Short and Sweet Read Online Free PDF Page A

understanding. ‘In the early stages, is it? I’ll tread carefully when he comes round, then.’
    ‘But—’
    ‘He seems a nice young fellow. What does he do for a living?’
    ‘He’s a brickie.’
    Megs nodded. ‘Good trade, that. People will always need houses built.’
    ‘It doesn’t matter what he does. He isn’t my boyfriend!’
    Megs had already turned away and was staring down at Arthur. ‘Look, Emily, you run along to bed. I’ll deal with your father and then lock up.’
    Emily walked numbly to her bedroom, horrified by the idea of Tom coming to take tea with them. Just as she was falling asleep, however, she remembered how he had stood up to her father and a smile crept over her face. Funny sort of knight, wasn’t he, to rescue her from her dragon of a father? All those freckles. Not to mention the blushes.
    Arthur Baker remained outside on the veranda all that night. When he banged on the locked door of the house and threatened to break it down if they didn’t let him in, Megs banged on the other side with her rolling pin, threatening his manhood if he set one toe over the threshold before he’d sobered up.
    After pleading for entry more humbly, but still in vain, Arthur threw himself back down on the old couch in a huff. Later, when it grew chilly, he pinched the dog’s blanket and huddled down under that.
    Emily couldn’t hide her annoyance when Tom met her on the Monday after work. ‘What did you accept the invitation to tea for?’ she demanded before they had gone ten yards.
    ‘I thought you’d like it.’
    ‘Like it? Like it? ’ She snorted indignantly. ‘It’ll be awful! They’ll ask you how much you earn and what your prospects are. They’ll ask about your family. They’ll have us courting before we know where we are.’
    He avoided her eyes. ‘I don’t mind.’
    She stopped dead in her tracks and sucked in her breath. ‘Tom Norris, you’d better understand now that I’m never going to get married! Never, ever!’
    ‘Why not?’
    Oh no! He had that stubborn look on his face again.
    ‘What’s wrong with marriage?’ he demanded when she didn’t answer.
    ‘Everything! I’ve seen what happens to women who get married. I’m not getting lumbered with a husband who spends his life down at the hotel getting drunk while I stay at home and look after the kids. What’s more, I’m leaving this one-eyed dump and going up to Perth soon. I can type already and I’ll carry on studying at night school till I’ve learned the other things I need. I’m going to be a secretary in a posh office one day and have my own flat. I’m—’
    ‘Not all men get drunk and spend their evenings at the hotel, Emily. My dad didn’t and—’
    ‘Well, he was one in a million, then!’
    ‘And I won’t, either. I’ll look after my wife properly. She won’t have to go out to work. I don’t believe in wives working. And she’ll have all my wages. Unopened packet every week. That’s only fair.’
    Emily tried desperately to turn it into a joke. ‘You sound almost as if you’re proposing. Only there aren’t any violins playing.’
    ‘When I propose,’ Tom’s voice was louder than usual and carried quite clearly to Vera’s parents, who were walking past just then, ‘I’ll do it properly, with flowers and on me knees.’ He reached out and grabbed Emily’s hand, holding it tightly as if he thought she might try to pull away.
    Shock held her motionless, her mouth agape. Mr and Mrs Morton slowed down and when she glanced sideways she saw them watching her.
    Tom took full advantage of his moment. ‘At present, Emily Baker, we’re just going out with each other. And we’ll do that properly, too, which is why I’m coming to tea to meet your family.’
    ‘But Tom – we haven’t . . . we don’t . . . Tom, we hardly know one another.’ Her voice wobbled and a little shiver ran down her spine at the determination emanating from him.
    ‘No. We don’t. Not yet. But we