Never the Time and the Place by Betty Neels

Author:Betty Neels
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Harlequin
Published: 1985-11-15T00:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER SIX

JOSEPHINE STOOD in the church porch gaping at her companion and he returned her look with a kind of placid amusement which stung her into saying, ‘Well—whatever next?! What a thing to say.’ And then at his raised eyebrows, she blushed crimson. ‘I beg your pardon—I didn’t mean to be rude, only I’m well…it was unexpected, what you said. And I couldn’t possibly…’

She paused at a loss for words and Mr van Tacx said smoothly, ‘Ah, you are of course being romantic—you dream of falling in love and swanning down the aisle in white satin.’

She considered this for a moment. ‘I wouldn’t mind not wearing white satin but I do think that being in love matters.’

‘It didn’t matter for you and Malcolm?’ His voice was cool and silky.

‘Nor you and your…’ she exclaimed hotly.

‘Magda,’ he supplied without rancour, ‘which rather strengthens my argument, doesn’t it?’

He took her arm and began to walk down the path between the old grave stones. ‘Compatibility and liking make a good marriage. One can fall out of love but liking is something which isn’t easily changed. One could progress from liking to affection—a deep regard which would last a lifetime.’

Josephine stopped. ‘You’ve thought about it,’ she said wonderingly, ‘I mean you’re not just talking idly.’

He smiled down at her and she found herself smiling back. ‘Oh yes, I’ve thought about it, Josephine, and I want you to think about it, too. And don’t for God’s sake make your mind up in a hurry. You can have all the time you want.’

They were walking back towards the Spread Eagle car park. ‘You really mean it?’ said Josephine soberly.

His voice was harsh. ‘My dear girl, I always mean what I say and I can promise you that I’ll never say what I don’t mean.’

She thought wistfully that he was telling her that he hadn’t said a word about loving her. Well, at least he was being honest. And she liked him; he annoyed her, he was arrogant and he liked his own way, but he was kind and thoughtful of his patients and stood up without fuss to a crisis. He was good company, too. He broke into her thoughts. ‘No, Josephine, stop weighing pros and cons. Wait until I’ve gone.’

‘Oh, you’re going back to Holland?’ She was conscious of disappointment. ‘Not for good?’

He opened the car door and she got in. ‘No—I’ll be back.’ He got in beside her and started the engine.

He talked nothings as they drove back and the talk was general over tea, and if Josephine was rather silent no one remarked upon it. Only when he got up to go and her mother asked when they would see him again, he said quietly, ‘I am going back to Holland, Mrs Dowling, but I hope that I shall see you shortly.’ He bent and kissed her cheek and shook Dr Dowling’s hand and looked across at Josephine standing on the other side of the hall. He was smiling faintly but he stayed where he was.

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