ruined.’
Andrew pointed the brolly to the ground while he felt for the lever to release the spring. Then he opened it up and held it out to protect his sister from the rain as they stepped down on to the pavement. To his dismay he felt the large, sturdy brolly push against someone, and then he heard a cry and the sound of items rolling on the pavement. He instinctively threw the brolly back into the entrance of the office block out of the way, then turned to see what damage he’d caused. To his horror, he saw a girl lying on the pavement, attempting to raise herself up by her elbows. Scattered around her on the wet pavement were letters of various sizes, and the contents of an open handbag.
‘Oh, I am so sorry. I was clumsy and thoughtless. It was my fault entirely, and you have my sincere apologies.’ He held out his hand. ‘Here, let me help you up.’
The girl ignored his hand. She seemed dazed at first, as she viewed the letters lying near her being drenched by the heavy rain. And to Andrew’s amazement she began to chuckle, as though finding humour in her predicament. Then for the first time she looked up at Andrew, and he found himself staring into a face that caused his heart to miss several beats. A wide, generous mouth, cupid’s-bow lips, hazel eyes bright with laughter, and white, perfect teeth. Framing this picture was a mass of curly golden hair. Andrew was mesmerized and couldn’t tear his eyes away, until the girl spoke.
‘As you put me down here, the least you can do is help me up.’
Charlotte had never encounted such a situation, and all she could think of doing to help the girl was to pick up her belongings from the pavement. She had them in her hands when she said, ‘Please help the poor girl, Andrew, she will be soaking wet. And her clothes must be ruined.’
By this time Andrew had pulled the girl to her feet, feeling shy and awkward. That wasn’t like him; he was usually very sure of himself, and never shy in the presence of females. But then again, he had never met a girl who had had this effect on him. He watched as she examined her white raincoat, and wasn’t surprised when she was angry at finding that it was filthy dirty, and had a big tear in the back.
Charlotte couldn’t understand why her brother was so quiet, when he really should be making a fuss over the girl after the trouble he’d caused. It was no joke being pushed over and having passers-by gawping at you. ‘I’ve collected the letters you dropped, my dear, but I’m afraid they’re wet and dirty. And really you must let Andrew pay for your clothes to be cleaned and repaired. It’s the least he can do.’
‘Of course I’ll reimburse you,’ Andrew said. ‘But would you like to come inside and clean yourself up while we discuss the trouble I’ve caused? If your coat is torn, then it would be only right that I should pay for a replacement.’
‘I am in working time, and those letters should have been delivered by now.’ The girl held her hand out to Charlotte. ‘I’ll take them off you now, and my bag and contents. And I’d like you to tell your boyfriend that in future he should look where he’s going. If I’d been an old lady, he could have caused me a lot of pain.’
As she began to walk away, wiping the letters with the sleeve of her coat, Andrew went with her. ‘Please let me make amends for my stupidity. As I have ruined your coat and madeyou late with your work, surely you’ll allow me to ease my conscience?’
The girl turned her head and her eyes met his. ‘You have also made me ladder my stockings, so you can have that on your conscience as well. For under no circumstances would I take money off a total stranger. I’m sure my coat will clean up, and I can darn my stockings. I’m more concerned about the letters I was sent to deliver. It won’t do much for my reputation that I can’t even manage such a simple task.’ She eyed Andrew. ‘Still, I’ll live, so don’t waste any time
Andrew pointed the brolly to the ground while he felt for the lever to release the spring. Then he opened it up and held it out to protect his sister from the rain as they stepped down on to the pavement. To his dismay he felt the large, sturdy brolly push against someone, and then he heard a cry and the sound of items rolling on the pavement. He instinctively threw the brolly back into the entrance of the office block out of the way, then turned to see what damage he’d caused. To his horror, he saw a girl lying on the pavement, attempting to raise herself up by her elbows. Scattered around her on the wet pavement were letters of various sizes, and the contents of an open handbag.
‘Oh, I am so sorry. I was clumsy and thoughtless. It was my fault entirely, and you have my sincere apologies.’ He held out his hand. ‘Here, let me help you up.’
The girl ignored his hand. She seemed dazed at first, as she viewed the letters lying near her being drenched by the heavy rain. And to Andrew’s amazement she began to chuckle, as though finding humour in her predicament. Then for the first time she looked up at Andrew, and he found himself staring into a face that caused his heart to miss several beats. A wide, generous mouth, cupid’s-bow lips, hazel eyes bright with laughter, and white, perfect teeth. Framing this picture was a mass of curly golden hair. Andrew was mesmerized and couldn’t tear his eyes away, until the girl spoke.
‘As you put me down here, the least you can do is help me up.’
Charlotte had never encounted such a situation, and all she could think of doing to help the girl was to pick up her belongings from the pavement. She had them in her hands when she said, ‘Please help the poor girl, Andrew, she will be soaking wet. And her clothes must be ruined.’
By this time Andrew had pulled the girl to her feet, feeling shy and awkward. That wasn’t like him; he was usually very sure of himself, and never shy in the presence of females. But then again, he had never met a girl who had had this effect on him. He watched as she examined her white raincoat, and wasn’t surprised when she was angry at finding that it was filthy dirty, and had a big tear in the back.
Charlotte couldn’t understand why her brother was so quiet, when he really should be making a fuss over the girl after the trouble he’d caused. It was no joke being pushed over and having passers-by gawping at you. ‘I’ve collected the letters you dropped, my dear, but I’m afraid they’re wet and dirty. And really you must let Andrew pay for your clothes to be cleaned and repaired. It’s the least he can do.’
‘Of course I’ll reimburse you,’ Andrew said. ‘But would you like to come inside and clean yourself up while we discuss the trouble I’ve caused? If your coat is torn, then it would be only right that I should pay for a replacement.’
‘I am in working time, and those letters should have been delivered by now.’ The girl held her hand out to Charlotte. ‘I’ll take them off you now, and my bag and contents. And I’d like you to tell your boyfriend that in future he should look where he’s going. If I’d been an old lady, he could have caused me a lot of pain.’
As she began to walk away, wiping the letters with the sleeve of her coat, Andrew went with her. ‘Please let me make amends for my stupidity. As I have ruined your coat and madeyou late with your work, surely you’ll allow me to ease my conscience?’
The girl turned her head and her eyes met his. ‘You have also made me ladder my stockings, so you can have that on your conscience as well. For under no circumstances would I take money off a total stranger. I’m sure my coat will clean up, and I can darn my stockings. I’m more concerned about the letters I was sent to deliver. It won’t do much for my reputation that I can’t even manage such a simple task.’ She eyed Andrew. ‘Still, I’ll live, so don’t waste any time
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