Free When Wishes Come True by Joan Jonker Page A

break, Mrs Sinclair. Mr Astbury is writing to all the clients who have retained him over the years. He wishes to let them know personally that he will be leaving and to thank them for their loyalty over the years so I imagine his dictation will take at least an hour. You are more than welcome to make full use of my office then.’
    Mildred Saunders hadn’t realised until now how happy she would be to retire. She would have more time to devote to her mother, and even enjoy a limited social life herself. She would never have retired while Mr Astbury still worked, but both of them now deserved a more leisurely kind of life, and she could see herself sitting in the garden on a sunny afternoon, with her dear mother, enjoying a pot of tea. How blissfully happy she would be.
    Evelyn tutted when her finger landed on the wrong key and the word on the paper came up as ‘would’ instead of ‘could’. ‘I really am very stupid,’ she muttered. ‘I should know better by now.’
    ‘We all make mistakes, even the best of us.’
    She spun around, her face crimson. ‘I’m sorry, I didn’t hear the door open and you’ve taken me by surprise.’ The man standing inside the door was tall and slim with pale brown hair and bright blue eyes. He was dressed in a suit of the finest tweed, an expensive shirt and silk tie, and wore an air of confidence that was so obvious you felt you could stretch out your hand and touch it. It was a long time since Evelyn had seen a man dressed in such fine attire, or one who was so very attractive. She pushed her chair back. ‘If it’s Miss Saunders you wish to see, I’m afraid she’s taking dictation from Mr Astbury. If you will tell me your name, I will let her know you are here.’
    ‘There’s no need, I’ve just come from my uncle’s office where he is keeping Miss Saunders very busy dictating dozens and dozens of letters.’ Philip Astbury leaned against the frame of the door, a man at ease with himself. ‘I was on my way to see Mr Woodward when I heard someone in here calling themselves stupid. I wasn’t listening at the door, it was ajar and I couldn’t fail to hear. I was rather curious to see this stupid person.’ He moved away from the door and approached her with hand outstretched. ‘Philip Astbury, delighted to meet you.’
    Evelyn took his hand. ‘Evelyn Sinclair.’
    ‘I will be joining the firm as of today, but will not be taking over completely from my uncle until he retires in two weeks. In the meantime I shall be looking and learning, and making myself familiar with the files of our clients. And you, Evelyn Sinclair, what is your position here? Oh, and is that Miss Sinclair?’
    She shook her head. ‘I’m a widow, my husband was killed in the war. And I’m more or less the junior here because I do the menial chores. I came back to work to give my life some meaning. I was wallowing in self-pity for too long and allowed myself to lose contact with all my friends. Consequently my social life was non-existent. At least coming here every day gives me a reason for getting out of bed. I don’t work full-time at present, but that may change in the near future.’
    ‘And would it be presumptuous of me to ask why you think you are stupid?’
    Evelyn lowered her eyes coyly, remembering how Charles had found this habit very endearing. ‘It’s a while since I sat behind a typewriter and I was calling myself stupid for having forgotten the position of all the keys. I had no idea the door wasn’t closed properly or that I would be overheard. I’m not actually stupid, just finding it rather strange. But that’s something I can easily overcome, and I am determined to do so.’
    Philip had an eye for a pretty face, and found Evelyn very pleasing to look at. A bachelor of thirty-three, he had many women friends, but with him it was a case of love them and leave them. He led a very enjoyable life as a single man and no woman had yet been able to lure him away from it. ‘I hear