his lower lip thoughtfully. “Why did you tell him that you were better off without the part? It would have made you, do you know that?”
Sarah made the tea, pleased to see that her hands were completely steady. “I think I am better off,” she said finally. “It never occurred to me 'before that I might like to do something else, but I’m enjoying living in the country and being like everyone else. It was odd at first to be at home in the evening instead of working when everyone else is relaxing, but now that I’ve tried it, I find I prefer it. Even when my father is quite well again, I still may not go back to the theatre.”
“You must be mad !”
She smiled at him, amused because even as recently as a couple of weeks ago her own reaction would have been exactly the same. “Perhaps it’s sanity,” she murmured.
“If you ask me, you’re putting a brave face on things. Why can’t your stepmother take over for a while?”
“Because the theatre really is her life. She’d curl up and die if she were away from it for more than a day or so. She wouldn’t flourish on good country air and feel absolutely marvellous on a diet of fresh food and early nights!”
Alec Farne shuddered. “Perish the thought!”
Sarah grinned at him, a touch of malice in her eyes. “There you are then! You’ll have to make the best of your left-footed halfwit. I daresay she can learn lines as well as anyone else if you cosseted her a little. She’s probably scared stiff of you. I was!”
“Never!” he declared. “You never gave me cause to shout at you! ”
“If you had, I would have died there and then, I was so nervous!”
He looked surprised. “Really?” he said. "You’re rather a poppet, Sarah. Do you always do battle for every underdog you hear about?”
“No, that’s a new development too! I’ve never had time to do anything except scratch a living for myself before. Now I have time , and you don’t know how marvellous it is! I shall enjoy doing this bit of secretarial work, but that’s something quite different from the stresses and strains of repertory life. For the first time in my life, I have time to be myself, and I’m revelling in every moment of it!”
His look was frankly admiring. “It suits you, love,” he said. “When you do come back to the theatre you’ll knock ’em cold !”
Touched, she blinked rapidly, and poured the boiling water into the teapot. “And you’re quite resigned that I’m not coming back yet?” she enquired.
“If you say so, Sarah sweet, if you say so. I’m prepared to give you a bit more rope at any rate. Will that do?”
She nodded quickly. “Thank you, Alec.”
They had tea in the garden. Sarah took a cup up to her father, sitting on the edge of his bed while he drank it.
“Listen, Sarah,” he said. “You won’t go on with this job until you’ve talked it over with Madge, will you? She might not like you going behind her back—”
“I’ve already decided, Dad,” she said gently.
“Madge won’t like it!”
“Perhaps not.” She smiled at him. “Don’t you worry about it anyway. You’ve been so much better recently. What brought this on?”
Her father shrugged. “How should I know? I suppose I thought young Alec Farne might take you away from me. He wants you in his play, doesn’t he?”
“He did,” she admitted. “Now he thinks I’m doing a good job of growing up a bit here and he’ll keep me in mind later on. That will suit both of us very well!”
“I’m glad.” Daniel Blaney coughed and fought again for breath. “I’m enjoying having you with me. It’s almost worth feeling cheap most of the time.”
Sarah took his cup from him, still smiling. “I’m enjoying it too,” she told him. “In fact you’ll be heartily sick of having me around before I’ll leave you, so you’d better make up your mind to it! Will you be all right if I take Alec to Canterbury for his train ?”
Her father merely nodded and sank back
Sarah made the tea, pleased to see that her hands were completely steady. “I think I am better off,” she said finally. “It never occurred to me 'before that I might like to do something else, but I’m enjoying living in the country and being like everyone else. It was odd at first to be at home in the evening instead of working when everyone else is relaxing, but now that I’ve tried it, I find I prefer it. Even when my father is quite well again, I still may not go back to the theatre.”
“You must be mad !”
She smiled at him, amused because even as recently as a couple of weeks ago her own reaction would have been exactly the same. “Perhaps it’s sanity,” she murmured.
“If you ask me, you’re putting a brave face on things. Why can’t your stepmother take over for a while?”
“Because the theatre really is her life. She’d curl up and die if she were away from it for more than a day or so. She wouldn’t flourish on good country air and feel absolutely marvellous on a diet of fresh food and early nights!”
Alec Farne shuddered. “Perish the thought!”
Sarah grinned at him, a touch of malice in her eyes. “There you are then! You’ll have to make the best of your left-footed halfwit. I daresay she can learn lines as well as anyone else if you cosseted her a little. She’s probably scared stiff of you. I was!”
“Never!” he declared. “You never gave me cause to shout at you! ”
“If you had, I would have died there and then, I was so nervous!”
He looked surprised. “Really?” he said. "You’re rather a poppet, Sarah. Do you always do battle for every underdog you hear about?”
“No, that’s a new development too! I’ve never had time to do anything except scratch a living for myself before. Now I have time , and you don’t know how marvellous it is! I shall enjoy doing this bit of secretarial work, but that’s something quite different from the stresses and strains of repertory life. For the first time in my life, I have time to be myself, and I’m revelling in every moment of it!”
His look was frankly admiring. “It suits you, love,” he said. “When you do come back to the theatre you’ll knock ’em cold !”
Touched, she blinked rapidly, and poured the boiling water into the teapot. “And you’re quite resigned that I’m not coming back yet?” she enquired.
“If you say so, Sarah sweet, if you say so. I’m prepared to give you a bit more rope at any rate. Will that do?”
She nodded quickly. “Thank you, Alec.”
They had tea in the garden. Sarah took a cup up to her father, sitting on the edge of his bed while he drank it.
“Listen, Sarah,” he said. “You won’t go on with this job until you’ve talked it over with Madge, will you? She might not like you going behind her back—”
“I’ve already decided, Dad,” she said gently.
“Madge won’t like it!”
“Perhaps not.” She smiled at him. “Don’t you worry about it anyway. You’ve been so much better recently. What brought this on?”
Her father shrugged. “How should I know? I suppose I thought young Alec Farne might take you away from me. He wants you in his play, doesn’t he?”
“He did,” she admitted. “Now he thinks I’m doing a good job of growing up a bit here and he’ll keep me in mind later on. That will suit both of us very well!”
“I’m glad.” Daniel Blaney coughed and fought again for breath. “I’m enjoying having you with me. It’s almost worth feeling cheap most of the time.”
Sarah took his cup from him, still smiling. “I’m enjoying it too,” she told him. “In fact you’ll be heartily sick of having me around before I’ll leave you, so you’d better make up your mind to it! Will you be all right if I take Alec to Canterbury for his train ?”
Her father merely nodded and sank back
Similar Books
