twenty years—if she had gone on teaching in her remote schoolhouse, with nothing but a few books and a wireless set for company in the long, lonely evenings, and apparently hardly any-
thing in the nature of adult companionship—she would almost certainly have worn an extremely, solemn expression.
“So look upon old Angus as someone who came along at precisely the right moment to prevent that happening, and show some appreciation of your good fortune by really being young. Buy more clothes, all the things you’ve always wanted and never thought you’d have, a car—”
“I couldn’t drive a car.”
“No, but you could learn. In the meantime you could have someone to drive you.”
“A chauffeur?”
“Why not? You’ve got to get about, and it’s inconvenient to depend upon taxis and trains. There’s no reason why you shouldn’t return to Giffard’s Prior in your own car, or at least have one delivered to you once you’ve returned there. If you like, I’ll take you round the showrooms myself. In fact, I think I know of a man who could provide you with what you want without any unnecessary delays.”
“Could you ?”
She was suddenly excited by the thought of possessing a car of her own—even more excited than she had been by the opportunity to buy new clothes. She admitted that she had often longed to possess a little car at isolated Stoke Moreton, where dependence on a bus was often most inconvenient.
“Well, drive up to your schoolhouse in something new and shining, and give your old pupils a treat,” Alaine recommended. “What about tomorrow morning? I think I can manage an hour before lunch— perhaps a couple of hours. I’ll pick you up at your hotel.”
So, the following morning, they drove up to a very imposing and well patronised car showroom in Dr. Giffard’s car, and he introduced her to the man he trusted to find her just what she was looking for. Tina was a little alarmed when he left her to make her decision without his assistance, but she realised that being a doctor he was pressed for time, and the young man he had handed her over to seemed extraordinarily helpful. He thought he knew exactly what she wanted, and produced it, as it were, out of a hat.
A sleek grey Bentley, not in the least ostentatious, but enough to make anyone’s eyes pop who knew anything at all about this make of car. And anyone who had known Tina Andrews a month or so before, and was suddenly given to understand that she was the owner of it, would almost certainly have his eyes start right out of
his (or her) head when the information was passed on.
Tina herself felt a hysterical desire to laugh when she remembered little Johnny Gains, and wondered how he would react if she drove up to his cottage in her brand new possession and asked him whether he would like her to take him for a drive on the moor. Johnny’s mouth would almost certainly drop wide open, allowing her to see his broken front teeth, and his eyes would grow as round as marbles.
“Your car? ” he would gasp. “But you can’t possibly own a car like that! You’re the teacher!”
And his mother would look suddenly faintly alarmed, realise all at once that Miss Andrews was no longer the Miss Andrews with whom she had once been quite familiar, and she would probably pull Johnny inside the cottage and tell him not to be rude to the lady.
But the thought of taking Johnny—as well as a few of the other children—for trips into Murchester, the nearest town to Stoke Moreton, and buying them sweets and anything else they fancied in her own car was the thought that suddenly decided her to buy the car. Not to hesitate any longer.
She pulled out her cheque-book shyly, and then felt slightly faint when she had written the cheque. Would Mr. Jasper, and her bank manager, have a joint fit? She was so alarmed about this later on that she telephoned her solicitor and told him what she had done, and was immensely relieved when he laughed and said
thing in the nature of adult companionship—she would almost certainly have worn an extremely, solemn expression.
“So look upon old Angus as someone who came along at precisely the right moment to prevent that happening, and show some appreciation of your good fortune by really being young. Buy more clothes, all the things you’ve always wanted and never thought you’d have, a car—”
“I couldn’t drive a car.”
“No, but you could learn. In the meantime you could have someone to drive you.”
“A chauffeur?”
“Why not? You’ve got to get about, and it’s inconvenient to depend upon taxis and trains. There’s no reason why you shouldn’t return to Giffard’s Prior in your own car, or at least have one delivered to you once you’ve returned there. If you like, I’ll take you round the showrooms myself. In fact, I think I know of a man who could provide you with what you want without any unnecessary delays.”
“Could you ?”
She was suddenly excited by the thought of possessing a car of her own—even more excited than she had been by the opportunity to buy new clothes. She admitted that she had often longed to possess a little car at isolated Stoke Moreton, where dependence on a bus was often most inconvenient.
“Well, drive up to your schoolhouse in something new and shining, and give your old pupils a treat,” Alaine recommended. “What about tomorrow morning? I think I can manage an hour before lunch— perhaps a couple of hours. I’ll pick you up at your hotel.”
So, the following morning, they drove up to a very imposing and well patronised car showroom in Dr. Giffard’s car, and he introduced her to the man he trusted to find her just what she was looking for. Tina was a little alarmed when he left her to make her decision without his assistance, but she realised that being a doctor he was pressed for time, and the young man he had handed her over to seemed extraordinarily helpful. He thought he knew exactly what she wanted, and produced it, as it were, out of a hat.
A sleek grey Bentley, not in the least ostentatious, but enough to make anyone’s eyes pop who knew anything at all about this make of car. And anyone who had known Tina Andrews a month or so before, and was suddenly given to understand that she was the owner of it, would almost certainly have his eyes start right out of
his (or her) head when the information was passed on.
Tina herself felt a hysterical desire to laugh when she remembered little Johnny Gains, and wondered how he would react if she drove up to his cottage in her brand new possession and asked him whether he would like her to take him for a drive on the moor. Johnny’s mouth would almost certainly drop wide open, allowing her to see his broken front teeth, and his eyes would grow as round as marbles.
“Your car? ” he would gasp. “But you can’t possibly own a car like that! You’re the teacher!”
And his mother would look suddenly faintly alarmed, realise all at once that Miss Andrews was no longer the Miss Andrews with whom she had once been quite familiar, and she would probably pull Johnny inside the cottage and tell him not to be rude to the lady.
But the thought of taking Johnny—as well as a few of the other children—for trips into Murchester, the nearest town to Stoke Moreton, and buying them sweets and anything else they fancied in her own car was the thought that suddenly decided her to buy the car. Not to hesitate any longer.
She pulled out her cheque-book shyly, and then felt slightly faint when she had written the cheque. Would Mr. Jasper, and her bank manager, have a joint fit? She was so alarmed about this later on that she telephoned her solicitor and told him what she had done, and was immensely relieved when he laughed and said
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