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for another month; a whole month in the place she had grown to love with a
passion quite beyond her understanding. She wouldn't. think about leaving -
she'd pretend she was on a month's holiday - and enjoy every moment of it!
Only for a second, with a little tremor of apprehension, did she allow her
thoughts to dwell on the possibility of her husband's discovering the truth.
But he couldn't - not until Dr. Grant returned.
Immediately after breakfast Janis went over to warn Avril not to say
anything that would arouse Perry's suspicions.
A trim maid showed her into a large, charming room with a magnificent
view of the lakes and the hills, and the dark outline of Peckforton Castle.
Janis was used to luxury by now, but this particular room never failed to
please her. The rich, heavy curtains, the antique furniture, the thick carpet
and large family portraits, gave the room not only character, but a sort of
grand simplicity.
Mrs. Martin, a shrewd, homely woman, gave her a smile of welcome as she
entered.
'Sit down and we'll have some coffee. Avril's gone to take the dogs for a
walk. I really don't know why she breeds them, they're such a nuisance.
They make an awful mess, especially when it's wet.' She rang for coffee, and
Janis chatted unselfconsciously with her until Avril arrived.
The three boxer puppies bounded into the room ahead of her; their mother,
Tina, followed more slowly and with much less noise. Relaxing by Mrs.
Martin's feet, she stared up at her with worshipful eyes. Mrs. Martin gave
her a biscuit and the puppies immediately tumbled over themselves in an
effort to take it from her.
'Put them out,' Mrs. Martin said exasperatedly. 'We could do very well
without them, Avril.'
Avril laughed and opened the door of the porch leading on to the terrace.
'Out you go.' She turned into the room again. 'We couldn't do without Tina,
though.'
'Tina's different,' her mother commented. 'Coffee?'
'Please.' Avril sat down by Janis. 'It seems ages since I've seen you. What's
the latest bulletin?'
'Dr. Grant signed me off, as he said he would.'
'I am pleased,' Mrs. Martin said, passing the biscuits to Avril. 'It's been such
a long time^- Perry must be greatly relieved.' Mrs. Martin knew very well
why Perry had married Janis, but always tactfully pretended she didn't.
Extremely fond of Janis, she saw no reason for bringing into the open facts
which would only hurt her. Therefore it was with some considerable surprise
that she heard Janis broach the subject herself.
'I haven't told Perry ... you know why he married me, Avril ' She turned to
her friend. 'But did you know that he never intended the marriage to be
permanent?'
A few moments elapsed before Avril replied. The fact that Janis hadn't the
faintest suspicion of Perry's intentions had puzzled Avril, for he would never
have married her under false pretences.
'Yes, Janis. Surely Perry told you?'
'I misunderstood him That sounds ridiculous,' she added hastily, noticing
their puzzled stares. 'Nevertheless, it's true. Don't ask me how I came to
misunderstand his meaning, it's far too embarrassing. The important thing is
that Perry meant us to have an annulment and - and that takes place just as
soon as I'm completely well.'
'You mean ' Avril swallowed. 'You're going away ... now?'
'No.' Janis twisted the buttons on her dress nervously. 'Dr. Grant is away for
a month, so Perry can't find out. I shall tell him a day or two before Dr. Grant
returns.... I might not even tell him at all - just go away and send him my
address later on.'
For once Mrs. Martin forgot to be tactful.
'Avril told me everything was going fine; that she didn't think there would be
a separation.'
'Things have changed since then. Perry - Perry hates m-me.' The hand
holding the cup was far from steady; Avril took the coffee away before it
spilled over on to Janis's dress. 'I told you about the curtains in his study,'
Janis went on. 'He changed towards me after that.'
'I can't believe Perry would hold out a grudge against you for so trivial a
matter,' said Avril in a puzzled tone. 'Are you sure there's nothing else, no
other reason for this change you say has occurred ?'
'Nothing that I know of; and yet, Avril, it's strange that you should say that
because, at the time, I had the feeling that he was angry about something
other than the changes I'd made in his study.'
'You must speak to Perry,' Mrs. Martin put in, glancing at her daughter.
'Make him see how unfair he's being to Janis. After all, if she didn't fully
realize what he meant '
'You're very kind, Mrs. Martin, but no one can do anything. Perry did put it
all clearly to me at the beginning, and it isn't his fault if I misunderstood him.
I can't expect him to change his mind, to spoil his life, simply because I was
so stupid.'
'I think Janis is right,' Avril reluctantly agreed after some consideration.
'Perry never intended the marriage to be permanent - though there was a time
when John and I speculated on the possibility of his changing his mind - and
he now obviously means to keep Janis to her bargain.' She looked utterly
miserable, and Janis forced a laugh.
'Don't look so glum, Avril, or you'll make me glum too. I have a whole
month, and I intend to make the most of it. I shall make it the happiest month
of my life, a time to remember always '
'My dear child, don't,' implored Mrs. Martin in pained and troubled tones.
'There must be some way of opening Perry's eyes. What stupid creatures
men are!'
'It's not a case of his being stupid,' Janis told her gently, 'nor of opening
Perry's eyes - if by that you mean I'm a suitable wife for him. I'm not, Mrs.
Martin, but even if I were that's no reason why he should fall in love with
me. Love isn't like that at all.' She thought of the photograph she had seen of
Glenda, so well-groomed and poised, her exotic beauty reminding Janis of
an orchid. She had read somewhere that a man has a constant picture of how
his ideal should look; Perry had loved Glenda so therefore shemust be
representative of his ideal.
Neither Mrs. Martin nor Avril seemed able to comment, and Janis abruptly
changed the subject, asking Avril if she could go with her to Fourstones
Kennels the following day.
'You said you were going to buy a dog, and I've never been to a kennels.'
'Very well. Mr. Pilkington rang me on Friday to say he had one that might
suit me and I promised to go and see it,' Avril explained to her mother, who
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