Memories of You Read Online Free PDF

is it, Hugh? I sense that you are unhappy.’
    â€˜No . . . I’m not unhappy.’
    â€˜Uneasy, then?’
    â€˜A little. I understand your instinct to help the orphaned family, but bringing one of them into our home is quite a responsibility. Are you sure you’ve done the right thing?’
    â€˜Darling, just look at her! What do you see?’
    â€˜A very beautiful child.’
    Selma pulled away impatiently and turned to look up at him, eyes bright with eager emotion. ‘Yes, yes,’ she said impatiently. ‘But look closely. Who does she remind you of?’
    Of course, that was the thought that had been hovering on the fringes of his mind. The child looked like Selma herself. A young, unformed Selma, but with the same fragile bone structure, darkfringed blue eyes and silky fair hair. ‘You,’ he breathed.
    â€˜Yes, darling. She could be my daughter.’
    Hugh caught his breath. ‘Selma . . . you’re not proposing that we—’
    â€˜Adopt her?’ Selma’s eyes were shining. ‘That’s exactly what I’m proposing.’
    â€˜But we don’t know anything about her.’
    â€˜Yes, we do. She’s nine years old and she’s from a perfectly respectable family.’
    â€˜Nine?’ Hugh was surprised. ‘She looks much younger.’
    â€˜I know. Isn’t she sweet?’
    Hugh controlled a spurt of irritation. ‘Selma, sweet has nothing to do with it. What do we know about her family?’
    She smiled. ‘I knew you would ask that. I’m not as simple as you seem to think I am.’
    â€˜I don’t think you’re simple. You are impulsive. Sometimes dangerously so.’
    â€˜Hush, we might awaken her.’ Selma drew away from the bed. ‘I had enquiries made about the family. I knew you would ask.’
    â€˜Enquiries?’
    â€˜I asked old Arthur to find someone.’
    â€˜Arthur Garwood? My solicitor?’
    â€˜Who else? I told him the matter was urgent and he obliged by putting an enquiry agent on the case.’
    Despite himself Hugh had to smile at his wife’s choice of words. ‘You sound like someone in a movie,’ he said. ‘ On the case , indeed.’
    â€˜Yes, well, he did.’
    â€˜And what exactly did you tell Arthur?’
    Selma frowned. ‘What do you mean?’
    â€˜What reason did you give for wanting to know?’
    â€˜I told him the truth, of course. He knew about the accident.’
    â€˜No one has suggested that John was in any way responsible.’
    â€˜Of course not. But it was our car and in some way that does make us responsible for what happens next. I told Arthur that we wanted to help this family so we needed to find out more about them.’
    â€˜You didn’t mention adoption?’
    â€˜Not at that stage.’
    â€˜But you have mentioned it since?’
    â€˜Well, of course. Once the report came back saying that the Norton family were poor but utterly respectable I did . . .’ she faltered, at last sensing that Hugh might deny her her wish. ‘Well . . . I did suggest that we . . .’ Selma turned in his arms, put her hands on his shoulders and looked up at him beseechingly. ‘Oh, Hugh, darling, you’re not going to say no, are you?’
    He returned her look and his own eyes were troubled. ‘And if we have a child of our own?’
    She shrugged impatiently and her voice hardened. ‘Don’t worry. In the unlikely event of that happening, you don’t think I would stop loving the child, do you?’
    Hugh had spoken to Charles Harris after Selma’s recent appointment and his old friend had assured him that there was nothing wrong with either of them. Physically, that was. He had suggested that Selma’s deep unhappiness about her childless state might actually be preventing her from conceiving. If adopting this child would make her happy, then so be it. Whether or not they