CHAPTER FIVEJohn felt as though he could have stayed forever, just looking at this wonderful girl with her sweet face. But he forced himself to return to reality. What was he thinking of to be indulging in dreams?
“Perhaps you had better tell me the rest of the story,” he suggested. “What did Sir Stewart do?”
“He offered for my hand. Papa was delighted and when I refused he could not believe his ears. We had the most terrible quarrels. He commanded me to say yes and when I wouldn’t, he said I was no daughter of his. He called me a disgrace and – oh, many other terrible things.
“I used to overhear him talking to Sir Stewart, promising to ‘bring me to my senses’ as he put it.”
John uttered a bitter oath. It appalled him that this delicate creature should be bullied by two strong men, eac
