warmly. ‘Well, I’m glad to know that.’
‘And you?’
‘I’m Joel Asa Goodhart.’
‘Asa – well, there’s a famous name.’
‘Famous?’
‘
Our American Cousin
,’ she said. ‘The play that President Lincoln was watching when he was assassinated last year.’
‘Oh, yes,’ Joel said. ‘Asa. The American cousin was Asa, wasn’t he?’
‘But Goodhart,’ Lily said. ‘I’ve only heard of one Goodhart – the big draper’s stores in Corster and Bath.’
Joel said nothing, and Lily looked at him for a moment, then said, ‘Is that you, Joel? Are you
that
Goodhart?’
He gave a little nod and said wryly, ‘For my sins, I’m afraid so.’
‘Really? And there’s one in France too, I read.’
‘In Paris, that’s right.’
‘How is that – that there’s one in Paris?’
‘My mother is French. She inherited the Paris store from her father.’ He looked at Lily’s wide eyes. ‘You look – so surprised.’
‘Well, I am. Of course I am.’ She thought about it for a moment. ‘So you’ll be going into the family business, will you?’
‘Eventually, yes, when I finish at university. Though I’m getting my hand in in the meantime, working at the stores during the summer break. Getting experience.’
She nodded. ‘And studying to be a lawyer. Mm, I think you must have quite a future ahead of you, Joel.’
He merely smiled at this. Further along the bank the mallard drake and duck took to the water and moved smoothly away.
‘If you can’t be a schoolmistress,’ Joel said, ‘what d’you think you might do?’
‘I don’t know. Mr Micawber always thought something would turn up, but in my case – I’m not so sure. I don’t know. Maybe I could go as a companion to a rich lady and travel the world.’
‘Would you like to do that? Travel the world?’
‘Well, it would be exciting – having never been further than Corster or Redbury. I can only imagine what those foreign cities must be like. I’ve read about them, of course, and they all sound so different – Paris, St Petersburg, Rome. And what about Venice, where they don’t have any roads or turnpikes? The people have to travel on the canals in those two-fronted boats.’
As she finished speaking she realised that the music had stopped again, and then on the air came the sound of a distant church clock striking the hour of five. She sighed. ‘Oh, dear, something’s telling me that I’d better think about getting back.’
‘Oh, must you go so soon? It’s early yet.’
‘It’s time I went.’ She retied the strings of her bonnet and picked up her bag. Joel stood up beside her.
From the bench by the pond they set off over the grass, joining a pathway that led to the gates. Out on the street they walked side by side until eventually they came to the Corster Road. A little distance along, Lily came to a stop.
‘It’s just a short way now,’ she said.
‘Shall I see you again?’ Joel asked.
She had expected the question, part of her mind dreadingit, part hoping for it, and she was in turmoil. But she must say no. She must refuse him. For a while back there she had been a little carried away by the sheer pleasure of his company, and by the music and the sunshine, and for that time she had allowed herself to forget the reality of her situation. But as he had said, it had to be faced. She was a maid, a simple domestic. Whatever her aspirations, that was all she was.
‘Shall I?’ he said. ‘Next Sunday? By the park gates?’
She said after a moment, ‘I don’t get much time off.’
‘But you’ll have a little time to spare, surely – after you get the old lady her dinner.’
She said nothing.
‘Just a few minutes,’ Joel said.
After a second she gave a nod. ‘Yes – all right. Just for a while.’
He smiled. ‘Good. That’s excellent.’
‘I must bring you your book back too.’
‘Will you have finished it by then?’
‘I don’t know – but you must have it back.’
‘I’m in no
‘And you?’
‘I’m Joel Asa Goodhart.’
‘Asa – well, there’s a famous name.’
‘Famous?’
‘
Our American Cousin
,’ she said. ‘The play that President Lincoln was watching when he was assassinated last year.’
‘Oh, yes,’ Joel said. ‘Asa. The American cousin was Asa, wasn’t he?’
‘But Goodhart,’ Lily said. ‘I’ve only heard of one Goodhart – the big draper’s stores in Corster and Bath.’
Joel said nothing, and Lily looked at him for a moment, then said, ‘Is that you, Joel? Are you
that
Goodhart?’
He gave a little nod and said wryly, ‘For my sins, I’m afraid so.’
‘Really? And there’s one in France too, I read.’
‘In Paris, that’s right.’
‘How is that – that there’s one in Paris?’
‘My mother is French. She inherited the Paris store from her father.’ He looked at Lily’s wide eyes. ‘You look – so surprised.’
‘Well, I am. Of course I am.’ She thought about it for a moment. ‘So you’ll be going into the family business, will you?’
‘Eventually, yes, when I finish at university. Though I’m getting my hand in in the meantime, working at the stores during the summer break. Getting experience.’
She nodded. ‘And studying to be a lawyer. Mm, I think you must have quite a future ahead of you, Joel.’
He merely smiled at this. Further along the bank the mallard drake and duck took to the water and moved smoothly away.
‘If you can’t be a schoolmistress,’ Joel said, ‘what d’you think you might do?’
‘I don’t know. Mr Micawber always thought something would turn up, but in my case – I’m not so sure. I don’t know. Maybe I could go as a companion to a rich lady and travel the world.’
‘Would you like to do that? Travel the world?’
‘Well, it would be exciting – having never been further than Corster or Redbury. I can only imagine what those foreign cities must be like. I’ve read about them, of course, and they all sound so different – Paris, St Petersburg, Rome. And what about Venice, where they don’t have any roads or turnpikes? The people have to travel on the canals in those two-fronted boats.’
As she finished speaking she realised that the music had stopped again, and then on the air came the sound of a distant church clock striking the hour of five. She sighed. ‘Oh, dear, something’s telling me that I’d better think about getting back.’
‘Oh, must you go so soon? It’s early yet.’
‘It’s time I went.’ She retied the strings of her bonnet and picked up her bag. Joel stood up beside her.
From the bench by the pond they set off over the grass, joining a pathway that led to the gates. Out on the street they walked side by side until eventually they came to the Corster Road. A little distance along, Lily came to a stop.
‘It’s just a short way now,’ she said.
‘Shall I see you again?’ Joel asked.
She had expected the question, part of her mind dreadingit, part hoping for it, and she was in turmoil. But she must say no. She must refuse him. For a while back there she had been a little carried away by the sheer pleasure of his company, and by the music and the sunshine, and for that time she had allowed herself to forget the reality of her situation. But as he had said, it had to be faced. She was a maid, a simple domestic. Whatever her aspirations, that was all she was.
‘Shall I?’ he said. ‘Next Sunday? By the park gates?’
She said after a moment, ‘I don’t get much time off.’
‘But you’ll have a little time to spare, surely – after you get the old lady her dinner.’
She said nothing.
‘Just a few minutes,’ Joel said.
After a second she gave a nod. ‘Yes – all right. Just for a while.’
He smiled. ‘Good. That’s excellent.’
‘I must bring you your book back too.’
‘Will you have finished it by then?’
‘I don’t know – but you must have it back.’
‘I’m in no
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