out of the room. It seemed almost too easy, he thought as he began to mount the stairs. Now the next move was to get Kit to tell Miss Pearson that Alice not only was going to sit for a bank examination but she had found a boy - friend.
He was humming to himself as he reached the head of the stairs when he became aware of a girl looking at him and waiting to pass. He paused, staring at her, his blue eyes suddenly alert.
The girl was fair, young and pretty. She was wearing a white sweat-shirt and white shorts. She carried a tennis racket. In that get-up, Calvin was quick to see how well made she w as and his eyes ran over her young body with quick appreciation.
‘I’m sorry,’ he said, switching on all hi s charm. ‘I didn ’t see you … you must be Miss Loring.’
‘Yes, that’s right. You must be Mr. Calvin. Kit said you were staying here.’ She smiled and he saw at once he had impressed her. He reached the head of the stairs and stood aside.
‘Getting some exercise?’ he said as she began to move past him.
‘Yes … I don’t get much chance … Sunday is really my only time for a game.’
‘You’re working nights, I understand. That’s why we haven’t met.’ He was loath to let her go. There was something exciting in her young freshness that appealed to him.
‘That’s right,’ she said, w aved her racket and went on down the stairs.
He turned to watch her, his eyes roving over her neat young figure. W hen she went out of the house, cl osing the front door behind her, he felt suddenly bored and lonely. He had thought of a round of golf. Now he couldn’t be bothered. He went into his room, sat down and stared out of the window.
It might have made him happier if he could have known what was going on in Iris Lor ing’s mind as she got into the estate w agon and started the engine.
She was thinking: Hmm … he’s quite a man. He’s like a movie star. That stare he has. I felt he was looking right through my clothes, but not in a horrid way either. It was rather exciting. She giggled. He is a man who knows his own mind … that smile … Hmm … yes … quite a man!
She found Ken Tr a vers w aiting for her at the Country Cl ub. They played two strenuous sets of tennis, then went and sat under a tree where they could talk.
‘Ken … I’m worried,’ Iris sa id abruptly. ‘It may not be any thing, but I have a suspicion that Kit is drinking again.’
‘Oh, hell!’ Travers showed his shocked distress. ‘What makes you think that?’
‘When she was really bad … it must be over two years now, she always had a glassy, set expression in her eyes. I could always tell by that if she had been drinking. This morning when she came into my room, there was that same expression.’
‘What are you going to do?’
‘I don’t know. I can’t bear to think of it starting again after what she has gone through. I don’t think I can face having that all over again.’
‘But you just can’t do nothing,’ Travers said, his voice sharpen ing. ‘She’s done a hell of a lot for you. I admit I have no cause to like your mother. She doesn’t like me and she’s stopped us marrying, but at least, I have to admire her for what she has done for you. You can’t let her down now if she needs help. Why not ask her outright?’
‘She would never admit it. I think maybe I’ll talk to Dr. Sterling. He knows what she’s been through. I know nothing I say will do any good. Besides, I may be wrong. I’ve had it on my mind all the morning. I just had to share it with you.’
He put h is hand on hers.
‘We ll , watch her. If you think … we ll, Dr. Sterling is a good friend of hers. Maybe you should speak to him.’
‘I’ll see how she is tonight. Let’s get some tea. I could be wrong.’ She stood up. ‘I hope I am. The thought of that awful business starting again … ’
They walked in silence to the tea pavilion. Then when they had got tea from the bar, they stood in the sunshine, sipping
He was humming to himself as he reached the head of the stairs when he became aware of a girl looking at him and waiting to pass. He paused, staring at her, his blue eyes suddenly alert.
The girl was fair, young and pretty. She was wearing a white sweat-shirt and white shorts. She carried a tennis racket. In that get-up, Calvin was quick to see how well made she w as and his eyes ran over her young body with quick appreciation.
‘I’m sorry,’ he said, switching on all hi s charm. ‘I didn ’t see you … you must be Miss Loring.’
‘Yes, that’s right. You must be Mr. Calvin. Kit said you were staying here.’ She smiled and he saw at once he had impressed her. He reached the head of the stairs and stood aside.
‘Getting some exercise?’ he said as she began to move past him.
‘Yes … I don’t get much chance … Sunday is really my only time for a game.’
‘You’re working nights, I understand. That’s why we haven’t met.’ He was loath to let her go. There was something exciting in her young freshness that appealed to him.
‘That’s right,’ she said, w aved her racket and went on down the stairs.
He turned to watch her, his eyes roving over her neat young figure. W hen she went out of the house, cl osing the front door behind her, he felt suddenly bored and lonely. He had thought of a round of golf. Now he couldn’t be bothered. He went into his room, sat down and stared out of the window.
It might have made him happier if he could have known what was going on in Iris Lor ing’s mind as she got into the estate w agon and started the engine.
She was thinking: Hmm … he’s quite a man. He’s like a movie star. That stare he has. I felt he was looking right through my clothes, but not in a horrid way either. It was rather exciting. She giggled. He is a man who knows his own mind … that smile … Hmm … yes … quite a man!
She found Ken Tr a vers w aiting for her at the Country Cl ub. They played two strenuous sets of tennis, then went and sat under a tree where they could talk.
‘Ken … I’m worried,’ Iris sa id abruptly. ‘It may not be any thing, but I have a suspicion that Kit is drinking again.’
‘Oh, hell!’ Travers showed his shocked distress. ‘What makes you think that?’
‘When she was really bad … it must be over two years now, she always had a glassy, set expression in her eyes. I could always tell by that if she had been drinking. This morning when she came into my room, there was that same expression.’
‘What are you going to do?’
‘I don’t know. I can’t bear to think of it starting again after what she has gone through. I don’t think I can face having that all over again.’
‘But you just can’t do nothing,’ Travers said, his voice sharpen ing. ‘She’s done a hell of a lot for you. I admit I have no cause to like your mother. She doesn’t like me and she’s stopped us marrying, but at least, I have to admire her for what she has done for you. You can’t let her down now if she needs help. Why not ask her outright?’
‘She would never admit it. I think maybe I’ll talk to Dr. Sterling. He knows what she’s been through. I know nothing I say will do any good. Besides, I may be wrong. I’ve had it on my mind all the morning. I just had to share it with you.’
He put h is hand on hers.
‘We ll , watch her. If you think … we ll, Dr. Sterling is a good friend of hers. Maybe you should speak to him.’
‘I’ll see how she is tonight. Let’s get some tea. I could be wrong.’ She stood up. ‘I hope I am. The thought of that awful business starting again … ’
They walked in silence to the tea pavilion. Then when they had got tea from the bar, they stood in the sunshine, sipping
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