Read Online The girl in the blue dress by Mary Burchell - Free Book Online
Authors: Mary Burchell
Tags: Romance - Harlequin
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laughed. "That's quite different, " she said.
"I wouldn't like them to think that I was trying to worm my way into the
same social life as they have, just be cause
I've come to know them as clients."
"They wouldn't be so stupid as to think
anything of the sort. You will be there as my partner."
"But they might think, at least, Mrs. Wayne might
think, that I had persuaded you to take me, so that I could push my way into
what is much more their circle than mine."
"Don't you believe it!" Geoffrey laughed,
and suddenly he put out his hand and drew her to her feet, so that she was
close against him for a moment. "They will
understand exactly why you are there with me, my dear little goose.
Because you are going to get engaged to me beforehand, and go with me as my fiancée, " he told her.
CHAPTER FOUR
FOR A wild, improbable moment, it seemed to
Beverley that the setting sun rushed up the sky again and shone in fullest
glory.
She could not, she could not, she thought, have heard Geoffrey aright. And yet how could she
have mistaken such wonderful, pregnant words? He had smiled as he said them, it
was true, and he was looking teasing and indulgent now. But then that was often
Geoffrey's way. To say something of importance, with an air of amused
casualness which gave it a delicious novelty.
"Well, " he touched her cheek with gentle
fingers, "no comment?"
"I, " she turned and hugged him suddenly,
"Geoffrey, did I really hear what I thought I heard?"
"If you, heard me say we are engaged, then
it's all right, "" he told her with a grin.
"But, without the slightest warning, without any
preparation, how could you? How do you expect me to be anything but
stunned?"
He laughed. "Haven't you
noticed in the last ten years, that I'm
extremely fond of you?" he enquired.
"Of course. But, " She was silent
suddenly. For, she could not have said why, she was strangely and disagreeably
struck by his exact choice of phrase. "Extremely fond of her" might
most properly describe the various degrees of affection he had felt for her from the time she was a child until he asked
her to marry him, of course. But why could he not have said that he loved her?
That was what she wanted to hear. Extremely fond! An expression one used
to other people, besides the one girl of
one's heart. Why, it was the expression one might use to someone who was, second
best.
"Geoffrey, " she put her hands flat
against him, almost as though she would have pushed him away, "why did you
say just that?"
"Just what, darling?"
"That you were extremely
fond of me."
"Because I am." He
looked-amused and puzzled.
"But, I'd rather you
said that you, that you love me. It, means
more."
"Then I love you, my dearest child. Do you
need to be reassured of the fact?"
She did. That was exactly the case, of course. And yet she felt almost ungenerous as the idea came
to her. This was the moment of her life. The moment she had hoped for during
more years than she could assess. Was she to spoil it now because of some
melodramatic misunderstanding implanted in her mind by an over-talkative child?
"Oh, Geoffrey, " she pressed her fair
head against his shoulder in an access of affection, "it's so wonderful
that I can't take it in yet. How could you lead up to it so-casually, just by
way of Lady Welman's silly dance?"
"It isn't a silly dance. It's rather a swell
affair, " he told her, as he dropped a
kiss on the top of her head. "And
you mustn't disparage it, if we're going to appear there for the first time in public together as an engaged couple. I take it you are coming with
me, now?"
"Why, of course. Everything is all right
now!" Even as she said that, she
wondered if it were quite true. But
what could be wrong, if Geoffrey had asked
her to marry him?
"When did you first think of, of doing
this?" she asked, half-diffidently.
"Of going to the
dance?" he asked teasingly.
"No. Of marrying
me."
"About eight years ago.
When I first did that portrait of you in the blue and white
"I wouldn't like them to think that I was trying to worm my way into the
same social life as they have, just be cause
I've come to know them as clients."
"They wouldn't be so stupid as to think
anything of the sort. You will be there as my partner."
"But they might think, at least, Mrs. Wayne might
think, that I had persuaded you to take me, so that I could push my way into
what is much more their circle than mine."
"Don't you believe it!" Geoffrey laughed,
and suddenly he put out his hand and drew her to her feet, so that she was
close against him for a moment. "They will
understand exactly why you are there with me, my dear little goose.
Because you are going to get engaged to me beforehand, and go with me as my fiancée, " he told her.
CHAPTER FOUR
FOR A wild, improbable moment, it seemed to
Beverley that the setting sun rushed up the sky again and shone in fullest
glory.
She could not, she could not, she thought, have heard Geoffrey aright. And yet how could she
have mistaken such wonderful, pregnant words? He had smiled as he said them, it
was true, and he was looking teasing and indulgent now. But then that was often
Geoffrey's way. To say something of importance, with an air of amused
casualness which gave it a delicious novelty.
"Well, " he touched her cheek with gentle
fingers, "no comment?"
"I, " she turned and hugged him suddenly,
"Geoffrey, did I really hear what I thought I heard?"
"If you, heard me say we are engaged, then
it's all right, "" he told her with a grin.
"But, without the slightest warning, without any
preparation, how could you? How do you expect me to be anything but
stunned?"
He laughed. "Haven't you
noticed in the last ten years, that I'm
extremely fond of you?" he enquired.
"Of course. But, " She was silent
suddenly. For, she could not have said why, she was strangely and disagreeably
struck by his exact choice of phrase. "Extremely fond of her" might
most properly describe the various degrees of affection he had felt for her from the time she was a child until he asked
her to marry him, of course. But why could he not have said that he loved her?
That was what she wanted to hear. Extremely fond! An expression one used
to other people, besides the one girl of
one's heart. Why, it was the expression one might use to someone who was, second
best.
"Geoffrey, " she put her hands flat
against him, almost as though she would have pushed him away, "why did you
say just that?"
"Just what, darling?"
"That you were extremely
fond of me."
"Because I am." He
looked-amused and puzzled.
"But, I'd rather you
said that you, that you love me. It, means
more."
"Then I love you, my dearest child. Do you
need to be reassured of the fact?"
She did. That was exactly the case, of course. And yet she felt almost ungenerous as the idea came
to her. This was the moment of her life. The moment she had hoped for during
more years than she could assess. Was she to spoil it now because of some
melodramatic misunderstanding implanted in her mind by an over-talkative child?
"Oh, Geoffrey, " she pressed her fair
head against his shoulder in an access of affection, "it's so wonderful
that I can't take it in yet. How could you lead up to it so-casually, just by
way of Lady Welman's silly dance?"
"It isn't a silly dance. It's rather a swell
affair, " he told her, as he dropped a
kiss on the top of her head. "And
you mustn't disparage it, if we're going to appear there for the first time in public together as an engaged couple. I take it you are coming with
me, now?"
"Why, of course. Everything is all right
now!" Even as she said that, she
wondered if it were quite true. But
what could be wrong, if Geoffrey had asked
her to marry him?
"When did you first think of, of doing
this?" she asked, half-diffidently.
"Of going to the
dance?" he asked teasingly.
"No. Of marrying
me."
"About eight years ago.
When I first did that portrait of you in the blue and white
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