convenience .’ He snapped his fingers. ‘ Get an annulment .’
‘ Just like that? ’ she cried indignantly. ‘ I couldn ’ t do that to poor Mr. Kelly ! ’
‘ He won ’ t know, will he? ’ he said philosophically.
‘ That doesn ’ t make it right. ’
‘ Then what are you going to do? Think it over? If you are you might give me an answer regarding the new offices I mentioned, ’ he pushed.
She gave him a brief unyielding stare. ‘ I happen to be more than satisfied with what I have, the flat, and the car. But I want to do what Mr. Kelly wanted me to do, ’ she countered.
‘ Then there ’ s your answer. Do what he wants you to do. What does this Jony t hink about it? ’
‘ He has a girl-friend he ’ s been courting for ten years. ’
He gave a low whistle. ‘ Are they living together? ’
‘ Not that I know of .’
He eyed her calculatingly. ‘ I ’ d say you could have a number of suitors after your fortune. Shall you still want to carry on with the old firm? ’
‘ That ’ s a fool question, ’ she snapped. ‘ Of course. You can sell my car if you like. I shall bring my new car back with me. ’
‘ Selling your car will present no problems. I ’ ve missed you. ’
Floyd pushed back his empty plate as a hint for Nora to get up and take it away with her half-filled one to the kitchen. She was some time dishing up the apple pie and cream.
‘ You heard what I said, ’ he went on pointedly upon her return to the table with the tray. ‘ I missed you. ’
Nora gave him a generous helping of the apple pie and added a dollop of thick cream.
‘ You mean you missed my cooking. All those evenings you came to dinner !’
He picked up his spoon and looked at her darkly. ‘ That isn ’ t what I mean and you know it. ’
Nora put a small portion of the apple pie on her own plate and an equally small amou n t of cream. Then she sat down and looked at him across the table.
‘ We have a good business partnership, but marriage is a very different matter. You and I have nothing in common except the shared enthusiasm for our job. As for new offices, we don ’ t need them — certainly not the kind they ’ re building now. ’
‘ But we ’ re taking on more responsibility. We need to expand, ’ he said stubbornly.
‘ So you keep saying. ’ Nora ate a portion of pie daintily. ‘ There ’ s nothing that can ’ t wait until I get back. Meanwhile, I have to concentrate upon the job in hand. Surely you can see that? ’
‘ I can see you ’ re being difficult as usual, ’ he answered in aggrieved tones.
Her mouth quirked at the corners. ‘ As usual meaning when you want your own way. We ’ ll go into it when I come back. How long are you staying? ’
‘ I was going back tomorrow. There ’ s really no point in my staying, ’ he muttered sulkily.
‘ It ’ s up to you. You might enjoy a day or two here. ’ Her smile became impish. ‘ Who knows, you might even vet one or two possible suitors for my hand. ’
His lips thinned. ‘ I really believe you ’ re enjoying it. ’
‘ Oh, don ’ t be stuffy, ’ she snapped. ‘ I ’ ll make the coffee, then you can tell me what ’ s been going on while I ’ ve been away. ’
Floyd had papers in his pocket which he wanted her to sign. They dealt with business matters amicably, but Floyd ’ s morose expression was never far from his face. It was a relief to Nora when he finally left and she went to bed bemoaning the fact that all her problems were related to men. They were not worth bothering about.
CHAPTER FIVE
Floyd h ad gone back. Nora had taken him to the airport and was feeling rather lost on her return to the flat. The feeling of restlessness was back and after her evening meal at the flat she went for a walk along the promenade towards the pier.
She had not gone for a walk alone on the pier since the dreadful night when someone had pushed her into the sea. It bothered her, this fear she still had each time
‘ Just like that? ’ she cried indignantly. ‘ I couldn ’ t do that to poor Mr. Kelly ! ’
‘ He won ’ t know, will he? ’ he said philosophically.
‘ That doesn ’ t make it right. ’
‘ Then what are you going to do? Think it over? If you are you might give me an answer regarding the new offices I mentioned, ’ he pushed.
She gave him a brief unyielding stare. ‘ I happen to be more than satisfied with what I have, the flat, and the car. But I want to do what Mr. Kelly wanted me to do, ’ she countered.
‘ Then there ’ s your answer. Do what he wants you to do. What does this Jony t hink about it? ’
‘ He has a girl-friend he ’ s been courting for ten years. ’
He gave a low whistle. ‘ Are they living together? ’
‘ Not that I know of .’
He eyed her calculatingly. ‘ I ’ d say you could have a number of suitors after your fortune. Shall you still want to carry on with the old firm? ’
‘ That ’ s a fool question, ’ she snapped. ‘ Of course. You can sell my car if you like. I shall bring my new car back with me. ’
‘ Selling your car will present no problems. I ’ ve missed you. ’
Floyd pushed back his empty plate as a hint for Nora to get up and take it away with her half-filled one to the kitchen. She was some time dishing up the apple pie and cream.
‘ You heard what I said, ’ he went on pointedly upon her return to the table with the tray. ‘ I missed you. ’
Nora gave him a generous helping of the apple pie and added a dollop of thick cream.
‘ You mean you missed my cooking. All those evenings you came to dinner !’
He picked up his spoon and looked at her darkly. ‘ That isn ’ t what I mean and you know it. ’
Nora put a small portion of the apple pie on her own plate and an equally small amou n t of cream. Then she sat down and looked at him across the table.
‘ We have a good business partnership, but marriage is a very different matter. You and I have nothing in common except the shared enthusiasm for our job. As for new offices, we don ’ t need them — certainly not the kind they ’ re building now. ’
‘ But we ’ re taking on more responsibility. We need to expand, ’ he said stubbornly.
‘ So you keep saying. ’ Nora ate a portion of pie daintily. ‘ There ’ s nothing that can ’ t wait until I get back. Meanwhile, I have to concentrate upon the job in hand. Surely you can see that? ’
‘ I can see you ’ re being difficult as usual, ’ he answered in aggrieved tones.
Her mouth quirked at the corners. ‘ As usual meaning when you want your own way. We ’ ll go into it when I come back. How long are you staying? ’
‘ I was going back tomorrow. There ’ s really no point in my staying, ’ he muttered sulkily.
‘ It ’ s up to you. You might enjoy a day or two here. ’ Her smile became impish. ‘ Who knows, you might even vet one or two possible suitors for my hand. ’
His lips thinned. ‘ I really believe you ’ re enjoying it. ’
‘ Oh, don ’ t be stuffy, ’ she snapped. ‘ I ’ ll make the coffee, then you can tell me what ’ s been going on while I ’ ve been away. ’
Floyd had papers in his pocket which he wanted her to sign. They dealt with business matters amicably, but Floyd ’ s morose expression was never far from his face. It was a relief to Nora when he finally left and she went to bed bemoaning the fact that all her problems were related to men. They were not worth bothering about.
CHAPTER FIVE
Floyd h ad gone back. Nora had taken him to the airport and was feeling rather lost on her return to the flat. The feeling of restlessness was back and after her evening meal at the flat she went for a walk along the promenade towards the pier.
She had not gone for a walk alone on the pier since the dreadful night when someone had pushed her into the sea. It bothered her, this fear she still had each time
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