Doctor Muir?’
‘Well, I — ’
‘Miss Peters, of course, must come.’
Scott looked across at Frances, but he did not say anything.
A little impatiently Burn came in, ‘You will advise me when?’
‘Yes, Mr. West.’
‘And we can take the boy home now?’
“Yes, and he can sit up, not lie down.’ Scott smiled as Jason walked out of the surgery to join them.
‘You were a good boy, darling,’ Frances said warmly as they drove back to West of the River, to stay still like you did when Burn told you.’
‘Yes, sonno,’ came in Burn West, ‘even though it turned out to be all right it helped a lot you not spoiling things by trying to sit up.’
Jason said nothing, but Frances, who felt she knew the little boy better now, saw he was pleased with the praise.
Then ... to her complete surprise ... came praise for Frances Peters.
‘Also, thank you ,’ said Burn West, taking his eyes off the road a moment to look directly at her. ‘It’s not many girls who would have turned round like you did and ridden a horse for the first time.’
‘You — you knew? Was I that bad?’
‘I couldn’t see, but I doubt if I would have found you anything but good.’ A brief pause. ‘As you always are.’ He made the compliment directly, sincerely.
‘Then how did you know?’ Frances asked.
‘I felt your horror,’ he half-smiled, ‘it fairly hung in the air. I knew I was asking something of you that you’d never done before.’
‘But you still didn’t retract it.’
“You were gone by then. Besides — ’
‘Besides?’ — They were passing Uplands now and instinctively Frances’ eyes swept the gates again, beyond the gates, for Trev’s car, for Trev, but there was nothing and nobody there.
‘Besides, I knew you’d do it. And I wanted you to do it. A countrywoman must certainly be able to ride.’
‘But I’m not a countrywoman, I’m a townie.’
‘Not that much of a townie.’ He answered her with her own yesterday’s words.
Jason said with interest, ‘Did France ride a horse? When can I ride a horse?’
‘As soon as the plaster comes off, which will be quite soon. Perhaps we might even have a try-out before that, sonno. You were quite ready to try Bunter today, weren’t you? Then I’m sure you’ll try Candy tomorrow.’
‘France, too?’
‘There’s Miss Cloud for France.’
‘For being a good girl like I was a good boy?’
‘Something else for a good girl, too. I am opening the gate.’ Burn was out before Frances could protest, back again to drive through, then out to shut up again.
‘Well?’ he asked her, coming back on the homestead side of the road, and she looked at him in question. ‘Don’t I get thanked, too?’
‘Thank you, Burn.’
Jason was in a happy mood for Jason. He said, ‘Everyone’s a jolly good fellow today.’ He put one little hand on Frances’ knee and one on West’s.
‘I think,’ he finished, ‘we’re a happy family.’
CHAPTER SEVEN
Though it proved just as hard the next day to prise Jason from lessons as on the first occasion, C andy helped considerably. When the little boy’s face clouded as Frances firmly and finally closed the books at noon to decree, ‘That’s all till tomorrow’ she found that an added, ‘Or the horses will get tired of waiting for us’ swept much of the cloud away.
‘Do you think Candy will like me?’ Jason asked anxiously over lunch by the window.
‘No one could help liking you, darling,’ Frances assured him, her heart going out to his little worry-creased face. What a serious little boy he was.
‘I don’t think she liked me sometimes,’ Jason said thoughtfully.
‘A lady you knew?’ asked Frances carefully.
But Jason either lost interest or could not remember.
‘He mightn’t like my leg.’ He was back on Candy again.
‘We’ll explain to him that it won’t be like that for long, only until the plaster comes off.’
‘It came off before and it had to go on again. Do you think
‘Well, I — ’
‘Miss Peters, of course, must come.’
Scott looked across at Frances, but he did not say anything.
A little impatiently Burn came in, ‘You will advise me when?’
‘Yes, Mr. West.’
‘And we can take the boy home now?’
“Yes, and he can sit up, not lie down.’ Scott smiled as Jason walked out of the surgery to join them.
‘You were a good boy, darling,’ Frances said warmly as they drove back to West of the River, to stay still like you did when Burn told you.’
‘Yes, sonno,’ came in Burn West, ‘even though it turned out to be all right it helped a lot you not spoiling things by trying to sit up.’
Jason said nothing, but Frances, who felt she knew the little boy better now, saw he was pleased with the praise.
Then ... to her complete surprise ... came praise for Frances Peters.
‘Also, thank you ,’ said Burn West, taking his eyes off the road a moment to look directly at her. ‘It’s not many girls who would have turned round like you did and ridden a horse for the first time.’
‘You — you knew? Was I that bad?’
‘I couldn’t see, but I doubt if I would have found you anything but good.’ A brief pause. ‘As you always are.’ He made the compliment directly, sincerely.
‘Then how did you know?’ Frances asked.
‘I felt your horror,’ he half-smiled, ‘it fairly hung in the air. I knew I was asking something of you that you’d never done before.’
‘But you still didn’t retract it.’
“You were gone by then. Besides — ’
‘Besides?’ — They were passing Uplands now and instinctively Frances’ eyes swept the gates again, beyond the gates, for Trev’s car, for Trev, but there was nothing and nobody there.
‘Besides, I knew you’d do it. And I wanted you to do it. A countrywoman must certainly be able to ride.’
‘But I’m not a countrywoman, I’m a townie.’
‘Not that much of a townie.’ He answered her with her own yesterday’s words.
Jason said with interest, ‘Did France ride a horse? When can I ride a horse?’
‘As soon as the plaster comes off, which will be quite soon. Perhaps we might even have a try-out before that, sonno. You were quite ready to try Bunter today, weren’t you? Then I’m sure you’ll try Candy tomorrow.’
‘France, too?’
‘There’s Miss Cloud for France.’
‘For being a good girl like I was a good boy?’
‘Something else for a good girl, too. I am opening the gate.’ Burn was out before Frances could protest, back again to drive through, then out to shut up again.
‘Well?’ he asked her, coming back on the homestead side of the road, and she looked at him in question. ‘Don’t I get thanked, too?’
‘Thank you, Burn.’
Jason was in a happy mood for Jason. He said, ‘Everyone’s a jolly good fellow today.’ He put one little hand on Frances’ knee and one on West’s.
‘I think,’ he finished, ‘we’re a happy family.’
CHAPTER SEVEN
Though it proved just as hard the next day to prise Jason from lessons as on the first occasion, C andy helped considerably. When the little boy’s face clouded as Frances firmly and finally closed the books at noon to decree, ‘That’s all till tomorrow’ she found that an added, ‘Or the horses will get tired of waiting for us’ swept much of the cloud away.
‘Do you think Candy will like me?’ Jason asked anxiously over lunch by the window.
‘No one could help liking you, darling,’ Frances assured him, her heart going out to his little worry-creased face. What a serious little boy he was.
‘I don’t think she liked me sometimes,’ Jason said thoughtfully.
‘A lady you knew?’ asked Frances carefully.
But Jason either lost interest or could not remember.
‘He mightn’t like my leg.’ He was back on Candy again.
‘We’ll explain to him that it won’t be like that for long, only until the plaster comes off.’
‘It came off before and it had to go on again. Do you think
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