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on the lips that Steve had touched with his own. A pain
dragged at her heart and she felt a little sick. This was no
good. One of the first tenets of sophistication was the light
acceptance of a kiss; when she had learned that she might
qualify for the next step. Tonight was a testing time. She
had better go up and prepare herself for it.
76
 She was in the hall when a car drew up outside, and she
turned at once towards the front entrance. For a moment
she stared at the familiar, modern but much worn station
wagon; and then it flashed across her mind that during
the past week she'd thought no more than a couple of
times about . . . Dick Nieland!
He came up the steps two at a time, stopped just inside
(he main lounge and gave her a pale, obstinate smile.
Dick was not much above ^average height, but he had a
young man's strong-frame,'a rather belligerent jaw and
brown eyes which could look threatening as well as soft
and appealing. His hair, tow-colored and crew-cut, made
him look more youthful than his twenty-six years, but
; this was partly offset by his seriousness. Dick wasn't a
gay type; he was too dependent on the approval of others
for that.
"Why, hallo!" she exclaimed. "I got to thinking you were
never coming back."
"Sure you didn't get to hoping it?" he asked, not very
pleasantly. "I expected to find you at our place, when I
returned this afternoon, instead of which the house was
deserted and locked up."
"Well, Mrs. Lesley has . . ."
"I know. The foreman told me. But she'd have remained
, at Blue Valley if you'd been there with her. Tess . . .
; what's this all about you're staying on here and taking
guests? Why didn't you stick to our arrangement?"
j; "I did come over to your house for some advice, but you
t, and your father had already left for Calgary."
I "I drove here to let you know on the day we left, but
| you were out, and we had to get going that same afternoon.
II thought I'd be gone only a day or (wo, but . . . things
^happened. I couldn't get back by plane." There was a
gbreak in his voice which sounded like strain. "I've had one
pell of a time. My father's ill. He's still in Calgary."
p "Dick! What happened?"
g; _ He came a little further into the light and she could see
^tiredness in his face, a sensitive twitch at his lips. "I don't
jg|now if I ever told you that my father financed a business
one of my cousins down there. It folded ,up, and my
decided to go and see what was behind it; he'd
been associated with failure before. We decided to
use his car and I was to return by plane and train; Dad
thought he'd bring one of his realtives back, to share the
driving and give them a holiday. When he got there things
were as bad as they could be in the business, that is.
I've never seen my father so steamed up, and suddenly,
that night, he collapsed with a heart attack."
"But ... but how appalling! What did you do?"
"He had to rest for a few days and then have the usual
tests. The result was that he had to be. taken to a clinic
where he must rest for a month, almost without moving.
After that it may be two or three more months before he's
right if he ever is."
"Dick, you poor thing." She slipped a hand through his
arm and drew him to the couch. "I'd no idea you were
going through this. How does your father feel, in himself?"
"He's resigned has to be. Fortunately he has a sister in
Calgary who will visit him regularly. But you caa see
where it puts me." He sat forward with his arms along his
knees. "The only bright spot in coming back was that you'd
be at. Blue Valley to talk things over with. And then when
I got there . . ."
She touched the hand nearest her, looked into his face.
"I know, and I'm terribly sorry. If I'd had an inkling of
what you might be suffering I'd have been over there
to meet you."
He lifted his head wearily. "Let's go now. I don't want
to meet these people you have here."
"No, of course not. They're going out to dinner ,so
there's nothing to keep me." She hesitated, and even in that
moment when Dick was Uppermost in her mind, she knew
a stab of regret for the green print frock and the dancing,
for the lost evening with,. . . with Steve. "I'll have to slip
upstairs for a minute. Go out and wait for me in your
car and I'll come to you."
Tess didn't wait to see him move. She slipped out of the
room and up the staircase, stood still and gained her
breath while she made sure where the men were. George
was in his room, she thought, and mingling with the faint
roar of the shower in one of the Bathrooms there was a
vague whistling sound which probably came from Steve.
Perhaps it was as well that she wouldn't be able to speak
to him.
78
 She knocked lightly on Anita's door and was bidden to
enter. Anita was sliding a slim-fitting white frock over her
head, and on the bed lay the black and white jacket that
went with it. Mechanically, Tess pulled the skirt' straight
and came at once to the point.
"A friend of mine is in trouble, Anita, and I have to
go home with him. It means I won't be able to go to the
club with you tonight. Will you apologize for me to your
brother and Steve?"
"Why, sure," said the little-girl voice abstractedly.
"There's bound to be someone to spare for George. Play
hard to get and the old dear will be eating out of your
hand."
"I'd hardly want George in that position, but to tell
him I'm sorry to let him down."
"Don't think a thing about it." A slight interest dawned
in her. "You say this friend who needs you is a man?"
"A neighbor Dick Nieland."
"What is he like?"
Tess couldn't suppress the irony in her voice when she
replied, "Too young for you, in your present mood. Have
a "good time."
She went into her own room and hastily changed her
grubby white shirt for the turquoise one and her jeans for
a black skirt. Then she ran downstairs and out to the
Nielands' all-purpose wagon. She was no sooner seated
than Dick set the vehicle moving.
The rain had begun, mistily, and daylight was almost
gone. From the hill a few of the lights of Pelton were [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]