little interest in the horticultural line. As she walked towards him she rehearsed in her mind how she would bring up the subject of the U.S. publishers.
He glanced up from his perusal of a rhododendron bush. `Ah, you're back,' he said, then turned and looked towards the house. 'It's a bit big for us, you know,' he mused. 'Ought to put it on the market and look for a smaller place.'
Megan gulped. She realised he was only facing facts. What he really meant was that he couldn't afford the upkeep of the house much longer. Considering how much he loved the place, it must have been a painful decision for him; she chided herself for not mentioning Ray's suggestion, although there had not been a suitable occasion before now.
In the event it was easier than she had imagined. She casually mentioned her conversation with Ray, after her father had informed her of the returned manuscript. He had glanced up at the innocent-looking Megan and muttered, 'I wonder ?'
Megan would have loved to have produced the names Ray had given her, but it would have looked too obvious. Mr. Shaw looked back at her. 'You might ask him if he's any particular firm in mind,' he said slowly.
Megan threw caution to the winds. 'He has,' she said quickly, and giving him a wicked grin produced the names.
`That was quick work,' he commented dryly. Megan chuckled, and gave him a quick hug. 'He's
absolutely certain the first one will be interested. You will send it, won't you ?' she pleaded.
`I suppose I shall have to,' he said musingly, 'considering the trouble you two have gone to.'
Collecting Chas later for his walk, Megan felt as if a weight had been taken off her shoulders. She somehow knew that everything was going to work out fine. Her father would place the book. She felt a rush of gratitude towards Ray, and blessed the day he came to the village. Even the previous day's incident did not mar her thoughts. It would not take long for Alain to see that Ray had absolutely no interest in his Iris, and the whole thing would just blow over. In fact, it was highly probable that they would become firm friends.
Mrs. Jones was talkative. She was full of the previous evening's happenings. 'Dear Chas,' she said. `Mr. Drew told me what happened when he brought him back. Just think, if Chas hadn't stopped with you you'd have had to spend the night in that place ! I do think it's about time Mr. Sims did something about that lock, you know.' She carried on quickly, 'I was beginning to be worried, you know, and I did wonder whether you'd gone back to The Foxes with Mr. Hallett. Is he really Vernon Hood?' she broke off to ask suddenly.
Megan nodded. There was no point in denying the fact.
`Oh, isn't it exciting !' exclaimed Mrs. Jones. 'Why, only a few months ago they did a serial on TV of one of his stories, The Golden Glove. Just fancy that ! Our little village will soon be in the limelight, won't it?'
`I do hope not,' Megan said hastily. `Mr. Hallett came here for peace and quiet, you know.'
Mrs. Jones nodded understandingly, then said with a note of satisfaction in her voice, `To think that I actually met him ! I've read all his books !'
Megan's happy mood continued as she walked Chas across the recreation field. It did not even disperse when she caught sight of Alain striding towards her. She guessed his mission, but felt confident of allaying his suspicions of Ray's character.
For a while he walked beside her and talked of the estate matters. Although suspecting she was just being lulled into a false sense of security, Megan listened with interest, because she was interested. She had grown up roaming about the estate, tagging along behind Alain. She understood the problems entailed in running it, apart, that was, from the farm area.
When he suddenly changed the subject, she was ready for it.
`Tuppence, I don't think you ought to continue working for that man,' he said abruptly.
Megan feigned surprise. 'Ray, you mean?'
He shot her a quick look of warning.
He glanced up from his perusal of a rhododendron bush. `Ah, you're back,' he said, then turned and looked towards the house. 'It's a bit big for us, you know,' he mused. 'Ought to put it on the market and look for a smaller place.'
Megan gulped. She realised he was only facing facts. What he really meant was that he couldn't afford the upkeep of the house much longer. Considering how much he loved the place, it must have been a painful decision for him; she chided herself for not mentioning Ray's suggestion, although there had not been a suitable occasion before now.
In the event it was easier than she had imagined. She casually mentioned her conversation with Ray, after her father had informed her of the returned manuscript. He had glanced up at the innocent-looking Megan and muttered, 'I wonder ?'
Megan would have loved to have produced the names Ray had given her, but it would have looked too obvious. Mr. Shaw looked back at her. 'You might ask him if he's any particular firm in mind,' he said slowly.
Megan threw caution to the winds. 'He has,' she said quickly, and giving him a wicked grin produced the names.
`That was quick work,' he commented dryly. Megan chuckled, and gave him a quick hug. 'He's
absolutely certain the first one will be interested. You will send it, won't you ?' she pleaded.
`I suppose I shall have to,' he said musingly, 'considering the trouble you two have gone to.'
Collecting Chas later for his walk, Megan felt as if a weight had been taken off her shoulders. She somehow knew that everything was going to work out fine. Her father would place the book. She felt a rush of gratitude towards Ray, and blessed the day he came to the village. Even the previous day's incident did not mar her thoughts. It would not take long for Alain to see that Ray had absolutely no interest in his Iris, and the whole thing would just blow over. In fact, it was highly probable that they would become firm friends.
Mrs. Jones was talkative. She was full of the previous evening's happenings. 'Dear Chas,' she said. `Mr. Drew told me what happened when he brought him back. Just think, if Chas hadn't stopped with you you'd have had to spend the night in that place ! I do think it's about time Mr. Sims did something about that lock, you know.' She carried on quickly, 'I was beginning to be worried, you know, and I did wonder whether you'd gone back to The Foxes with Mr. Hallett. Is he really Vernon Hood?' she broke off to ask suddenly.
Megan nodded. There was no point in denying the fact.
`Oh, isn't it exciting !' exclaimed Mrs. Jones. 'Why, only a few months ago they did a serial on TV of one of his stories, The Golden Glove. Just fancy that ! Our little village will soon be in the limelight, won't it?'
`I do hope not,' Megan said hastily. `Mr. Hallett came here for peace and quiet, you know.'
Mrs. Jones nodded understandingly, then said with a note of satisfaction in her voice, `To think that I actually met him ! I've read all his books !'
Megan's happy mood continued as she walked Chas across the recreation field. It did not even disperse when she caught sight of Alain striding towards her. She guessed his mission, but felt confident of allaying his suspicions of Ray's character.
For a while he walked beside her and talked of the estate matters. Although suspecting she was just being lulled into a false sense of security, Megan listened with interest, because she was interested. She had grown up roaming about the estate, tagging along behind Alain. She understood the problems entailed in running it, apart, that was, from the farm area.
When he suddenly changed the subject, she was ready for it.
`Tuppence, I don't think you ought to continue working for that man,' he said abruptly.
Megan feigned surprise. 'Ray, you mean?'
He shot her a quick look of warning.
Similar Books
