her close to me, my face against hers, and I was thankful she was mine.
“You look tired, Jeff. How has it been going?”
“Pretty hectic. There’s still an awful lot to do.” I kissed her and then dropped into the lounging chair. “It’s good to be home. There’s to be a banquet on Saturday night in our honour, and Jack and I have to go on television on Sunday.”
She poured two cocktails.
“Seems I have married a famous man.”
“So it seems, but I know I have you to thank for it.” I raised my glass to her. “You began the bridge.”
“No – it was Chopin.”
After dinner we sat by the fire. I was in the armchair and Sarita on the floor, her head against my knee.
“Pretty soon,” I said, “we’re going to have some money to burn. Creedy asked me what I was going to do with it. I said maybe I’d build a house. Would that be an idea?”
“We wouldn’t have to build it, Jeff. I’ve seen a place that is exactly what we want.”
“You’ve seen it? Where?”
“It’s that little cottage up on Simeon’s Hill. It’s owned by Mr. Terrell. Last year he and his wife invited me out there for dinner. Oh, Jeff! It has everything, and it’s not too big.”
“What makes you think it’s in the market?”
“I met Mr. Terrell yesterday. He is taking his wife to live in Miami. She needs the sun. Of course it is for you to decide, but you must see it. I’m sure you’ll love it.”
“If it’s good enough for you, it’s good enough for me. You don’t know what he wants for it?”
“I’ll call him tomorrow and ask him.”
I wasn’t the only one of the firm who was planning to spend some money.
When I got into the office the next morning, Jack told me he had ordered a Thunderbird.
“Boy! Am I going to cut a dash!” he exclaimed. “What’s money for unless you spend it? And another thing: it’s time I had some new furniture. Could you persuade Sarita to do something about it? I haven’t time to look after that myself.”
“Have dinner with us tonight and persuade her yourself. There’s talk about us buying Terrell’s cottage on Simeon’s Hill. Sarita is making inquiries this morning.”
He grinned at me.
“We’ve arrived, pal! I’m getting a big bang out of this.” He gathered up a heap of papers and crammed them into his brief case. “I’ve got to get off. See you tonight.”
I spent the morning interviewing contractors and working out costs. While I was eating a sandwich lunch, Creedy blew in with a couple of guys, one of them carrying a Rolleiflex camera and a flash equipment. The sight of the camera brought back my uneasiness.
“These boys are from Life ,”Creedy said. “I’ve given them most of the dope. They just want some photographs of you working at your desk. Osborne around?”
I said Jack was on the site.
As I was speaking the camera man let off his flash.
“Look, I don’t want my photograph in your paper,” I said. “I. . .”
“He’s shy,” Creedy said, laughing. “Of course he does! Who wouldn’t want his photograph in Life !”
The camera man went on popping off his flashlight. I realised there was nothing I could do about it. I did put my hand up to my face to cover my scar, but the other fellow then showed interest in it.
“Did you get that during the war, Mr. Halliday?”
“Yes.”
“We’d like a shot of it. Would you turn your face a little to the left?”
“I don’t want it advertised,” I said, curtly. “If it’s all right with you two, I have to get on with my job.”
I saw Creedy looking at me, frowning, but I didn’t care.
The two guys exchanged glances, then the camera man strolled to the door. The other one said, “You were at Holland City’s Plastic Hospital, weren’t you, Mr. Halliday?”
“Yes.”
“Had a tough time?”
“So did the others.”
He grinned sympathetically.
“I hear you play the piano. Is that right?”
“When I have the time.”
I had forgotten about the camera man and had taken my
“You look tired, Jeff. How has it been going?”
“Pretty hectic. There’s still an awful lot to do.” I kissed her and then dropped into the lounging chair. “It’s good to be home. There’s to be a banquet on Saturday night in our honour, and Jack and I have to go on television on Sunday.”
She poured two cocktails.
“Seems I have married a famous man.”
“So it seems, but I know I have you to thank for it.” I raised my glass to her. “You began the bridge.”
“No – it was Chopin.”
After dinner we sat by the fire. I was in the armchair and Sarita on the floor, her head against my knee.
“Pretty soon,” I said, “we’re going to have some money to burn. Creedy asked me what I was going to do with it. I said maybe I’d build a house. Would that be an idea?”
“We wouldn’t have to build it, Jeff. I’ve seen a place that is exactly what we want.”
“You’ve seen it? Where?”
“It’s that little cottage up on Simeon’s Hill. It’s owned by Mr. Terrell. Last year he and his wife invited me out there for dinner. Oh, Jeff! It has everything, and it’s not too big.”
“What makes you think it’s in the market?”
“I met Mr. Terrell yesterday. He is taking his wife to live in Miami. She needs the sun. Of course it is for you to decide, but you must see it. I’m sure you’ll love it.”
“If it’s good enough for you, it’s good enough for me. You don’t know what he wants for it?”
“I’ll call him tomorrow and ask him.”
I wasn’t the only one of the firm who was planning to spend some money.
When I got into the office the next morning, Jack told me he had ordered a Thunderbird.
“Boy! Am I going to cut a dash!” he exclaimed. “What’s money for unless you spend it? And another thing: it’s time I had some new furniture. Could you persuade Sarita to do something about it? I haven’t time to look after that myself.”
“Have dinner with us tonight and persuade her yourself. There’s talk about us buying Terrell’s cottage on Simeon’s Hill. Sarita is making inquiries this morning.”
He grinned at me.
“We’ve arrived, pal! I’m getting a big bang out of this.” He gathered up a heap of papers and crammed them into his brief case. “I’ve got to get off. See you tonight.”
I spent the morning interviewing contractors and working out costs. While I was eating a sandwich lunch, Creedy blew in with a couple of guys, one of them carrying a Rolleiflex camera and a flash equipment. The sight of the camera brought back my uneasiness.
“These boys are from Life ,”Creedy said. “I’ve given them most of the dope. They just want some photographs of you working at your desk. Osborne around?”
I said Jack was on the site.
As I was speaking the camera man let off his flash.
“Look, I don’t want my photograph in your paper,” I said. “I. . .”
“He’s shy,” Creedy said, laughing. “Of course he does! Who wouldn’t want his photograph in Life !”
The camera man went on popping off his flashlight. I realised there was nothing I could do about it. I did put my hand up to my face to cover my scar, but the other fellow then showed interest in it.
“Did you get that during the war, Mr. Halliday?”
“Yes.”
“We’d like a shot of it. Would you turn your face a little to the left?”
“I don’t want it advertised,” I said, curtly. “If it’s all right with you two, I have to get on with my job.”
I saw Creedy looking at me, frowning, but I didn’t care.
The two guys exchanged glances, then the camera man strolled to the door. The other one said, “You were at Holland City’s Plastic Hospital, weren’t you, Mr. Halliday?”
“Yes.”
“Had a tough time?”
“So did the others.”
He grinned sympathetically.
“I hear you play the piano. Is that right?”
“When I have the time.”
I had forgotten about the camera man and had taken my
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