Hide My Eyes Read Online Free PDF

surprised if you have because all families talk, I know, say what we will. Well, dear, I am your brother-in-law Frederick’s wife, or widow I should say, and I think you may have met Frederick before you were married.
    “My dear, he was not a bad chap whatever you may have heard and was really very fond of his brother, your husband. I saw that
he
had passed on, poor fellow, some years ago. I am so sorry. It is difficult to talk about them, isn’t it?
    “My Frederick was
all right really
but I can understand that it must have been a shock to you all when he went off and joined me in my hotel instead of marrying where he was expected to. I think perhaps I ought to mention that we
were
married—Gold Cross Registry Office, Manchester, 27th June ’31—a bit late as you will notice, I expect, but still we did do it, and we got on very well. When he went, poor old boy, in 1945 I was fed up, so I sold out and came to live in a bit of property my Dad left me, it falling empty about that time. The address is on the top of this letter. It is not in a swanky part but I have made it quite nice.
    “What I am leading up to is that Freddy and I had no kids and I have no relatives left alive to need anything. I have not won the Irish Sweep but I did sell out at the best time and have always had a bit put by, being that sort of person I expect.
    “To stop beating about the bush, dear, I believe there is a niece of Freddy’s. I remember we saw in the paper her name was Jennifer.
    “Fred kept an eye on births and deaths and if he was too proud to write he always drank the health of a name he knew! Well, Alice dear, I would like to see this girl. I do not want to promise anything because I am as I am and I expect so is she, and we might not get on at all, but if you can see your way to it send her up to me, and if she is what I have in mind she will not be the loser. There is something here for her to do if she is the right sort.
    “Now I have read this I see it looks as if I am up to I don’t know what. Do not think that. I would look after her. No silly nonsense or staying out late, or
anything not quite straightforward
. Anyhow, that is my idea and there is no harm in asking, is there?
    “To close, dear, I hope you are all right. It has been a parroty old lifetime for us women, hasn’t it, but I daresay it has made us all a bit broader minded than we were long ago. If you decide to send the kid have a little chat with her first, because I do not want a crying set-out if I am not what she expects. Shall hope to see her but will understand if not.
    Yours sincerely,
    Margaret (Polly) Tassie.
    “P.S. She must be nearly twenty-four. I expect she’s very nice and well brought up but I have opened this to say that if she should be really plain, kindly dear, forget I wrote.”
    Richard read the postscript twice and looked up, his youthful face blank.
    “I suppose someone
has
heard of her before?”
    “Oh yes.” Annabelle appeared alarmingly complacent. “Father and Frederick were left our estate between them, with very little money and a lot of responsibility, but it looked more or less all right because Frederick was engaged to one of Lord Thole’s daughters over at Pharaoh’s Field. They were awfully rich. But when Grandfather died Uncle Fred beetled off, jilted the Honourable, and left Father to wrestle both with the estate and the scandal. I don’t think there was a row. Just an enduring coolth. No one even seems to have considered this old darling, who sounds rather a sweetie, don’t you think?”
    He did not answer immediately and she leaned over his shoulder.
    “Well, don’t you?”
    “I don’t know,” he said honestly. “You’re sure Dr. Robinson has seen this letter, and that he thinks it was a good idea for you to come up?”
    Annabelle hesitated and her grey-gold eyes wandered from his stare.
    “I think so,” she said at last. “Things are rather dreary at home just now. I imagine Mike is a bit bored with