"Keep still" Jeremy said. "I will rub you down. Oh, poor pet, it must have been some nightmare. You are soaking wet!" "Honey, I'm so sorry... Getting you out of bed, waking you up" Penny murmured, filled with remorse. "Would you like a cup of tea?" he asked. "I would love one!" Penny said gratefully. "You are wonderful to me!" "Like one myself" Jeremy said, grinning at her. "You stay there and try and get warm. I will be back in a moment" Penny curled herself into a ball and rubbed her feet against each other until the shivering gradually stopped. Warmth came back into her limbs and with it a rush of love and gratitude towards Jeremy. One or twice before she had had such nightmares and had lain wet and shivering until the morning, unable to return to sleep. But tonight she had him to comfort her, bring everything back to normal, to take care of her. It was lovely not be

Penny sighed. "Yes I know that" she said. "But I'm sure that once once you get to meet Jeremy, you wouldn't be so worried about this... So now please, will you tell me what has been going on with you?"Audrey smiled at her, and began to tell her about her job, and some guy from work who wanted to date her, but she wasn't sure about him yet, and Penny was glad for the change of topic. But Jeremy didn't call that night and when Audrey finally went to bed and Penny called him, he said he was too busy and wouldn't be coming home that night. He didn't return until the next day after Audrey left and he told Penny he was sorry and hoped he could meet Audrey some other time. --------------------------Two days passed and Penny realized that she felt tired sometimes. And the fatigue came suddenly especially when she hadn't even done much work. Her period wasn't late, and she was damn scared

Penny allowed herself to be led into the sitting room where a large log fire burned in the open grate. Coal was rationed but there was plenty of wood here. She spread her hands to the welcome warmth."Show Benny to aunt Ann, uncle Charles. How do you like my new baby?"She smiled as aunt Ann took the puppy and cuddled it in her arms."Now this really is a sweet dog" Mrs Gellar said. "Not at all like that poor mongrel you brought back from the lost dog's home"Penny laughed."You were cross, weren't you, aunt Ann. You were so sure he was alive with fleas and that I would catch them""Aha. Went after my bulbs too" announced uncle Charles gruffly but with good humor. "Now, a dog like this —better idea —very good retriever"He shook his shaggy grey head, looking not unlike any kindly sheep dog himself, Penny thought. She loved these two people better than anyone in the

Ignorance was certainly not bliss in her case, Penny thought with a wry smile. If she had not been so appallingly ignorant in the first place this might never have happened. She pulled herself up sharply. Nothing had happened yet, but no doubt that could be accounted for quite easily... Nerves, over fatigue, the sudden change in her way of living. She was imagining all these things. It was all her guilty conscience, she told herself severely. This was fates way of paying her for doing wrong.Penny could not bring herself to say 'living in sin'. Living with Jeremy could not and must not be tarnished by such a description of their beautiful love. She wanted her love for him to remain perfect and beautiful and nothing should be allowed to spoil it. She would not have this child.She managed fairly successfully to put her worries out of her mind for the remainder of her visit. She talked to Jeremy twice during that time and he told her how much he misse

Jeremy looked at her thoughtfully, but he did not tell her what was passing through his mind. Penny was too contented to want to probe. But she could not help wondering why he had given her that strange look or what it signified.Much later, holding her tightly in his arms in the darkness he said : "Everything all right, Penny"And she answered sleepily. "Everything's perfect Jeremy"It was not until the moment before she fell asleep that she wondered if there were any deeper meaning behind that question. But she was too tired, too near sleep, to think it out. She snuggled a little closer to him and closed her eyes. When she opened them again, it was to see his handsome boyish face bending above her and to feel the passion of his lips against hers and the feverish, urgency of his caressing hands."Penny... Penny... My love" he whispered.She caught fire from him and reached up for his kiss... On fir