Read No Other Haven for Free Online

a furnished house in Port Acland—out at Beechwood. Did it by telephone through Hunters and we shall be going straight there. Try to understand, darling. Everything is new to Lindsey, and she doesn’t yet realize that you’re no one to be scared of. English girls always tremble at meeting their mothers-in-law—didn’t you know that?” A break while he listened, then, tenderness in his answer: “I knew I could count on you. See you on Monday, then. I’m not certain what time we’ll get in, but I pro mise we’ll be up to dinner.”
    He dropped a hand over the mouthpiece and addressed Lindsey. “She wishes to speak to you.”
    Stifling a qualm, Lindsey took the receiver. “Hello,” she said a little breathlessly.
    “Lindsey? I’m longing to see you.” The voice was amazingly strong and unhesitating. “Stuart’s news has made me terribly happy. I do understand your wanting a house to yourselves, though naturally I’d rather you stayed here with me. I’d even had your room prepared.”
    “Please don’t hold it against me, Mrs. Conlowe.” She didn’t care that he could hear. “The furnished house was entirely Stuart’s idea.”
    A small laugh. “He was always possessive, even as a boy. He means to have you to himself, and why shouldn’t he? I’m too delighted about his marriage to grudge him the smallest joy from it.”
    “You’re very kind.”
    “Nonsense. You have the prettiest voice, Lindsey. I expect Stuart has already told you that. Insist on that son of mine brin ging you early on Monday. We’ll have such a lot to talk about . ”
    “Yes. I will.”
    “My love to you both. Goodbye, my dear.”
    Lindsey turned to find Stuart lounging on a chintz sofa, watching her amusedly from under his thick dark brows.
    “What did she say about me?”
    “That you’re possessive and must have your own way.”
    “Gross distortion.” He patted the sofa seat. “Come and sit here a minute. Isn’t it pleasant to be alone! Aren’t you getting as tired of the hotel mode of existence as I am?”
    Lindsey wasn’t sure. There was a certain solace in attributing at least part of the distance between them to the crowds of strangers and hotel boys by whom they were cabined and confined.
    “Perhaps,” she admitted cautiously. “Sophistication is new to me. Stuart, when did you take on the house in Port Acland?”
    “I called on Hunters—they’re biggish estate agents —t he morning we docked, while you were getting your land legs. They telephoned here yesterday that their Port Acland branch had only one house to offer, so I c linched it.”
    “You might have told me.”
    “I thought you’d take it for granted that we’d do something like that. With my mother living there, we could hardly stay at an hotel.”
    “I know. But if I’m to share the house...”
    “Now, now, Lindsey, don’t be a baby. Maybe I under-estimated the importance of such details to a woman.” He tweaked the fingers which pressed into the sofa between them. “We’re only renting the house. If you take a dislike to it we can walk out, the first day.” Lindsey was silent. Impossible to dissect in words just how she felt. This nasty ache in her hadn’t anything to do with the house; she didn’t care about the beastly house as long as they were together. No, it had started when he called his mother “darling,” and deepened as his tones softened into an intimacy of understanding that she coveted to the point of stark jealousy.
    “I expect the place will be furnished in wicker,” he surmised, smiling, “with moth chewed curtains and carpets and chipped Dutch pottery cluttering the rooms. Still, it will be four walls—probably thick ones—and we can turf out the jarring notes. There are two house servants and a garden boy included, so things should be in fairly good shape, and I thin k I’d better borrow one of Mother’s wolfhounds for when you’re alone.”
    “A wolfhound?” in dismay. Lindsey preferred dogs of