Above Rubies by Mary Cummins Page B

to replace a lot of furnishings, but her aunt had merely looked bored and said it was all a matter of planning.
    So now Merry hurried back to the kitchen, and began to make rum butter. Uncle George liked everything that was traditional at Christmas. Ten minutes later, Aunt Elizabeth put her head round the door to tell her that “that young man” had called.
    She’d already met Benjamin, but had lost interest in him from the start when she learned he was the artist living in the Cot House.
    “Oh, dear,” sighed Merry, looking round the kitchen. She had several things to do, then she must tidy it all up in case it got out of hand. Mrs. Cameron would be upset if her lovely kitchen became cluttered and soiled for her coming back.
    “Benjamin can come in here,” she said decidedly. “We’re working together on a children’s book,” she added, as Aunt Elizabeth looked at her suspiciously and rather disapprovingly. She considered that Merry was inclined to be irresponsible in the friends she made. Some day she must explain all about Benjamin, thought Merry rather tiredly, but at the moment it didn’t matter.
    A moment later Benjamin walked through, a frown of displeasure on his face.
    “What’s the idea of this?” he said. “Cast yourself for the role of Cinderella? I saw Sylvia and Nigel go off gallivanting in his car, and I came over expecting that only desk work was keeping you at home. Now I find you’re the scullery maid, waiting hand and foot on the aunt and uncle. Where’s Mrs. Cameron?”
    “Nursing her sister and brother-in-law. There’s ’flu in the village.”
    “I know,” said Nigel. “As a matter of fact, old Jake Grieve is down with it very bad. I hope he gets the spunk to fight it. I like that old boy.”
    “You know all the villagers well, don’t you?” asked Merry softly .
    “Yes, and I believe you’re beginning to know most of them yourself. You’ve really settled down here, haven’t you?”
    “I love it,” said Merry. “I wasn’t awfully happy with — ”
    She broke off, wondering why she was suddenly rambling on like this. It was none of Benjamin’s business anyway.
    “Then why land yourself with them like this?” he asked softly. “I don’t mind seeing you work yourself to the bone in your own interests, or even for people you love and who care about you, but not after an ungrateful family. Your Aunt Ellen wouldn’t like it.”
    “They’re all the family I’ve got,” she repeated to Benjamin, as she’d done to Mrs. Cameron.
    “Well, you’d be better off without, as, I am,” he said. “I don’t like to see you slaving while others are enjoying themselves, and I hate a girl without spunk who just lets people walk over her, and take things away from her, while she doesn’t lift a finger in protest. She just sits in the kitchen and lets it all happen.”
    Merry’s cheeks flamed furiously. There were times when Benjamin went too far, and it angered her in spite of her love for him. He’d no right to talk to her like this!
    “For heaven’s sake, try to help yourself a bit more,” he told her. “You know what you want, so don’t let little butterflies like Sylvia steal your cake. Show a bit of fight, can’t you?” Merry’s eyes cleared, as she realised Benjamin wasn’t pleased about Sylvia going off with Nigel. He thought she still cared for Nigel.
    “I don’t mind Nigel taking her out,” she said slowly.
    “But you’re still fond of him?” asked Benjamin.
    Merry turned away, wishing she could explain that it wasn’t love, because she now knew what love was. She couldn’t bear the look on Benjamin’s face if he found out she’d been stupid enough to fall in love with him. He might be kind, or he might try to laugh her out of it. Either way, she knew she couldn’t bear it. Better to let him think it was still Nigel, so she just nodded a little.
    “Oh well,” he said, easing his bulk out of a sagging chair.
    “There are all kinds of fools, and I