Nina Coombs Pykare Read Online Free

children - and Peterkins.”
    A brief smile lit Mrs. Parthemer’s face. “So that’s where my baby is! I’ve been looking for him all afternoon. Those naughty children are always running off with him.”
    “I am most sorry,” said Jennifer, carefully keeping any expression off her face. “The children showed me around the park. It is exceedingly lovely. And we took Peterkins along. I didn’t realize that he was your pet.”
    What sort of unnatural mother, Jennifer asked herself, preferred the company of a monkey to that of her own children? Actually, the question was not difficult to answer. The center of Mrs. Parthemer’s life was Mrs. Parthemer. Around her every-thing else was supposed to revolve.
      Now she waved a laced handkerchief and a strong smell of scent assaulted Jennifer’s nostrils. “It doesn’t matter. The headache was too much for me and I was forced to lie abed quite late.
    “Where is Mr. Parthemer?” She cast agonized eyes heavenward in reproach. “He is always so ravenous and he insists on eating at this terribly unfashionable hour. The least he could do would be to be on time.”
    “And so I am, m’dear,” boomed a deep voice from beyond the French doors and a tall, stout figure entered the room and approached Jennifer. “You must be Miss Whitcomb, the new governess.” He took her hand in a grip so hearty that it was with difficulty that she kept from wincing. But then she remembered something her Papa had once told her and returned Mr. Parthemer’s vise-like grip with one of her own.
    His eyes twinkled as he beamed down on her. “I like your sort. Spunk, that’s what ye’ve got. None of them silly mooncalf misses as goes about shying and fluttering.” HereMr. Parthemer gave such a heavy-handed imitation of a coquette that Jennifer could not forbear a chuckle.
    “Nauseating bunch, the lot of them,” observed Mr. Parthemer with a smile that showed strong white teeth. “Maybe you can do something with them hellions of ours. Them namby-pamby chits was no use at all. Couldn’t get nowhere with the children.”
    “I’m sure that the children and I will get along quite well. It may take us a little time to learn to deal together, but we shall get on famously once we do.”
    Mr. Parthemer smiled again and Jennifer found herself returning his smile. She liked this bluff hearty man.
    “I believe you, m’girl. I truly do.”
    Mr. Parthemer looked about to continue when his wife touched his arm weakly. “Please, Mr. Parthemer, I am faint. Let us proceed with dinner.”
    “Of course, m’dear. Come, let me get you seated.”
    As Jennifer made her way to the place indicated by her employer she could not help speculating as to what oddity of fate had yoked two such incompatible creatures in a lifelong partnership. Certainly the more she saw of married life, the less she understood what it was that impelled people to form a partiality for each other. Of course, the Parthemers could have married for other reasons, as so many people did.
      Unfortunately for her peace of mind, she found that the exquisite young man was seated on her left and was again ogling her through his quizzing glass.
    “Will you put that demned thing down, Ingleton, and act like a human. I take it you haven’t been made known to our new governess?”
    “I have not had that honor, uncle,” said the beau elegantly.
    “Well, Miss Whitcomb, this fancy bird here is Ingleton, Mrs. Parthemer’s nephew. He lives with us.”
    Jennifer gave the nephew a slight nod. He was obviously a hanger-on, a parasite who was using Mr. Parthemer’s riches to enhance his chances of marrying a fortune. Some heiress of a small nouveau riche tradesman might mistake his pseudo ton for the real thing. But no actual lady, thought Jennifer, would ever believe this creature had been born to the ton.
    It had not been so many years ago that handsome officers, young and old, had flocked to Papa’s house. And Papa himself, though a younger