of gable windows as he drove away. There were four radios in full blast. A female with a strident voice was informing her offspring that she would cut his liver out if he didn’t come in. Behind the plane trees the new moon, curved and shining, was going down the western sky. In the living-room of the flat Katharine listened to the sound of William’s gears and his noisy retreat. Everyone in the mews would know that she had come home with a young man and he had stayed for hours.
She said, ‘Oh, William darling,’, and laid her head down upon her arm.
Chapter Seven
By the first post in the morning Katharine received a letter from Cyril Eversley. It ran:
‘My dear Katharine,
I am afraid I have not your present address, but I hope this will be forwarded. Brett tells me you have let your flat and gone away to take up some work — unspecified. So I do not even know whether you are still in town, or whether you would be able to lunch with me at the club on Wednesday next. Admiral Holden is coming up to go into your affairs with Brett and myself, and I thought it would be very nice if you could meet us afterwards for lunch. I know he would appreciate it. I am sure you will be glad to hear that the usual half-yearly dividend has now been paid into your account. I hope you have not been inconvenienced by the slight delay. We shall all look forward to seeing you on Wednesday — 1.15 at the club.
Yours affectionately,
Cyril Eversley.’
She put the letter away to answer when she got home in the evening.
So Admiral Holden was on the war-path, and her half-year’s dividend had been paid in. She
Similar Books
