strong and, when he stepped inside, he found he could move around upright with a few inches to spare.
They went to look at the other caravan which was the same shape and size, but much more elaborately fitted, and Kitson only had to take a quick look inside to satisfy himself that it wasn’t the one to buy.
‘I guess the other one is what we’re looking for,’ he said, and as he walked back to the blue and white caravan, he asked, ‘How much is it?’
Pausing beside the caravan, Carter eyed him over. His eyes seemed to be calculating what Kitson might be worth.
‘Well, it’s a strong, well-built job, Mr. Harrison. It’s not flimsy, and it’ll give you years of good service. The list price is three thousand, eight hundred dollars. That is what you would have to pay for it new. This one is second-hand, but as you see, there’s not a scratch on it. Two fellows bought it off me for a hunting trip. They weren’t away more than six weeks so you could say it’s practically new. Since you’re struck on it, and since you’re on your honeymoon, I’ll make a special price. Suppose we say two thousand, five hundred. That’s practically a giveaway price.’
‘Oh, no, we couldn’t possibly afford that,’ Ginny said quickly, cutting off Kitson’s growling protest. ‘If that’s the best you can do, Mr. Carter, then I’m afraid we must look elsewhere.’
Carter smiled at her.
‘It’s a reasonable price, Mrs. Harrison, and you won’t find caravans, lining the road in this district. If you went to St. Lawrence you’ll find caravans, but you’ll also find the prices are a lot sharper than ours. Maybe if this comes a little too high, I can fix you with something smaller. I have a caravan over there that comes out at fifteen hundred, but it’s small, and it’s not overstrong.’
‘I’ll give you eighteen hundred dollars for this,’ Kitson said in a flat, take-it-or-leave-it voice. ‘That’s the best I can do.’
Carter’s insincere smile widened.
‘There’s nothing I would like better, Mr. Harrison, than to do business with you, but not on those terms. Eighteen hundred for a job like this would put me right in the red. But since you are really interested in this job, suppose we say two thousand, three hundred and fifty? That’s the very lowest I can quote.’
Kitson felt his temper rising. He resisted the impulse to take Carter by his shirt front and shake him. The smooth talk, the easy manner, the shrewd calculating eyes goaded him. This man was something that Kitson would have liked to be in his immaculate clothes and his air of superiority.
‘But we can’t afford so much, Mr. Carter,’ Ginny said, and Kitson felt a spurt of anger run through him as he saw the way she was looking at Carter, her eyes large and appealing. Somehow she managed to convey a sex appeal that infuriated Kitson. She had never looked like this at him. ‘Couldn’t you possibly make it two thousand? Frankly, that is all we have.’
Carter ran his thumbnail along his pencil-lined moustache.
As he appeared to hesitate, his eyes moved over Ginny’s body with an intent interest, then he lifted his shoulders in a mock helpless gesture.
‘I can’t resist that appeal. For you, Mrs. Harrison, and for no one else, it’s a sale. I don’t mind telling you I lose a hundred bucks on the deal, but what is money? You are on your honeymoon. Well, okay, consider this a wedding present. If you really want it, it’s a sale at two thousand bucks.’
Kitson’s face went a deep red and his hands closed into fists.
‘Now, look, fella,’ he began, but Ginny’s restraining hand stopped him.
‘Thanks, Mr. Carter,’ she said, her smile suggestive and charming. ‘Then it’s a sale, and we’re both very obliged to you.’
‘You certainly have a bargain,’ Carter said. ‘Make no mistake about that. I’ll get my boys to couple it up with your car while we go to the office and complete the sale.’ He looked at Kitson, his
They went to look at the other caravan which was the same shape and size, but much more elaborately fitted, and Kitson only had to take a quick look inside to satisfy himself that it wasn’t the one to buy.
‘I guess the other one is what we’re looking for,’ he said, and as he walked back to the blue and white caravan, he asked, ‘How much is it?’
Pausing beside the caravan, Carter eyed him over. His eyes seemed to be calculating what Kitson might be worth.
‘Well, it’s a strong, well-built job, Mr. Harrison. It’s not flimsy, and it’ll give you years of good service. The list price is three thousand, eight hundred dollars. That is what you would have to pay for it new. This one is second-hand, but as you see, there’s not a scratch on it. Two fellows bought it off me for a hunting trip. They weren’t away more than six weeks so you could say it’s practically new. Since you’re struck on it, and since you’re on your honeymoon, I’ll make a special price. Suppose we say two thousand, five hundred. That’s practically a giveaway price.’
‘Oh, no, we couldn’t possibly afford that,’ Ginny said quickly, cutting off Kitson’s growling protest. ‘If that’s the best you can do, Mr. Carter, then I’m afraid we must look elsewhere.’
Carter smiled at her.
‘It’s a reasonable price, Mrs. Harrison, and you won’t find caravans, lining the road in this district. If you went to St. Lawrence you’ll find caravans, but you’ll also find the prices are a lot sharper than ours. Maybe if this comes a little too high, I can fix you with something smaller. I have a caravan over there that comes out at fifteen hundred, but it’s small, and it’s not overstrong.’
‘I’ll give you eighteen hundred dollars for this,’ Kitson said in a flat, take-it-or-leave-it voice. ‘That’s the best I can do.’
Carter’s insincere smile widened.
‘There’s nothing I would like better, Mr. Harrison, than to do business with you, but not on those terms. Eighteen hundred for a job like this would put me right in the red. But since you are really interested in this job, suppose we say two thousand, three hundred and fifty? That’s the very lowest I can quote.’
Kitson felt his temper rising. He resisted the impulse to take Carter by his shirt front and shake him. The smooth talk, the easy manner, the shrewd calculating eyes goaded him. This man was something that Kitson would have liked to be in his immaculate clothes and his air of superiority.
‘But we can’t afford so much, Mr. Carter,’ Ginny said, and Kitson felt a spurt of anger run through him as he saw the way she was looking at Carter, her eyes large and appealing. Somehow she managed to convey a sex appeal that infuriated Kitson. She had never looked like this at him. ‘Couldn’t you possibly make it two thousand? Frankly, that is all we have.’
Carter ran his thumbnail along his pencil-lined moustache.
As he appeared to hesitate, his eyes moved over Ginny’s body with an intent interest, then he lifted his shoulders in a mock helpless gesture.
‘I can’t resist that appeal. For you, Mrs. Harrison, and for no one else, it’s a sale. I don’t mind telling you I lose a hundred bucks on the deal, but what is money? You are on your honeymoon. Well, okay, consider this a wedding present. If you really want it, it’s a sale at two thousand bucks.’
Kitson’s face went a deep red and his hands closed into fists.
‘Now, look, fella,’ he began, but Ginny’s restraining hand stopped him.
‘Thanks, Mr. Carter,’ she said, her smile suggestive and charming. ‘Then it’s a sale, and we’re both very obliged to you.’
‘You certainly have a bargain,’ Carter said. ‘Make no mistake about that. I’ll get my boys to couple it up with your car while we go to the office and complete the sale.’ He looked at Kitson, his
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