Semi-Detached Marriage Read Online Free PDF

lost control. Fractured his
leg in two places, he did. Not just broke it, but fractured it,' the girl added
with morbid enjoyment. 'Oh, and Mr Jepps said I was to ask you to go to his
office as soon as you arrived.'              
    Cassie thanked her rather faintly and made
her way to the office of the Buying Manager, thinking that if her own plane had
crashed on the way back from Paris it would really have made her secretary's day!
She didn't have to wait long in the outer office before she was told to go in
to see Mr Jepps, who was the head of the Buying Department and also a director
of the firm. After exchanging greetings, she started to tell him about her trip
to Paris, but he stopped her almost at once.
    'Tell me about that later. Have you heard
about poor
    Ashby?'
    'Yes, my secretary just told me. Is he really
that badly hurt, or has it gained in the telling?'
    'That bad, I'm afraid. He's going to be out
of commission for at least six months. So I've decided to rearrange the buying
responsibilities for the fashion department. I'm putting Mrs. Nichols in
general charge and I want you to take over all her departments as well as your
own. Can you do that?'
    He looked at her keenly, but for a moment
Cassie could only stare at him open-mouthed. Then she hastily pulled herself
together and said, 'Yes. Yes, I know I can. Thank you for-for giving me the
chance.'
    He smiled. 'Well, you'd better cut along and
talk to Mrs. Nichols as soon as you can. You can tell me all about the Paris
trip some other time. Oh, and by the way,' he added as she moved towards the
door, 'there will, of course, he a raise in salary and expense allowance while
you have the extra responsibility.'
    Simon arrived home again on Friday, going
first to the office to discuss the oil terminal problems with the directors. He
looked tired and there was a taut, strained look about his eyes when he came
into the flat, but Cassie was keyed up with excitement; she seemed to have been
on a high ever since she'd heard of her temporary promotion, and hadn't yet
come back down to earth. She was full of ideas that would give the various
departments now under her control a more modem image and was wild to tell Simon
about them and use him as a sounding board, but she held herself in check until
he'd changed and waited until they were seated at a table in their favourite
bistro type restaurant before she told him.
    'Oh, don't bother with that, let's just have
the usual wine.' Impatiently she took the wine list he had been about to study
and gave it back to the waiter.
    'I've got something to tell you.'
    Simon smiled slightly and nodded to the
waiter. 'The Mosel, please.' Then he turned to her, the smile deepening. 'All
right, what is it? Something pretty good, from the look of you. Did the Paris
trip go well?' 'What? Oh, yes, fine.' Cassie dismissed Paris with a wave of her
hand. 'This is much more important news.
    You know Don Ashby, the head fashion buyer?
Well, he's broken his leg.'
    Simon's left eyebrow rose. 'That's supposed
to be good news?'
    'Not for poor old Don, of course, but it is
for me.' She raised a glowing face to his. 'Mrs. Nichols has taken over Don's
work and…' she paused, her eyes bright with excitement, 'oh, Simon, I've been
put in charge of all Mrs. Nichols's departments! That's the designer rooms,
evening and day dresses, separates and swim- wear, as well as Top Togs.'
    Simon stared at her for a long moment before
saying slowly, 'I see.'
    'But do you?' Cassie
demanded, impatient at his apparent lack of interest, wanting him to share her
excitement. 'Can't you see it's my chance to really prove myself? Top Togs has
been a great success, but it was an entirely new innovation. The store had had
nothing like it before and so they've been unable to compare my work with
anything else. For all they know anyone could have done it. But now that I've
got all those departments that have been in the store from the beginning I'll
be able to show the