Magic In Vienna Part 20

"Well, it is my very strict rule never to divulge the addresses of theyoung ladies who come here--this is a very exclusive agency. But sinceyou are to be married. .." She hesitated, "You live here?"

"I'm a doctor living in London," he added the names of the hospitals where he held honorary status, 'if you care to telephone them. .."

Mrs Sharp, not easily impressed, was impressed now.

"That is quite unnecessary," she a.s.sured him. "Miss Gibson will beglad to see you, I'm sure. There has been nothing suitable for her.Governesses aren't in great demand, although yesterday she asked that Iwould put her name down for any domestic vacancy." She opened a boxfile on the desk.

"She has a room at Mrs Dyson's. Third turning on the left, number six."

She glanced at the clock, 'she comes in between eleven and twelve o'clock, I daresay you will catch her before she gets here."

"I am indebted to you," observed Charles and smiled his charming smile again, and went back through the waiting room and downstairs to the car.

Number six, even though it was slightly better than its neighbours, nevertheless met with Charles' disapproval. He banged the knocker and when an old woman came to the door enquired if Miss Gibson lived there.

"Temporary like' acceded Mrs Dyson, 'second floor back, I don't object to gentleman callers but I don't want no rough house."

The doctor fixed her with an outraged stare. He said coldly,

"There will be no rough house, madam, Miss Gibson will be leaving with me very shortly."

He went past her and started up the stairs. On the second floor landing he paused then knocked on the door at the back of the landing.

Cordelia was standing at the window, leaning out, looking at the viewof chimney pots without seeing one of them. She called come in withoutturning round, the woman across the landing had borrowed some tea fromher earlier that morning and had promised faithfully to let her have itback before noon. / The door opened and shut, and since the silenceseemed strange, Cordelia turned her head.

Charles was leaning against the door, he was breathing rather hard and she thought, erroneously, that he had run too fast up the stairs. He was also very pale and when she looked harder, desperately tired.

She put a hand on the window sill because her knees felt like jelly.

She said breathlessly: "How did you know that I was here?"

He didn't answer her at once but looked round the dreary room, neat and tidy because she was that kind of woman but nevertheless, dreary.

"Why did you leave Eileen?" He asked quietly and she answered just as quietly.

"Your sister didn't want me anymore--I wasn't really needed; I mean in Scotland there were cousins for Eileen and when they come back she'll go to school. .."

He said harshly: "Is that any reason why you are living in this hovel?"

"Well no--I had some money saved you know. Only my handbag was slashedand my money taken. I had' a little in my overnight bag and I'm--I'mwaiting for a job."

She had kept her voice steady but at any moment she was going to burst into tears.

"I've got my name down at a very good agency. . ."

"I've just come from there. The old harpy who runs it wasn't too sureabout giving me your address. I told her that we were going to bemarried."

Cordelia choked.

"Now I'll never get a job," she mumbled and sniffed back the first of the tears, then looked up sharply at the doctor's crack of laughter.

"This," he told her 'is the most ridiculous conversation," and left the door and swept her into his arms. "Who cares a d.a.m.n how I found you or why you're here I've found you and I'm not letting you go again, my darling. I must have been mad to let you go." He bent and kissed her slowly and with delight. It was impossible not to kiss him back.

"Then why did you?" asked Cordelia.

His arms tightened round her in a most satisfactory manner.

"Young Salfinger 1 was jealous I couldn't think sensibly. And then when you had gone he told me that you had given him the snub of his young life. . .1 knew then that I'd been a fool. . . I've been almost out of my mind hunting you down." He kissed her again, in a masterful fas.h.i.+on which pleased her very much.

"Forgive me my dear love and marry me. I think I've been in love with you from the first moment I saw you; I didn't know it until the night Eileen went to hospital. Very sharp you were because I'd forgotten you were waiting.

I wanted to pick you up and kiss you." He smiled suddenly.

"You snapped my head off." He loosened his hold so that he could see her face.

"Are you going to marry me, my dearest?"

"Yes, of course yes, Charles." She smiled in a watery fas.h.i.+on.

"I.

love you more than I can say." She put her arms round his neck and kissed him gently.

"Later on you shall tell me how you found me you're very tired, aren't you? Could we go somewhere quiet and you could sleep a little and then we could have a meal." She added like a child. "I'm hungry I expect you are too."

"My darling practical Miss Gibson, when did you eat last, by the way?"

"I had a poached egg on toast and a pot of tea yesterday evening. And a cup of tea this morning. And when did you sleep last, dear Charles?"

He grinned tiredly.

"I'm not sure. We'll go to my flat where I'm sure the Thompsons will take the greatest care of us. And tomorrow we'll go down to Wilts.h.i.+re while I see about a Licence." He let her go reluctantly.

"Toss your things into your bag, darling and we'll go."

She opened a drawer and started to take out her scant wardrobe.

"I.

don't want to go to my home, Charles."

"You need never go again, dear love. I was there this morning. Which reminds me, I met a nice elderly soul there who said she'd had a letter from you. I suggested that she might like to come to us. . ."

Cordelia, flinging things pell mell into her case turned to kiss him.

"Oh, Charles you dear," A gesture which needed suitable reward. But presently she was ready and followed him down to the front door where Mrs Dyson joined them. The doctor's magnificent nose twitched at the malodorous air which met them from the open kitchen door, but he bade her a courteous if brisk farewell, and shoved Cordelia gently into the Jaguar.

"Where are we going?" asked Cordelia. She was by now in a lovely dreamy state, and if he had said Timbuctoo or the Tower of London she would have accepted it and happily.

"Home--our home, close to Wigmore Street, tomorrow we'll go to Wilts.h.i.+re." He gave her a quick smiling glance.

"I told you that already you weren't listening."

"Oh, I was; I just can't believe it."

Presently he stopped the car again and she got out and she looked at the elegant row of houses.

"Here?" she asked doubtfully.

"Here." Charles took her arm and went up the steps to the dignified door, past the porter and into the oasis of carpeted calm that was the entrance lobby. "First floor," he told her and started up the staircase.

"It's grand," said Cordelia doubtfully. He stopped and put a great arm round her shoulders.

"You'll get used to it," he a.s.sured her and kissed the top of her head.

"Nothing is too grand for you, darling."

They went on up the stairs slowly, his arm still around her, to where Thompson stood at the open door. At the sight of them he let out a soundless sigh of pleasure; he and Mabel could look forward to a bit of bustle now; the doctor would come out of that sh.e.l.l of his and later on there would be children. The future looked decidedly promising.

But the two people on the stairs weren't bothered about the future; the present was all they needed.

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spent her childhood and youth in Devons.h.i.+re before training as a nurse and midwife. She was an army nursing sister during the war, married a Dutchman, and subsequently lived in Holland for fourteen years. She now lives with her husband in Dorset and has a daughter and grandson. Her hobbies are reading, animals, old buildings and, of course, writing. Betty started to write on retirement from nursing, incited by a lady in a library bemoaning the lack of romantic novels. She has since become one of Mills & Boon's most prolific and well-loved authors.

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