The Young Nightingales Read Online Free PDF Page B

France and to Italy—and even on one memorable occasion to the West Indies. But never to Switzerland! And surely that was an omission when money had never counted until now ?” And if I go to Switzerland Toby can come and spend his school holidays there, and it’ll be much more fun for him than if I settled down in England—”
    Irina leaned towards her.
    “You know very well that we’ll all look after Toby,” she said. “Any spare money I have he can have. And that goes for Conway, too—we discussed it only this morning. And if you’re in this unhappy frame of mind I think you’d better come and stay with me in London before you decide upon any future course of action at all—”
    “I’ve already decided upon my course of action,” Jane assured her in that strange, empty, unconvincing tone that yet managed to convey the impression that she really had made up her mind. “I’ll tell Roger about it in the morning. I can’t wait to make the acquaintance of this unknown aunt of his !” without any irony at all, which seriously alarmed Irina.
    “Rubbish!” she exclaimed, determined to have a word with Roger herself if the opportunity arose. She was not the type to worry unduly about anyone or anything save her work, but Jane was a different type altogether from herself, and she felt there was some reason why she should start worrying about her. Whatever had happened in the library that afternoon Jane, all at once, was a different girl. She looked as if she was badly shocked. “I’ll tell you what I’ll do,” she said. “ I’ll tackle Roger !”
    Jane looked so abs ol utely horrified that Irina withdrew the suggestion immediately.
    “All right, all right,” she soothed, “I won’t if you’d rather not. But Conway may think it necessary to tackle him. After all, he’s been thinking of him as a prospective brother-in-law for the last two years, when Roger started to behave in a proprietorial way towards you. And he certainly won’t want him for a stepfather !”
    “Oh, please,” Jane begged, turning away her face. “Do you mind if I put out the light now and sett l e down to sleep ? It’s been a horrible day ... Miranda, at least, was right about that !” Irina accepted dismissal, and made her way back to her own room. But before she left she bent once more over her sister.
    “At least think it over ,” she begged “before you do anything. We all know Miranda. It’s quite possible she’s merely having an affair with Roger which will fizzle out quite soon, and then he’ll turn back to you. She’s probably just dazzled him ... aroused some ardent protective quality. At heart I’m sure he’s all yours !”
    Jane said nothing but reached for the switch of her bedside light.
    Irina insisted:
    “I mean it !”
    Jane answered quietly, “I’m sure you do, but it doesn’t matter any longer anyway. Because I’ve changed. Possibly Daddy’s death has had something to do with it!”

 
    CHAPTER FOUR
    SEVERAL weeks later, when she caught her first glimpse of towering Swiss peaks against a rose-flushed evening sky, Jane faced up to the knowledge which she had in her heart that she had changed altogether since her father’s death. The shock of his death had affected her in some curious fashion that had brought about a metamorphosis.
    She felt detached, able to respond to outside influences in a way she could never have done while she was still in thrall to the compelling and sophisticated charm of her father’s closest friend. If she had been visiting Switzerland for the first time with Roger she would have wanted to share it all with him, and might even have accepted certain criticisms of his and been biased because of them from the outset. Roger was very much addicted to undervaluing things—making light of them. And he deprecated too much childish enthusiasm.
    He would have smiled at her—oh, quite charmingly—when her face lit up because of the beauty of the peaks, and the tranquil