Be Careful What You Wish For (The Clifton Chronicles 4)

“Have you ever tried to find out?”

“Yes, and I was told that it’s Dr. Barnardo’s strict policy not to release any information about your biological parents without their permission.”

“Why don’t you ask your uncle Giles? If anyone knows, he will.”

“Because even if he does, isn’t it possible that my family have their reasons for not telling me?”

“Perhaps your father was killed in the war and decorated on the battlefield after carrying out a heroic action, and your mother died of heartache.”

“And you, Clive Bingham, are an unreconstructed romantic, who should stop reading Biggles and try All Quiet on the Western Front.”

“When you become a famous artist, will you call yourself Jessica Clifton, or Jessica Bingham?”

“Are you by any chance proposing again, Clive? Because that’s the third time this week.”

“You noticed. Yes, I am, and I was hoping you’d come up to Lincolnshire with me at the weekend and meet my parents, so we can make it official.”

“I’d love to,” said Jessica, throwing her arms around him.

“Mind you, there’s someone I’ll have to visit before you can come to Lincolnshire,” said Clive. “So don’t pack yet.”

* * *

“It was good of you to see me at such short notice, sir.”

Harry was impressed. He could see that the young man had gone to a lot of trouble. He’d turned up on time, was wearing a jacket and tie, and his shoes shone as if he was on parade. He was clearly very nervous, so Harry tried to put him at ease.

“Your letter said that you wanted to see me about an important matter, so it has to be one of two things.”

“It’s quite simple really, sir,” said Clive. “I’d like permission to ask for your daughter’s hand in marriage.”

“How sublimely old-fashioned.”

“It’s no more than Jessica would expect of me.”

“Don’t you feel you’re both a little young to be thinking about getting married? Perhaps you should wait, at least until Jessica graduates from the RA.”

“With respect, sir, Sebastian tells me that I’m older than you were when you proposed to Mrs. Clifton.”

“True, but that was at a time of war.”

“I hope I don’t have to go to war, sir, just to prove how much I love your daughter.”

Harry laughed. “Well, I suppose as a prospective father-in-law I ought to ask about your prospects. Jessica tells me you weren’t offered a place at the RA schools.”

“I’m pretty sure that didn’t come as a surprise to you, sir.”

Harry smiled. “So what have you been up to since you left the Slade?”

“I’ve been working at an advertising agency, Curtis Bell and Getty, in their design department.”

“Is that well paid?”

“No, sir. My salary is four hundred pounds a year, but my father tops it up with an allowance of another thousand, and my parents gave me the lease on a flat in Chelsea as a twenty-first birthday present. So we’ll have more than enough.”

“You do realize that painting is, and always will be, Jessica’s first love, and she’ll never allow anything to get in the way of her career, as this family became aware on the day she stepped into our lives.”

“I too am well aware of that, sir, and I’ll do everything in my power to make sure she fulfills her ambition. It would be crazy not to, with her talent.”