Wedding Bells for Beatrice by Betty Neels

Author:Betty Neels [NEELS, BETTY]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Romance, Fiction
Publisher: 0
Published: 2011-03-11T00:00:00+00:00

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CHAPTER SIX

ALICIA was waiting for them, sitting before the fire with an arm around Fred's neck and Mouser and Chouchou crowded on her small lap. She flew to meet them, scattering the cats, the big dog beside her.

'Papa,' she shrilled, 'Beatrice…I have much to say. I have been good at school and so I do not have to go to bed until I have told you.' She lifted her face for their kisses. `Just a little while`?' she added coaxingly.

'Ten minutes! Come back to the fire and tell us about your day.'

Beatrice, sitting at one end of the great sofa, watched the animated little face, pouring out the day's doings, and thought how pleasant it was sitting there with Mouser on her knee and the warm fire sending a glow over the beautiful room. Just for a moment she was lost in a dream wherein she was indeed sitting there, Gijs's wife and Alicia's stepmother, secure, wrapped around by love, completely content. She thrust the dream aside; she was perfectly secure as she was and who was there to wrap her around with love? Gijs hadn't mentioned it. Liking, compatability, the pleasure of her company, Alicia's fondness for her, all those had been mentioned, but not love. His attitude towards her was that of an affectionate friend. Her own attitude towards him, she wasn't prepared to think about just then. In any case, she was given small chance, for Alicia's voice demanded to know how long it would be before she came back to Holland.

A difficult question, not made any easier by Gijs, sitting in his chair looking annoyingly bland, and not saying a word to help her.

Back in her flat once more with Gijs's cheerful goodbye still ringing in her ears and the touch of his mouth against her cheek still vivid in her mind, Beatrice made no effort to get ready for bed. She sat down, still in her coat, and thought about her evening. It had been delightful; dinner had been delicious, served by the discreet Bilder, she had a little chat with Nanny, who had looked at the poesy ring with a knowing smile although she hadn't actually said anything. All the same, Beatrice knew that she was approved of and that was important. She and Gijs had spent the rest of the evening sitting by the fire once again, sometimes talking, sometimes silent. She imagined that if they were to marry that would be how they would spend their evenings, content with each other's company, with no need to entertain each other.

The professor had talked about his work and she could sense that it was an important part of his life, although he was quite prepared to share it with her. If she ignored the fact that they weren't in love, she felt reasonably certain that they would be happy together.

She went to bed at last, her mind in a fine muddle.

The following morning she was told that she would be going back to St Justin's.

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