visitors – she could not call them friends – had taken all her strength. Now she would take the doctor’s advice and rest. Soon, she slept.
When Dana had been in hospital for a week, James invited Caitlin out for a meal. He had been hinting that there was something he wanted to tell her and Caitlin had hoped he meant to reveal his feelings, for his attentions had become more marked ever since Dana’s accident. So after their daily visit to the hospital James told Caitlin that he had booked a table at the Adelphi and did not intend to take no for an answer. ‘For a whole week I’ve been trying to get you to myself,’ he grumbled. ‘First of all, you’ve spent every spare moment trying to help Dana to get her memory back. Then you’ve been fussing round the tea room – or restaurant I should say – trying to persuade the men to get the work finished so that the place can reopen. But now it’s my turn. I want to tell you – but no, I won’t say another word until we’re seated at the table.’
‘Sounds nice,’ Caitlin said. ‘Dana’s getting better every time we visit, don’t you think? She doesn’t mind talking about the tea room – restaurant, I mean – though she still looks puzzled when we try to tell her about the improvements. She’d never heard of a dumb waiter – think of that, dear James!’
James grinned. ‘Neither had you, before I told you I was having one put in,’ he reminded her.
‘Oh well, that was ages ago,’ Caitlin said airily. ‘I’ve learned a lot lately. ‘The only thing that worries me isthat although the restaurant belongs to Dana and me, the staff you’ve employed will know much more than either of us about catering, particularly about hot food. Oh, I know they served hot food at the Willows, but we just did as we were told when we worked there. Now it’s different because we shall be telling other people what to do; people who’ll probably know ten times more than we do.’
She spoke as James, a hand on her elbow, was guiding her across the large, softly lit dining room and James shushed her rather peremptorily. ‘No talking until we’re seated,’ he said, pulling out her chair and then taking his place opposite her. ‘Ah, here comes the waiter; we’ll order, then talk.’
As soon as the man left with their order, James’s hands shot across the table and seized Caitlin’s. ‘I guess you know I want you to marry me,’ he said gruffly. ‘I’m a plain man and I’ve been far too busy making my way in the world to consider marriage until now. You’re very young and I didn’t want to hurry you, but something has happened which changes things. I’m going abroad, dearest Caitlin, and I desperately want to take you with me. I’d like us to marry here – I’ve got a special licence – but if we can’t fit it in, we might have to marry in America; would you object to that?’
Caitlin stared at him, for a moment unable to say a word, and when she did speak her voice shook. ‘Oh, James, aren’t you taking rather a lot for granted? You’ve not said you love me, nor why you have to go to America, and you’ve bought a special licence without even mentioning marriage until now. I’d love to be married, but how can I possibly go off with you and leave Dana,still in hospital, still not knowing who she is? She couldn’t possibly manage the restaurant in her present state; even if I was there, things would be very difficult.’ She heaved a sigh. ‘I wish to God we’d never made the place so big. All we wanted to do was run a nice little tea room, selling tea, coffee and a few snacks. Then you came along with your big ideas, never taking into account the fact that we were just a couple of girls trying to make a living. And now you mean to swan off to the States, with me tucked under your arm like a trophy, leaving Dana to try to control staff who are total strangers and a business we neither of us ever truly wanted – oh, James, how could
When Dana had been in hospital for a week, James invited Caitlin out for a meal. He had been hinting that there was something he wanted to tell her and Caitlin had hoped he meant to reveal his feelings, for his attentions had become more marked ever since Dana’s accident. So after their daily visit to the hospital James told Caitlin that he had booked a table at the Adelphi and did not intend to take no for an answer. ‘For a whole week I’ve been trying to get you to myself,’ he grumbled. ‘First of all, you’ve spent every spare moment trying to help Dana to get her memory back. Then you’ve been fussing round the tea room – or restaurant I should say – trying to persuade the men to get the work finished so that the place can reopen. But now it’s my turn. I want to tell you – but no, I won’t say another word until we’re seated at the table.’
‘Sounds nice,’ Caitlin said. ‘Dana’s getting better every time we visit, don’t you think? She doesn’t mind talking about the tea room – restaurant, I mean – though she still looks puzzled when we try to tell her about the improvements. She’d never heard of a dumb waiter – think of that, dear James!’
James grinned. ‘Neither had you, before I told you I was having one put in,’ he reminded her.
‘Oh well, that was ages ago,’ Caitlin said airily. ‘I’ve learned a lot lately. ‘The only thing that worries me isthat although the restaurant belongs to Dana and me, the staff you’ve employed will know much more than either of us about catering, particularly about hot food. Oh, I know they served hot food at the Willows, but we just did as we were told when we worked there. Now it’s different because we shall be telling other people what to do; people who’ll probably know ten times more than we do.’
She spoke as James, a hand on her elbow, was guiding her across the large, softly lit dining room and James shushed her rather peremptorily. ‘No talking until we’re seated,’ he said, pulling out her chair and then taking his place opposite her. ‘Ah, here comes the waiter; we’ll order, then talk.’
As soon as the man left with their order, James’s hands shot across the table and seized Caitlin’s. ‘I guess you know I want you to marry me,’ he said gruffly. ‘I’m a plain man and I’ve been far too busy making my way in the world to consider marriage until now. You’re very young and I didn’t want to hurry you, but something has happened which changes things. I’m going abroad, dearest Caitlin, and I desperately want to take you with me. I’d like us to marry here – I’ve got a special licence – but if we can’t fit it in, we might have to marry in America; would you object to that?’
Caitlin stared at him, for a moment unable to say a word, and when she did speak her voice shook. ‘Oh, James, aren’t you taking rather a lot for granted? You’ve not said you love me, nor why you have to go to America, and you’ve bought a special licence without even mentioning marriage until now. I’d love to be married, but how can I possibly go off with you and leave Dana,still in hospital, still not knowing who she is? She couldn’t possibly manage the restaurant in her present state; even if I was there, things would be very difficult.’ She heaved a sigh. ‘I wish to God we’d never made the place so big. All we wanted to do was run a nice little tea room, selling tea, coffee and a few snacks. Then you came along with your big ideas, never taking into account the fact that we were just a couple of girls trying to make a living. And now you mean to swan off to the States, with me tucked under your arm like a trophy, leaving Dana to try to control staff who are total strangers and a business we neither of us ever truly wanted – oh, James, how could
Similar Books
