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Keepers of the House

Page 48

by JH Fletcher


  ‘I see.’

  He stopped by the window, looked out at the placid lake, the clouds mirrored in its surface. ‘I told you, remember? I said I would never sacrifice myself on the altar of your fantasies.’

  ‘You made that very plain,’ she agreed. She had not meant to sound so cold, but there had been too much pain, too many broken hopes.

  ‘And of course there are all those bonuses, superannuation benefits …’

  Love and immortality? she thought. Old hat, nowadays. Trade them in for a package. Bonuses and superannuation guaranteed. I cannot bear it.

  ‘It’s the only business I know.’

  He had turned and was walking across the room towards her.

  ‘So I didn’t see I had much choice. I thought I was a bit too old to go back to tennis.’

  A laugh seemed expected; she did her best.

  ‘I suppose you are …’

  He stopped in front of her. ‘I told him to stuff it.’

  She couldn’t have heard him right. ‘What?’

  He said, ‘I should have phoned but somehow I couldn’t bring myself to do it.’

  Her heartbeat threatened to stifle her. ‘It doesn’t matter.’

  ‘I was afraid you might tell me to take a jump.’

  ‘Oh God.’

  ‘That job you mentioned,’ he said. ‘I wondered, if it’s still open, if I might apply for it, after all?’

  And the world, the pain, the cool and sunlit office, dissolved in a sudden gush of grateful tears.

  Acknowledgement

  It gives me great pleasure to acknowledge publicly what I have long acknowledged in private: the debt I owe to my agent Selwa Anthony, for her friendship, encouragement and unfailing support in times both good and bad. To say nothing of her super-glam looks, efficiency and finely-honed commercial skills.

  About JH Fletcher

  JH Fletcher is the author of eight romantic historical novels, published to both critical and popular acclaim. The author's plays for radio and television have been produced by the BBC and the South African Broadcasting Corporation, and many of this author's stories have been published in Australia and throughout the world.

  JH Fletcher was educated in the UK and travelled and worked in France, Asia and Africa before emigrating to Australia in 1991. Home is now a house within sound of the sea in a small town on the South Australian coast.

  Also by JH Fletcher

  View from the Beach

  Wings of the Storm

  Fire in Summer

  Sun in Splendour

  The Cloud Forest

  Voice of Destiny

  Eagle on the Hill

  First published by HarperCollins Publishers Pty Ltd in 2000

  This edition published in 2013 by Momentum

  Pan Macmillan Australia Pty Ltd

  1 Market Street, Sydney 2000

  Copyright © JH Fletcher 2000

  The moral right of the author has been asserted.

  All rights reserved. This publication (or any part of it) may not be reproduced or transmitted, copied, stored, distributed or otherwise made available by any person or entity (including Google, Amazon or similar organisations), in any form (electronic, digital, optical, mechanical) or by any means (photocopying, recording, scanning or otherwise) without prior written permission from the publisher.

  A CIP record for this book is available at the National Library of Australia

  Keepers of the House

  EPUB format: 9781743342527

  Mobi format: 9781743342534

  Cover design by XOU Creative

  Macmillan Digital Australia: www.macmillandigital.com.au

  To report a typographical error, please visit momentumbooks.com.au/contact/

  Visit www.momentumbooks.com.au to read more about all our books and to buy books online. You will also find features, author interviews and news of any author events.

 

 

 


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