Penny wasn't unaware of the intensity of his gaze. She lay with her head resting against the arm of the chair, a lock of dark brown hair falling across her forehead, her eyelashes dark and dusty against the pale creaminess of her cheeks. One long slim hand tucked under her chin and the other lay along her side, relaxed and beautiful in its unconscious pose.
In those minutes of observation, Joey knew that he loved this girl. That he wanted this woman to be his. It was so sudden and unexpected as the sound of the first shell burst at the start of an attack. All his life he had waited for this moment, and now the realization that it had come at last gave him the same sense of shock as one receives when one expects a loud report, and because of the anticipation is more startled at the explosion.
It took him several moments fully to understand that what he was experiencing were the birth pains of the first real love in his life. He allowed the revelation
After he had gone, the two girls talked."This house of yours has a very homey atmosphere" Penny said. She rose and stretched and smoothed back her hair. "Dreamy and peaceful and comfortable. And your Joey is so nice"Audrey gave her a quick look, turned as quickly to her typing again."He is a dear" she said casually. "Not much of a glamor boy perhaps, but I like him"Penny smiled at Audrey. How reticent these two were and yet most probably their emotions were more deep rooted than most of those people. With Jeremy, it was so easy to judge his feelings. If he felt irritable she would know instantly. When he was pleased or happy, she could read it in his face. But looking at Audrey now it was impossible to guess correctly what was passing through her mind.'Is she shocked at me?' Penny asked herself. 'Will she judge me and wish she'd never met me if I had this baby? "&nbs
Penny listened to Jeremy with a deepening perplexity. Why was he being so condescending, so superior? Was he trying to bring Joey down in front of her? Was he just so jealous?The thoughts raced through her mind as she listened, with scant attention to their voices."What are you planning to do when you leave your present job? Penny tells me you say you want to do something else."That was Joey's voice, carefully polite."Oh i haven't made up my mind yet" Jeremy replied. "I have had several fairly good offers to join various friends in business, but I want something really worth while. I don't fancy living on a thousand a month""A thousand a month!" Joey raised his brows. "I should think that pretty good for a start. I wouldn't sniff at it. It's just something you start with""It's not much good to anyone with ambition" Jeremy said carelessly.&nb
"Penny is going to have a baby" Audrey blurted out suddenly. "Jeremy's baby... Of course"Joey swung around. He looked suddenly furious."Then he'd better marry her quickly" he said."Penny hoped that a home life would teach Jeremy not to be so afraid of being tied down" Audrey said flatly. "I'm afraid she hasn't succeeded. Obviously the man isn't even ready to settle"Joey gripped his sister's arm. She felt his fingers biting into her flesh."You mean he won't marry her?" he asked incredulously.Audrey released her arm from his grip. "I don't know Joey" she said. Penny hasn't told him yet. She was going to tell him tonight. I hope that's what she's telling him right now because if she doesn't I will "Joey sat down heavily in the nearest chair and thought about Penny. He hadn't known the woman for long, and yet he felt so strongl
With half her mind, Audrey agreed, but the other strictly feminine side, realized that this would mean several days of indecision for Penny while she lay wondering how Jeremy would accept the news that she was going to have his child as she had made it clear to Audrey that she didn't want to tell Jeremy about the baby over the phone."Well, it's up to you, doctor" Audrey said at last and seeing that Joey's mind was made-up, she left the room to go call Jeremy.Jeremy took the news of Penny's rising temperatures with some concern, but he did not attempt to persuade Audrey to let him come over that evening."I'm frightfully bad in the sick room" he admitted frankly. "Always so damn healthy myself, i never know what to say or do. I know you will look after her well""We will. Joey, of course knows the ropes. Can I give her a message from you?" Audrey asked him."All my love" Jeremy sa
It was fully five minutes before she remembered that Jeremy had told her that he would stay at his club with some friends while she was away. The relief that followed this recollection attacked her physically. She wept and then laughed and felt the well remembered nausea creeping over her. For once she did not mind... Now that she remembered why Jeremy was not in the house.When she recovered, she picked up her phone and called him. He didn't pick up so she called his office. His assistant told her that he had just left the office but couldn't tell her where Jeremy had gone.Penny hung up, wondering. Jeremy did not expect her until tomorrow. It seemed unlikely that he would return to the flat at six o'clock. Usually he arrived back around seven. He must be at his club then.She called his club and was told that Jeremy was dining at the Savoy. Hating herself for being suspicious, Penny asked, "Was he alone when he l
She bit her lip. She must control herself somehow.. Try to think things out. Perhaps the girl in white was just a friend. Jeremy must have had a number of girlfriends before he met her. It was unreasonable to expect him to give up all of them just because he was engaged. That was the sort of tie he hated...A ray of hope entered Penny's mind. She tried feverishly to enlarge upon it to convince herself that this all meant nothing. Obviously, Jeremy would not want to dine alone. It was stupid of her not to have thought of that. She knew he hated being by himself so he would never spend a solitary evening at the Savoy. And the girl? She was probably the wife or girlfriend of some friend of his... In town for the night. Maybe she had called Jeremy, and he knowing his Penny was not returning until the next day, would have welcomed the opportunity of a companion. If only she had joined them at the table instead of running away in that absurdly childish fashion, he wou
Jeremy drew her back beside him with superior strength."Now calm down, darling" he said easily. "I am very grateful to him for taking care of you but I can help being a little jealous, can I?"Penny looked at him, her temper and animosity melting."Jealous? Of Joey? Oh Jeremy, darling, have you been jealous?" she asked."What do you think?" Jeremy asked, burying his face against her hair sniffing behind her ear in that well mannered way. "Mmmm, you smell good"She was ready to fall into his arms but she must know first... About the girl in white."Jeremy?""Mmm?""Who was the 'old friend'. I'm not really being inquisitive and of course I know it isn't really any of my business, but I love you so much I want to know all about you... Everything. Please satisfy my curiosity"Jeremy crushed his cigarette and drew away from her, p
"Poor sweet" he murmured. "Letting yourself get worked up about my father's secretary. It makes me laugh to think about it""She looked very attractive" Penny said."Oh, she's pretty but frantically dumb. She really bores me stiff"But she made you smile, Jeremy, she thought."It must be a big thrill for her going out with the boss's son""Well, that is really the reason I took her out. Father said she led a frightfully dull life and never went anywhere so I said I would give her a night out if I had time. As a matter of fact, darling, we spent most of the evening talking about you"Did you? Was that what made you both laugh? Penny wondered."I expect she was very disappointed when she heard you were engaged" Penny said."Oh, I don't think she cared" Jeremy said lightly. "She's married, you know"