یک مرد جوان خجالتی

CHAPTER TWO

A shy young man

Agatha’s father, Frederick, died in 1901, when Agatha, was eleven years old. He was an American, and was ten years older than Clara. After he died, Clara began to travel a lot, and often took Agatha with her.

In 1911, when Agatha was twenty-one, Clara was ill.

‘You need to go somewhere warm and sunny to get better,’ Clara’s doctor told her.

So Clara decided to go to Egypt again, and she took Agatha with her. They stayed in a hotel in Cairo. There were some English soldiers staying near the hotel, and they often came to the hotel dances.

Agatha was a shy young woman, but she loved to dance. During her stay in Cairo, she went to fifty dances. She met a lot of exciting young men and had a wonderful time.

When she came back to England, she was soon getting invitations to garden parties, tennis parties, dances, and to country houses for the weekend.

Then a young army officer called Reggie Lucy came home from Hong Kong. Agatha was a friend of Reggie’s three sisters, and often played tennis with them. But she did not know Reggie. He was a very shy young man who did not go out very much. He liked to play golf but did not like parties or dances.

‘I like to play golf, but I’m not very good at it,’ Agatha said when she met him.

‘I - I could help you,’ said Reggie, shyly. He had dark hair and brown eyes. Agatha liked him.

So, while Reggie was in England, he and Agatha played golf nearly every day.

One very warm day they played golf for a little while, then Agatha said, ‘I’m hot, Reggie! Shall we have a rest?’

They sat under a tree, out of the sun, and talked. Then, suddenly, Reggie said, ‘I want to marry you, Agatha. Did you know that? Perhaps you did. But you are still very young, and-‘

‘No, I’m not’ said Agatha. ‘Not very young.’

‘Of course, a pretty girl like you could marry anybody,’ said Reggie.

‘I don’t think I want to marry anybody,’ Agatha said. ‘I - yes, I think I’d like to marry you!’

‘I have to go back to Hong Kong in ten days’ time,’ said Reggie. ‘And I’ll be there for two years, But when I come back, if there isn’t anybody.’

‘There won’t be anybody,’ said Agatha.

So Reggie went back to Hong Kong.

Agatha wrote letters to him, and he wrote to her. It was all agreed. When Reggie came home again, they would get married.