Charity Girl Part IV

Hetta is annoyed at hearing that Simon has made up this lie about her and Ashley, as engagements are a serious matter and she's afraid that it will look odd if it gets out that she and Ashley were engaged but broke things off. Moreover she finds that Cherry has disappeared from the house. Charlie, Hetta's brother, had been a little attracted to her, as he is at home recovering from a riding accident and has broken ribs. Cherry has tried to push him away from flirting with her but Lady SIlverdale who has become a bit irritated with the girl, tells her off for encouraging him. It is completely unfair but Lady Silverdale is often silly and unreasonable and prone to take up people and then see faults in them. Hetta is worried that Cherry has rushed out of the house in a tearful mood and she does not come back. And Wilfred Steane is planning to call and see his long neglected daughter. THen Cary Nethercott turns up with Cherry in his arms. She had been out walking, trying to calm herself, and then tripped and strained her ankle badly. Unable to get up, she ws found by him when he was out shooting and he bandaged her ankle and took her back to Inglehurst. She tells Hetta that Cary has asked her to marry him and she wants to wed him as she has found him kindly and friendly when they met at parties at Inglehurst. Hetta can see that Cherry needs a kindly older man, who will look after her... and that Mr Nethercott likes to be protective. She is a little saddened that he seemed to be courting her only a few weeks earlier, and he has now changed in his affections. However, she has never been in love with Cary. Ashley arrives at Inglehurst and is relieved that Cherry is all right and her future is now taken care of. Hetta tries to make a joke of the fact that she will have to be the one who breaks off their fake engagement, when he startles her by telling her that he loves her and that he did not realise it for a long time. He had become jealous of Cary Nethercott paying her attention and had grown closer to her while they were looking after Cherry. She accepts his proposal... and they embrace...... The story is quite good but there is not that much interaction between the hero and heroine, Ashley spends most of his time on the road trying to help Cherry, but it is enjoyable.