Beyond a Misty Shore by Lyn Andrews

Author:Lyn Andrews [Andrews, Lyn]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9780755371914
Publisher: Headline
Published: 2011-12-08T00:00:00+00:00

Maria was quite overcome by the fuss that was made of her and was delighted with her gifts.

‘Oh, Hetty, this is lovely!’ she cried upon opening the old lady’s gift of a pure silk scarf in three different shades of blue. She draped it tastefully around her neck. Arthur (at Hetty’s suggestion) had bought her a pair of gloves and Maria carefully stroked the soft cream leather as she tried them on. ‘I’ll save them for “best”, Arthur. I’ve never had a pair of real leather gloves before, thank you.’

Arthur smiled with satisfaction while Maria enthused over Bella’s card and the lace-edged handkerchief.

‘Oh, Sophie! This must have cost a pretty penny, it’s silver,’ Maria exclaimed as she took the bracelet from its box. She had no expensive jewellery, just a few pairs of cheap earrings and a couple of strands of equally cheap beads and of course the brooch Ben had given her. She held it out to her sister. ‘Fasten it on, I’ll wear it tonight.’

‘Are you going out with Ben?’ Sophie enquired for Maria didn’t seem to see as much of him lately, although she knew Katie was out with his brother Matt two or three times a week. She hoped Maria wasn’t giving up on Ben as there still hadn’t been any word from Hans Bonhoeffer and she thought there never would be.

Maria frowned as she nodded. ‘I told him my birthday wasn’t anything special but he insisted. He’s taking me to the cinema. I said I’d meet him in town to save him coming all the way here to pick me up.’

Sophie looked across at Hetty, who smiled and nodded. Ben had indeed called twice for Maria and the old lady had approved of him. Privately, Arthur had told her that someone with Maria’s looks and manners could do better than Ben Seddon but she hadn’t agreed, thinking Ben was far more suitable than a poor farmer whom most people would consider an enemy.

There were cards from their mother, their Aunt Lizzie and from Katie, all of which Maria read out, and then Hetty brought in the cake and Bella helped her aunt blow out the token nine candles, it having been completely impossible to procure nineteen. In fact the ones Sophie had managed to obtain were all of different colours and sizes.

Sophie insisted that tonight she would do the washing up, helped by Bella, for Hetty had prepared the meal. Maria was to concentrate on getting herself ready to go out.

Maria decided to wear the cream linen costume Sophie had made her for Easter. It was very smart and made her look very grown up, she thought. She had a cream short-sleeved jumper and she’d wear the lovely silk scarf around her neck, the blue would set it off, and of course she had her new leather gloves. It was a pity she didn’t have a new handbag or shoes but her black ones would just have to do. You couldn’t have everything, she told herself firmly.

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