The Awakened Heart by Betty Neels

Author:Betty Neels
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
Publisher: Harlequin
Published: 1993-08-31T04:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER SIX

THERE were only two days left. Sophie went down to breakfast in the morning wondering if Rijk had any plans.

He had: a walk down to the village to meet the dominie and look round the church and then, since it was a clear, cold day, a walk along the lakeside to an outlying farm which he owned. ‘And in the afternoon, if you would like, we will drive to Groningen and take a look round—there’s a rather splendid church and the university.’

On the way to the village presently he told her that they would go back to his parents’ house on the following day, lunch there, and then come back and have an early dinner before driving down to the Hoek to catch the night ferry.

Sophie agreed cheerfully, thankful that she had bought her presents when they had gone to Leeuwarden. ‘Do phone your people if you would like to,’ went on Rijk. ‘We should be back around nine o’clock.’

‘Would you like to stay? There’s plenty of room— Mother will expect you for lunch, I’m sure.’

‘Lunch, by all means, but I’ve a consultation in the afternoon and I’m operating on the following day and then going to Leeds for a couple of days…’

‘But it’s almost Christmas…’

‘Which I shall have to spend away from home—I did tell you.’

‘I forgot. So we can’t see each other for a while?’

‘No.’ He tucked a hand under her elbow. ‘May I come and see you on my way home?’ He smiled at her. ‘Life is one long rush, isn’t it?’

‘In four days’ time? You want to know…’

She paused and he said easily, ‘Yes, please, Sophie.’

The dominie was a bearded giant of a man. His wife, fair-haired and blue-eyed, offered coffee and took Sophie to see the youngest of their children, a calmly sleeping baby. ‘The other three are at school. You like children?’

‘Yes,’ said Sophie and blushed when her companion said cheerfully,

‘Of course, Rijk will want a family.’

They went round the church when they had had coffee, a severely plain edifice with whitewashed walls and small latticed windows. A number of Rijk’s ancestors were buried beneath its flagstoned floor and even more in the small churchyard. His family had lived there for a very long time—centuries.

Presently they said goodbye to the dominie and his wife and took a rough little lane skirting the lake. It was very quiet there and they walked briskly, arm in arm, stopping now and then while he pointed out some thing of interest, telling her about the people and the country round them. Presently they came to the farm, a flat dwelling with a tiled and thatched roof, its huge barn at its back. ‘The cows live there throughout the winter,’ explained Rijk. ‘Come inside with me and meet Wendel and Sierou.’

The farmer was middle-aged and powerfully built and his wife was almost as stoutly built as he was. After the first polite greetings, Rijk murmured an apology and carried on the conversation in Friese. Dutch is bad enough,

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