Free A Pearl for Love by Mary Cummins Page A

Those new gem stones in dialite and yttrium aluminate are doing well. ’
    He had been mainly responsible for trying out new ideas. He knew, though, that it was also important to stick to traditional styles, though he argued that if new designs weren ’ t available, how would people know whether they liked them or not?
    ‘ They are selling, if slowly, ‘ he pointed out. ‘ My mistake was to buy too many at the start. ’
    ‘ We all make mistakes, ’ said James, sighing, then suddenly he smiled. ‘ It ’ s good to blow off steam occasionally, though, and we certainly want new ideas. We could do with something that was completely our own. Put your minds to it, and if you come up with something worthwhile, then I ’ ll be happy to try it. Perhaps the new gem stones might be the very thing. After all, it ’ s in your interests, too, Michael. You ’ ll be sharing equally in the firm when you ’ re married to Elizabeth. ’
    Catherine had been unable to help overhearing the conversation. She was in the shop on her own, Elizabeth having gone for lunch, and Miss Pryce being at the bank for Uncle James. The men had been at the other side of the shop, but their voices had carried quite clearly, and although she had cleared her throat, and John had glanced in her direction, they made no attempt to walk away, or to lower their voices.
    Now, sitting in the train, Catherine pondered a little. Was business so very worrying for Uncle James and John? And surely Michael had been staying out for longer than he need. Quite often both she and Elizabeth had had to help out with the watches and clocks.
    She was well used to taking watches for repairs now, and showing new ones to prospective buyers. But she could not explain their relative merits to enquiring people, and unhappily, she had sometimes watched people leave without making up their minds, probably because she wasn ’ t competent enough to make the sale. She had, rather uneasily, explained this to Michael, but he told her to think nothing of it.
    ‘ If they really want it, Catherine, ’ he told her, ‘ they ’ ll have it, no matter what you say. ’
    ‘ Oh, I hope you ’ re right, Michael. ’
    She had felt the pressure of his fingers on her hand, and had quickly pulled away, and gone back to her own counter. She glanced at Elizabeth who didn ’ t appear to notice anything, but her face looked pale and white under the bright lights of the shop, which did so much to turn the sparkling diamonds and other precious stones into some sort of fairyland.
    Catherine pondered on the words she had heard. Uncle James had said Michael would be part of the firm ‘ when he married Elizabeth ’ . But surely he was part of the firm now. He was the only son of Uncle James ’ s partner, who was now dead. Surely the partnership would then go to his only son.
    Unless he had to earn his spurs. Perhaps he and John were both serving some sort of apprenticeship before they had any real responsibility in the firm ... before they became junior partners.
    Catherine gave herself a mental shake. It was none of her business what their position was with the firm. It wasn ’ t good that her mind should keep running on Mike Rodgers, and everything which touched him.
    She was glad to be going back to Perth again. There she might see things in proper perspective.

 
    CHAPTER V
    Mr. and Mrs. Neill were delighted to see Catherine again, and the older woman hugged her warmly. Remembering her thoughts that she might only be loved because of Philip, Catherine felt ashamed. The Neills cared about her for her own sake, and a wave of nostalgia swept over her for what she had lost.
    ‘ You ’ re looking better, dear, isn ’ t she? ’ she appealed to Mr. Neill.
    ‘ You look very well, Catherine, ’ he told her gently, then picked up her case. ‘ I ’ ll take this up to your old room for you. ’
    It was a weekend which Catherine was to remember because it put an end to the rather numbed feelings she