Then She Fled Me Read Online Free PDF Page A

Dear Sir, are you bats? ”
    Kathy looked at them disapprovingly.
    “ I think you ’ re all horrid, ” she said. “ He ’ s probably a poor old gentleman crossed in love. ”
    “ And you could smooth his brow and read him poetry, ” laughed Sarah. “ I don ’ t think we want him. He sounds pernickety and a nuisance. Oh, dear! And we can ’ t have Ma and Pa and the four children; they ’ d take up too much room and it wouldn ’ t pay at reduced terms. That leaves Daisy—Uncle B., we can ’ t have Daisy sharing her lonely life with strangers all over the house. ”
    “ Well, Sarah, I don ’ t think you ’ ve much choice, ” Brian said, pushing a hand through his thick g rey hair. “ I agree the family wouldn ’ t be a paying proposition, so we ’ ll write them off, but you won ’ t get any more answers now, I ’ m afraid. I suggest you give Mr. Flint and Miss Dearlove a trial. ”
    “ What, both of them! ” exclaimed Sarah, looking stricken.
    “ Why not? They sound respectable and, after all, you can always get rid of them if it doesn ’ t work. You won ’ t see much of the old gentleman from all accounts, and with his extras you would net about twelve guineas a week, and that would be a big help. ”
    Sarah rubbed her nose, then sighed.
    “ I suppose you ’ re right, ” she said at last. “ Well, if they both turn out to be queer in the head, Uncle B., you ’ ll have to come with a plain van and remove them for us. ”
    While Kathy ’ s pupils played scales in the snug under her guidance, Sarah and Aunt Em inspected bedrooms, trying to decide what furniture could best be spared from each. The disused rooms were singularly bare. In fact the room they had chosen for Miss Dearlove boasted only a bed and a large double washstand.
    “ I don ’ t remember that we sold so much, do you, Aunt Em? ” Sarah said, chewing the backs of her knuckles.
    “ Well, dear, one doesn ’ t notice, does one? ” her aunt replied vaguely. “ And I think the Sheraton chest of drawers was moved into Danny ’ s room. ”
    “ Oh, good—then it can be moved back again. I remember now. The fake chest was sold by mistake and fetched nothing. The wardrobe can come out of the small dressing room, and there are lots of chairs and little tables and things in the drawing room. We ’ ll have to dot them over the bare places in the carpet. What can we hang over that discolored patch on the wall? Do you think she ’ d like that rather sickening picture of elves sitting on toadstools that used to hang in the nursery? ”
    “ Perhaps if she writes stories for children she would. Op, the whole, dear, I think it would be better if you gave this room to Mr. Flint and the nursery to Miss Dearlove. So much more suitable, don ’ t you think? ”
    “ No. ” Sarah ’ s voice was decided. “ Mr. Flint is sick or old or something. He sounds fussy and he ’ s going to pay more. The nursery ’ s much the nicest room in the house and it looks over the lough. ”
    They moved across the landing and stood looking into the high long room filled with the morning sunlight. Nursery rhymes repeated themselves in a faded pattern on the wallpaper, painted cupboards still held nursery china, and the shelves nursery books. But the table, covered with a worn rep cloth, was a fine walnut period piece, and the faded Aubusson carpet, marred by inkstains, had once graced the drawing room.
    “ It ’ s funny, isn ’ t it, how muddled our furniture always is, ” said Sarah. “ I can remember we used to do our lessons at a Chippendale bureau that fetched a huge price when it was sold. ”
    “ Yes, dear, your father had little sense of fitness, ” Aunt Em replied and thought of Kathleen who had so l ovingly collected her period pieces, trying to bring grace to this barren house.
    “ All the stuff from father ’ s room can be moved in here. It ’ s solid and masculine, and there ’ s a comfortable armchair, ” Sarah said, wandering over to