Betty Neels

Emma’s Wedding


Скачать книгу

van Dyke, coming round the corner, stopped short, wished them a cheerful hello and gave Emma a look to send the colour into her cheeks. It said all too clearly that she hadn’t wasted much time in finding someone to take Derek’s place.

      He went into the baker’s, and she bade a final hasty goodbye to Brian and almost ran to the cottage. The doctor would think…She didn’t go too deeply into what he would think; she hoped that she wouldn’t see him again for a very long time.

      It was a brilliant morning on Saturday, and already warm when she got to Mrs Brooke-Tigh’s house, collected her cleaning brushes and cloths and started on her chores. From a bedroom window she watched Mrs Brooke-Tigh go down the lane, swinging her beach bag. On Saturday mornings she went to the hotel at the other end of the town, which had a swimming pool and a delightful terrace where one could laze for hours. The moment she was out of sight the girl in the other cottage crossed over and came upstairs.

      ‘Thought I’d let you know I’ve given in my notice. She’s furious; she’ll never get anyone by Wednesday. Wouldn’t hurt her to do a bit of housework herself. Mind she doesn’t expect you to take on any more work.’

      Emma was stripping beds. ‘I don’t see how she can…’

      ‘She’ll think of something. I’d better get on, I suppose. Bye.’

      Mrs Brooke-Tigh came back earlier than usual; Emma was setting the tea tray ready for the next tenants when she walked in.

      ‘That girl’s leaving,’ she told Emma without preamble. ‘She never was much good but at least she was a pair of hands. I’ll never get anyone else at such short notice. We will have to manage as best we can. I shall notify the next two weeks’ tenants that they can’t come in until six o’clock. If you come at nine o’clock and work until six you can do both cottages. I’ll pay you another fifteen pounds a day—thirty pounds a week more.’

      Emma didn’t answer at once. The money would be useful…‘I’m willing to do that for the next week and, if I must, the second week. But no longer than that.’

      Mrs Brooke-Tigh sniffed. ‘I should have thought that you would have jumped at the chance of more money.’ She would have said more, but the look Emma gave her left the words dying on her tongue. Instead she said ungraciously, ‘Well, all right, I’ll agree to that.’ She turned to go. ‘Bring your stuff over and I’ll pay you.’

      There was a car outside the door as she left. It appeared to be full of small children, and a friendly young woman, the one who had been with the doctor, got out. ‘I say, hello, how nice to meet you again. We’re here for a week so we must get to know each other.’ She smiled. ‘Where’s that woman who runs the place?’

      ‘I’ll fetch her,’ said Emma, ‘and I’d love to see you again.’

      Конец ознакомительного фрагмента.

      Текст предоставлен ООО «ЛитРес».

      Прочитайте эту книгу целиком, купив полную легальную версию на ЛитРес.

      Безопасно оплатить книгу можно банковской картой Visa, MasterCard, Maestro, со счета мобильного телефона, с платежного терминала, в салоне МТС или Связной, через PayPal, WebMoney, Яндекс.Деньги, QIWI Кошелек, бонусными картами или другим удобным Вам способом.

/9j/4AAQSkZJRgABAgEASABIAAD/4RQlRXhpZgAATU0AKgAAAAgABwESAAMAAAABAAEAAAEaAAUA AAABAAAAYgEbAAUAAAABAAAAagEoAAMAAAABAAIAAAExAAIAAAAUAAAAcgEyAAIAAAAUAAAAhodp AAQAAAABAAAAnAAAAMgAAABIAAAAAQAAAEgAAAABQWRvYmUgUGhvdG9zaG9wIDcuMAAyMDEyOjA4 OjE4IDA5OjIyOjE1AAAAAAOgAQADAAAAAQABAACgAgAEAAAAAQAABXigAwAEAAAAAQAAB0sAAAAA AAAABgEDAAMAAAABAAYAAAEaAAUAAAABAAABFgEbAAUAAAABAAABHgEoAAMAAAABAAIAAAIBAAQA AAABAAABJgICAAQAAAABAAAS9wAAAAAAAABIAAAAAQAAAEgAAAAB/9j/4AAQSkZJRgABAgEASABI AAD/7QAMQWRvYmVfQ00AAf/uAA5BZG9iZQBkgAAAAAH/2wCEAAwICAgJCAwJCQwRCwoLERUPDAwP FRgTExUTExgRDAwMDAwMEQwMDAwMDAwMDAwMDAwMDAwMDAwMDAwMDAwMDAwBDQsLDQ4NEA4OEBQO Dg4UFA4ODg4UEQwMDAwMEREMDAwMDAwRDAwMDAwMDAwMDAwMDAwMDAwMDAwMDAwMDAwMDP/AABEI AIAAYAMBIgACEQEDEQH/3QAEAAb/xAE/AAABBQEBAQEBAQAAAAAAAAADAAECBAUGBwgJCgsBAAEF AQEBAQEBAAAAAAAAAAEAAgMEBQYHCAkKCxAAAQQBAwIEAgUHBggFAwwzAQACEQMEIRIxBUFRYRMi cYEyBhSRobFCIyQVUsFiMzRygtFDByWSU/Dh8WNzNRaisoMmRJNUZEXCo3Q2F9JV4mXys4TD03Xj 80YnlKSFtJXE1OT0pbXF1eX1VmZ2hpamtsbW5vY3R1dnd4eXp7fH1+f3EQACAgECBAQDBAUGBwcG BTUBAAIRAyExEgRBUWFxIhMFMoGRFKGxQiPBUtHwMyRi4XKCkkNTFWNzNPElBhaisoMHJjXC0kST VKMXZEVVNnRl4vKzhMPTdePzRpSkhbSVxNTk9KW1xdXl9VZmdoaWprbG1ub2JzdHV2d3h5ent8f/ 2gAMAwEAAhEDEQA/AO6AU2s3ODdASYE8JgFNn84z+sPypzdkVn0PG4AhxZ9JrTqB4xCEaXvrNgcx rAYJc6IP3K46G33Pad9g3QyI55dP521VQGnCtBdtHqM1IJ7fyUQx8Rr7Pxar8Z7nMDbK3B7i0EOk AgF/6T2+32tUBgveHOZdQ8MG55Fn0W/vO9ia5lYa0tsFhdIcACIiI+n+9KJh/wA1m/8AEH8qf0US au0YwnnbtuocHEguDyQ2Gmz9I7b7faxIYLy1z23UOYyN7hZo3do3d7PzkLarVDf1HN8/R/6soGXi o337IvsLy6trbaXeqS1ha8kbmx7C7b9N272IFlZrsdW4guY7aSJiQdvhu/6KkWf71csfvrb1L/tQ P0JEaeqB7Mj+zT/4L6aPEqyGlfS6i01Ocxzm/S2HcAf3To33IaciEycCl//Q70KTCA9pJgAgk/Aq MpnHQpzbKY3VsufeCXEzsbBGp/eJVX1KRjOpc/a5zw4e0kQ34K1mVNe6x9OrqzFrO/8AxjVUbY77 Pe0HQhp+9wa7/OaiGMEV9jWsGOGnbZvskQNu0Aa7p3fSU8WylleQHv2m1npt0J18XbUV9tjcPHLD BJsBIAkhp9s6JU2Wvycf1eZABIA3NcY1/eSJVen8ujWG3xCsVOqbjX1OfD7tm0QT9A7tY/eRXXZD cl4YZDXu2s2giATpx9HalQSMTJAPAZHzO13+c1NJUTp9jTLVJ1tQwTQXRZ6vqxBiNvpxu+j/AClI gSATAkAnwHdFzH5WLeWtJpraf0TW/QLf+pe7/SbkrT1DnOUCiWO3Oc6ANxJgcCTKESpIle//0e63 KLnaFZ92c1thgOLW6HSAPHd/KSZ1OqDtLt7WhzWjWZ0Z6Zb+dubsT9G5wSOtOpk22U5tj2Ha5rtP MEDQ/wAlya70H492RT7d2xtlP7rtwO4fyHrM+1jIqbfXZ6tdjQ6uwEkFp+P7rvzVVfnBoJLtIJPw bqn8Bpi4T9js/