We've gotten rather carried away, I'm afraid," she said, motioning toward the littered table.
She bent to the child to say hello and perform the introduction of Jody. In the presence of the older child, Jody seemed shy as well.
"Maybe Karen would like to help you paste," Leigh suggested gently as she retrieved the scissors she had been using and put them away on a high shelf. Leaving the children to their cautious observance of each other, she turned to her guest.
"Would you like some coffee?"
The woman accepted, and while Leigh was busy at the sink looked with interest around the shabby, but now spotlessly clean room.
"I hope you don't mind my dropping by like this," she said, sitting down in the kitchen chair Leigh indicated. "I wanted to give you time to settle in, but I was dying to meet you."
"I'm glad you came over," Leigh assured her warmly. "I like company and I'm sure Jody will be delighted to have someone her own age to play with for a change."
She glanced at the two children, who still seemed wary with each other. Jody was pasting, with Karen an interested onlooker.
"I heard about Bob's accident," Betty said softly. "It was nice of you to give up your honeymoon to take care of Jody." Her voice was full of admiration and Leigh felt like a terrible fraud.
Deep in thought, she opened the refrigerator door to reach for a container of milk. She had wondered if Jason would try to keep her identity and presence at the cottage a secret since she was here only temporarily, but apparently he had not. Betty obviously knew who she was. That Jason's wife would be an object of curiosity around here, Leigh had no doubt.
Leigh gave the children each a glass of milk and a cookie, which seemed to help break the ice, and suggested that she and Betty go into the living room if the children wouldn't mind.
Betty Pender looked to be in her twenties— about Leigh's age, in fact. She was an open, friendly sort of person who chatted away, telling Leigh about herself. Her husband was Jason's farm manager. Apparently Jason's extensive business interests had grown so much that three years ago he had hired Jim Pender to take over the actual running of the farm. The Penders had come here from a city, Betty said, where Jim, country-bred, had hated every minute of his job as an accountant there.
"He saw Jason's ad in the newspaper, and here we are," Betty explained with a slight shrug of her shoulders. "If Jim has his way, we'll be here forever. This farm is his idea of heaven."
Her personal narrative finished, Betty turned candidly to Leigh.
"You were certainly a surprise to us. We were bowled over when we heard that Jason had brought a bride back from Raleigh." Her wide mouth turned up in a grin. "Of course, Jason keeps his business to himself and he's never been one to waste any time."
Nodding, Leigh busied herself with the coffeepot, offering Betty a refill. She was uncomfortable, feeling more than ever in a false position with this pleasant woman. Leigh hated the thought of deceiving anyone and yet, here she was, forced to act the part of Jason's new bride when in reality she was not much more than a baby-sitter, with the so-called marriage between her and Jason soon to be dissolved. What would Betty think when she discovered the truth?
"You were a fashion model?" Betty queried, and then shook her head ruefully. "I'm sorry. I must seem very nosy. This is such a small community that everyone knows all about everyone else. Sort of a local pastime. When someone new arrives, well, you can imagine the talk." She spread her hands expressively.
Leigh forced a laugh and tried to relax. "I understand, but I doubt if small communities have a monopoly on curiosity." She sat back in her chair. "Yes, I am, er, was a fashion model."
"It must have been exciting—parties, discos, meeting celebrities." Betty's voice betrayed a trace of wistfulness.
"Oh, it wasn't as glamorous as all that," Leigh disclaimed honestly. "At least, not for me.
She bent to the child to say hello and perform the introduction of Jody. In the presence of the older child, Jody seemed shy as well.
"Maybe Karen would like to help you paste," Leigh suggested gently as she retrieved the scissors she had been using and put them away on a high shelf. Leaving the children to their cautious observance of each other, she turned to her guest.
"Would you like some coffee?"
The woman accepted, and while Leigh was busy at the sink looked with interest around the shabby, but now spotlessly clean room.
"I hope you don't mind my dropping by like this," she said, sitting down in the kitchen chair Leigh indicated. "I wanted to give you time to settle in, but I was dying to meet you."
"I'm glad you came over," Leigh assured her warmly. "I like company and I'm sure Jody will be delighted to have someone her own age to play with for a change."
She glanced at the two children, who still seemed wary with each other. Jody was pasting, with Karen an interested onlooker.
"I heard about Bob's accident," Betty said softly. "It was nice of you to give up your honeymoon to take care of Jody." Her voice was full of admiration and Leigh felt like a terrible fraud.
Deep in thought, she opened the refrigerator door to reach for a container of milk. She had wondered if Jason would try to keep her identity and presence at the cottage a secret since she was here only temporarily, but apparently he had not. Betty obviously knew who she was. That Jason's wife would be an object of curiosity around here, Leigh had no doubt.
Leigh gave the children each a glass of milk and a cookie, which seemed to help break the ice, and suggested that she and Betty go into the living room if the children wouldn't mind.
Betty Pender looked to be in her twenties— about Leigh's age, in fact. She was an open, friendly sort of person who chatted away, telling Leigh about herself. Her husband was Jason's farm manager. Apparently Jason's extensive business interests had grown so much that three years ago he had hired Jim Pender to take over the actual running of the farm. The Penders had come here from a city, Betty said, where Jim, country-bred, had hated every minute of his job as an accountant there.
"He saw Jason's ad in the newspaper, and here we are," Betty explained with a slight shrug of her shoulders. "If Jim has his way, we'll be here forever. This farm is his idea of heaven."
Her personal narrative finished, Betty turned candidly to Leigh.
"You were certainly a surprise to us. We were bowled over when we heard that Jason had brought a bride back from Raleigh." Her wide mouth turned up in a grin. "Of course, Jason keeps his business to himself and he's never been one to waste any time."
Nodding, Leigh busied herself with the coffeepot, offering Betty a refill. She was uncomfortable, feeling more than ever in a false position with this pleasant woman. Leigh hated the thought of deceiving anyone and yet, here she was, forced to act the part of Jason's new bride when in reality she was not much more than a baby-sitter, with the so-called marriage between her and Jason soon to be dissolved. What would Betty think when she discovered the truth?
"You were a fashion model?" Betty queried, and then shook her head ruefully. "I'm sorry. I must seem very nosy. This is such a small community that everyone knows all about everyone else. Sort of a local pastime. When someone new arrives, well, you can imagine the talk." She spread her hands expressively.
Leigh forced a laugh and tried to relax. "I understand, but I doubt if small communities have a monopoly on curiosity." She sat back in her chair. "Yes, I am, er, was a fashion model."
"It must have been exciting—parties, discos, meeting celebrities." Betty's voice betrayed a trace of wistfulness.
"Oh, it wasn't as glamorous as all that," Leigh disclaimed honestly. "At least, not for me.
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