A Christmas Romance Read Online Free PDF Page A

way but it wasn’t her size. He could see the tucks she had taken on the shoulders to make a better fit and the neat seams she had taken in at the waist. It would be a pleasure to take her to a good dress shop and buy herclothes which fitted her person and which were new. He smiled at the absurd thought and asked her with impersonal kindness if she was looking forward to Christmas.
    ‘Oh, yes, and it will be three days this year because of Sunday coming in between.’ She sounded more enthusiastic than she felt; three days with the aunts wasn’t a very thrilling prospect, but she reminded herself that that was ungrateful. She added, by way of apology for thinking unkindly of them, ‘The great-aunts enjoy an old-fashioned Christmas.’
    He could make what he liked of that; it conjured up pictures of a lighted Christmas tree, masses of food and lots of presents; with a party on Boxing Day …
    She underestimated the professor’s good sense; he had a very shrewd idea what her Christmas would be like. He glanced down at the ginger topknot. It would be a mistake to pity her; she had no need of that. He had never met anyone so content with life and so willingto be happy as she, but he found himself wishing that her Christmas might be different.
    He resisted the urge to dance with her for the rest of the evening, handed her back to the engineer and spent the next few moments in cheerful talk before leaving her there.
    It was at the end of the evening that he went looking for her amongst the milling crowd making their way out of the hospital. She was on her way out of the entrance when he found her. He touched her arm lightly.
    ‘Come along; the car’s close by.’
    ‘There’s no need … It’s only a short walk … I really don’t …’ She could have saved her breath; she was propelled gently along away from the crowded forecourt, stuffed tidily into the car and told to fasten her seat belt. It was only as he turned out of the forecourt into the street that she tried again. ‘This is quite …’
    ‘You’re wasting your breath, Theodosia.’ And he had nothing more to say until they reached Mrs Towzer’s house. No lights wereon, of course, and the rather shabby street looked a bit scary in the dark; walking back on her own wouldn’t have been very nice …
    He got out, opened her door and took the key she had ready in her hand from her, opened the door silently and switched on the dim light in the hall.
    Theodosia held out a hand for the key and whispered, ‘Thank you for the lift. Goodnight.’ And took off her shoes.
    The professor closed the door without a sound, picked up her shoes and trod silently behind her as she went upstairs. She was afraid that he might make a noise but he didn’t and she had to confess that it was comforting to have him there. Mrs Towzer, with an eye to economy, had installed landing lights which switched off unless one was nippy between landings.
    At her own door he took her key, opened the door and switched on the light, gave her back her key and stood aside for her to pass him.
    ‘Thank you very much,’ said Theodosia, stillwhispering. ‘Do be careful going downstairs or you’ll be left in the dark, and you will shut the street door?’
    The professor assured her in a voice as quiet as her own that he would be careful, and bade her goodnight, pushed her gently into the room and closed the door. Back in his car he wondered why he hadn’t kissed her; he had very much wanted to.
    As for Theodosia, tumbling into bed presently, hugging a tolerant Gustavus, her sleepy head was full of a jumble of delightful thoughts, all of them concerning the professor.
    Going for a brisk walk in Victoria Park the following afternoon, she told herself that he had just happened to be there and that common politeness had forced him to give her a lift back. She went home and had a good tea then went to evensong, to pray there for a happy week ahead!
    She wasn’t sure if it was an answer to her prayers