{"product_id":"2940013774520","title":"The Judas Kiss","description":"The  young clergyman cleared his throat.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"As we are all met together,\" he began, \"I will read you a letter I have\u003cbr\u003ereceived from our father.\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"Listen, girls,\" said Jasper flippantly, \"our reverend brother has\u003cbr\u003eapparently had a message from On High. It may be important.\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"Where is he, Garnie?\" enquired Emerald, the older sister.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"Does he say when he will be back?\" asked Pearl, the youngest of them\u003cbr\u003eall.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eGarnet replied to their questions in what they called his parson voice.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"I will read the letter,\" he repeated. \"It will tell you all I know.\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eAgain he cleared his throat, and holding his missive in front of him, he\u003cbr\u003estarted--\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e'My dear Garnet,\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eIt is nearly three months since I left you, to convalesce after that bout\u003cbr\u003eof 'flu. It was good of you all to offer to accompany me, but I thought\u003cbr\u003eit best to be alone, especially as I did not know exactly where I meant\u003cbr\u003eto go and wished to be free to wander as I felt inclined. I have always\u003cbr\u003etried to make you independent, so that you could carve your own careers.\u003cbr\u003eI trust I have in some measure succeeded. It would not have helped for\u003cbr\u003eyou to be tied to me.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eI sincerely hope that no one of you will feel there is any measure of\u003cbr\u003ereproach in what I have to tell you. When your Mother died, four years\u003cbr\u003eago, you shared my grief but you imagined that the radio, cross-word\u003cbr\u003epuzzles and an occasional game of bowls or golf would satisfy and fill my\u003cbr\u003elife for such years as might be left me. But you were wrong! The natural\u003cbr\u003eurges of life do not end at fifty!'\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"What is he getting at?\" Emerald injected. \"He is fifty-seven.\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eGarnet ignored her. He proceeded--'As my occasional postcards will have\u003cbr\u003eshown you, I have wandered far and wide. I have had many interesting\u003cbr\u003eexperiences and think I can say I am as fit as ever I was. I have now met\u003cbr\u003ea lady who I am sure can make me happy. I am about to marry her--'\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eJasper whistled.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eEmerald echoed, \"To marry her!\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eGarnet went on:\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e'I will not attempt to describe her to you, as you will so soon see her\u003cbr\u003efor yourselves. We plan to be home in about a fortnight. I will wire the\u003cbr\u003eday of our arrival as soon as it is settled. I hope you will love her for\u003cbr\u003emy sake and am confident, when you know her, you will love her still\u003cbr\u003ebetter for her own.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eNaturally I have told her about you and she is anxious to meet you all.\u003cbr\u003eWe want you to carry on the home just as in the past--until any of you\u003cbr\u003ehave other plans. We discussed what you should call her. I fully realise\u003cbr\u003eno one can ever be to you what your dear Mother was, and we agreed it\u003cbr\u003ewould be best for you to call her by her first name, Adelaide.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eWe send our love, assured that a warm welcome awaits us.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eYour affectionate father,\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eGEORGE MICHELMORE.'\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThe silence that followed the conclusion of the letter lasted for several\u003cbr\u003emoments. It was broken by Jasper.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"Oughtn't we to send a telegram of congratulations and good wishes, or\u003cbr\u003esomething?\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"He gives no address,\" Garnet said. \"The postmark on the envelope is St.\u003cbr\u003eMalo.\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"Is he married or is he about to be married?\" Emerald asked, rather\u003cbr\u003eindignantly. \"He might have given us the chance to be there. Why not\u003cbr\u003ebring her home and marry here?\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"It would be unusual for a man to marry his father,\" Garnet remarked,\u003cbr\u003e\"but I would have liked at least to attend the ceremony.\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"Poor Daddy!\" Pearl murmured. \"I had no idea he was so lonely. I often\u003cbr\u003esat with him and watched the TV. I would have done anything he asked, but\u003cbr\u003ehe never would.\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"Perhaps he wanted something a daughter could not give,\" Jasper said.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"I hope she will make him happy,\" Pearl replied.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThe door of the room opened and a slight figure dressed in black entered.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"I will bring the coffee, if you're ready,\" she said. \"I didn't 'ear the\u003cbr\u003ebell.\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"We have had rather a shock, Nan,\" Emerald explained. \"Father has just\u003cbr\u003ewritten that he has married again.\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eNan was nearing sixty. She had been nurse to all of them and had stayed\u003cbr\u003eon as housekeeper. She prided herself on never showing surprise at\u003cbr\u003eanything any member of the family might do.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"Indeed. May I ask who to?\" Her tone was quite unemotional.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"He does not tell us,\" Garnet answered. \"He wishes it to be a pleasant\u003cbr\u003esurprise. We are to expect them in about a fortnight.\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"Then p'raps I shall not be wanted no more?\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"Don't say that, Nan!\" Pearl cried impetuously. \"We can not do without\u003cbr\u003eyou. We may need you more than ever.\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"He says they wish us to carry on as before,\" Jasper added.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"Then I'll get the coffee.\"","brand":"WDS Publishing","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47083245371632,"sku":"2940013774520","price":2.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0737\/7593\/9824\/files\/2940013774520_p0.jpg?v=1763590111","url":"https:\/\/shop-qa.barnesandnoble.com\/products\/2940013774520","provider":"Barnes \u0026 Noble (DEV)","version":"1.0","type":"link"}