because her nearness affected him alarmingly.
He doubted that Brian or Norah noticed this for they were used to their daughter holding the floor. He too loved to hear her talk, the words tripping over her pretty little lips; he liked to watch her face light up and her eyes sparkle as she told them all some amusing tale, and to hear her tinkling laugh. To him she was a perfect being, truly beautiful, and although he knew it was futile to love her as he did, he couldn’t seem to help himself.
‘Really, women today want to have the same freedom as men,’ Gloria was saying.
Joe heard Norah’s sharp intake of breath, but Gloria either didn’t notice or didn’t care because she continued, ‘Many of my friends have older brothers and they have all sorts going on at the colleges they attend – ball games, crew races and college hops. Oh, the list is endless. They want us to go along and enjoy it and, really, why shouldn’t we?’
‘Are you out of your mind?’ Brian exploded. ‘A little freedom is one thing, but this is nonsense, Gloria. You must see that.’
‘No, I don’t see that at all,’ Gloria stated flatly. ‘What’s wrong with what I said?’
‘This silly nonsense about being equal with men, for one thing. It isn’t how respectable women talk at all.’
‘And you can’t go to events at men’s colleges unchaperoned,’ Norah put in.
‘Will the pair of you stop being so old-fashioned and stuffy?’ Gloria cried in exasperation. ‘And if Joe will show me how to drive the car, how will you stop me going out when I want to?’
‘I could forbid it,’ Brian said.
‘Yes, Daddy,’ Gloria said. ‘And I could just as easily take no notice.’
Brian’s face went puce with temper, but Gloria ignored him. She leaped to her feet, saying as she did so, ‘Anyway, no time like the present. I’ll wait for you outside, Joe,’ and she disappeared out of the door.
She had put Joe into an intolerable position. He looked across the table to Brian and said, ‘What d’you want me to do, sir?’
Brian shook his head. He looked like a defeated man and Norah seemed horror-struck at the turn of events. Joe felt sorry for them both, though. In a way, he thought, they had brought it upon themselves because the two of them had indulged Gloria for far too long to start denying her things now and expect her to just accept it.
This was proved when Brian said, ‘I don’t know, Joe.I am not sure that I know anything any more. But you best start teaching Gloria to drive the car if she is so set on it. Better that than she takes it onto the roads without the least idea of how to drive it and ends up having an accident.’
Joe went, but he was cross with Gloria and within a few minutes of him getting in the car, she was aware of it.
‘You’re annoyed with me, aren’t you?’ she said.
Joe was too angry to be his usual cautious self when dealing with Gloria and he burst out, ‘Yes I am, Miss Gloria. You were totally inconsiderate of your parents’ feelings tonight and put me in a devil of a fix, and really the only crime they have ever committed is that of loving you too much.’
‘I know, Joe,’ Gloria said. ‘And I am sorry for them really. I am not completely heartless, but I know them, and if I’d shown any sign of weakness, they would have ground me down like they have in the past. Do you know, Joe, I had more freedom at the convent than I have ever been allowed here. What madness is that?’
Joe sighed. ‘And I have seen how frustrated you have got at times, but really it’s because your parents love you and don’t want anything to happen to you.’
‘I know, but, Joe, they are smothering me,’ Gloria cried.
‘Miss Gloria, they have missed you sorely when you have been away at school,’ Joe told her softly. ‘It isn’t unreasonable for them to want to spend some time with you now that you are finished with education. I bet that’s what they were looking forward to. Couldn’t this great
He doubted that Brian or Norah noticed this for they were used to their daughter holding the floor. He too loved to hear her talk, the words tripping over her pretty little lips; he liked to watch her face light up and her eyes sparkle as she told them all some amusing tale, and to hear her tinkling laugh. To him she was a perfect being, truly beautiful, and although he knew it was futile to love her as he did, he couldn’t seem to help himself.
‘Really, women today want to have the same freedom as men,’ Gloria was saying.
Joe heard Norah’s sharp intake of breath, but Gloria either didn’t notice or didn’t care because she continued, ‘Many of my friends have older brothers and they have all sorts going on at the colleges they attend – ball games, crew races and college hops. Oh, the list is endless. They want us to go along and enjoy it and, really, why shouldn’t we?’
‘Are you out of your mind?’ Brian exploded. ‘A little freedom is one thing, but this is nonsense, Gloria. You must see that.’
‘No, I don’t see that at all,’ Gloria stated flatly. ‘What’s wrong with what I said?’
‘This silly nonsense about being equal with men, for one thing. It isn’t how respectable women talk at all.’
‘And you can’t go to events at men’s colleges unchaperoned,’ Norah put in.
‘Will the pair of you stop being so old-fashioned and stuffy?’ Gloria cried in exasperation. ‘And if Joe will show me how to drive the car, how will you stop me going out when I want to?’
‘I could forbid it,’ Brian said.
‘Yes, Daddy,’ Gloria said. ‘And I could just as easily take no notice.’
Brian’s face went puce with temper, but Gloria ignored him. She leaped to her feet, saying as she did so, ‘Anyway, no time like the present. I’ll wait for you outside, Joe,’ and she disappeared out of the door.
She had put Joe into an intolerable position. He looked across the table to Brian and said, ‘What d’you want me to do, sir?’
Brian shook his head. He looked like a defeated man and Norah seemed horror-struck at the turn of events. Joe felt sorry for them both, though. In a way, he thought, they had brought it upon themselves because the two of them had indulged Gloria for far too long to start denying her things now and expect her to just accept it.
This was proved when Brian said, ‘I don’t know, Joe.I am not sure that I know anything any more. But you best start teaching Gloria to drive the car if she is so set on it. Better that than she takes it onto the roads without the least idea of how to drive it and ends up having an accident.’
Joe went, but he was cross with Gloria and within a few minutes of him getting in the car, she was aware of it.
‘You’re annoyed with me, aren’t you?’ she said.
Joe was too angry to be his usual cautious self when dealing with Gloria and he burst out, ‘Yes I am, Miss Gloria. You were totally inconsiderate of your parents’ feelings tonight and put me in a devil of a fix, and really the only crime they have ever committed is that of loving you too much.’
‘I know, Joe,’ Gloria said. ‘And I am sorry for them really. I am not completely heartless, but I know them, and if I’d shown any sign of weakness, they would have ground me down like they have in the past. Do you know, Joe, I had more freedom at the convent than I have ever been allowed here. What madness is that?’
Joe sighed. ‘And I have seen how frustrated you have got at times, but really it’s because your parents love you and don’t want anything to happen to you.’
‘I know, but, Joe, they are smothering me,’ Gloria cried.
‘Miss Gloria, they have missed you sorely when you have been away at school,’ Joe told her softly. ‘It isn’t unreasonable for them to want to spend some time with you now that you are finished with education. I bet that’s what they were looking forward to. Couldn’t this great
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