Free A Girl Called Tegi by Katrina Britt Page A

intriguing person. He makes you feel all feminine and important. And he doesn’t have to count his cash. He’s generous with his tips,’ Dorothy insisted.
    ‘He has need to be—he’s making plenty out of the public. This boutique he’s opening tomorrow will pay him quite a tidy fee,’ Tegi said practically.
    Her sister said loftily, ‘I’m sure I don’t care how he gets his cash. It’s nice being taken out by someone who doesn’t need to query the bill. So just you keep away from him.’ She slid down into bed in the silence greeting her from the next bed. ‘Did you hear me? Just keep away from him,’ she repeated.
    But Tegi was sensibly feigning sleep. She had suffered more than enough for one day from her sister . It made her blood run cold to know how hard she was about money. She thought wistfully how nice it would have been if the affection existing between them in their schooldays had grown stronger. That it still existed at all was something she doubted. Certainly where Dorothy was concerned it never had.
    The sudden realisation of it dried up her throat and brought an ache to her heart. The even breathing of her sister in the other bed told her that Dorothy was already asleep. Listening to her, Tegi told herself Dorothy had a lot to learn about people and life.
    Colin did not show up the next lunchtime, and Tegi had her lunch sitting on the sea-fr o nt alone. No doubt he had taken umbrage at her snub the even in g before when he had called and she had told her father to tell him to get lost. Mentally, she shrugged the matter off, but felt bound to telephone him that afternoon before she left the bank.
    Yes, he had been hurt, he admitted on the telephone, and had thought it best to let her cool off before seeing her again. Tegi apologised and told him it had not been her day. He then asked her if she would see him that evening.
    Dorothy had gone out when she arrived home. Gary met her at the door and borrowed ten pence. He was going to see the riders for next week’s races on a practice run, he told her. Tegi thought immediately of Tony and then pushed him at the back of her mind.
    Colin called for her around half past seven. He was a bit late, having had to take his parents to a friends for dinner. He thought they could go home to his place and have coffee on the veranda. It was a nice evening and they had the place all to themselves.
    The house was up on a hill with a fine view of Ramsey bay. Colin’s father had a good position in the Civil Service in Douglas and the house had every modern convenience.
    Tegi followed him into the hall where a Chinese rug decorated a polished parquet floor. The kitchen had a picture window and shining tops on either side of the sink unit. On one of the working tops stood a silver coffee pot, and Colin made for it.
    ‘I’ll make the coffee,’ he said. ‘What would you like to eat? We can have a chicken sandwich if you like, or biscuits? Or what about a cheese sandwich?’
    ‘A biscuit will do for me,’ said Tegi, and listened to the roar of the motorbikes on their practice run around the circuit of the island. She said, ‘Gary has gone to watch the bike practice.’
    ‘Did you want to go ?’
    Colin brought the freshly made coffee to the kitchen table, and brought out a tin of biscuits.
    She shook her head. ‘No . Can we have our coffee here in the kitchen? It’s cosy.’
    He put out pretty china cups and saucers and poured out the coffee.
    ‘You don’t want to sit on the veranda because of the noise of the motorbikes. Isn’t that so?’ he said, handing her a cup of coffee. ‘You don’t like them, do you?’
    Tegi poured cream into her coffee but did not look up. ‘I don’t mind them as long as no one I’m fond of is taking part in the races,’ she replied evenly.
    He sat down opposite to her at the table and reached for a biscuit from the open tin. All around them the kitchen was impregnated with the smell of coffee and the evening sun slanted