A Dream Came True by Betty Neels

Author:Betty Neels
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Harlequin
Published: 1982-07-30T16:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER SIX

LADY MANDERLY made no reference to Jemima’s day. The moment Jemima put her head round the sitting-room door, she embarked on her usual morning activities without one single enquiry as to whether she had enjoyed her freedom. Not that Jemima had really expected it; Lady Manderly was concerned only with herself and her own comfort and wellbeing, although she doubted if she would really be deliberately unkind; it was just that she had never considered anyone else but herself, and it seemed a little late in life to change now. She didn’t mention her nephew’s visit either, but there again, she would consider it was none of Jemima’s business, as indeed it wasn’t.

The rest of the week passed peacefully enough, not that living with Lady Manderly was entirely peaceful; Jemima was glad to retire to her room each evening, for except on the occasion when her employer went out to dinner with friends, she bore that lady company, first at a long-drawn-out dinner and afterwards in the drawing-room, playing bezique or, what was more exhausting, listening to Lady Manderly’s long-winded opinions about one thing and another. She was a lady of decided views and objected strongly to anyone opposing them, so that the unfortunate listener was held captive and unable to say a word in dissent. Jemima, inclined to be argumentative by nature, found it all very trying.

But there were compensations; she enjoyed her walks with Coco, and often enough she was sent into the town to post letters, match embroidery silks or purchase books, which gave her an opportunity to look in the shop windows and decide what she would buy when she had enough money.

The temptation to get herself another dress for the evening was great. The brown was definitely dowdy and the separates, while passable, were being worn far too often. But she had made up her mind to save enough money to live on while she found another job in London, and she wasn’t sure how long that might take. She had been lucky getting this one, next time might not be so easy. She promised herself that she would save her first three weeks’ money and then do some spending.

It wasn’t until the weekend that Lady Manderly mentioned casually that Jemima might have her half day on the following Wednesday, and Jemima lost no time in phoning the Gibbons’ house. Andrew wasn’t there, so she left a message and then waited a whole day before he phoned back. It was a pity that she was in the middle of reading the day’s news out loud when the phone rang. Conscious of Lady Manderly’s beady eyes upon her, she said ‘Yes,’ and ‘No’ and ‘Thank you very much,’ terrified that the old lady would hear Andrew’s hearty voice bellowing that he supposed she was being prim because the dragon was eavesdropping.

‘Half past seven,’ she said in answer to his enquiry as to when the play started, and then, ‘Very well, half past six in the foyer.

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