Free Promise the Doctor by Marjorie Norrell Page B

words which seemed to come tumbling over themselves in an effort to make her understand. ‘I’m glad for you, for all of you. You know that. That was a big enough pill to swallow on its own account, knowing you could go on being as independent as the old lady herself, to the end of your own days if you wished, without what happened tonight. When we met that Doctor Quentin and I saw the way he looked at you, I knew right away things were going to be ... wrong for me, right from now onwards. He fell for you, Joy. I don’t blame him. But you don’t know anything about him! He’s good-looking. He seems to have money, and everything his heart could wish for, including a nice home, good parents and all the rest of it. Why isn’t he married and established in a home of his own somewhere, with a wife to look after his welfare and his practice or whatever you call it? Maybe he’s just a gay philanderer, and you’re going the right way to let him break your heart!’
    The ready colour flew into Joy’s cheeks. Surely she had not looked at young Doctor Quentin in any way likely to give Pete cause for what was tantamount to an accusation of flirting?
    ‘You have no right to say such things,’ she told him angrily. ‘We’ve only just met the doctor and his family, and they’re very charming and friendly people. There’s no necessity whatsoever for all this sort of thing! You may be almost like an elder brother so far as I’m concerned, but I intend to live my own life...’
    ‘That’s just it,’ Pete burst in, equally angrily. ‘I’m not your brother, and I don’t look upon you as a sister either! I’ve thought about this ever since your mother agreed to let me undertake articles. I could have done some other job, maybe some manual work on the buildings or in a factory, and made enough money to set up a house a lot sooner than this. But I was working on a long-term policy, on something that’s going to be with me all my life, even if there are slumps again or anything like that. I might even try for Inland Revenue work. There’ll always be people with my kind of training there, and opportunities for promotion.’
    ‘I couldn’t agree more.’ Gently but firmly Joy managed to disengage herself from Pete’s arms until she stood just a little apart from him. ‘Don’t think I’m being unkind, Pete,’ she said gently. ‘It’s just that I’ve never thought of you—of anyone—in this way, and this has been an emotional and sufficiently exhausting day as it is without all this at its ending! It won’t be long before we’re both getting up to go to work,’ she reminded him. ‘Put all this behind you for the time being, there’s a good lad. Mother and Lana and Cousin Emma will all be waiting to hear what the house is like and all about everything, so it’s going to be ages before we get to bed.’
    ‘Mother, Lana, Cousin Emma and the twins!’ Pete said, still angry , but now there was a bitterness in his tone which had not been there earlier. ‘You’re always the same, Joy. That’s what makes me love you, I think. You always think of all the others first, just as you’ve always lumped me in and along with them ... what’s best for all has always been your ideal. It’s a wonderful thing, this family feeling, but it’s you I’m thinking of! I love you, Joy...’
    He moved forward and would have taken her in his arms again, but she was too quick for him. Deftly she moved towards the small door which led into the tiny suburban garden.
    ‘You don’t,’ she said gently. ‘You’re just ... used to me, used to my being there all the time. You’ll meet some other girl, maybe before we expect it, with only herself and her own affairs to think about.’
    ‘That’s what I’m trying to tell you.’ Pete moved to stand beside her, his tone pleading. ‘You never know, your mother might meet someone yet. She’s a lovely, charming woman. The twins’ll grow up. They’ll leave you and lead their own