correctly.”
Grace glanced up and shot Caroline an anything but friendly glance. “You seem to have been recounting our conversation in detail,” she said sharply.
“There’s no need to put the blame on Caroline. I elicited much of this myself. After all, I did find her at the railway station after being bunged out by you. Naturally I inquired how she came to be in such a situation.”
“Well, don’t let’s argue over that,” Grace said a little pettishly. “What I want to know, Caroline, is whether you’d be interested in coming. After all, you can’t be much use to Mrs. Creed, and this is the sort of work you wanted in the first place. ”
“So you feel Caroline should now come to you—after being sent away on a most insalubrious evening to make the trip back to London—supperless, if what I gathered was correct.”
“Oh no, Cecil gave me something to eat,” Caroline reminded him.
“Yes, that tame musician brother of yours has more humanity
than you have, Grace,” Randall told her.
For a moment Caroline glanced from Randall to Grace undecidedly. It was true, no doubt, that life as a governess to Robin would offer her more leisure and a better way of life and, in spite of her capricious nature, Grace was after all a relation. Apart from that, she still felt vestiges of anger against her employer, for his peremptory, imperious manner. His face was inscrutable now, showing neither acquiescence nor disapprobation, and she felt free to make her own decision.
“Yes, I think I’d like that,” she agreed at last.
“Good.” Grace said eagerly. “Run up and pack like a dear, and I’ll drive you over right away. I’ve a dinner date tonight and it would be terrific if you could take over Robin immediately.”
Again Caroline glanced briefly at her employer, but he seemed to be staring at some far distant object, the steel-grey eyes hooded and impenetrable.
“It won’t take me long, for I haven’t really unpacked properly,” Caroline said. She felt her spirits rise. Perhaps she would succeed where others had failed with this difficult child.
She turned and walked quickly towards the door. But as she put her hand upon the knob she heard Randall’s voice say, low and commanding, “Come back. Caroline.”
She turned, to find him gazing at her fixedly. “You’re not leaving here,” he said coolly.
“What!” Grace sprang to her feet. “What do you mean by that extraordinary remark?”
“I say she’s not leaving here,” he repeated. “She’s mine.”
“She’s yours?” Grace gasped. “What on earth are you talking: about? Do you think you’re some sort of feudal lord, with the power of life or death over your subjects?”
Coolly he placed his hands in his pockets and surveyed her. “No, not exactly, but I did pick her up from the station, after she’d been slung out by you. You show a touching interest in her future, but it was I who took her over when she had no place to go, and I intend to hold on to her.”
“But this is utterly ridiculous! ” Grace’s eyes flashed angrily. “She’s not your slave. You can’t keep her against her will.”
As she spoke, Caroline had slowly returned to the centre of the room and now she gazed in bewilderment as the two sparred over her future.
“Caroline, come here! ” he ordered.
She went towards him, as though mesmerised and found his eyes staring down into hers. He loomed over her—like a bird of prey, she thought, feeling all her resolve melt away under his steely glance which seemed to bore into her very being.
“Tell me,” he said quietly, “do you really want to be the servant of an obstreperous, spoiled child? Do you realize what your life will be like? No one can put up with him. Actually I admire that excellent woman, who departed without as much as a goodbye to anyone, for her courage in boxing his ears. It’s what he’s needed for a long time. I guarantee that if you take him on you won’t last more than a week
Grace glanced up and shot Caroline an anything but friendly glance. “You seem to have been recounting our conversation in detail,” she said sharply.
“There’s no need to put the blame on Caroline. I elicited much of this myself. After all, I did find her at the railway station after being bunged out by you. Naturally I inquired how she came to be in such a situation.”
“Well, don’t let’s argue over that,” Grace said a little pettishly. “What I want to know, Caroline, is whether you’d be interested in coming. After all, you can’t be much use to Mrs. Creed, and this is the sort of work you wanted in the first place. ”
“So you feel Caroline should now come to you—after being sent away on a most insalubrious evening to make the trip back to London—supperless, if what I gathered was correct.”
“Oh no, Cecil gave me something to eat,” Caroline reminded him.
“Yes, that tame musician brother of yours has more humanity
than you have, Grace,” Randall told her.
For a moment Caroline glanced from Randall to Grace undecidedly. It was true, no doubt, that life as a governess to Robin would offer her more leisure and a better way of life and, in spite of her capricious nature, Grace was after all a relation. Apart from that, she still felt vestiges of anger against her employer, for his peremptory, imperious manner. His face was inscrutable now, showing neither acquiescence nor disapprobation, and she felt free to make her own decision.
“Yes, I think I’d like that,” she agreed at last.
“Good.” Grace said eagerly. “Run up and pack like a dear, and I’ll drive you over right away. I’ve a dinner date tonight and it would be terrific if you could take over Robin immediately.”
Again Caroline glanced briefly at her employer, but he seemed to be staring at some far distant object, the steel-grey eyes hooded and impenetrable.
“It won’t take me long, for I haven’t really unpacked properly,” Caroline said. She felt her spirits rise. Perhaps she would succeed where others had failed with this difficult child.
She turned and walked quickly towards the door. But as she put her hand upon the knob she heard Randall’s voice say, low and commanding, “Come back. Caroline.”
She turned, to find him gazing at her fixedly. “You’re not leaving here,” he said coolly.
“What!” Grace sprang to her feet. “What do you mean by that extraordinary remark?”
“I say she’s not leaving here,” he repeated. “She’s mine.”
“She’s yours?” Grace gasped. “What on earth are you talking: about? Do you think you’re some sort of feudal lord, with the power of life or death over your subjects?”
Coolly he placed his hands in his pockets and surveyed her. “No, not exactly, but I did pick her up from the station, after she’d been slung out by you. You show a touching interest in her future, but it was I who took her over when she had no place to go, and I intend to hold on to her.”
“But this is utterly ridiculous! ” Grace’s eyes flashed angrily. “She’s not your slave. You can’t keep her against her will.”
As she spoke, Caroline had slowly returned to the centre of the room and now she gazed in bewilderment as the two sparred over her future.
“Caroline, come here! ” he ordered.
She went towards him, as though mesmerised and found his eyes staring down into hers. He loomed over her—like a bird of prey, she thought, feeling all her resolve melt away under his steely glance which seemed to bore into her very being.
“Tell me,” he said quietly, “do you really want to be the servant of an obstreperous, spoiled child? Do you realize what your life will be like? No one can put up with him. Actually I admire that excellent woman, who departed without as much as a goodbye to anyone, for her courage in boxing his ears. It’s what he’s needed for a long time. I guarantee that if you take him on you won’t last more than a week
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