Antigua Kiss Read Online Free PDF Page B

much of his cordiality was a deliberate strategy to overcome her resistance to his wish to take John away from her.
    'Why do you want to bring up John?' she asked abruptly. 'It doesn't make sense to me, a man in your circumstances voluntarily encumbering himself with a young child when there's no necessity. In general, men aren't interested in babies and children, except their own—and not always then.'
    She saw that this unexpected broadside had surprised him, and was glad she had revived the point at issue between them instead of allowing him to distract her from it.
    'In general, you're right,' he agreed. 'But most men—particularly those who, starting with nothing, have built up a profitable business—hope to have a son, if not to follow in their footsteps, at least to inherit the fruits of their labours. My problem is that I should like a son, period. Now if a woman feels an urge to have a child, she will have very little difficulty in finding a man to sire it for her. She's not obliged to marry him. He may never know that he's performed a service for her. But how many women, do you think, would be willing to bear a child for me? Apart from the fact that gestation takes a great deal more time than procreation, the kind of woman I would choose to be the mother of my son wouldn't consider such an arrangement. Nor do I stand much chance of being able to adopt a boy. So, although I should never have wished it to happen, the tragedy which has left John an orphan doesn't put me to any inconvenience. Rather the reverse.'
    Christie glanced at Margaret, thinking she might have been shocked by his outspoken statement. But her expression was unruffled. She asked, 'Have you ever been married, Ash?'
    'No.'
    'Oh, so it's not an unhappy previous experience which puts you off marriage?'
    'Not at all. My relations with women—other than with my father's second wife—have always been extremely enjoyable—to me and, I hope, to them,' he added, rising to his feet. 'I'm going to wash the dishes. No, sit tight, you two. I can manage. Perhaps you can convince Christiana that my attitude isn't as outrageous as she seems to find it, Margaret.'
    'I should have thought you would find it even more outrageous than I do,' said Christie, when they were alone.
    'No, not really, dear. My views have broadened a lot in the past few years. My husband could never accept that manners and morals change with every generation. In his day it was all right for a young man to sow his wild oats, but a nice girl had to behave herself. It upset Matthew very much when he realised that neither of our girls were nice any more, in that sense. But they've settled down now, and they're just as good wives and mothers as my generation. Looking back, I realise it was largely the fear of having a baby which kept us in line.'
    She paused. 'To return to what Ash said just now, I think girls always have marriage in view. They're always searching for the right man.
    But men aren't. They want to make love to as many pretty girls as possible until, suddenly, one girl comes along who's special, and they lose interest in the others. Ash hasn't met the right girl yet.'
    'If he hasn't by now, will he ever? He's not a boy any more.'
    'Round about thirty. That's no age. A lot of men settle down earlier because
    they're
    not
    particularly
    attractive
    and
    feminine
    companionship isn't too easy to come by. That can't be a problem in his case. He's a charmer of a high order.'
    'He may be God's gift to women, but it doesn't make him an ideal guardian for a child,' was Christie's somewhat acid comment. 'Not that I can do much about that,' she added, with a heavy sigh. 'My solicitor's advice is to give in gracefully. He thinks Ash has a better claim than I have.'
    Margaret said, 'I hate to agree, knowing what John means to you, but one can't ignore the practical difficulties of someone in your situation—in effect, a single woman—bringing up a small boy.'
    Ash came back. 'Did Christie