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Authors: Hilary Wilde
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Usher finished the sentence. "Oh, my poor child ! Peter isn't the marrying kind, you know."
"I don't know, but I I. . . well, I know he would never see me," Cindy sighed.
"And why not?" Mrs. Usher's voice changed again; now it was sharp. "You're a rare good-looking girl, my child, and don't forget it. There's a fey look about your face and dreamy eyes that has a charm all its own and . . ."
A knock on the door interrupted her and she got up to open it.
"Peter, my dear boy !" she exclaimed, putting her s round him.
"Aunt Rhoda—it is good to see you!" he said warmly.
He came to sit by the fire while Mrs. Usher fluttered round like an anxious hen. "I knew you'd be coming, Peter," she said. "And I cooked those crumpets you like. I'll go and fetch them now. I know you'll eat them any time."
"You bet !" he grinned, and settled himself comfortably, stretching out his long legs, smiling at Cindy. "Isn't she a pet?" he said softly.
Cindy nodded, her face grave. This was a different Peter from the one she knew. How relaxed he was, how . . . how happy.
Mrs. Usher joined them and she was full of questions. Where had Peter been; had he found the heat too much for him; any good adventures? How well he was looking and it was wonderful to have him back ...
"Not that you were ever over-fond of this part of the world, Peter," she said a little sadly. "Nor was your mother, for that matter. It was your dad the castle meant so much to."
"I know. That's why I'm here," Peter said, looking across at Cindy, his eyes narrowed.
"Peter, I've known you since you were a small wee baby, so I can ask you certain things," Mrs. Usher's face was concerned as she leant forward. "Tell me. Peter, why didn't you write to your father ?"
"But I did," Peter said at once, leaning towards the old lady. "That was the worst part of it. He returned every one of the letters. Unopened! Then I heard he was ill and I came across from Africa, came straight here. Mrs Stone went to tell him I was there
and she came back and said he told her he never wanted to see me again. Mrs. Stone was upset and . and so was I." He smiled ruefully. "What more could I do, Aunt Rhoda? He just didn't want to have anything to do with me. That's why I was surprised when I heard he'd left everything to me."
"Peter," Cindy turned to him quickly, unable to keep quiet, "the other day I found . .."
There came a pounding on the door and Mrs. Usher went to open it. Peter stood up as a tall girl came in. Cindy recognized her at once—Johanna Younge from the little tea-shop, the one-time beauty queen who had said jokingly that she was looking for a wealthy husband.
Now she held out her hands. "Welcome back, Peter. You won't remember me—we only met a few times."
Peter smiled. "Of course I do—the beauty queen. We all envied Jim and wondered how he'd done it."
"You're back for good ?" Johanna said eagerly.
"In a sense. I'll be here some time, anyhow," Peter told her.
Johanna smiled at Cindy. "Tough luck, Miss Preston, but the castle needs a man. It'll be nice having you around, Peter, one gets very bored here." She gave him a brilliant smile, then looked at Mrs. Usher. "Just thought I'd pop in and welcome him back."
"Very sweet of you, dear, most thoughtful," Mrs. Usher said, her voice dry. She closed the door and smiled at Peter. "Well?"
"She hasn't changed at all, has she ?" he said, and laughed. "Once a beauty queen, always a beauty
queen, I suppose. Well, Cindy, it's a lovely morning. I suggest we drive around and share the beauty."
"A good idea," Mrs. Usher said warmly. "It really is nice to have you back, Peter."
He bent and kissed her lightly. "Know something, Aunt Rhoda? It's nice to be back, too."
Once in the car, he looked at Cindy.
"I meant it," he said. "I wasn't happy here before —perhaps that's why I hated the place. Today I can see its charm."
It was a pleasant morning. Peter took her to see all the beauty he found himself remembering. They
"I don't know, but I I. . . well, I know he would never see me," Cindy sighed.
"And why not?" Mrs. Usher's voice changed again; now it was sharp. "You're a rare good-looking girl, my child, and don't forget it. There's a fey look about your face and dreamy eyes that has a charm all its own and . . ."
A knock on the door interrupted her and she got up to open it.
"Peter, my dear boy !" she exclaimed, putting her s round him.
"Aunt Rhoda—it is good to see you!" he said warmly.
He came to sit by the fire while Mrs. Usher fluttered round like an anxious hen. "I knew you'd be coming, Peter," she said. "And I cooked those crumpets you like. I'll go and fetch them now. I know you'll eat them any time."
"You bet !" he grinned, and settled himself comfortably, stretching out his long legs, smiling at Cindy. "Isn't she a pet?" he said softly.
Cindy nodded, her face grave. This was a different Peter from the one she knew. How relaxed he was, how . . . how happy.
Mrs. Usher joined them and she was full of questions. Where had Peter been; had he found the heat too much for him; any good adventures? How well he was looking and it was wonderful to have him back ...
"Not that you were ever over-fond of this part of the world, Peter," she said a little sadly. "Nor was your mother, for that matter. It was your dad the castle meant so much to."
"I know. That's why I'm here," Peter said, looking across at Cindy, his eyes narrowed.
"Peter, I've known you since you were a small wee baby, so I can ask you certain things," Mrs. Usher's face was concerned as she leant forward. "Tell me. Peter, why didn't you write to your father ?"
"But I did," Peter said at once, leaning towards the old lady. "That was the worst part of it. He returned every one of the letters. Unopened! Then I heard he was ill and I came across from Africa, came straight here. Mrs Stone went to tell him I was there
and she came back and said he told her he never wanted to see me again. Mrs. Stone was upset and . and so was I." He smiled ruefully. "What more could I do, Aunt Rhoda? He just didn't want to have anything to do with me. That's why I was surprised when I heard he'd left everything to me."
"Peter," Cindy turned to him quickly, unable to keep quiet, "the other day I found . .."
There came a pounding on the door and Mrs. Usher went to open it. Peter stood up as a tall girl came in. Cindy recognized her at once—Johanna Younge from the little tea-shop, the one-time beauty queen who had said jokingly that she was looking for a wealthy husband.
Now she held out her hands. "Welcome back, Peter. You won't remember me—we only met a few times."
Peter smiled. "Of course I do—the beauty queen. We all envied Jim and wondered how he'd done it."
"You're back for good ?" Johanna said eagerly.
"In a sense. I'll be here some time, anyhow," Peter told her.
Johanna smiled at Cindy. "Tough luck, Miss Preston, but the castle needs a man. It'll be nice having you around, Peter, one gets very bored here." She gave him a brilliant smile, then looked at Mrs. Usher. "Just thought I'd pop in and welcome him back."
"Very sweet of you, dear, most thoughtful," Mrs. Usher said, her voice dry. She closed the door and smiled at Peter. "Well?"
"She hasn't changed at all, has she ?" he said, and laughed. "Once a beauty queen, always a beauty
queen, I suppose. Well, Cindy, it's a lovely morning. I suggest we drive around and share the beauty."
"A good idea," Mrs. Usher said warmly. "It really is nice to have you back, Peter."
He bent and kissed her lightly. "Know something, Aunt Rhoda? It's nice to be back, too."
Once in the car, he looked at Cindy.
"I meant it," he said. "I wasn't happy here before —perhaps that's why I hated the place. Today I can see its charm."
It was a pleasant morning. Peter took her to see all the beauty he found himself remembering. They
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