The Beach of Sweet Returns by Margery Hilton

Author:Margery Hilton [Hilton, Margery]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9780373019502
Publisher: Harlequin Books
Published: 1975-07-14T18:30:00+00:00

CHAPTER SIX

A LETTER and a cable awaited Kate’s return home.

The letter was from Aunt Rena, with the news for which Kate had

longed. Her mother’s operation had been completely successful;

the bandages were off, and the eye surgeon was delighted with her

progress. All being well at her subsequent check-up, Mrs.

Merrivale would have another week with Aunt Rena before flying

home at the end of the month.

“Thank heaven - oh, Daddy!” Kate flung herself into her father’s

aims and hugged him exuberantly. “Isn’t it wonderful news?”

“Yes,” John Merrivale agreed, but in so sober a voice Kate stared

at him. Wasn’t he looking forward to his wife’s homecoming?

“I thought you’d be counting the minutes,” she exclaimed.

He disengaged himself. “I don’t want her to rush things or take any

chances, that’s all.”

“Well, I should imagine the surgeon will tell her if it’s okay for her

to travel.” Kate sighed, something in her father’s expression

causing all her joyous surprise to abate.

“And you know that it’s the weekend of your fashion affair?” John

Merrivale reminded her.

Kate hadn’t realised it, and pleasure came back into her eyes.

“She’ll love it - if she does make it back in time. We’ll have a

celebration the next day, shall we?”

Her father nodded, but a little uncertainly. “I thought, Kate,” he

said at last, “that I’d meet her at Singapore and stay there overnight

before coming home - she’ll be weary after the long hop and it

would give her more chance to get her breath back. Also, I was

thinking along the same lines, of a celebration meal. What do you

think?”

“I think it’s a marvellous idea. Have a miniature second

honeymoon, you two old love birds. As long as you get back for

my special offering!”

Her father nodded again, but to Kate his demeanour did not carry

the conviction of happiness that she expected. With a pang she

noticed afresh how much her father had aged recently. His features

looked drawn and thinner, and the lines at the sides of his mouth

were deeply grooved by worry.

Kate bit her lip, a sudden determination insisting that she beg him

to confide in her, but before she could speak he said abruptly:

“You’d better read that cable - it needs an answer.”

“When did it come?”

“Only this morning. Are you going, Kate?”

“I don’t know.” She was frowning, her oval face intent as she

studied the somewhat lengthy communication.

It was from Bart Benson, the head of a big agency where Kate was

in great demand. It was forceful and explicit, and showed Bart’s

typical indifference to expense when he wanted something badly

enough.

“We have landed U.C. I expect your congratulations by return. We

have three assignments for you. U.C. Silcona for AJi. slant. U.C.

Thermatropic for technical. U.C. abstract for gen pop p. Locations

Jamaica, Finland, London. Top rate. All exes. When are you

coming back?”

“It sounds big,” her father commented.

“It is. Every agency in town would give its back teeth to capture

Universal Chemicals’ advertising contract - I must cable him back

right away.”

But what was she going to say to Bart?

Kate felt the old stirrings of restlessness and challenge return as

she pondered the wording of her reply. Her mother would almost

certainly be home by the end of the month, and the Mahore

business for Mrs.

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