The Colonel and His Daughter Read Online Free Page A

“I called your office and they said you were no longer a partner. Why, Diana? What happened? Are you in some kind of trouble?”
    She couldn’t bear the sympathy in his voice.
    “Oh, go back to the Frog and Dumpling, Bill,” she snapped. “Don’t make my life any more complicated than it already is.”
    Trudy watched from Diana’s bedroom window. Something was going on between Bill and Diana that was for sure. But what? The village grapevine had clearly missed this one.

    “We have to tell her,” Trudy said as she watched Potts delicately cutting the crusts off the sandwiches he’d made.
    “Goes without saying,” he agreed.
    They both looked up at the ceiling. No sooner had Trudy finished straightening the counterpane on Diana’s bed, than the poor girl had rushed in and thrown herself on it.
    “We can’t let her go on thinking that we’re engaged,” Trudy pressed on.
    “No, indeed,” Potts said. “But we can’t tell her we were discussing her.”
    “Then we’ll tell her we were talking about the wedding of a friend of mine,” Trudy said. “We were silly to get carried away and start talking about marquees on the lawn and bouncy castles.”
    “Absolutely,” Potts said. “You going to tell her or shall I?”
    “Better coming from you,” Trudy murmured. “You are her father after all.”
    “Quite so,” he said, then gave a start. “What the dash is he doing here?”
    Trudy looked up and there was Bernard, hands cupped against the kitchen window, nose glued to the glass. He blew her a kiss.
    “He’s here for Julia’s wedding and seems to think I fancy him,” Trudy explained.
    “And do you?”
    “Certainly not,” Trudy cried. “He’s been following me everywhere and I’m fed up with it.”
    Potts grabbed Trudy’s hand and opened the back door.
    “Can I help you?” he said.
    “Actually,” Bernard said. “It’s Troodles I’m after.”
    Potts drew himself up. “And what business do you have with my fiancée?” he demanded.
    Trudy’s knees wobbled. She had no idea the Colonel could be so commanding, so forceful.
    Bernard looked from Trudy to the Colonel, then back again.
    “Is this true, Troodles?” he asked. “Are you spoken for?”
    The Colonel gave her hand a squeeze and she nodded her head.
    “Fact is, we were just discussing our engagement party,” Potts said.
    “Engagement party?” Diana’s voice sounded behind them. “Oh, how exciting. Can I help arrange it?”
    Trudy shot Potts a despairing look.
    “Oh, corks,” he muttered. “That’s torn it.”

    Colonel Potts entered Lily Cottage, stooping as he came through the small doorway and then he stood in the sitting room, filling it up with his presence.
    He’d never been inside the cottage before and it was much as he expected. Clean, but cluttered, small and homely. It was a pleasant sort of clutter though, not the kind of pointless accumulation he normally despised.
    He held his hat, an aged discoloured Panama in both hands in front of him and twirled it nervously in circles.
    “Please, sit down, Colonel,” Trudy said.
    “Potts,” he said. “We agreed. Potts.”
    He glanced at her and saw a flush colour her cheeks. She hadn’t been to do for him since the doings on Sunday. Not because she didn’t want to, but because Diana said it would be inappropriate for his fiancée to keep house for him.
    “Frightful mess,” he said.
    “Sorry,” Trudy plumped up the cushions. “I haven’t had much time for housework . . .”
    “Not here, dammit,” he said, looking round. “Very nice. Cosy. Get a bit lost in my house I don’t mind telling you. Often hanker after something smaller. I mean our situation is a frightful mess. Diana’s driving me into town this afternoon to be measured for a new suit for the party.”
    “Please do sit down,” she pleaded and he glanced nervously round and decided on the black leather fireside chair with the squishy black velvet cushion.
    He sat. There was a yelp. Trudy