banker, but when it comes to running my private life, I don’t seem able to cope without you.’
She looked away.
‘I don’t know, Mel. I think you are quite capable of looking after yourself, but it’s nice to hear I am useful sometimes.’
He patted her hand. They were now driving along the promenade towards Paradise Bay where Mel had a beach cabin.
‘Thanks to you, Norena no longer presents a problem. You were absolutely right about her needing occupation. Since she’s been working at the bank, she’s a different girl.’
‘I’m so pleased! How long has she been there now?’
‘Must be a couple of weeks. yes, she started Monday, two weeks ago.’ He frowned, then looked quickly at her. ‘How time rushes by! That means I haven’t seen you for two weeks, Joy, that’s too long.’
‘I’ve missed you,’ Joy said quietly. He had no need to remind her how long it had been. Every day she had been hopefully expecting him to call her. ‘You must be pretty occupied.’
‘I’ll say.’ He laughed. ‘I’ve been showing Norena the town. We’ve been here, there and everywhere. Cinemas, theatres, jam sessions, the lot!’
Joy stared in front of her.
‘So you’re getting along with Norena now?’
‘Well, I suppose so.’ His face clouded a little. ‘Frankly, I think it would be a lot better for both of us if she could find friends of her own age to go around with. She makes me feel damned old. I guess she now regards me as harmless and convenient. I get the idea she puts up with me because there is no one else. That’s why I insisted on her joining the Bank’s Club. She didn’t want to at first, but I’ve finally persuaded her. Now, she plans to spend the weekends there.’
Joy relaxed a little.
‘Is she making friends?’
‘I guess so. I don’t think youngsters like being questioned too much. I’ve told her she can bring anyone she likes back to the house, but she hasn’t so far. At least, I feel I have broken the ice, but she certainly isn’t what you could call affectionate.’
‘You mustn’t expect too much at once.’
‘I keep telling myself that, but I have an idea, she hasn’t any affection in her make-up. She seems wrapped in ice.’ He shrugged. ‘Still, it may work out. At least, I can live with her without worrying too much and we talk a lot. Some of her ideas are pretty hair raising. Things slip out. It’s just talk, of course, because when I tackle her, she beats a retreat. It’s just being young, I guess.’
‘What kind of things?’
‘Standards of living, I guess. I’m afraid her mother influenced her. She has a pretty amoral outlook on life. It’s damn odd because Dr. Graham gave her a wonderful buildup when Crawsure talked to him. She either fooled him or else she’s had a sudden change.’
‘I still don’t quite know what you mean, Mel.’
‘It’s a bit too involved to go into now. Things pop out. Sometimes when she is reading the newspaper, she passes an opinion. Some fella rescued a kid from a blazing car and later died of burns. She called him a sucker. Some old lady had her savings stolen. Norena said if she couldn’t take care of her money at that age, she deserved to lose it. You remember that big jewel robbery last week? She called the thieves smart. She meant it too. That’s only the fringe of it. It’s often cropping up. I really do think she’s amoral.’
‘Oh, now, Mel, you mustn’t say that. The young talk that way these days. It’s their method of expressing themselves. It’s smart to be hard, cynical and unsympathetic. It probably amuses her to shock you.’
‘You may be right. I expect all that from other kids, but not my own.’
‘As Dr. Graham has given her such a glowing report, I’d ignore what she says. She probably thinks she has to hold her end up with her clever father. How is she getting on at the bank?’
‘Nothing wrong there.’ Mel’s face brightened. ‘She’s made a big hit with Crawsure. He didn’t
She looked away.
‘I don’t know, Mel. I think you are quite capable of looking after yourself, but it’s nice to hear I am useful sometimes.’
He patted her hand. They were now driving along the promenade towards Paradise Bay where Mel had a beach cabin.
‘Thanks to you, Norena no longer presents a problem. You were absolutely right about her needing occupation. Since she’s been working at the bank, she’s a different girl.’
‘I’m so pleased! How long has she been there now?’
‘Must be a couple of weeks. yes, she started Monday, two weeks ago.’ He frowned, then looked quickly at her. ‘How time rushes by! That means I haven’t seen you for two weeks, Joy, that’s too long.’
‘I’ve missed you,’ Joy said quietly. He had no need to remind her how long it had been. Every day she had been hopefully expecting him to call her. ‘You must be pretty occupied.’
‘I’ll say.’ He laughed. ‘I’ve been showing Norena the town. We’ve been here, there and everywhere. Cinemas, theatres, jam sessions, the lot!’
Joy stared in front of her.
‘So you’re getting along with Norena now?’
‘Well, I suppose so.’ His face clouded a little. ‘Frankly, I think it would be a lot better for both of us if she could find friends of her own age to go around with. She makes me feel damned old. I guess she now regards me as harmless and convenient. I get the idea she puts up with me because there is no one else. That’s why I insisted on her joining the Bank’s Club. She didn’t want to at first, but I’ve finally persuaded her. Now, she plans to spend the weekends there.’
Joy relaxed a little.
‘Is she making friends?’
‘I guess so. I don’t think youngsters like being questioned too much. I’ve told her she can bring anyone she likes back to the house, but she hasn’t so far. At least, I feel I have broken the ice, but she certainly isn’t what you could call affectionate.’
‘You mustn’t expect too much at once.’
‘I keep telling myself that, but I have an idea, she hasn’t any affection in her make-up. She seems wrapped in ice.’ He shrugged. ‘Still, it may work out. At least, I can live with her without worrying too much and we talk a lot. Some of her ideas are pretty hair raising. Things slip out. It’s just talk, of course, because when I tackle her, she beats a retreat. It’s just being young, I guess.’
‘What kind of things?’
‘Standards of living, I guess. I’m afraid her mother influenced her. She has a pretty amoral outlook on life. It’s damn odd because Dr. Graham gave her a wonderful buildup when Crawsure talked to him. She either fooled him or else she’s had a sudden change.’
‘I still don’t quite know what you mean, Mel.’
‘It’s a bit too involved to go into now. Things pop out. Sometimes when she is reading the newspaper, she passes an opinion. Some fella rescued a kid from a blazing car and later died of burns. She called him a sucker. Some old lady had her savings stolen. Norena said if she couldn’t take care of her money at that age, she deserved to lose it. You remember that big jewel robbery last week? She called the thieves smart. She meant it too. That’s only the fringe of it. It’s often cropping up. I really do think she’s amoral.’
‘Oh, now, Mel, you mustn’t say that. The young talk that way these days. It’s their method of expressing themselves. It’s smart to be hard, cynical and unsympathetic. It probably amuses her to shock you.’
‘You may be right. I expect all that from other kids, but not my own.’
‘As Dr. Graham has given her such a glowing report, I’d ignore what she says. She probably thinks she has to hold her end up with her clever father. How is she getting on at the bank?’
‘Nothing wrong there.’ Mel’s face brightened. ‘She’s made a big hit with Crawsure. He didn’t
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