A Christmas Romance Read Online Free PDF

when she received a letter fromGreat-Aunt Jessica in the morning. She was asked to go to Fortnum & Mason and purchase the items on the enclosed list. ‘And you may bring them down next weekend,’ wrote her aunt.
    Theodosia studied the list: ham on the bone, Gentleman’s Relish, smoked salmon, brandy butter, a Stilton cheese, Bath Oliver biscuits,
marrons glacés
, Earl Grey tea, coffee beans, peaches in brandy … Her week’s wages would barely pay for them, not that she could afford to do that. She peered into the envelope in the forlorn hope of finding a cheque or at least a few bank notes but it was empty. She would have to go to the bank and draw out the small amount of money she had so painstakingly saved. If she skipped her midday dinner she would have time to go to the bank. Great-Aunt Jessica would pay her at the weekend and she could put it back into her account.
    It wasn’t until Wednesday that she had the opportunity to miss her dinner. There was notime to spare, so she hurtled down to the entrance, intent on getting a bus.
    The professor, on his way to his car, saw her almost running across the forecourt and cut her off neatly before she could reach the street. She stopped in full flight, unable to get past his massive person.
    Theodosia said, ‘Hello, Professor,’ and then added, ‘I can’t stop …’
    A futile remark with his hand holding her firmly. ‘If you’re in a hurry, I’ll drive you. You can’t run to wherever you’re going like that.’
    ‘Yes, I can …’
    ‘Where to?’
    She had no need to answer his question yet she did. ‘The bank and then Fortnum & Mason.’
    He turned her round and walked her over to his car. Once inside he said, ‘Now tell me why you are in such a hurry to do this.’
    He probably used that gentle, compelling voice on his patients, and Theodosia felt compelled once more to answer him. She did so ina rather disjointed manner. ‘So, you see, if you don’t mind I must catch a bus …’
    ‘I do mind. What exactly do you have to buy?’
    She gave him the list. ‘You see, everything on it is rather expensive and, of course, Great-Aunt Jessica doesn’t bother much about money. She’ll pay me at the weekend. That’s why I have to go to the bank.’
    ‘That will take up too much time,’ said the professor smoothly. ‘We will go straight to Fortnum & Mason; I’ll pay for these and your aunt can pay me. It just so happens,’ he went on in a voice to convince a High Court judge, ‘that I am going to Braintree again on Saturday. I’ll give you a lift and deliver these things at the same time.’
    Theodosia opened her mouth to speak, shut it again and then said, ‘But isn’t this your lunch hour?’
    ‘Most fortunately, yes; now, let us get this shopping down.’
    ‘Well, if you think it is all right?’
    ‘Perfectly all right and sensible.’
    Once there he ushered her in, handed her list over to a polite young man with the request to have the items packed up and ready within the next half an hour or so, and steered her to the restaurant.
    ‘The food department will see to it all,’ he told her. ‘So much quicker and in the meantime we can have something to eat.’
    Theodosia found her tongue. ‘But ought I not to choose everything?’
    ‘No, no. Leave everything to the experts; that’s what they are here for. Now, what would you like? We have about half an hour. An omelette with French fries and a salad and a glass of white wine?’
    It was a delicious meal and all the more delicious because it was unexpected. Theodosia, still breathless from the speed with which the professor had organised everything, and not sure if she hadn’t been reckless in allowing him to take over in such a high-handedmanner, decided to enjoy herself. This was a treat, something which seldom came her way.
    So she ate her lunch, drank the wine and a cup of coffee and followed him back to the food hall, to find a box neatly packed and borne out to the car by the doorman.