P01   1 <#FLOB:P01\><p_><quote_>"She is extraordinarily acute, Sothern, you 
P01   2 must admit,"<quote/> interpolated Lady Staplegrove. <quote_>"But of 
P01   3 course you can do nothing of the kind. You have no choice. Neither 
P01   4 you nor I have the right to keep her from her 
P01   5 guardians."<quote/><p/>
P01   6 <p_><quote_>"That is as may be, ma'am,"<quote/> Jake responded, 
P01   7 <quote_>"but I would rather know the circumstances so that - 
P01   8 "<quote/><p/>
P01   9 <p_><quote_>"So that you may try to order my life as they have 
P01  10 done,"<quote/> Clementina finished for him. <quote_>"Well, you 
P01  11 won't do it. I shall tell you nothing. Except that I am not 
P01  12 Clementina Henlow, and I am not related to Major Henlow in the very 
P01  13 least."<quote/><p/>
P01  14 <p_><quote_>"But you did run away from his home?"<quote/> Jake 
P01  15 enquired.<p/>
P01  16 <p_><quote_>"Yes. But that is the only correct information you 
P01  17 have. And, what is more, I should like to know how you came by 
P01  18 it."<quote/><p/>
P01  19 <p_>Jake raised an eyebrow. <quote_>"Certainly. There is no secret 
P01  20 about that. My informant was a Bow Street Runner."<quote/><p/>
P01  21 <p_>Clementina gasped, and Lady Staplegrove uttered a shriek.<p/>
P01  22 <p_><quote_>"Oh, no,"<quote/> Clementina whispered. <quote_>"Oh, 
P01  23 no."<quote/> Her legs felt weak. She looked about for the nearest 
P01  24 chair. Seeing one by the wall behind her, she sank into it.<p/>
P01  25 <p_><quote_>"Jake, how could you?"<quote/> her ladyship scolded. 
P01  26 <quote_>"Poor, dear child. Wait, I will fetch my 
P01  27 smelling-salts."<quote/> She hurried from the room, the taffeta of 
P01  28 her old-fashioned chemise gown rustling about her.<p/>
P01  29 <p_>A couple of swift strides brought Lord Sothern to Clementina's 
P01  30 chair, and he knelt beside her, taking her trembling hands and 
P01  31 holding them in a comforting clasp.<p/>
P01  32 <p_><quote_>"I'm sorry, my child. That was thoughtlessly cruel. 
P01  33 Come, don't fall into a faint. It is not as bad as all 
P01  34 that."<quote/><p/>
P01  35 <p_>Clementina raised her eyes to his. There was desperation in 
P01  36 them and in her voice when she spoke.<p/>
P01  37 <p_><quote_>"I had not thought that he would go to such lengths. I 
P01  38 guessed he might look for me himself, follow me even. But to put 
P01  39 the Runners on to me. As though I had been a criminal!"<quote/> 
P01  40 Pulling her hands free, she rose suddenly, and began to pace about 
P01  41 the large room clasping and unclasping her fingers. <quote_>"This 
P01  42 proves how right I was to run away. He does not care about me in 
P01  43 the least. It was all false, all pretence. And to think I was 
P01  44 willing to do as he wished! I thought it would have been the best 
P01  45 thing for me, as he said. But it was not my welfare he cared for at 
P01  46 all. No. Nor por Jeremy's neither. I see it all now, clear enough. 
P01  47 Well, he will be taken at fault. I shall not do it. And I shall see 
P01  48 to it that he does not get Dunhythe!"<quote/><p/>
P01  49 <p_>She stood silent then, breathing hard, her eyes gazing at some 
P01  50 picture in her own mind.<p/>
P01  51 <p_>Lord Sothern had said nothing through this tirade, making no 
P01  52 attempt either to interrupt or to stop her restless pacing about 
P01  53 the room. He stood by and watched, hoping perhaps that Clementina's 
P01  54 passion would induce her to spill out her story. As it chanced he 
P01  55 got little by it, but one thing he did know. He was not going to 
P01  56 hand Clementina back to the man whose purpose she evidently feared, 
P01  57 right or no right.<p/>
P01  58 <p_>Lady Staplegrove came bustling back into the room at this 
P01  59 moment, armed with a bottle of aromatic vinegar.<p/>
P01  60 <p_>Sothern held up a hand. <quote_>"It's all right, Grandmama. She 
P01  61 has no need of smelling-salts."<quote/><p/>
P01  62 <p_>He moved to where Clementina stood like a frozen statue, and 
P01  63 touched her arm. The girl's head jerked round. She stared 
P01  64 unseeingly for an instant. Then she blinked and shook her head 
P01  65 slightly as if to clear it.<p/>
P01  66 <p_><quote_>"I am sorry. I - I did not mean to make a 
P01  67 scene."<quote/><p/>
P01  68 <p_>Jake smiled. <quote_>"You appear to have a reason. Come. Sit 
P01  69 down and let us discuss the matter calmly."<quote/><p/>
P01  70 <p_><quote_>"There is nothing to discuss,"<quote/> she said, a 
P01  71 little wearily. But she sat down on the sofa to which he led her. 
P01  72 He remained standing, but stayed close.<p/>
P01  73 <p_>Lady Staplegrove laid down her vinaigrette, and came over to 
P01  74 sit on her other side. <quote_>"There is, on the contrary, a great 
P01  75 deal to be discussed, my dear child. I am consumed with curiosity, 
P01  76 and I cannot rest until I know why this Major Henlow should have 
P01  77 sent the Runners after you. Unless of course you are really a maid 
P01  78 and have made off with the silver or some such thing?"<quote/><p/>
P01  79 <p_><quote_>"Grandmama, do you mind?"<quote/> Jake protested.<p/>
P01  80 <p_><quote_>"Well, it is possible. Though an adventuress would be 
P01  81 better. I know. You meant to marry him, but decided instead to help 
P01  82 yourself to his gold. And who shall blame you?"<quote/><p/>
P01  83 <p_><quote_>"If, ma'am, you would confine your romantical notions 
P01  84 to the novels you are so fond of reading,"<quote/> Jake said 
P01  85 acidly, <quote_>"we should do very much better."<quote/><p/>
P01  86 <p_><quote_>"Oh, tush, Sothern! I was only trying to divert her. 
P01  87 Dear Clementina, you shall tell us nothing at all if you don't wish 
P01  88 to."<quote/> She put out a hand and patted the girl's arm. 
P01  89 <quote_>"And don't fret. You may stay here with me for as long as 
P01  90 you wish. Or at least until you have decided what you would wish to 
P01  91 do."<quote/><p/>
P01  92 <p_><quote|>"Grandmama - "<p/>
P01  93 <p_><quote_>"No, Sothern, I will not hear a word. I know it is our 
P01  94 duty to restore Clementina as soon as may be, but I, for one, have 
P01  95 no intention of doing my duty towards a man who calls out the Bow 
P01  96 Street Runners after a mere child."<quote/><p/>
P01  97 <p_>The Earl grinned. <quote_>"I might have guessed. Well said, 
P01  98 Grandmama. I am in full agreement with you."<quote/><p/>
P01  99 <p_>Clementina gazed from one to the other, new hope dawning in her 
P01 100 eyes. <quote_>"You mean you will not force me to go back? Even if I 
P01 101 tell you nothing?"<quote/><p/>
P01 102 <p_><quote_>"Gracious heaven, don't dare say a word!"<quote/> 
P01 103 exclaimed the dowager. <quote_>"You would utterly spoil everything, 
P01 104 just when I am settling down to puzzle out the story."<quote/><p/>
P01 105 <p_>Jake groaned. <quote_>"Grandmama, would you be serious for just 
P01 106 one moment?"<quote/><p/>
P01 107 <p_><quote_>"But I am perfectly serious! If only you will eke out 
P01 108 the clues, Clementina, I may be amused for hours guessing at you 
P01 109 purpose."<quote/><p/>
P01 110 <p_>Clementina's lips twitched, and a chuckle escaped her. 
P01 111 <quote_>"Oh, ma'am!"<quote/><p/>
P01 112 <p_>Lady Staplegrove leaned forward and patted her hand. 
P01 113 <quote_>"There, that is better. You see, you have nothing at all to 
P01 114 worry about."<quote/> She glanced at the large gilt clock on the 
P01 115 mantelshelf. <quote_>"Dear me, only look at the time! I have an 
P01 116 engagement, and I am going to be late."<quote/> She got up. 
P01 117 <quote_>"I must go, my dear, but what is to be done? I cannot leave 
P01 118 Sothern with you. It would be quite irregular. But then who is to 
P01 119 entertain you?"<quote/><p/>
P01 120 
P01 121 <p_>Jake bowed. <quote_>"Have no fear, ma'am. In this instance I am 
P01 122 to be trusted to behave with all the propriety in the 
P01 123 world."<quote/><p/>
P01 124 <p_>His grandmother snorted. <quote_>"Do you think I don't know 
P01 125 that? However, since your purpose in bringing her to me was to 
P01 126 prevent any scandal attaching to Clementina, it must be an object 
P01 127 with us to avoid giving the tattlemongers any food for 
P01 128 gossip."<quote/><p/>
P01 129 <p_><quote_>"Oh, indeed,"<quote/> agreed his lordship, moving to 
P01 130 open the door for her. <quote_>"But who is to see us here, 
P01 131 Grandmama?"<quote/><p/>
P01 132 <p_><quote_>"Use your head, Sothern, do. From whose mouths but 
P01 133 those of servants do you suppose the tabbies cull their choicest 
P01 134 morsels? No, it will not do."<quote/><p/>
P01 135 <p_><quote_>"Very well, ma'am. Perhaps Clementina would care to 
P01 136 drive out with me instead?"<quote/><p/>
P01 137 <p_>He glanced at Clementina as he spoke, and smiled at her 
P01 138 startled expression. <quote_>"Or do you not care for 
P01 139 driving?"<quote/><p/>
P01 140 <p_><quote_>"Oh, yes, but - "<quote/><p/>
P01 141 <p_><quote_>"An excellent suggestion, "<quote/> chimed in the 
P01 142 dowager. <quote_>"No one could object to that. It is quite in the 
P01 143 mode to be seen in the park with a gentleman. A groom up behind, 
P01 144 too."<quote/><p/>
P01 145 <p_>She bustled over to her charge, pulled her up from the sofa, 
P01 146 and began to push her towards the door.<p/>
P01 147 <p_><quote_>"What a pity we did not keep the cherry riding habit, 
P01 148 though to be sure it became you not. Still, you may wear the 
P01 149 sprigged walking dress and the blue pelisse. Murray shall lend you 
P01 150 my chinchilla muff, and - "<quote/><p/>
P01 151 <p_><quote_>"But, ma'am, I cannot,"<quote/> Clementina cried, 
P01 152 breaking in on these cheerful plans before Lady Staplegrove had 
P01 153 quite managed to thrust her from the room. <quote_>"I mean, it 
P01 154 wouldn't be - I am not here to - "<quote/><p/>
P01 155 <p_><quote_>"Oh, tush, child! What a piece of work you make of a 
P01 156 very small matter!"<quote/> The dowager turned to her grandson. 
P01 157 <quote_>"Persuade her, dear boy. I positively <tf_>must<tf/> 
P01 158 go."<quote/><p/>
P01 159 <p_>She opened the door and whisked from the room, only to pop her 
P01 160 head in again a second later.<p/>
P01 161 <p_><quote_>"Shall we see you at Maria Spencer's musical 
P01 162 soir<*_>e-acute<*/>e this evening? A very dull affair, with a 
P01 163 number of talentless performers, I gather, but what would you? One 
P01 164 must be seen."<quote/><p/>
P01 165 <p_><quote_>"I shall be devastated to miss it, of course,"<quote/> 
P01 166 said Jake satirically, <quote_>"but I am otherwise 
P01 167 engaged."<quote/><p/>
P01 168 <p_>He reddened very slightly on the words, and his grandmother's 
P01 169 keen eye sharpened.<p/>
P01 170 <p_><quote_>"I see,"<quote/> she said flatly.<p/>
P01 171 <p_>There was a brief pause. Clementina glanced from one to the 
P01 172 other, sensing tension. She saw Lady Staplegrove compress her lips 
P01 173 firmly, and wondered what it was she was resolving not to say.<p/>
P01 174 <p_>As if she felt the girl's scrutiny the dowager's eyes turned to 
P01 175 Clementina, and she smiled warmly.<p/>
P01 176 <p_><quote_>"Then we shall not see him there, child. Make the most, 
P01 177 then, of your present opportunity."<quote/><p/>
P01 178 <p_>Upon which rather elliptical remark she was gone, leaving the 
P01 179 door correctly ajar behind her.<p/>
P01 180 <p_>Clementina gazed after her in some consternation.<p/>
P01 181 <p_><quote_>"What did she mean, my lord? She cannot intend to take 
P01 182 me to parties while I am here."<quote/><p/>
P01 183 <p_><quote_>"Why not?"<quote/> Jake asked flippantly.<p/>
P01 184 <p_><quote_>"Well, because - because she does not know me. Besides, 
P01 185 I am not a guest in her house, but a - a -"<quote/><p/>
P01 186 <p_><quote_>"A what?"<quote/><p/>
P01 187 <p_><quote_>"Well, an interloper, a fugitive."<quote/><p/>
P01 188 <p_><quote_>"Oh, no. That was a Master Clem Henlow. You are Miss 
P01 189 Clementina ... Hm. We shall have to think up a name for 
P01 190 you."<quote/><p/>
P01 191 <p_><quote_>"Oh, there is no need of that,"<quote/> she said, 
P01 192 sighing. <quote_>"You will find it out soon enough, I dare say. But 
P01 193 you will not have heard of it. It is Hythe."<quote/><p/>
P01 194 <p_><quote_>"Very well, Miss Hythe. Let us say that your mother was 
P01 195 an old friend of my mother's, and nothing could be more natural 
P01 196 than for Grandmama to ask you for a visit now that you are of an 
P01 197 age to go into Society."<quote/><p/>
P01 198 <p_>Clementina fixed him with that curiously wide gaze. 
P01 199 <quote_>"And no one will then wonder at your taking a passing 
P01 200 interest in one little older than a schoolgirl. Thus you will be 
P01 201 safe from gossiping tongues."<quote/><p/>
P01 202 <p_>Taken aback, Jake blinked. <quote_>"It had not crossed my mind, 
P01 203 but I dare say you are right."<quote/><p/>
P01 204 <p_><quote_>"I am,"<quote/> Clementina averred. <quote_>"It would 
P01 205 hardly be becoming in me to lay you open to further gossip after 
P01 206 all your grandmother's kindness. She has as much thought for me, 
P01 207 you notice. Besides, I am sure she could not like it. Though I 
P01 208 doubt it would trouble you over-much."<quote/><p/>
P01 209 <p_>Jake's jaw dropped perceptibly. <quote_>"Faith, I don't know 
P01 210 whether to be angry or to laugh!"<quote/><p/>
P01 211 <p_>Clementina merely looked at him enquiringly. Laughter won. He 
P01 212 came to her, and tilted her chin with one finger.<p/>
P01 213 <p_><quote_>"You are an impertinent little minx, my dear. And you 
P01 214 don't even know it."<quote/> He paused, aware suddenly of a pull 
P01 215 from the guileless wide gaze tugging at his own.<p/>
P01 216 <p_><quote_>"You have green eyes,"<quote/> he said inconsequently, 
P01 217 taking in the fact.<p/>
P01 218 <p_><quote|>"Yes," she answered. <quote_>"Yours are dark brown. 
P01 219 Soulful, I think. Do they account for your success with the ladies, 
P01 220 do you suppose?"<quote/><p/>
P01 221 <h_>CHAPTER THREE<h/>
P01 222 <p_>JAKE released her chin abruptly.<p/>
P01 223 <p_><quote_>"If you mean to drive out with me,"<quote/> he said 
P01 224 curtly, <quote_>"you had better change your dress."<quote/><p/>
P01 225 <p_>Clementina gazed at him, brows raised in amazement. <quote_>"If 
P01 226 this is your notion of persuasion, my lord, I no longer wonder at 
P01 227 your successes. How could any lady possibly resist?"<quote/><p/>
P01 228 <p_>The Earl stood for a moment, defiant and glaring. Then his lips 
P01 229 twitched. Clementina's green eyes twinkled responsively.<p/>
P01 230 
P02   1 <#FLOB:P02\><p_>After a pause, Ross said, <quote_>"You must have 
P02   2 had damn strong reasons for doing it."<quote/><p/>
P02   3 <p_><quote_>"Yes. But I didn't take into account that the mere 
P02   4 mention of the Ashleigh name, especially in this part of the world, 
P02   5 instils in everyone the belief that I'm a crack officer. It was 
P02   6 first made apparent to me when I came upon a mammoth named 
P02   7 Steadman, who met me off the ship at Cairo. Your Captain Ford has 
P02   8 just made the same mistake in thinking the regiment fortunate in 
P02   9 welcoming an Ashleigh to its ranks."<quote/><p/>
P02  10 <p_>Still looking thunderstruck, Ross said, <quote_>"A crack 
P02  11 officer would hardly be only a second lieutenant at your age. Have 
P02  12 you really had no more than a short spell of training with the 
P02  13 militia?"<quote/><p/>
P02  14 <p_><quote_>"That's all. A man with my background should have 
P02  15 absorbed a great deal of military knowledge, but I confess to 
P02  16 perpetually closing my ears to anything martial in the belief that 
P02  17 it was acutely melodramatic."<quote/> He sighed. <quote_>"In 
P02  18 theory, the notion of donning uniform and sailing for the Sudan was 
P02  19 splendid. In practice, I think ..."<quote/><p/>
P02  20 <p_><quote_>"Even in theory it was madness,"<quote/> pronounced the 
P02  21 man who had somehow become his friend in a matter of minutes. 
P02  22 <quote_>"You're short on stamina, ignorant of military leadership 
P02  23 and lacking in sufficient guile to survive long in this exacting 
P02  24 profession."<quote/> Taking Vere's glass to refill it, he then 
P02  25 said, <quote_>"There are two types of officer, you know. Excellent 
P02  26 soldiers, and those who bluff everyone into thinking they are. You 
P02  27 will have to join the latter category. Being called Ashleigh gives 
P02  28 you a head start in <tf|>your bluff."<quote/> He refilled his own 
P02  29 glass. <quote_>"What did you do before this?"<quote/><p/>
P02  30 <p_><quote|>"Do?" The heat and the brandy were affecting his 
P02  31 wits.<p/>
P02  32 <p_><quote_>"What was your profession?"<quote/><p/>
P02  33 <p_><quote_>"I ran the estate, and I suppose you could call me an 
P02  34 amateur artist. I paint and sketch rather well."<quote/><p/>
P02  35 <p_>Ross burst into loud gusty laughter. <quote_>"Oh, my lord, this 
P02  36 gets more and more unbelievable. I now understand <tf|>exactly why 
P02  37 Winterton sent you to us. The old devil! A Pre-Raphaelite bearing a 
P02  38 sword. How rich. How bloody rich!"<quote/><p/>
P02  39 <p_>Having downed the second drink Vere caught himself laughing, 
P02  40 too. He had never viewed what he was doing as humorous. Now it 
P02  41 seemed to be exquisitely so. <quote_>"You should have seen the 
P02  42 range of expressions which crossed Ford's face. He began by calling 
P02  43 me an insufferable pip-squeak and ended by saying how delighted he 
P02  44 was to welcome me to the regiment. That word 'Ashleigh' worked like 
P02  45 magic."<quote/><p/>
P02  46 <p_>Ross sobered as he sank back on the pillow of his canvas bed. 
P02  47 <quote_>"We have to keep that magic intact with concentrated bluff, 
P02  48 until you've learned enough to maintain their belief in your 
P02  49 excellence with true military efficiency. I'll teach you the ropes 
P02  50 concerning command of a platoon, and keep an eye on your comings 
P02  51 and goings. If they give you Carter's men, Sergeant Withers will 
P02  52 really command them whilst treating you with fatherly respect. But 
P02  53 Moynihan's platoon are a tough bunch led by a sergeant who loses no 
P02  54 chance of putting officers in awkward positions. Lord help you if 
P02  55 Forrester hands you over to <tf|>them."<quote/><p/>
P02  56 <p_><quote_>"Why is a major commanding a regiment?"<quote/> Vere 
P02  57 asked, not a whit worried about being given Moynihan's platoon due 
P02  58 to blissful ignorance of the pitfalls of junior command.<p/>
P02  59 <p_><quote_>"It's only temporary. Colonel Meers is in Alexandria on 
P02  60 an official mission. Reggie Forrester is a decent fellow normally, 
P02  61 but he's trying to cope with too much here as well as riding back 
P02  62 and forth to check the small advance force already at Berber. Only 
P02  63 just back on his feet after a dose of fever, he's chasing his own 
P02  64 tail in his attempts to make his mark in Meers' absence. Leaves him 
P02  65 somewhat short-tempered. We're used to him, but I'll stick close to 
P02  66 your side when you meet him in Mess tonight so that you won't ruin 
P02  67 the bluff."<quote/><p/>
P02  68 <p_>Feeling very strongly that he would also like to stretch out on 
P02  69 a bed right now, Vere studied his reclining neighbour for some 
P02  70 moments. Then he asked, <quote_>"Why are you prepared to do all 
P02  71 this for a perfect stranger?"<quote/><p/>
P02  72 <p_>Ross turned his head to answer. <quote_>"Fellow officer, and 
P02  73 all that. Might want you to save my own life one day soon."<quote/> 
P02  74 His grin then softened the seriousness of his words. 
P02  75 <quote_>"Besides, your arrival promises an element of relief from 
P02  76 boredom. There's nothing else to do in Abu Hamed other than sleep 
P02  77 or go down with fever. I've done the latter and recovered. Now, if 
P02  78 you'll excuse me, I'll indulge in the first. Chin, chin, 
P02  79 Ashleigh."<quote/> He closed his eyes, leaving his visitor to 
P02  80 depart rather unsteadily.<p/>
P02  81 <p_>In his own tent Vere found a soldier of around his brother's 
P02  82 age unpacking various items from the smart trunks. Although tall, 
P02  83 the young lad did not possess the powerful physique Val had 
P02  84 cultivated. Neither had he the air of assured determination 
P02  85 characteristic of that distant schoolboy. Even so, Vere felt drawn 
P02  86 to the batman who announced himself dolefully as Private 
P02  87 Perkins.<p/>
P02  88 <p_>Smiling encouragement, Vere said, <quote_>"My name is 
P02  89 Ashleigh."<quote/><p/>
P02  90 <p_><quote_>"I knows that, sir, and I begs Captain Ford as to not 
P02  91 give me this duty."<quote/><p/>
P02  92 <p_><quote_>"You didn't want to serve me?"<quote/><p/>
P02  93 <p_>The thin pale face twitched nervously while eyes the same 
P02  94 colour as the Nile studied the tent rather than Vere. <quote_>"No, 
P02  95 sir."<quote/><p/>
P02  96 <p_><quote_>"I see."<quote/> Nonplussed, he said, <quote_>"I'm sure 
P02  97 I can persuade Captain Ford to give you some other duty. No man 
P02  98 should be made to do something completely onerous to 
P02  99 him."<quote/><p/>
P02 100 <p_>The eyes swung to confront him. <quote_>"It's not owner- ... 
P02 101 what you said, sir. No, not that."<quote/><p/>
P02 102 <p_><quote_>"Then what?"<quote/><p/>
P02 103 <p_>The corners of the thin mouth turned down miserably. <quote_>"A 
P02 104 gentleman like yourself, sir, should 'ave the best."<quote/><p/>
P02 105 <p_><quote_>"And Private Perkins is not?"<quote/><p/>
P02 106 <p_>The lad shook his head. <quote_>"Mr Moynihan give me what-for 
P02 107 quite reg'ler. Says I'm no better than them blackies what come up 
P02 108 from the town."<quote/><p/>
P02 109 <p_><quote_>"Two of them carried these heavy trunks of mine all the 
P02 110 way from the steamer this afternoon and did the job to my complete 
P02 111 satisfaction. I see no reason why you shouldn't do the same, 
P02 112 Perkins,"<quote/> Vere told him forming a swift opinion of the 
P02 113 absent Moynihan. <quote_>"Suppose we give it a try for a day or 
P02 114 two."<quote/> Seeing the young soldier's doubt, he added, 
P02 115 <quote_>"Would you consider the proposal?"<quote/><p/>
P02 116 <p_>Frowning in perplexity, Perkins said, <quote_>"I can't 
P02 117 <tf|>consider nothin', Mr Ashleigh. I gets me orders."<quote/><p/>
P02 118 <p_><quote_>"Ah. In that case, I order you to forget all this 
P02 119 nonsense and do my bidding. I have a notion we shall get on 
P02 120 extremely well."<quote/><p/>
P02 121 <p_>Perkins did not appear to share that confidence but understood 
P02 122 direct commands. He nodded in resignation.<p/>
P02 123 <p_><quote_>"I'd like you to take yourself off and leave me to have 
P02 124 a nap. Come back in one hour to make tea. I like it strong with 
P02 125 plenty of sugar. I also like two biscuits with it. You'll find a 
P02 126 tin of them in that other trunk. After the tea I shall require 
P02 127 water to wash myself. Do you know where to acquire it?"<quote/><p/>
P02 128 <p_><quote_>"Oh, yes, sir, <tf|>corse I do."<quote/><p/>
P02 129 <p_><quote_>"Good. While I'm endeavouring to take some kind of 
P02 130 bath, you can remove from my baggage those things I shall need 
P02 131 here. I shall send the remainder back to Cairo on the next 
P02 132 steamer."<quote/> He smiled at the serious face regarding him. 
P02 133 <quote_>"I rushed out here from England with no time to organise 
P02 134 things properly."<quote/><p/>
P02 135 <p_><quote_>"'Spect they'll send you into Khartoum first, as so 
P02 136 they should."<quote/><p/>
P02 137 <p_>Vere let that pass. <quote_>"How old are you, 
P02 138 Perkins?"<quote/><p/>
P02 139 <p_><quote_>"Jest a bit past eighteen."<quote/><p/>
P02 140 <p_><quote_>"I have a brother of that age at school in England. 
P02 141 He'd give anything to be out here as you are."<quote/> He sat on 
P02 142 the side of the bed which Perkins had already set up. <quote_>"Cut 
P02 143 along now and let me rest."<quote/><p/>
P02 144 <p_>Before he drifted into sleep Vere had time to reflect that he 
P02 145 had just come across two examples of military men who were vastly 
P02 146 different from the old warriors who visited Knightshill. Ross 
P02 147 Majors seemed eminently sensible about his chosen profession and 
P02 148 the members of it. He also appeared to have become a potential 
P02 149 friend, something Vere believed would never be possible between 
P02 150 himself and an army officer. Perkins was so much the complete 
P02 151 opposite of Val, it seemed providential that the unpleasant 
P02 152 Moynihan should be too ill to need his batman. Here was a boy in 
P02 153 uniform who seemed as unsuited to the life of a soldier as the 
P02 154 officer he had been detailed to serve. One more thing he 
P02 155 contemplated before surrendering to slumber. He had just downed two 
P02 156 brandies, something strictly forbidden by Dr Alderton. He had 
P02 157 enjoyed them - had enjoyed drinking companionably with Ross Majors. 
P02 158 As he was unlikely to survive long in this hot, 
P02 159 disease<?_>-<?/>ridden country, it no longer mattered if he flouted 
P02 160 the restrictions he had suffered for years in order to live as long 
P02 161 as possible. From now on he could do exactly as he pleased. A 
P02 162 tremendous feeling of freedom washed over him as his eyelids closed 
P02 163 in sleep.<p/>
P02 164 <p_>The Officers' Mess was a make-shift affair in a large tent. The 
P02 165 moment Vere entered with Ross he was surrounded by men eager to 
P02 166 shake his hand and discuss the campaign. A year had already passed 
P02 167 since the punitive expedition was launched, and Khartoum was still 
P02 168 more than two hundred river miles away. Vere was asked for his 
P02 169 opinion on this sloth-like advance. As he had none he looked to his 
P02 170 new friend for help.<p/>
P02 171 <p_><quote_>"It's the same as ours, only more so,"<quote/> said 
P02 172 Ross. <quote_>"He can't wait to march into Khartoum and raise the 
P02 173 flag."<quote/> He called for the steward. <quote_>"What'll you 
P02 174 have, Ashleigh?"<quote/><p/>
P02 175 <p_><quote_>"I think I should sign for this,"<quote/> Vere said, 
P02 176 wondering if he should offer drinks all round.<p/>
P02 177 <p_><quote_>"Rule of the regiment that no man pays for liquor on 
P02 178 his first night in Mess,"<quote/> Ross told him.<p/>
P02 179 <p_>Vere was bombarded with questions concerning his own regiment 
P02 180 in Cairo. On hearing that he had been with them a mere week, he was 
P02 181 then asked about the West Wilts. On firmer ground, he found he was 
P02 182 able to recount word for word some of the anecdotes told around the 
P02 183 dining table at Knightshill. His listeners found them hilarious, to 
P02 184 his own mystification, so he was the centre of a ring of boisterous 
P02 185 young men in thick scarlet mess jackets and strapped blue trousers 
P02 186 when Captain Ford pushed through them to announce that their acting 
P02 187 CO was on his way. A general stiffening of posture served as 
P02 188 respectful acknowledgement from subordinates, who chorused a return 
P02 189 greeting when Forrester said, <quote_>"Good evening, 
P02 190 gentlemen."<quote/><p/>
P02 191 <p_>Vere experienced surprise as he studied the new arrival. Tall, 
P02 192 muscularly graceful, with hair as pale as the sands around them, 
P02 193 Reginald Forrester was one of the most beautiful men Vere had ever 
P02 194 seen. The bone structure of his face was Grecian. His eyes were an 
P02 195 arresting, dreamy blue-green as they glanced round the tent until 
P02 196 meeting Vere's across the space of several yards.<p/>
P02 197 <p_><quote_>"He's superb,"<quote/> Vere murmured to his companion. 
P02 198 <quote_>"I wonder if anyone has ever done a nude study of 
P02 199 him."<quote/><p/>
P02 200 <p_><quote_>"Thank your lucky stars <tf|>I happened to be the one 
P02 201 to overhear that,"<quote/> said Ross quietly. <quote_>"Anyone else 
P02 202 would gain a very dangerous impression."<quote/><p/>
P02 203 <p_>Vere glanced round. <quote|>"What?"<p/>
P02 204 <p_><quote_>"Subalterns should <tf|>never voice a desire to see 
P02 205 their commanding officer naked!"<quote/><p/>
P02 206 <p_><quote_>"But he's the answer to an artist's prayer,"<quote/> 
P02 207 Vere explained. <quote_>"He shouldn't be doing this. Any man can be 
P02 208 a soldier. What a waste."<quote/><p/>
P02 209 <p_>Ross sighed heavily. <quote_>"Your bluff won't last beyond an 
P02 210 hour if you think along those lines."<quote/><p/>
P02 211 <p_><quote_>"I'm an artist. I can't prevent such 
P02 212 thoughts."<quote/><p/>
P02 213 <p_><quote_>"Then don't put them into words, for God's 
P02 214 sake,"<quote/> came the plea as Forrester began crossing toward 
P02 215 them. <quote_>"Let me do the talking."<quote/><p/>
P02 216 <p_>Forrester's smile was worthy of him and increased Vere's sense 
P02 217 of artistic admiration of the man.<p/>
P02 218 <p_><quote_>"Ashleigh, I speak for the entire regiment when I say 
P02 219 we are aware of our good fortune in having you on attachment to 
P02 220 us,"<quote/> the god-like creature said warmly.
P02 221 
P03   1 <#FLOB:P03\>More than once Olivia screamed at the watchers to start 
P03   2 pulling him in, but they had had their orders and they ignored her, 
P03   3 gazing intently into the darkness. Each time the moon flickered 
P03   4 through the clouds Luke said <quote_>"There ... he's still 
P03   5 swimmin', missus."<quote/> Each time Olivia strained her eyes but 
P03   6 could see nothing but debris and white tumbled water. Nobody could 
P03   7 live in that, she was sure of it. John was dead, or dying, and she 
P03   8 was alone.<p/>
P03   9 <p_>Suddenly the aborigine holding the rope gave a whoop of 
P03  10 excitement and chattered excitedly to the others. They all gathered 
P03  11 beside him and Olivia saw the rope rumming swiftly through his 
P03  12 hands.<p/>
P03  13 <p_><quote_>"What is it?"<quote/> She turned to Luke, who stood 
P03  14 protectively by her side. His teeth showed in a broad grin.<p/>
P03  15 <p_><quote_>"He made it, missus. He's got Mr Matt. Now they only 
P03  16 have to come back."<quote/><p/>
P03  17 <p_><quote|>"Only!" There had been little chance of John reaching 
P03  18 his brother; there could be even less chance of him coming back 
P03  19 safely. She cared nothing for Matt, it was John she wanted back, 
P03  20 safe and sound.<p/>
P03  21 <p_>Matt arrived back first, a dark sodden bundle breaking through 
P03  22 the shallows almost at their feet, being dragged, coughing and 
P03  23 spewing flood-water, on to the land. Black hands caught him, untied 
P03  24 the rope, rolled him over and thumped at him to empty his lungs.<p/>
P03  25 <p_>Olivia paid no heed. Her eyes were reaching into the darkness, 
P03  26 hungry for a glimpse of a second figure. After an eternity it 
P03  27 arrived, staggering to its feet, lurching drunkenly our of the 
P03  28 reach of the water, throwing back a seal-like head as Olivia broke 
P03  29 free from Luke's hand and ran to meet it.<p/>
P03  30 <p_><quote|>"John!" Laughing and crying at the same time, she 
P03  31 plunged into the water, feeling its cold clasp dragging at her 
P03  32 ankles and calves. She threw her arms about him and together they 
P03  33 splashed clumsily to the land, where too heavy for her to support, 
P03  34 he sank to his knees, coughing and choking and gasping for 
P03  35 breath.<p/>
P03  36 <p_>When he could speak he asked hoarsely, <quote|>"Matt?"<p/>
P03  37 <p_><quote_>"He's all right."<quote/> She helped him up, her eyes 
P03  38 anxiously searching his face. His eyes were deep hollows, his body 
P03  39 trembling with exhaustion, but he was safe, he was still alive, he 
P03  40 had come back to her. <quote|>"John ..."<p/>
P03  41 <p_><quote_>"Give me a minute, Livvy."<quote/> He put her aside and 
P03  42 walked, putting one foot carefully in front of the other, to where 
P03  43 Matthew had just regained his own feet.<p/>
P03  44 <p_>The others fell back as the Mundy brothers, streaming water, 
P03  45 faced each other.<p/>
P03  46 <p_><quote_>"I owe you, John,"<quote/> said Matt.<p/>
P03  47 <p_>His younger brother ignored the proffered hand. <quote_>"Reckon 
P03  48 you do, Matt,"<quote/> he said. <quote_>"And I owe you something 
P03  49 too."<quote/><p/>
P03  50 <p_>His fist came up slowly, with all the strength he had left 
P03  51 behind it. The blow was weak, but strong enough to send Matthew 
P03  52 Mundy crashing back on to the soaked earth.<p/>
P03  53 <p_><quote_>"As to the rest, we'll talk about it tomorrow,"<quote/> 
P03  54 said John. he staggered, and at once Olivia was by his side. 
P03  55 Turning away from the sight of his brother sprawling in the mud he 
P03  56 put an arm about her shoulders and let her help him to the 
P03  57 buggy.<p/>
P03  58 <p_>Luke drove, while John and Olivia huddled in each other's arms 
P03  59 in the back. Rain streamed over their faces, and his hard-jawed 
P03  60 face was icy against her neck, but he was alive, he was safe, and 
P03  61 that was all that mattered to her at that moment. Even the memory 
P03  62 of the punch that had sent Matthew to the ground was unimportant 
P03  63 beside the fact that John was safe.<p/>
P03  64 <p_><quote_>"Not there,"<quote/> she suddenly said as the buggy 
P03  65 slowed at the bottom of the main house steps, <quote_>"Go on to our 
P03  66 own house, Luke."<quote/><p/>
P03  67 <p_><quote_>"Are you m-mad?"<quote/> John's teeth were chattering. 
P03  68 <quote_>"It's not b-been lived in ..."<quote/><p/>
P03  69 <p_><quote_>"I know, but it's ours. I'm not going back into that 
P03  70 house while your brother owns it."<quote/><p/>
P03  71 <p_>The shack was dusty and neglected. While John dropped into a 
P03  72 chair Olivia sped about the place, kindling the fire and pouring 
P03  73 out some brandy that was kept in a cupboard. She knelt by his side 
P03  74 and fed it to him, then refilled the cup and drank, feeling the 
P03  75 numbing cold that had seized her when she watched John walking away 
P03  76 from her into the water and gradually disappearing.<p/>
P03  77 <p_>He was too exhausted and too sore to undress himself. She took 
P03  78 off his wet clothes and towelled his muscular body dry, tears in 
P03  79 her eyes as she found each new bruise and cut and scrape.<p/>
P03  80 <p_><quote_>"We'd have been more comfortable at the big 
P03  81 house,"<quote/> he said as she helped him into bed.<p/>
P03  82 <p_><quote_>"I know that."<quote/> She drew the blankets over him 
P03  83 and began to take off her own clothes. <quote_>"But I didn't want 
P03  84 to be under the same roof as Matthew - not tonight."<quote/><p/>
P03  85 <p_><quote_>"You'll have to get used to the idea. We're going to 
P03  86 live there from now on, Livvy. I'll see to that in the morning. 
P03  87 Unless you still mean to leave."<quote/><p/>
P03  88 <p_>Olivia blew out the lantern, slipped into bed beside him and 
P03  89 reached out to warm him against her own body.<p/>
P03  90 <p_><quote_>"I'm staying,"<quote/> she said against his neck.<p/>
P03  91 <p_>In the morning the rain had stopped and the sun was shining. 
P03  92 Stiff and sore as he was, John refused to stay at home.<p/>
P03  93 <p_><quote_>"There's things to be straightened out,"<quote/> he 
P03  94 said as he dressed. <quote_>"For one thing, we'll have to look for 
P03  95 Lawrie Borland's body. I reckon it'll be caught up in a tree not 
P03  96 far from where we were last night."<quote/><p/>
P03  97 <p_><quote_>"You'll be careful?"<quote/><p/>
P03  98 <p_>He kissed her. <quote_>"I'm always careful."<quote/><p/>
P03  99 <p_>During what had been left of the night someone had returned his 
P03 100 horse. Olivia helped him to harness it, but before riding off to 
P03 101 the big house he said deviously, <quote_>"Livvy, there's something 
P03 102 you have to do."<quote/><p/>
P03 103 <p_><quote|>"What?"<p/>
P03 104 <p_><quote_>"Write to your sister. Tell her the truth."<quote/><p/>
P03 105 <p_>Olivia felt a flush of panic. <quote_>"But you said yourself 
P03 106 that we'd move to the big house and ..."<quote/><p/>
P03 107 <p_><quote_>"We will. But I'll not have my wife living a lie. 
P03 108 Things have changed for us both, Livvy, but I need to know that you 
P03 109 mean it. I can't have you pretending we're living a different sort 
P03 110 of life. You've got to show me you're happy with this one."<quote/> 
P03 111 He put a finger under her chin and lifted her face so that her eyes 
P03 112 met his. <quote_>"Write to her - today."<quote/><p/>
P03 113 <p_>When he had gone she went back into the house and looked 
P03 114 around. Dust lay thick on every surface and the wet clothes, hers 
P03 115 and John's, lay in a disgusting clammy heap at her feet. She would 
P03 116 have to get out that detestable wash-board again. But first ...<p/>
P03 117 <p_>She found a cloth and dusted the table and a chair then brought 
P03 118 our her notepad and inkwell and pen and sat down.<p/>
P03 119 <p_><quote_>"Dear Annis ..."<quote/><p/>
P03 120 <p_>She put the pen down, then made herself pick it up again. 
P03 121 <quote_>"Dear Annis,"<quote/> she wrote, while a shaft of sunlight 
P03 122 fell across the paper and the galahs quarrelled and clowned and 
P03 123 shrieked in the trees outside. <quote_>"There is something I must 
P03 124 tell you ..."<quote/><p/>
P03 125 <h|>24
P03 126 <p_>Rowena was a happy baby, secure and confident of being loved, 
P03 127 just the way Annis had planned.<p/>
P03 128 <p_>As the months passed and she began to take an interest in her 
P03 129 surroundings and recognize people her dark hair lightened to a rich 
P03 130 auburn, deeper than Annis's own curls. Her eyes, blue at birth, 
P03 131 turned to a striking hazel, somewhere between Annis's grey and 
P03 132 green.<p/>
P03 133 <p_>Tom and Janet adored her, and in return Rowena showered love on 
P03 134 them. Annis was able to leave her with a clear conscience on those 
P03 135 days when she had to be at her desk in the Cathcart Square office, 
P03 136 knowing that her precious little daughter was in good hands.<p/>
P03 137 <p_>Even so, she missed the baby and as she entered the Esplanade 
P03 138 on her way home her steps always quickened in anticipation of the 
P03 139 moment when Rowena would hold out her plump little arms to her and 
P03 140 beam her special smile, no longer toothless.<p/>
P03 141 <p_>Life was complete, Annis told herself time and time again. She 
P03 142 and Jem made good partners; the shipping business and the shipyard 
P03 143 were both thriving; she herself was fulfilled and happy and she had 
P03 144 her house and her daughter. She needed nothing more.<p/>
P03 145 <p_>But on stormy nights when she lay awake listening to the sea 
P03 146 crashing against the wall across the road she fretted about the 
P03 147 <tf_>Grace and Charity<tf/>, on her way back to Scotland. She 
P03 148 studied the maritime reports in the <tf_>Greenock Herald<tf/> every 
P03 149 day, and she made certain of finding out if there were any 
P03 150 sightings of the clipper from ships that put in to harbour.<p/>
P03 151 <p_>She knew, for Gideon dispatched formal reports whenever he 
P03 152 could, that the ship had made her way safely to Australia and 
P03 153 disgorged her passengers and cargo safely. She had loaded with 
P03 154 Mundy wool from the warehouses in Melbourne and was on her way back 
P03 155 home. Annis diligently set about finding a market for the wool and 
P03 156 a cargo for the next trip, and continued to tell herself how 
P03 157 complete her life was.<p/>
P03 158 <p_>Olivia's letter was delivered to her one November day at the 
P03 159 office. As soon as she could Annis put her own work aside and 
P03 160 opened it, anxious as always to know how her sister fared.<p/>
P03 161 <p_>She read it once, twice, a third time, and didn't even hear 
P03 162 Beaton tapping at the door. When he opened it she jumped.<p/>
P03 163 <p_><quote_>"Mrs Moncrieff, Mr Ballantyne's in the office, anxious 
P03 164 to have a word with you."<quote/><p/>
P03 165 <p_><quote|>"Ballantyne?" She mouthed the word, then as he nodded 
P03 166 and beamed, said clearly, <quote_>"By all means, Mr Beaton. Please 
P03 167 ask him to come in."<quote/><p/>
P03 168 <p_>Ballantyne was one of the merchants who had taken his custom 
P03 169 elsewhere after Douglas's death. Annis hurriedly put the letter 
P03 170 aside and folded her hands on the blotter before her, smiling with 
P03 171 brisk friendliness as the man, hat in hand, was shown in.<p/>
P03 172 <p_><quote_>"Yes, Mr Ballantyne, what can I do for you?"<quote/><p/>
P03 173 <p_><quote_>"It's like this, Mrs Moncrieff."<quote/> He stood 
P03 174 four-square before the desk, looking down on her, his brows knotted 
P03 175 with embarrassment. <quote_>"I'm thinking that mebbe I was a wee 
P03 176 thing hasty when I took my business elsewhere. There's no getting 
P03 177 away from the fact that the Moncrieff boats were aye trustworthy 
P03 178 ..."<quote/><p/>
P03 179 <p_><quote_>"And still are, Mr Ballantyne,"<quote/> she said, 
P03 180 indicating a chair. <quote_>"And still are."<quote/><p/>
P03 181 <p_><quote_>"Ye did well tae win Ballantyne back,"<quote/> Jem said 
P03 182 a few weeks later, toasting his toes in front of the fire in 
P03 183 Annis's small parlour. He had had a rowdy time of it with Rowena 
P03 184 and Tom and now they had been dispatched to bed and Janet was 
P03 185 putting the kitchen to rights before going to bed. Outside, a 
P03 186 strong wind from the sea blew against the front of the house.<p/>
P03 187 <p_><quote_>"There was little winning to it."<quote/> Annis was 
P03 188 busy stitching a new dress for Rowena. <quote_>"It was his 
P03 189 decision."<quote/><p/>
P03 190 <p_><quote_>"And where he goes others'll follow. The worst's over 
P03 191 for us, lass. We're going to weather the storms."<quote/><p/>
P03 192 <p_>A gust rattled the windows and Annis's head jerked up.<p/>
P03 193 <p_><quote_>"So will he, don't fret yourself about that. 
P03 194 The<tf_>Grace and Charity<tf/>'s a fine ship and she's got the best 
P03 195 shipmaster in the town."<quote/><p/>
P03 196 <p_><quote_>"I wasn't fretting,"<quote/> she said, and he grinned 
P03 197 and took the pipe from his mouth to point the stem at her.<p/>
P03 198 <p_><quote_>"You've no secrets from me, Annis 
P03 199 Moncrieff."<quote/><p/>
P03 200 <p_><quote_>"Have I not?"<quote/><p/>
P03 201 <p_><quote_>"Well ... mebbe one."<quote/><p/>
P03 202 <p_>His voice had changed suddenly and Annis looked up, then put 
P03 203 the sewing down on her lap, her gaze caught by his own.<p/>
P03 204 <p_><quote_>"What would that be?"<quote/><p/>
P03 205 <p_><quote_>"I've noticed,"<quote/> said Jem slowly, deliberately, 
P03 206 <quote_>"that there's a way wee Rowena looks at me sometimes that 
P03 207 puts me in mind of ..."<quote/> He stopped, then said, 
P03 208 <quote_>"She's no' a Moncrieff, Annis."<quote/><p/>
P03 209 <p_><quote_>"She takes after me."<quote/><p/>
P03 210 <p_><quote_>"Aye, she's very like you. But to my eyes there's the 
P03 211 look of another."<quote/><p/>
P03 212 <p_>Her mouth trembled and she controlled it by biting down hard on 
P03 213 her lower lip. <quote_>"You're mistaken."<quote/><p/>
P03 214 <p_><quote_>"Am I? No need to fear, lass the whole town's so sure 
P03 215 she's Douglas's child that I doubt if even the gossips'll ever say 
P03 216 otherwise.
P03 217 
P04   1 <#FLOB:PO4\><h_><p_>Chapter Six<p/><h/>
P04   2 <p_>Most of Charlotte's guests had already left. Some were in the 
P04   3 process of taking their leave and her progress was impeded by the 
P04   4 need to exchange pleasantries. Her present state of shock meant 
P04   5 that she did so with lips which bent only stiffly to her will and 
P04   6 many goodbyes were terminated more abruptly than good manners 
P04   7 demanded. She saw the look of puzzlement enter her uncle's face, 
P04   8 but she could not meet his gaze. Nor did she have any wish to 
P04   9 approach him on the subject. Only too clearly did she understand 
P04  10 how much a confrontation would embarrass him. She loved him dearly, 
P04  11 despite this most human failing, and would continue to believe in 
P04  12 him. But she would discover nothing further here at Caperley. She 
P04  13 must go elsewhere to discover the truth.<p/>
P04  14 <p_><quote_>"Please forgive me, Uncle, but I am quite tired after 
P04  15 all the excitement. If you will excuse me, I will go to bed at 
P04  16 once:"<quote/> She gave him a sweeter, more lingering kiss than 
P04  17 usual, then hurried away before he could see her tears.<p/>
P04  18 <p_><quote_>"Of course, my dear."<quote/> Nathan watched her go, 
P04  19 ignorant of the turmoil in her heart.<p/>
P04  20 <p_>In her room, Charlotte changed out of her beautiful new dress 
P04  21 into a simple lawn gown in coral and mauve stripe and tied her 
P04  22 favourite lace kerchief about her neck. Next she put on her warmest 
P04  23 cloak and stoutest boots. Finding a small leather satchel, she 
P04  24 packed in a few essential items, then sat herself down to wait with 
P04  25 as much patience as she could muster for the house to quieten. She 
P04  26 dared not wait more than an hour or so, or the players would get 
P04  27 too much of a lead on her. When she felt it safe, she crept down 
P04  28 the back stairs to the kitchen where she found Alice snoring with 
P04  29 exhaustion in the big rocking-chair. Creeping stealthily past her, 
P04  30 Charlotte managed to unlatch the back door and was halfway across 
P04  31 the yard, thinking herself free, when she heard a door bang and a 
P04  32 familiar voice call out.<p/>
P04  33 <p_><quote_>"That you, Miss Charlotte?"<quote/><p/>
P04  34 <p_>Charlotte turned, heart beating slow and hard in her breast. 
P04  35 She had to get away. Nothing and no one must be allowed to prevent 
P04  36 that. <quote_>"Yes, Molly,"<quote/> she answered as calmly as she 
P04  37 could. <quote_>"Did you by any chance see which direction the 
P04  38 strolling players took? I forgot to return the shawl they lent me, 
P04  39 so I thought if I hastened after them I could give it back before 
P04  40 they got too far."<quote/><p/>
P04  41 <p_>Molly considered this point, painfully slowly. <quote_>"The 
P04  42 left fork, I reckon. But I ain't certain. Would you like me to 
P04  43 fetch Dickon? He could run faster'n you."<quote/><p/>
P04  44 <p_><quote_>"No, no. Dickon is no doubt busy shutting up the 
P04  45 animals for the night They can't have got far and I'll be glad of a 
P04  46 little fresh air before I retire for the night. Leave the kitchen 
P04  47 door on the latch, Molly. I won't be long."<quote/><p/>
P04  48  <p_><quote_>"Right you are. I'm near dropping on my feet, I can 
P04  49 tell you."<quote/> Molly ambled off about her late duties, sighing 
P04  50 of how beautiful the play had been and what a fine feast they had 
P04  51 had.<p/>
P04  52 <p_>Charlotte did not stop to listen to her rambling. She was 
P04  53 running on winged feet, stumbling over the icy ruts but determined 
P04  54 to catch up with the players before they got too far. If she was 
P04  55 any judge, they would be making for a new town tomorrow and, if she 
P04  56 was lucky, eventually for London. She wondered where they would be 
P04  57 spending the night and was thankful that Uncle Nathan had not 
P04  58 offered them the use of his barn. The further she got from Caperley 
P04  59 this night, the better.<p/>
P04  60 <p_>She ran until her sides ached and she was forced to slow to a 
P04  61 walk. A mile or two after that her heart skipped a beat as she 
P04  62 glimpsed a light penetrating the darkness ahead.<p/>
P04  63 <p_>She found them huddled together around a tiny fire in the 
P04  64 shelter of an old disused barn. It was only as she approached that 
P04  65 she began to consider what she would say.<p/>
P04  66 <p_><quote_>"Who goes there?"<quote/> The dramatic tones of the 
P04  67 booming voice rang out in the gloom and Charlotte jumped, crying 
P04  68 out in terror as a hand grasped her arm. A lantern was swung in her 
P04  69 face, blinding her for a second, and she heard an oath of surprise 
P04  70 as she was recognised. <quote_>"Can it be our talented Miss 
P04  71 Birthday Girl herself?"<quote/> Wilfred Clement Fosdyke almost 
P04  72 licked his lips in delight. This was an unexpected piece of good 
P04  73 fortune. Ever since he'd overheard that most interesting piece of 
P04  74 information between herself and Sir James he'd been frantic to 
P04  75 think how it could best be applied to his own benefit. The old man 
P04  76 had obstinately refused to offer them lodging, paid them the price 
P04  77 quoted to the penny with not a groat extra as tip. Such miserliness 
P04  78 had only served to make Fosdyke wrestle all the harder with the 
P04  79 problem. Now here was the solution, standing dewy-eyed before him. 
P04  80 <quote_>"My dearest girl, you look quite worn out, and more than a 
P04  81 little frozen."<quote/> Resting his arm protectively across her 
P04  82 shoulders, he led Charlotte closer to the fire. <quote_>"Put on 
P04  83 more logs, get a blaze going; the lass is pinched with the cold. 
P04  84 Make room there."<quote/> He cuffed and booted one or two 
P04  85 recalcitrant members of the orchestra from the choicest positions 
P04  86 and settled Charlotte into the space they vacated. She gazed about 
P04  87 her at the assembled company and wondered at her own daring. There 
P04  88 was Fanny, rubbing sleep from her eyes and already glowering 
P04  89 curiously at her. A cup of scalding tea was placed in her hands and 
P04  90 she sipped it gratefully. Fosdyke introduced the two younger men as 
P04  91 Carl and Phil.<p/>
P04  92 <p_><quote_>"Carl, being so handsome, does the romantic leads and 
P04  93 Phil plays the villain. Ain't that right, Phil?"<quote/> chortled 
P04  94 Fosdyke. <quote|>"Aya," agreed the grinning Phil, looking far from 
P04  95 villainous. <quote_>"I'm a brilliant actor, Miss Forbes, but I 
P04  96 never get the girl."<quote/><p/>
P04  97 <p_>Charlotte laughed out loud, beginning to feel more relaxed now 
P04  98 that she had her breath and her toes were thawing out.<p/>
P04  99 <p_><quote_>"And this here is Sally Drew. She plays some good 
P04 100 character parts, does Sal. You should see her Mrs Malaprop - a 
P04 101 proper treat. And this is her terror of a son, young Peter. He 
P04 102 plays page-boy roles and such like. Does all the errands, helps put 
P04 103 up the scenery and cooks the meals if necessary. What would we do 
P04 104 without him? Say hello to the lady, Peter."<quote/> Fosdyke stuck 
P04 105 his face close to the boy, who briefly nodded at Charlotte then 
P04 106 closed his eyes and went back to sleep, his dusty blond head 
P04 107 resting upon his mother's ample lap.<p/>
P04 108 <p_>Sally Drew smiled lovingly as she stroked his hair. 
P04 109 <quote_>"He'll talk plenty tomorrow. You see if he don't." 
P04 110 <quote/><p/>
P04 111 <p_><quote_>"And you've met Fanny already, of course."<quote/> 
P04 112 Fosdyke raised his bushy brows at the black-haired Fanny as if to 
P04 113 ask if she meant to greet their new guest. Fanny merely sniffed, 
P04 114 rubbed her eyes and lay down beside the warmth of the glowing 
P04 115 embers. <quote_>"Bit tired just now, she is. Been a long day, as I 
P04 116 expect you have found too."<quote/> Fosdyke was avid with curiosity 
P04 117 about why Charlotte had followed them, but knew better than to 
P04 118 startle this fragile wide-eyed fawn. <quote_>"Was there something 
P04 119 special you wanted us for? Your uncle has paid our account, you can 
P04 120 rest assured,"<quote/> he said, adopting a polite smile.<p/> 
P04 121 <p_><quote_>"Ohh, I'm so glad. N-no. I forgot to return the 
P04 122 shawl,"<quote/> Charlotte said, handing over the small neatly 
P04 123 packed parcel.<p/>
P04 124 <p_><quote_>"Dear Lord, you needn't have run after us just for that 
P04 125 fleabitten thing,"<quote/> put in Sally.<p/>
P04 126 <p_><quote_>"I didn't. I mean, there was another matter."<quote/> 
P04 127 She turned to Fosdyke and her jade eyes, darkly starred by thick 
P04 128 lashes, had never looked more appealing. Yet he would have agreed 
P04 129 to her request if she had been as ugly as a cow and twice as 
P04 130 stupid. Fosdyke was not a man to be won over simply by a pretty 
P04 131 face. They were two a penny, as he was often wont to say, and 
P04 132 didn't give half as good service. <quote_>"I wished to ask a favour 
P04 133 of you."<quote/><p/>
P04 134 <p_><quote_>"A favour."<quote/> Fosdyke stuffed his chest with air 
P04 135 so that it bellied grandly out like a pigeon's, though he would 
P04 136 have preferred to think himself a swan, and smiled beatifically, 
P04 137 revealing the perfect white teeth. <quote_>"You have only to name 
P04 138 it and it is yours. How could anyone refuse so charming a young 
P04 139 lady?"<quote/><p/>
P04 140 <p_>Charlotte had meant only to ask if she might travel with them 
P04 141 to London where she intended to search out the whereabouts of her 
P04 142 mother. But a wild thought had catapulted into her head and before 
P04 143 she could stop herself she asked <quote_>"Might I join 
P04 144 you?"<quote/><p/>
P04 145 <p_>Even Fosdyke was surprised. It was the last thing he'd 
P04 146 expected. Yet, when he thought about it, why should she not wish to 
P04 147 join them? The girl had talent - that much was certain. She'd read 
P04 148 the piece which she'd never set eyes on before with the skill and 
P04 149 ease of a professional. There was no question but that he could 
P04 150 make something of her. <quote_>"Now, why would you want to do 
P04 151 that?"<quote/> he probed. <quote_>"Not fallen out with your uncle, 
P04 152 have you?"<quote/> This thought alarmed him for a moment. What use 
P04 153 a fortune if it was cut off? But Charlotte hastened to reassure 
P04 154 him. <quote_>"Oh, no, not at all. Only ..."<quote/> And here for 
P04 155 the first time in her life she decided that some form of a lie 
P04 156 might be safer. She had no wish at this stage, or to these people, 
P04 157 kindly though they seemed, to relate the full sordidness of her 
P04 158 problem. <quote_>"... I have relatives in London, and if you should 
P04 159 be going in that direction I wondered if I might accompany you. I 
P04 160 have always longed to act and it would be so much more fun than 
P04 161 taking the coach. I do so love an adventure."<quote/> Her smile 
P04 162 vanished. <quote_>"But if I'd be a nuisance you have only to say. 
P04 163 However, I do assure you I would work hard."<quote/><p/>
P04 164 <p_>Fosdyke decided that the gods must be pleased with him this 
P04 165 day. The teeth positively glittered in the darkness as he smiled 
P04 166 upon Charlotte <quote_>"Nothing would give us greater pleasure than 
P04 167 to have you become a member of the Fosdyke Players".<quote/><p/>
P04 168 <p_>James awoke later than usual and at once became aware of a 
P04 169 great hubbub of noise outside his room. Running footsteps, banging 
P04 170 doors and the loud clamour of voices. Hastily pulling on his shirt 
P04 171 and breeches, he went to investigate. Alice and Molly were hurrying 
P04 172 in confusing and alternating circles up and down stairs, along 
P04 173 passages and into and out of various rooms. He watched this odd 
P04 174 performance for a second or two before managing to catch a hold of 
P04 175 Molly and halt her madcap dash.<p/>
P04 176 <p_><quote_>"What on earth is going on, Molly? You all seem quite 
P04 177 demented."<quote/><p/>
P04 178 <p_><quote/>"Oh, sir! 'Tis Miss Charlotte,"<quote/> Molly gasped, 
P04 179 heaving great gulps of air into her flat chest.<p/>
P04 180 <p_>James felt a prickle of foreboding. <quote_>"What of Miss 
P04 181 Charlotte?"<quote/> He gripped tighter upon Molly's arm and she 
P04 182 winced.<p/>
P04 183 <p_><quote_>"She have gone. Leastways we can find no trace of her 
P04 184 either in the house or in the yard. Please don't squeeze my arm so, 
P04 185 sir, I'ad a drop too much cider last night and I do hurt all 
P04 186 over."<quote/><p/>
P04 187 <p_>James lessened his grip only to shake Molly as if she were in 
P04 188 some way to blame when he knew it was himself. <quote_>"You're sure 
P04 189 she isn't out riding the new horse?"<quote/><p/>
P04 190 <p_>Molly groaned as the headache worsened. There was something she 
P04 191 kept trying to remember but she couldn't quite get to grips with 
P04 192 it. What with Alice's shouting and scolding and now this gentleman 
P04 193 shaking the life out of her she doubted she ever would. 
P04 194 <quote_>"No, we've checked and the mare is eating her head off in 
P04 195 the stable, sweet as you please.
P04 196 
P05   1 <#FLOB:P05\><p_>More significantly he had not written to her 
P05   2 himself.<p/>
P05   3 <p_>He had, he thought, struck the first blow in the campaign which 
P05   4 would inevitably develop between them.<p/>
P05   5 <p_>He knew she would fight like a tiger to keep him.<p/>
P05   6 <p_>She would gradually become frantic when she discovered he was 
P05   7 being elusive.<p/>
P05   8 <p_>He expected there would be the usual tears and 
P05   9 recriminations.<p/>
P05  10 <p_>Such as had happened at the end of several of his 
P05  11 <foreign_>affaires de coeur<foreign/>.<p/>
P05  12 <p_>But they had never involved the possibility of marriage.<p/>
P05  13 <p_>Fiona's position was therefore somewhat different.<p/>
P05  14 <p_>He also expected she would inform Joscelyn who would call on 
P05  15 him tomorrow.<p/>
P05  16 <p_>He knew the tactics only too well.<p/>
P05  17 <p_>As Joscelyn had said last night, he would beg him with 
P05  18 heard-rending apologies for money.<p/>
P05  19 <p_>If he was refused he would begin the familiar semiblackmail, 
P05  20 pointing out how much the family name would suffer.<p/>
P05  21 <p_>He would emphasise how deeply distressed their relatives would 
P05  22 be if his desperate situation should be reported in the 
P05  23 newspapers.<p/>
P05  24 <p_>Here he had a point.<p/>
P05  25 <p_>The Press would not hesitate, as the Duke knew, to contrast the 
P05  26 pitiable state of the Heir Presumptive with that of one of the 
P05  27 wealthiest Dukes in the country.<p/>
P05  28 <p_>The Duke's face was contorted as he brought his clenched fist 
P05  29 down on the desk so violently that it made the ink-pots rattle.<p/>
P05  30 <p_><quote_>"Curse him!"<quote/> he exclaimed. <quote_>"I shall 
P05  31 have to pay up, and he knows it!"<quote/><p/>
P05  32 <p_>He tried to tell himself that while there was nothing else he 
P05  33 could do, he should not allow Joscelyn's behaviour to upset him.<p/>
P05  34 <p_>Yet when he left the Study there was a frown between his 
P05  35 eyes.<p/>
P05  36 <p_>There was no time to arrange for his Pirate Coach to be 
P05  37 attached to the train on which he was to travel.<p/>
P05  38 <p_>There was however, a Courier to escort him to the Station.<p/>
P05  39 <p_>He would see that he was given a Reserved Carriage, and that 
P05  40 the door was locked when he entered it.<p/>
P05  41 <p_>Mr. Watson would be in the next coach and the luggage deposited 
P05  42 in the Guard's Van.<p/>
P05  43 <p_>There would be in fact, very little in the way of trunks.<p/>
P05  44 <p_>The Duke had insisted on having a duplicate of everything he 
P05  45 wished to wear in both of the houses in which he stayed most 
P05  46 frequently.<p/>
P05  47 <p_>He also had a house in Newmarket and another in 
P05  48 Leicestershire.<p/>
P05  49 <p_>There were therefore usually very few things to be conveyed 
P05  50 from Grosvenor Square to Moor Park.<p/>
P05  51 <p_>The most important this time were the letters which travelled 
P05  52 beside Mr. Watson in a despatch-case.<p/>
P05  53 <p_>The Courier acquired all the daily newspapers and put them in 
P05  54 the Duke's carriage.<p/>
P05  55 <p_>It was not a long journey as Moor Park was situated North of 
P05  56 London in the most beautiful part of Oxfordshire.<p/>
P05  57 <p_>It could be reached by road in under three hours.<p/>
P05  58 <p_>The Duke however, in the Winter, found it much quicker and on 
P05  59 the whole more comfortable to travel by train.<p/>
P05  60 <p_>This would stop by request at his Private Halt.<p/>
P05  61 <p_>He then had only a two-mile drive to his home.<p/>
P05  62 <p_>As he stepped out of the train at The Halt there was a red 
P05  63 carpet across the platform.<p/>
P05  64 <p_>Three members of his staff were waiting for him.<p/>
P05  65 <p_>Outside was a Chaise he liked to drive himself.<p/>
P05  66 <p_>There was also a Brake in which to convey everybody else from 
P05  67 the Station to the house.<p/>
P05  68 <p_>He greeted those who were waiting for him in a somewhat frigid 
P05  69 manner, which made them suspect that something was wrong.<p/>
P05  70 <p_>Then he got into his Chaise, picked up the reins and drove 
P05  71 off.<p/>
P05  72 <p_>The Groom travelled in the seat at the back.<p/>
P05  73 <p_>Therefore the Duke was not bothered by having the man beside 
P05  74 him.<p/>
P05  75 <p_>He drove his horses skilfully round the twisting lanes.<p/>
P05  76 <p_>As he did, he thought that this was the first time for years 
P05  77 that he had come home without a party to amuse him.<p/>
P05  78 <p_>At the moment to be alone was all he wanted.<p/>
P05  79 <p_>The austerity of it pleased him, just as he enjoyed the cold 
P05  80 and frosty air on his cheeks and the greyness of the sky above.<p/>
P05  81 <p_>He was not in the mood for sunshine or for the laughter and 
P05  82 chatter of flirtatious women.<p/>
P05  83 <p_>He wanted to be by himself, to 'lick his wounds' before he 
P05  84 moved up into the firing-line.<p/>
P05  85 <p_>Moor Park was looking magnificent.<p/>
P05  86 <p_>It did not matter whether it was Spring, Summer, Autumn or 
P05  87 Winter.<p/>
P05  88 <p_>The great house always looked the same.<p/>
P05  89 <p_>The centre block with its wings reaching out on either side was 
P05  90 breath-taking.<p/>
P05  91 <p_>To the Duke it was everything that was stable in his life -the 
P05  92 foundation of his very existence.<p/>
P05  93 <p_>He drove down the long drive.<p/>
P05  94 <p_>As he did so he asked himself how he could have thought that 
P05  95 Fiona Faversham could take the place of his mother, as the Duchess 
P05  96 of Moorminster.<p/>
P05  97 <p_>It was not only that she had deceived him.<p/>
P05  98 <p_>He knew now that however beautiful she might be, both her 
P05  99 character and her personality were wrong.<p/>
P05 100 <p_><quote_>"If I married her and afterwards discovered her 
P05 101 perfidy, it would have not only humiliated me, but smirched the 
P05 102 whole history of the family,"<quote/> the Duke thought.<p/>
P05 103 <p_>He crossed the ancient bridge over the lake that was as old as 
P05 104 the house itself and drew up at the front door.<p/>
P05 105 <p_>The red carpet was already down.<p/>
P05 106 <p_>Footmen were waiting to open the door of the Chaise for him to 
P05 107 alight.<p/>
P05 108 <p_>The Butler was standing at the top of the steps.<p/>
P05 109 <p_>It was all so familiar.<p/>
P05 110 <p_>But the Duke had the feeling that he was seeing it for the 
P05 111 first time.<p/>
P05 112 <p_>Only now did he realise how much it meant to him.<p/>
P05 113 <p_>He walked into the house and because he wanted to distract his 
P05 114 mind he went immediately to where the Theatre was being rebuilt.<p/>
P05 115 <p_>As he expected, the Architect and the Designer were waiting.<p/>
P05 116 <p_>He went in through the door which connected the Theatre with 
P05 117 the house.<p/>
P05 118 <p_>When the Duke had found the plans drawn up by the Adam brothers 
P05 119 he had also found a letter of instructions.<p/>
P05 120 <p_>It had been written to them by his ancestor, then the 7th Earl 
P05 121 of Moore.<p/>
P05 122 <p_>It was his grandson, the 9th Earl who had distinguished himself 
P05 123 so gallantly under Wellington that he had been made a Marquis.<p/>
P05 124 <p_>It as the Duke's father who had been raised to the Dukedom by 
P05 125 Queen Victoria.<p/>
P05 126 <p_>The Earl's instructions to the Adam brothers had been made 
P05 127 after he had returned from a visit to Russia.<p/>
P05 128 <p_>He had been there as a guest of the Tsar.<p/>
P05 129 <p_>He told them that he had been exceedingly impressed by the 
P05 130 Royal Theatre in the Winter Palace.<p/>
P05 131 <p_>And even more so by Prince Ysvolsov's Private Theatre which was 
P05 132 exceptional.<p/>
P05 133 <p_>The Earl had managed to obtain sketches of the interior of the 
P05 134 latter.<p/>
P05 135 <p_>The Adam brothers had therefore been able to model their design 
P05 136 on it exceedingly cleverly.<p/>
P05 137 <p_>The Duke had last seen the Theatre a month before he left 
P05 138 England to go to Holland.<p/>
P05 139 <p_>He had been sure that his Architect and Designer could recreate 
P05 140 the charm of the original Theatre at Moor Park.<p/>
P05 141 <p_>He was however, a little apprehensive that he was expecting too 
P05 142 much.<p/>
P05 143 <p_>They were both waiting for him and led him through the door 
P05 144 into the Theatre.<p/>
P05 145 <p_>Because the house was on slightly higher ground than the 
P05 146 foundations of the Theatre, the Duke found himself on a level with 
P05 147 the boxes.<p/>
P05 148 <p_>A flight of stairs in front of him went down into what in a 
P05 149 Public Theatre would be known as the 'Stalls'.<p/>
P05 150 <p_>The building was quite small, in fact it could hold few more 
P05 151 than a hundred people.<p/>
P05 152 <p_>It was, the Duke thought, like a child's doll's house.<p/>
P05 153 <p_>Yet it had all the charm and beauty of what might have been a 
P05 154 Royal Theatre.<p/>
P05 155 <p_>In the Stalls were white and gold carved chairs.<p/>
P05 156 <p_>The 'Circle' was furnished with seats upholstered in crimson 
P05 157 velvet.<p/>
P05 158 <p_>The two boxes, one of which was intended for Royalty, had the 
P05 159 same.<p/>
P05 160 <p_>The whole effect was quite beautiful, as was the backdrop on 
P05 161 the stage.<p/>
P05 162 <p_>Curtains of rich red velvet were drawn back in front of the 
P05 163 footlights.<p/>
P05 164 <p_>There was a small 'Pit' for the Orchestra and a huge crystal 
P05 165 chandelier hung from the ceiling.<p/>
P05 166 <p_>The Architect and the Designer were watching the Duke's 
P05 167 face.<p/>
P05 168 <p_>He looked all round him in silence before he said:<p/>
P05 169 <p_><quote_>"I congratulate you both! It is exactly what I wanted, 
P05 170 and far better than I dared to expect!"<quote/><p/>
P05 171 <p_>He knew by their looks before they spike how gratified they 
P05 172 were.<p/>
P05 173 <p_>When he left them he walked back into the house to have a late 
P05 174 luncheon.<p/>
P05 175 <p_>For the first time since last night when he had stood outside 
P05 176 Fiona's bedroom door, he could think of something else.<p/>
P05 177 <p_>He knew he had to work quickly to decide which Prima Donna he 
P05 178 should engage for the night the Prince of Wales would be in the 
P05 179 audience.<p/>
P05 180 <p_>More important, who should take part in the sketch he had 
P05 181 half-written and which included a part for Fiona.<p/>
P05 182 <p_>He had not realised until she insisted on singing for him, that 
P05 183 she had a pleasant voice.<p/>
P05 184 <p_>It was nothing exceptional.<p/>
P05 185 <p_>But he knew that with her beauty it would not be difficult for 
P05 186 her to have an appreciative audience.<p/>
P05 187 <p_>Although it would in general be a critical one.<p/>
P05 188 <p_>A great number of his relatives, including his grandmother, 
P05 189 came to Moor Park every Christmas.<p/>
P05 190 <p_>They would have arrived without even receiving an 
P05 191 invitation.<p/>
P05 192 <p_>It was traditional that they should be there.<p/>
P05 193 <p_>A tradition they had every intention of maintaining.<p/>
P05 194 <p_>The idea had come to him that he would compose a song for Fiona 
P05 195 in which she would appear as an angel.<p/>
P05 196 <p_>But now he knew that to introduce Fiona as an angel would be a 
P05 197 crime against God.<p/>
P05 198 <p_>Then another idea came to him, and there was a melody in his 
P05 199 mind that kept recurring.<p/>
P05 200 <p_>He knew it would be with him until he had played it on the 
P05 201 piano and transcribed it as a score.<p/>
P05 202 <p_>He hoped that Fiona would not be staying with him at 
P05 203 Christmas.<p/>
P05 204 <p_>If she was, she would sit in the Stalls and watch somebody else 
P05 205 play her part.<p/>
P05 206 <p_><quote_>"You will not forget about the song I am to sing in 
P05 207 your new Theatre?"<quote/> she had asked the day before he was 
P05 208 leaving for Holland. <quote_>"I shall need time to practise it, and 
P05 209 I know, darling, Sheldon, how you expect perfection."<quote/><p/>
P05 210 <p_><quote_>"How could you be anything else?"<quote/> he had said 
P05 211 automatically because it was expected of him.<p/>
P05 212 <p_>Now he told himself furiously that there was nothing perfect 
P05 213 about Fiona.<p/>
P05 214 <p_><quote_>"I will find somebody else for the part,"<quote/> he 
P05 215 thought. <quote_>"It should not be difficult."<quote/><p/>
P05 216 <p_>After luncheon he ordered a horse form the stables.<p/>
P05 217 <p_>As the Head Groom brought the horse to the front door, he 
P05 218 predicted there would be snow before long.<p/>
P05 219 <p_><quote_>"I doubt it!"<quote/> the Duke replied curtly.<p/>
P05 220 <p_><quote_>"We loiks t'have a white Christmas,"<quote/> the man 
P05 221 remarked. <quote_>"Las' year, if Y'Grace Remember, it never snowed 
P05 222 'til Boxin' Day!"<quote/><p/>
P05 223 <p_>The Duke wondered what that proved.<p/>
P05 224 <p_>He knew the staff at Moor Park, like his nieces and nephews, 
P05 225 looked forward to snow at Christmas.<p/>
P05 226 <p_>They were disappointed if they were denied it.<p/>
P05 227 <p_>Because the Duke felt he must escape from his thoughts, he rode 
P05 228 away over the fields.<p/>
P05 229 <p_>He went Northwards passing through the woods he had not visited 
P05 230 for a long time.<p/>
P05 231 <p_>He knew that sometime he must talk to his gamekeepers.<p/>
P05 232 <p_>But for the moment he just wanted to be alone to be free of 
P05 233 everything.<p/>
P05 234 <p_>Most of all of his own feelings.<p/>
P05 235 <p_>He rode on and on until he realised it was very cold and that 
P05 236 soon it would be growing dark.<p/>
P05 237 <p_>It was then he saw just ahead of him a small village that he 
P05 238 had not visited for some years.<p/>
P05 239 <p_>He remembered it was called 'Little Bedlington'.<p/>
P05 240 <p_>It consisted of a few thatched cottages, an ancient 
P05 241 black-and-white Inn, and what looked like a Norman Church.<p/>
P05 242 <p_>There was still some left in the County.<p/>
P05 243 
P06   1 <#FLOB:P06\><p_><quote_>"June wasn't really ill. She thought she 
P06   2 was. Her death was very unexpected."<quote/><p/>
P06   3 <p_><quote_>"So it had to be a great shock to Gemma. I'm not 
P06   4 surprised she's having problems. A child of five doesn't always 
P06   5 understand the meaning of death."<quote/><p/>
P06   6 <p_>Nicholas leaned forward and looked into her eyes. <quote_>"Did 
P06   7 you feel she's disturbed?"<quote/> he asked earnestly.<p/>
P06   8 <p_>Tansy's heart fluttered as she replied. <quote_>"She acted a 
P06   9 little strangely over the photograph. Impossible to know how deep 
P06  10 it goes unless I talk to her again. It may just be a simple 
P06  11 misunderstanding on her part."<quote/><p/>
P06  12 <p_><quote_>"Will you come here to see her?"<quote/><p/>
P06  13 <p_>The temptation to agree was strong. <quote_>"I don't think that 
P06  14 would be advisable- at least, not at the beginning. I have all the 
P06  15 necessary equipment and materials at the hospital. It's not just a 
P06  16 matter of talking, you see, not with children. You have to gain 
P06  17 their confidence, let them play, and talk to you as they play. They 
P06  18 don't understand their feelings when they're very young -they can't 
P06  19 put them into words. The way they play tells you a lot."<quote/><p/>
P06  20 <p_><quote_>"I do understand,"<quote/> said Nicholas. <quote_>"I'm 
P06  21 a paediatrician. When can you see her?"<quote/><p/>
P06  22 <p_>Tansy hesitated. <quote_>"I wish you'd asked Dan Rice first. 
P06  23 Oh, don't get me wrong, I'm quite happy to do it. But if I find she 
P06  24 needs more sessions with me, I think I ought to tell him what I'm 
P06  25 doing. You do see that?"<quote/><p/>
P06  26 <p_><quote_>"Naturally. I suppose he'll want it all made 
P06  27 official."<quote/><p/>
P06  28 <p_><quote_>"He may. Would you agree to that?"<quote/><p/>
P06  29 <p_><quote_>"I hoped to avoid her problem being put on hospital 
P06  30 records,"<quote/> Nicholas confessed. <quote_>"Perhaps I ought to 
P06  31 have a word with Dan myself."<quote/><p/>
P06  32 <p_><quote_>"He may wonder why you didn't approach him in the first 
P06  33 place. After all, he is the chief,"<quote/> said Tansy.<p/>
P06  34 <p_><quote_>"And if I say I think it needs a woman's 
P06  35 touch?"<quote/> He grinned, and she found herself smiling back.<p/>
P06  36 <p_><quote_>"I hope he'll believe you!"<quote/><p/>
P06  37 <p_><quote_>"So when can you see her?"<quote/><p/>
P06  38 <p_><quote_>"The only time I can give her tomorrow is four-thirty 
P06  39 -a cancellation."<quote/><p/>
P06  40 <p_>Nicholas looked anxious. <quote_>"Tomorrow- Thursday. I'm not 
P06  41 sure. Beth could bring her, but she has an evening class at six, so 
P06  42 she won't be able to stay. I don't suppose-"<quote/> He cast her an 
P06  43 appealing glance, and she knew whatever he was going to ask, she 
P06  44 would be unable to refuse him.<p/>
P06  45 <p_><quote_>"Could Gemma stay with you until I arrive? If you have 
P06  46 a later patient, could she play somewhere, in another 
P06  47 room?"<quote/> <p/>
P06  48 <p_>Another room. For a brief moment Tansy saw herself in another 
P06  49 room, a small white room with dark green curtains. She was standing 
P06  50 at the window that looked out on to a park where children played on 
P06  51 the swings and slides and roundabouts, while their mothers watched 
P06  52 indulgently. The door behind her had opened, and she knew it was 
P06  53 time. And she was afraid to turn round, afraid she'd lose 
P06  54 control...<p/>
P06  55 <p_><quote_>"Perhaps one of the nurses would keep an eye on 
P06  56 her?"<quote/> Nicholas was saying. She jerked back to reality, to 
P06  57 the beautiful beige and gold room, with the heavy velvet 
P06  58 curtains.<p/>
P06  59 <p_><quote_>"Oh, there'll be no need for that,"<quote/> she assured 
P06  60 him. <quote_>"She'll be my last patient. I'll keep her with me 
P06  61 until you arrive. We can play games."<quote/><p/>
P06  62 <p_><quote_>"She likes you,"<quote/> said Nicholas, smiling.<p/>
P06  63 <p_><quote_>"She's a child. I'd like to help her."<quote/><p/>
P06  64 <p_>Nicholas rose and moved towards her. Catching her breath, she 
P06  65 stood and straightened her skirt.<p/>
P06  66 <p_><quote_>"I think I'd better go now, if you don't 
P06  67 mind."<quote/><p/>
P06  68 <p_>Tansy passed a weary hand across her brow and closed the last 
P06  69 file. Caroline Porter, a nine-year-old with severe anxiety, had 
P06  70 timidly waved from the doorway, her first gesture of friendliness, 
P06  71 and Tansy had felt quite buoyed up inside. But it was taking such a 
P06  72 long time, even with Hattie's help.<p/>
P06  73 <p_>She glanced at the clock on the wall. Four-forty. She'd kept 
P06  74 Gemma waiting. She'd tried to keep to her allotted time, but Mrs 
P06  75 Porter, an over-anxious mother herself, had insisted on telling 
P06  76 Tansy in great detail Caroline's last three dreams.<p/>
P06  77 <p_>Tansy had dreamed too, last night. And in her dream, too, the 
P06  78 strangest things had happened. First she had been in the room with 
P06  79 green curtains with Rod, then Nicholas had come in with a girl 
P06  80 dressed as a bride, but she couldn't see her face because of the 
P06  81 thick white veil. Then Nicholas had changed into Rod, and even her 
P06  82 mother had been there, on the arm of Daniel Rice. And as the 
P06  83 curtains had changed to gold velvet, Rod had called her and she'd 
P06  84 woken up. Totally confusing, and obviously a result of what had 
P06  85 happened the evening before.<p/>
P06  86 <p_>Nicholas had driven her home and, as she had reached to open 
P06  87 the car door, he had turned her towards him and kissed her again. 
P06  88 Not a deep, passionate kiss like the one earlier, but a soft, 
P06  89 tender kiss that barely brushed her lips, yet left her feeling even 
P06  90 more disturbed than before.<p/>
P06  91 <p_><quote_>"Thank you,"<quote/> he had said softly, touching her 
P06  92 cheek with his finger. Tansy was glad he couldn't see her 
P06  93 expression in the dark.<p/>
P06  94 <p_><quote_>"Thank you -for the lovely meal."<quote/><p/>
P06  95 <p_><quote_>"I'm sorry if my behaviour wasn't up to 
P06  96 scratch."<quote/><p/>
P06  97 <p_>She stared at him, but his face was in shadow. Was he 
P06  98 smiling?<p/>
P06  99 <p_><quote_>"You don't have to apologise."<quote/> She spike 
P06 100 stiffly. She didn't want him referring to the incident. She had 
P06 101 meant to be resolute, not show her feelings. She would rather 
P06 102 forget it.<p/>
P06 103 <p_><quote_>"But I do. I invited you for a meal -"<quote/><p/>
P06 104 <p_><quote_>"A consultation."<quote/> Her retort was 
P06 105 spontaneous.<p/>
P06 106 <p_><quote_>"You're very prickly about it, aren't you? Won't you 
P06 107 let me explain?"<quote/><p/>
P06 108 <p_>She reached across again to the door-handle, but again he 
P06 109 turned her to face him, and his grip was strong on her arms.<p/>
P06 110 <p_><quote_>"I thought you had."<quote/><p/>
P06 111 <p_>He didn't answer for a moment. <quote_>"Don't you like me, 
P06 112 Tansy?"<quote/><p/>
P06 113 <p_><quote_>"I -of course I like you. Look, we've been through all 
P06 114 this before. This evening was arranged so I could see Gemma 
P06 115 -"<quote/><p/>
P06 116 <p_><quote|>"Partly." His hand rested on hers. It was warm and 
P06 117 somehow comforting. <quote_>"But mostly because I wanted to know 
P06 118 you better. There's something strange about you, Tansy. You only 
P06 119 seem to come alive when you're discussing your work."<quote/><p/>
P06 120 <p_><quote_>"I don't think -"<quote/><p/>
P06 121 <p_>His strong fingers grasped hers.<p/>
P06 122 <p_><quote_>"The rest of the time, you seem to shut people out. 
P06 123 Why?"<quote/><p/>
P06 124 <p_>Tansy laughed shakily. <quote_>"I think you're imagining 
P06 125 things. If I shut people out I wouldn't have come to your house 
P06 126 tonight."<quote/><p/>
P06 127 <p_><quote_>"You've turned down everyone else."<quote/><p/>
P06 128 <p_>She gasped. <quote_>"You've been prying into my private life! 
P06 129 How dare you?"<quote/> She wrenched herself away from him.<p/>
P06 130 <p_><quote_>"No, I haven't, Tansy. You know what hospitals are like 
P06 131 -the grapevine. You're quite new, so naturally everyone talks about 
P06 132 you for a while, tries to find out what makes you tick. It'll die 
P06 133 down."<quote/><p/>
P06 134 <p_><quote_>"And what do they say about me?"<quote/> She spoke 
P06 135 through tight lips.<p/>
P06 136 <p_><quote_>"I don't think it's important. I don't believe them, 
P06 137 anyway. Not after the way you kissed me -"<quote/><p/>
P06 138 <p_><quote_>"Excuse me!"<quote/> she retorted. <quote_>"It was you 
P06 139 who did the kissing. Now, if you don't mind, I have things to do 
P06 140 before I go to bed."<quote/><p/>
P06 141 <p_>Nicholas gave a long dramatic sigh. <quote_>"All right. I'm 
P06 142 sorry you feel like this. If it's just a professional relationship 
P06 143 you want, then it's a pity, because I shan't give up. If you insist 
P06 144 on putting up barriers, I can't promise I shan't try to break them 
P06 145 down. It's up to you now."<quote/><p/>
P06 146 <p_>He started up the car. Tansy sat very still.<p/>
P06 147 <p_><quote_>"Goodnight, Tansy. See you tomorrow when I collect 
P06 148 Gemma."<quote/><p/>
P06 149 <p_>She couldn't help feeling like a naughty schoolgirl, called to 
P06 150 see the Head. She climbed out of the car.<p/>
P06 151 <p_><quote|>"Goodnight." But Nicholas was already moving away. A 
P06 152 small shiver of anticipation ran through her as she watched his car 
P06 153 disappear. Up to her now. He'd stated his intentions; she's tried 
P06 154 to state hers. But they weren't quite as clear-cut as that. She 
P06 155 felt a bit like Jekyll and Hyde. Yet she was still determined to 
P06 156 deny that other side of her. And suddenly it made her feel sad.<p/>
P06 157 <p_>Sighing, because tonight could have been something really good, 
P06 158 if she'd let it, she unlocked the front door and let herself into 
P06 159 the house.<p/>
P06 160 <p_>And now, in spite of trying not to think about Nicholas, her 
P06 161 pulses were racing because in about an hour he would be coming to 
P06 162 collect Gemma. She pressed the buzzer on her desk. Soon Beth and 
P06 163 Gemma would be coming through the door. At last she would see what 
P06 164 Beth looked like, the legendary Beth who seemed to be a genius at 
P06 165 everything.<p/>
P06 166 <p_>The door opened, and Pamela came in, holding the hand of a 
P06 167 solemn-faced Gemma. Tansy must have looked surprised, because the 
P06 168 receptionist explained, <quote_>"Dr Vernon brought her -said her 
P06 169 name's Gemma. He asked me to keep an eye on her until you were 
P06 170 ready. Something about a change of plan -he said you'd know what 
P06 171 that meant. I must say, she's been very good, haven't 
P06 172 you?"<quote/><p/>
P06 173 <p_>But Gemma was staring at Tansy with astonishment. <quote_>"Dr 
P06 174 Tansy!"<quote/> she exclaimed. <quote_>"You came to see me last 
P06 175 night!"<quote/><p/>
P06 176 <p_><quote_>"That's right,"<quote/> said Tansy, <quote_>"I 
P06 177 did."<quote/><p/>
P06 178 <p_><quote_>"Is she a patient?"<quote/> asked Pamela curiously. 
P06 179 <quote_>"Dr Vernon didn't say anything, just left her 
P06 180 here."<quote/><p/>
P06 181 <p_><quote_>"Er -not really. I'm -sort of -babysitting for an hour 
P06 182 or so."<quote/><p/>
P06 183 <p_>Pamela stared at her, then at Gemma. <quote_>"Of course! I 
P06 184 thought I'd seen her before. At the Spring F<*_>e-circ<*/>te, 
P06 185 wasn't it? She's Dr Vernon's little girl, isn't she? When I saw her 
P06 186 I said to Elizabeth, is this another of Dr Tansy's children? I 
P06 187 haven't seen her before. Then Elizabeth said she thought she looked 
P06 188 familiar, and I sort of remembered, then. I thought she was a 
P06 189 patient, but when Dr Vernon didn't say anything I just assumed 
P06 190 you'd be sure to know about it, probably made out the notes 
P06 191 yourself -"<quote/><p/>
P06 192 <p_><quote_>"What did you say, Pamela? To Elizabeth?"<quote/> Tansy 
P06 193 interrupted.<p/>
P06 194 <p_><quote_>"What? Oh -Dr Tansy's children! That's what we call 
P06 195 them, your patients. Tansy's children. They all love you so much. 
P06 196 They never want to leave you."<quote/><p/>
P06 197 <p_><quote_>"I see."<quote/> Tansy's voice was sharp. 
P06 198 <quote_>"Well, you'd better go back, in case -"<quote/><p/>
P06 199 <p_><quote_>"Caroline was last, Dr Blair. If you remember, Darren 
P06 200 James cancelled -rehearsal for a school play. That's why I thought 
P06 201 Gemma had come, to fill the cancellation -"<quote/><p/>
P06 202 <p_><quote_>"I'm just looking after her for a while. Thank you, 
P06 203 Pamela."<quote/><p/>
P06 204 <p_><quote_>"Yes, I see. Look, I'm sorry, Dr Blair, if I offended 
P06 205 you, calling your patients Tansy's children. I didn't mean to be 
P06 206 familiar, but we all call them that, it's a compliment, really 
P06 207 -"<quote/><p/>
P06 208 <p_><quote_>"Yes, you're right."<quote/> Tansy realised she was 
P06 209 being oversensitive, and smiled at the young receptionist. 
P06 210 <quote_>"I'll take Gemma now."<quote/><p/>
P06 211 <p_>Pamela patted the child on the head and went back to clear up 
P06 212 the office. Tansy took Gemma's hand. It felt soft and trusting.<p/>
P06 213 <p_><quote_>"Am I a patient?"<quote/> Gemma asked, as Tansy closed 
P06 214 the door behind them.<p/>
P06 215 <p_><quote_>"What makes you ask that?"<quote/> Tansy was unsure of 
P06 216 what Nicholas had told his daughter.<p/>
P06 217 <p_><quote_>"Well, this is a hospital, and when people go to see 
P06 218 doctors it's because they're ill, so they're patients. Daddy told 
P06 219 me that."<quote/><p/>
P06 220 <p_><quote_>"But you're not ill, are you?"<quote/> Tansy crossed to 
P06 221 a small table where there was a pile of modelling clay. Gemma 
P06 222 followed her.<p/>
P06 223 <p_><quote_>"I was sick on my birthday because I ate too much 
P06 224 trifle,"<quote/> said Gemma seriously.<p/>
P06 225 <p_>Tansy smiled. <quote_>"I'm sure you're better now."<quote/><p/>
P06 226 <p_><quote_>"Mummy wasn't ill, but she came here to see doctors. 
P06 227 Was it because they were friends, like you?"<quote/><p/>
P06 228 <p_><quote_>"Am I your friend?"<quote/> asked Tansy gently.<p/>
P06 229 <p_><quote_>"Daddy said so."<quote/><p/>
P06 230 <p_>Tansy felt a warm glow inside. Nicholas's friend. Or should she 
P06 231 take it literally, as Gemma had stated it -Gemma's friend? Either 
P06 232 way, it felt nice.<p/>
P06 233 <p_><quote_>"Your mummy wasn't ill, yet she came to see someone 
P06 234 here?"<quote/> she probed gently. <quote_>"Who did she come to 
P06 235 see?"<quote/><p/>
P06 236 <p_><quote_>"Dr Whittaker. And Dr Spencer."<quote/><p/>
P06 237 <p_>Tansy digested this carefully. Al Whittaker was a neurologist. 
P06 238 Flora Spencer was a psychiatrist.
P06 239 
P07   1 <#FLOB:P07\><p_>That afternoon, as she folded the new silk dress 
P07   2 carefully in tissue paper, it reminded her again of the night of 
P07   3 the party. It was the first real opportunity she'd had to think 
P07   4 about it. Had it happened after all? Or had it been only a 
P07   5 dream?<p/>
P07   6 <p_>It might as well have been, since the one certainty in her mind 
P07   7 was that if she and Nick were to continue working together there 
P07   8 could be no question of personal involvement. Still, even if it had 
P07   9 been only a dream, it was a very pleasant one to remember.<p/>
P07  10 <p_>Nick was waiting for her in the living - room when she'd 
P07  11 finished packing, and she was surprised to see that instead of 
P07  12 wearing a business suit for travelling he had on his dinner - 
P07  13 jacket again.<p/>
P07  14 <p_><quote_>"Are you all ready to go?"<quote/> he asked.<p/>
P07  15 <p_><quote|>"Yes," she replied, puzzled. <quote_>"How about 
P07  16 you?"<quote/><p/>
P07  17 <p_><quote_>"Oh, I'm not leaving tonight,"<quote/> he said 
P07  18 offhandedly. Then he grinned. <quote_>"I have a date."<p/>
P07  19 <p_><quote_>"But what about the documents? We still have to pack up 
P07  20 the files."<p/>
P07  21 <p_><quote_>"Oh, you can do that,"<quote/> he said airily.<p/>
P07  22 <p_>Then she saw red. <quote_>"And what if <tf|>I happen to have a 
P07  23 date?"<quote/> she demanded.<p/>
P07  24 <p_><quote_>"Do you?"<quote/><p/>
P07  25 <p_><quote_>"Well, no, but Jack has called several times - 
P07  26 "<quote/><p/>
P07  27 <p_><quote_>"Then get to work, McIntyre,"<quote/> he broke in 
P07  28 abruptly.<p/>
P07  29 <p_>My master's voice, she thought, as he started for his room. 
P07  30 When he was gone, she frowned angrily down at the documents. Nick's 
P07  31 high - handed attitude infuriated her, but what else could she do 
P07  32 but obey?<p/>
P07  33 <p_>Heaving a deep sigh of self - pity at the injustice of it all, 
P07  34 she started picking up folders and stacking them into cartons, but, 
P07  35 before long, as her anger grew, she found herself slamming them 
P07  36 around noisily and throwing them inside any old way.<p/>
P07  37 <p_>Nick came back in a few minutes, his hands in his trouser 
P07  38 pockets, jingling change and keys and whistling under his breath. 
P07  39 On his way past the table to the door he glanced sharply at her.<p/>
P07  40 <p_><quote_>"Hey, be a little more careful with that 
P07  41 stuff,"<quote/> he said. <quote_>"What are you trying to do, kill 
P07  42 it?"<quote/><p/>
P07  43 <p_>By now she was more than ready to kill <tf|>him, and she 
P07  44 whirled around to face him. <quote|>"Listen," she said. 
P07  45 <quote_>"It's not fair. You've treated me like your slave ever 
P07  46 since the first day I came to work for you, just because you resent 
P07  47 the fact that I'm a woman who can do a man's job, and I'm fed 
P07  48 up."<quote/><p/>
P07  49 <p_>He looked down his nose at her. <quote_>"I've told you before, 
P07  50 McIntyre. We all have to go through a certain amount of slave 
P07  51 labour in the beginning. I'm not going to make an exception just 
P07  52 because you're a woman. If you want special treatment, you'd better 
P07  53 look for it somewhere else, because you won't get it from 
P07  54 me."<quote/><p/>
P07  55 <p_>Regan bit her lip and fought down her anger. He was right. 
P07  56 Nothing would be gained by antagonising him any more than she 
P07  57 already had just for the sake of a personal grudge. She knew when 
P07  58 she was beaten. She was skating on thin ice as it was.<p/>
P07  59 <p_><quote_>"Yes, sir,"<quote/> she muttered through her teeth.<p/>
P07  60 <p_>She turned back to the hateful files and started straightening 
P07  61 out the mess she'd made. Nick seemed to hesitate for a second, and 
P07  62 she wondered what he was going to ask her to do this time. Pack for 
P07  63 him, perhaps. Well, whatever it was she'd do it if it killed her 
P07  64 and keep her mouth shut about it.<p/>
P07  65 <p_>Then she heard his footsteps as he walked away from her, heard 
P07  66 him open the door and close it again behind him. When she was sure 
P07  67 he was gone, she looked up and glared at the door, suppressed the 
P07  68 urge to throw the file in her hand against it, and once again got 
P07  69 back to work.<p/>
P07  70 <p_>On the flight back to Seattle early that evening, it seemed 
P07  71 strange to Regan not to have Nick sitting beside her. Even though 
P07  72 she was still simmering at the shabby way he'd treated her, they'd 
P07  73 been together so constantly during the past five days that his 
P07  74 absence left a real void. At least, she consoled herself, she 
P07  75 wouldn't have to watch him ogling the stewardess.<p/>
P07  76 <p_>Once the plane was safely airborne, she lay her head back and 
P07  77 closed her eyes, but she found she was still too keyed up from that 
P07  78 last - minute rush to sleep. Nick had kept her so busy that this 
P07  79 was the first real chance she'd had to try to put the events of the 
P07  80 past week in some kind of perspective.<p/>
P07  81 <p_>All in all, she was satisfied that she'd done a good job for 
P07  82 him. Even though she'd flared up at him a few times when his 
P07  83 critical comments became personal, for the most part she'd followed 
P07  84 him around and done his bidding like a faithful dog. She was 
P07  85 grateful now that she'd held her tongue this afternoon when he'd 
P07  86 announced the news that she would have to do all the packing 
P07  87 herself because he had a date.<p/>
P07  88 <p_>She wondered who it was. The blonde stewardess from the trip 
P07  89 down last Sunday? The elegant blonde who'd been hanging all over 
P07  90 him at the party? Always blondes, she thought in disgust as she 
P07  91 unconsciously ran a hand over her own light - brown hair.<p/>
P07  92 <p_>With the drone of the engine buzzing in her ears, her mind 
P07  93 wandered idly back to that night of the party and the eerie 
P07  94 encounter with Nick in the middle of the night. At the time she had 
P07  95 convinced herself it had been a dream, but now, with the pressure 
P07  96 of business off and the leisure to consider it more thoroughly, she 
P07  97 wasn't so sure.<p/>
P07  98 <p_>Even if it had really happened, no doubt it was because they'd 
P07  99 both had too much to drink earlier. Not only that, but it was over 
P07 100 practically before it started. Yet, as she finally drifted off into 
P07 101 a fitful sleep, it seemed to her that she could still feel that 
P07 102 bare chest pressed against her, his arms holding her, the taste of 
P07 103 his seeking mouth, his hand on her breast.<p/>
P07 104 <p_>The next thing she knew, they were landing at the Seattle 
P07 105 airport. After collecting her bag, she went out in front to look 
P07 106 for a cab. There was no point in calling Don to come and get her, 
P07 107 as he'd offered. The Friday night traffic would be horrendous, and 
P07 108 Don, who was even more overworked than she was, needed all the rest 
P07 109 he could get. She'd just put the taxi fare on her expense account, 
P07 110 and Nick could lump it if he didn't like it. She'd earned it.<p/>
P07 111 <p_>It was a lovely summer evening, the sun still shining at after 
P07 112 seven o'clock, and, as the cab sped north on the motorway towards 
P07 113 the city, Regan gazed out of the window at the familiar landmarks, 
P07 114 the mountains to the east and west, the blue waters of Puget Sound 
P07 115 and Lake Union, thinking how glad she was to be home. Seattle had 
P07 116 never looked so good to her.<p/>
P07 117 <p_>Her apartment was hot and stuffy, and as soon as she was inside 
P07 118 she ran around opening the windows. Her first goal was a warm 
P07 119 shower. She could save the unpacking for later. Tomorrow was 
P07 120 Saturday. She's have the whole weekend to go grocery shopping and 
P07 121 do her laundry.<p/>
P07 122 <p_>She had finished her shower, dried off and was just wrapping a 
P07 123 towel around her wet head, when there came a loud knocking at her 
P07 124 front door. Quickly, she pulled on clean underwear, a pair of jeans 
P07 125 and a cotton shirt and ran barefoot to answer it.<p/>
P07 126 <p_><quote|>"Yes," she called. <quote_>"Who is it?"<quote/><p/>
P07 127 <p_><quote|>"Regan?" came Don's worried voice. <quote_>"Is that 
P07 128 you? Are you at home?"<p/>
P07 129 <p_>She opened the door. <quote_>"Come on in, Don."<quote/><p/>
P07 130 <p_><quote_>"I heard noises down here and thought I'd better 
P07 131 investigate."<quote/> He stepped inside, closing the door after 
P07 132 him. <quote_>"You were supposed to call me when you got 
P07 133 in."<quote/><p/>
P07 134 <p_><quote_>"Oh, I didn't want to bother you."<quote/> They were 
P07 135 into the living - room. <quote_>"Sit down for a minute if you have 
P07 136 time."<quote/><p/>
P07 137 <p_><quote_>"Have you eaten?"<quote/><p/>
P07 138 <p_><quote|>"No," she said in surprise. <quote_>"I haven't, as a 
P07 139 matter of fact."<quote/> She laughed. <quote_>"I was so glad to be 
P07 140 home I forgot all about food."<quote/><p/>
P07 141 <p_><quote_>"How about sharing a pizza?"<quote/><p/>
P07 142 <p_><quote|>"OK." She pointed at the telephone in the hall. 
P07 143 <quote_>"Why don't you call and have one delivered? I still have a 
P07 144 few things to do."<quote/><p/>
P07 145 <p_>While Don made the call, Regan went back into the bathroom and 
P07 146 picked up after herself. Her hair was not quite dry, so she used 
P07 147 the drier on it for a few minutes, then brushed it back behind her 
P07 148 ears, put on a dash of pale coral lip gloss, slipped into a pair of 
P07 149 moccasins and went back to the living - room.<p/>
P07 150 <p_><quote|>"Well," Don said, as she sat down opposite him on the 
P07 151 couch. <quote_>"How was the trip?"<quote/><p/>
P07 152 <p_>She made a face. <quote_>"Harrowing. That boss of mine is a 
P07 153 real slave driver."<quote/><p/>
P07 154 <p_><quote_>"Is that way?"<quote/><p/>
P07 155 <p_><quote_>"Oh, you name it. It's 'Go do this, McIntyre,'"<quote/> 
P07 156 she mimicked Nick's deep voice. <quote_>"'Make five hundred copies, 
P07 157 get me a cup of coffee, pack those boxes.'"<quote/> She made a wry 
P07 158 face. <quote_>"I expected him to put me to work shining his shoes 
P07 159 or pressing his suits by the time we were through."<quote/><p/>
P07 160 <p_>Don was laughing by now. <quote_>"Tell me about it!"<quote/> he 
P07 161 said with feeling. <quote_>"I've got a cardiologist at the hospital 
P07 162 who must have learned his tricks in the same school."<quote/>h<p/>
P07 163 <p_>When the boy came in with their pizza, Don paid him, then they 
P07 164 went into the kitchen and sat down at the small table by the 
P07 165 window. Don sliced the pizza while Regan got two bottles of beer 
P07 166 out of the refrigerator, and they sat down to eat.<p/>
P07 167 <p_><quote_>"Have you ever thought of asking for another 
P07 168 assignment?"<quote/> Don asked between bites. <quote_>"I mean, if 
P07 169 your boss is that hard to please, maybe you should consider it. 
P07 170 They can't all be that bad."<quote/><p/>
P07 171 <p_>Regan slowly set down her glass and looked at him. 
P07 172 <quote_>"Why, no,"<quote/> she said soberly. <quote_>"That never 
P07 173 entered my mind."<quote/> She shrugged. <quote_>"Oh, granted, he's 
P07 174 impossible, but working for him gives me the chance to learn from 
P07 175 one of the best legal minds in the city. How about you and your 
P07 176 problem doctor? Would you leave him?"<quote/><p/>
P07 177 <p_>Don laughed. <quote_>"Interns don't leave doctors. Doctors fire 
P07 178 interns."<quote/> Then his expression grew serious. <quote_>"And to 
P07 179 answer your question, no, I wouldn't dream of it. Like your boss, 
P07 180 he's terrible to deal with, but there's not another doctor around 
P07 181 who could teach me as much about cardiology as he can."<quote/><p/>
P07 182 <p_><quote_>"Well, then, you should be able to understand the way I 
P07 183 feel about Nick Wainwright."<quote/> She eyed the carton on the 
P07 184 table. <quote_>I'll toss you for the last slice."<quote/><p/>
P07 185 <p_>Regan virtually slept the weekend away. She hadn't realised 
P07 186 just how exhausted she was from the gruelling sessions in San 
P07 187 Francisco until she was back in her own bed. Then she could hardly 
P07 188 bear to get out of it, except to do the most essential shopping and 
P07 189 a little laundry on Saturday between naps.<p/>
P07 190 <p_>The weather remained fine, and by late Sunday afternoon she was 
P07 191 beginning go feel rested at last. She took a long walk around Green 
P07 192 Lake, had a light supper at her place, then spent the rest of the 
P07 193 evening getting ready for work the next day. Nick should be back, 
P07 194 and she was amazed at how much she looked forward to the prospect 
P07 195 of seeing him again.<p/>
P07 196 <p_>She arrived at the office bright and early Monday morning and 
P07 197 headed directly towards her own small office. It was good to be 
P07 198 back, and as she walked by the library the other young lawyers 
P07 199 labouring inside called to her, welcoming her back warmly, as 
P07 200 though they really were glad to see her, making her feel as though 
P07 201 she really belonged now.<p/>
P07 202 <p_>She went directly to Nick's office, assuming he would already 
P07 203 be there. It was past nine o'clock, and she hoped he wouldn't give 
P07 204 her a dressing down for being late.
P07 205 
P08   1 <#FLOB:P08\>Better than one of the family, she thought at times, 
P08   2 after one of her altercations with Dan. For Drogo didn't shout or 
P08   3 bawl her out for refusing to take in washing from the local tavern 
P08   4 owner's wife, scowling when she'd exclaimed heatedly that didn't he 
P08   5 think she did enough work, foraging for cockles in the sand, or 
P08   6 else up at dawn, down at the quayside to bargain with the 
P08   7 fishermen, and then coming home to cook and tidy up after him!<p/>
P08   8 <p_>The reins held loosely in her hands, her skirts riding up to 
P08   9 reveal her bare knees, she gazed about her at the peaceful morning. 
P08  10 Seagulls shrieked their defiance over her head, outraged at the 
P08  11 presence of humans at such an early hour. The rising sun splashed 
P08  12 the sea and sky with scarlet and gold ribbons as the little donkey 
P08  13 trod placidly along the cliff path. Thinking back to the man, 
P08  14 Marcus Dillon, she told herself she wasn't nervous. She had never 
P08  15 been at a loss for crisp repartee, and would treat this like any 
P08  16 other job.<p/>
P08  17 <p_>All the same, when she stopped outside the front gate of the 
P08  18 small white cottage, her dear began to beat a little more swiftly 
P08  19 and the palms of her hands were damp. Her knock was answered at 
P08  20 once and the artist stared down at her, giving Alys the impression 
P08  21 that he'd been waiting for her eagerly.<p/>
P08  22 <p_><quote_>"Good morning,"<quote/> he said briskly, and stood back 
P08  23 to allow her to enter. She had already tied Drogo to a sapling on 
P08  24 the common in front of the cottage and hoped he wouldn't become too 
P08  25 bored and try to uproot the young tree. There was plenty of grass 
P08  26 for him to enjoy and he was usually patient when she tied him up 
P08  27 like this, for it meant he could doze again, uninterrupted by her 
P08  28 foot nudging him on his way.<p/>
P08  29 <p_>Marcus did not ask her to sit and so she stood, hands folded 
P08  30 across the faded pink cotton of her skirt, and stared at him 
P08  31 unflinching. He grinned, thinking she was conducting herself like a 
P08  32 grand duchess. There was no sign of servility and no indication of 
P08  33 the self - seeking attitude he had expected.<p/>
P08  34 <p_><quote_>"Glad you were able to come,"<quote/> he told her.<p/>
P08  35 <p_>Alys lifted a strand of black hair and tucked it into the neat 
P08  36 chignon which she'd managed to achieve with the aid of <}_>< - |> 
P08  37 innumurable<+|> innumerable<}/> hair pins and patience. <quote_>"I 
P08  38 said I would."<quote/><p/>
P08  39 <p_>Once again he thrilled to the lilting sing - song quality of 
P08  40 her voice, not at all like the harsher tones of her hawker cronies, 
P08  41 not in the least as he'd expected. He looked at her thoughtfully, 
P08  42 his head on one side. <quote_>"The first thing I need to do is get 
P08  43 rid of these."<quote/> Suiting the action to the words he reached 
P08  44 forward and unceremoniously began tugging the pins from her thick 
P08  45 mass of hair.<p/>
P08  46 <p_>He heard her gasp of indignation. <quote_>"What did you do that 
P08  47 for? It took me ages..."<quote/><p/>
P08  48 <p_><quote_>"I thought I made myself clear."<quote/> His tone 
P08  49 brooked no argument. <quote_>"I want you looking exactly as you did 
P08  50 when I first saw you, riding across the sands, not got up like some 
P08  51 lah - de - dah society lady."<quote/><p/>
P08  52 <p_>Her cheeks flushed crimson and he strove to commit to memory 
P08  53 the lovely colour as the blood swept beneath the delicate skin. He 
P08  54 decided he would have to come up with a lot of insults if he was to 
P08  55 get that tone right!<p/>
P08  56 <p_><quote_>"Come on."<quote/> He took her hand and pulled her 
P08  57 abruptly into a room that obviously did duty as his studio. Without 
P08  58 speaking, her mistrustful gaze never leaving him, Alys watched as 
P08  59 he adjusted a seat on a slightly raised platform before the large, 
P08  60 uncurtained window.<p/>
P08  61 <p_><quote_>"What about Drogo?"<quote/> she asked him bluntly. 
P08  62 <quote_>"I thought you were going to paint him, too?"<quote/><p/>
P08  63 <p_><quote_>"You first. I need to sketch your head and shoulders 
P08  64 this morning, get some idea of the composition. Drogo won't be 
P08  65 neglected. I may be able to get a rough draft of him as well. 
P08  66 Now,"<quote/> brusquely he beckoned her to seat herself on the 
P08  67 chair, <quote_>"Do you mind? We're wasting time."<quote/><p/>
P08  68 <p_>He turned her shoulder, tilted her head, moved her arms until 
P08  69 she felt as inhuman as a lump of clay. He showed as much emotion as 
P08  70 though she was, too! she thought with brooding resentment. Finally 
P08  71 satisfied, he warned her that on no account was she to move from 
P08  72 the position he had achieved.<p/>
P08  73 <p_><quote_>"For how long?"<quote/> she demanded with a flash of 
P08  74 her old spirit.<p/>
P08  75 <p_><quote_>"Until I say you can."<quote/> He frowned. 
P08  76 <quote_>"There, you've moved your head already!"<quote/> With cool 
P08  77 fingers he corrected her pose, arranging the long silken strands of 
P08  78 hair to his liking. <quote_>"Talk if you want to."<quote/><p/>
P08  79 <p_>Puzzled, she stared at him. <quote_>"What about?"<quote/><p/>
P08  80 <p_><quote_>"Anything. Most women can't sit still for more than two 
P08  81 minutes without wanting to tell me all about their lovers or how 
P08  82 their parents don't understand them."<quote/><p/>
P08  83 <p_><quote_>"I haven't got a lover. Or parents,"<quote/> she said 
P08  84 stiffly.<p/>
P08  85 <p_>She didn't think he'd heard her for he made no reply, although 
P08  86 she saw how his jaw tightened.<p/>
P08  87 <p_>It wasn't as easy as it looked. The prize of a whole guinea for 
P08  88 sitting still and letting someone paint her had been an inducement 
P08  89 she couldn't resist. She couldn't have known about the muscles that 
P08  90 after a while would cry out in agony, demanding to be eased and 
P08  91 stretched. After two hours, with five minute rests when he could 
P08  92 see she was tiring, Marcus told her she could relax. Standing, 
P08  93 feeling the blood beginning to circulate again, Alys made an 
P08  94 endeavour to peep at the work on the easel. With a sharp command, 
P08  95 he stopped her.<p/>
P08  96 <p_><quote_>"Why not?"<quote/> she asked, puzzled. <quote_>"I only 
P08  97 want to look."<quote/><p/>
P08  98 <p_><quote_>"You'll see it when it's ready -  providing you can sit 
P08  99 still long enough for me to finish it!"<quote/><p/>
P08 100 <p_>She was hurt at the implication that she had been as fidgety as 
P08 101 a child. Later, she sat in a wicker chair on the tiny white - 
P08 102 railed verandah<&|>sic! and watched as with lightning expertise he 
P08 103 made rough sketches of the donkey, who by now seemed to have fallen 
P08 104 into a doze.<p/>
P08 105 <p_><quote_>"As long as you don't expect Drogo to stand still for 
P08 106 you as well,"<quote/> she warned. <quote_>"He's got a mind of his 
P08 107 own, has Drogo."<quote/><p/>
P08 108 <p_>Looking over his shoulder, he commented only that it might be a 
P08 109 good idea if she made herself useful and put the kettle on. 
P08 110 Implying, she thought, with a niggle of irritation, that he was not 
P08 111 paying her a whole guinea to sit and watch him work.<p/>
P08 112 <p_>She found the large airy kitchen and filled a kettle at the 
P08 113 tap. The tea was brewing when Marcus came in. Seating himself at 
P08 114 the table and propping his feet on a chair next to him, he drawled, 
P08 115 <quote_>"You can be mother."<quote/><p/>
P08 116 <p_>She went to him every morning, sometimes riding Drogo, 
P08 117 sometimes allowing the little donkey to stay dozing in his stall. 
P08 118 She never knew what to expect from Marcus Dillon. Kindness and 
P08 119 consideration one morning, abrasive sarcasm the next.<p/>
P08 120 <p_>She was dying to see what he'd made of her on that square of 
P08 121 canvas but he forbade her even a glimpse. One morning, the sunlight 
P08 122 pouring in through the big window making it almost impossible to 
P08 123 keep her eyes open, she jerked upright when he suddenly strode 
P08 124 forward and took her by the shoulder, shaking her roughly.<p/>
P08 125 <p_><quote_>"If you must spend half the night with your heavy - 
P08 126 handed boy - friend, kindly make sure he allows you enough sleep to 
P08 127 be able to function properly the next morning! You're worse than 
P08 128 that blasted donkey, dozing off every few minutes."<quote/><p/>
P08 129 <p_><quote_>"I'm sorry."<quote/> A flush stained her cheeks, 
P08 130 whether from anger or guilt he wasn't sure. He noticed she had not 
P08 131 denied his accusations about not getting enough sleep and a sudden 
P08 132 tremor of jealousy twisted inside him, startling him so that his 
P08 133 hands tightened on her shoulders.<p/>
P08 134 <p_>She winched and it was his turn to apologise, although it came 
P08 135 out grudgingly. He turned back to his easel. <quote_>"All right. If 
P08 136 you could bring yourself to stay awake long enough to complete this 
P08 137 morning's session, I would appreciate it."<quote/><p/>
P08 138 <p_>She pulled a face behind his back, quickly resuming the pose 
P08 139 when he turned and shot her a suspicious glance. She wondered what 
P08 140 he would have said had he known she was thinking of Evan Jenkins 
P08 141 and not some <quote_>"heavy - handed"<quote/> boy from the town as 
P08 142 he'd claimed.<p/>
P08 143 <p_>But all the brooding resentment brought on by Marcus's brusque 
P08 144 treatment was worth it, she decided, the day she stood and gazed at 
P08 145 the yellow silk frock in the Co - op window. The Craven Bay Co - 
P08 146 operative Stores was the grandest shop in town. In fact, the only 
P08 147 shop where you could buy decent apparel. As a child, she'd been in 
P08 148 with her mother, though not very often, and had gazed in awe at the 
P08 149 solid dark wood counters and display cabinets and the funny 
P08 150 arrangements of wires that ran like tram lines above them, carrying 
P08 151 money to a cage - like office form where a clerk returned change. 
P08 152 Superior sales assistants glared at you from lofty heights, or so 
P08 153 it had seemed to the little girl. They all wore black skirts and 
P08 154 crisp white cotton blouses and clearly wondered what the shabby 
P08 155 woman and child could possibly be wanting here. There had been a 
P08 156 smell of polish, of musty carpets and the faded scent of lavender 
P08 157 drifting from the toiletry counter. Alys found it almost unchanged. 
P08 158 The assistants seemed a little older, but no less superior.<p/>
P08 159 <p_>Still, she wouldn't let them intimidate her. She had made up 
P08 160 her mind; she had the necessary money and she was going to enjoy 
P08 161 spending it.<p/>
P08 162 <p_>The showroom where the dresses were displayed was up a wide, 
P08 163 polished staircase with a narrow strip of dark red carpet and a 
P08 164 polished banister rail. On the landing above, small gilt chairs 
P08 165 were placed at strategic intervals for the benefit of the ladies 
P08 166 who found climbing the stairs difficult. Many would ask for a chair 
P08 167 to be fetched while they discussed the fit or colour of a garment, 
P08 168 and would sit in their elaborate hats looking, Alys would think 
P08 169 with a stifled giggle, like feathered cartwheels while they 
P08 170 considered the merits of a blue or a coffee - coloured gown for the 
P08 171 next social gathering. In spite of her resolve to let nothing daunt 
P08 172 her, Alys was aware of curious stare following her progress. Sales 
P08 173 ladies paused in their arrangement of a skirt on a display model or 
P08 174 a piece of lace, and turned to watch her as she passed.<p/>
P08 175 <p_>She straightened her shoulders and lifted her chin, trying to 
P08 176 look as though it was an everyday occurrence for her, this visit to 
P08 177 Craven Bay's most fashionable store. The sales lady she approached 
P08 178 looked doubtful when she explained that there was a frock in the 
P08 179 window, a yellow silk frock, and she wanted to try it on. Although 
P08 180 the girl was neatly dressed in a dark skirt and printed pink 
P08 181 blouse, still the sales assistant hesitated before she went to 
P08 182 check if they had the dress in Alys's size. It would be much 
P08 183 simpler if they didn't, she caught herself thinking. This wasn't 
P08 184 their usual kind of customer. But they had the size and so she 
P08 185 guided Alys to a curtained enclosure at the back of the showroom 
P08 186 and hovered uneasily outside.<p/>
P08 187 <p_>At last Alys stepped out, and handing back the dress, murmured. 
P08 188 <quote_>"Thank you, it fits beautifully. I'll take it. Will you 
P08 189 wrap it up, please?"<quote/><p/>
P08 190 <p_>Counting out the money from her little hoard was the sweetest 
P08 191 moment of her young life.<p/>
P08 192 <p_><quote_>"To <tf|>paint you!"<quote/> Mary O'Malley's eyes 
P08 193 opened so wide they seemed in danger of falling out. <quote_>"To 
P08 194 <tf|>paint you!"<quote/><p/>
P08 195 <p_>Alys repressed the rude retort that rose to her lips at her 
P08 196 friend's astounded stare. <quote_>"There's no need to sound as 
P08 197 though I was some sort of a freak that no one could possibly want 
P08 198 to look at! Marcus told me I had good bone structure and would 
P08 199 still look young when I was an old, old woman."<quote/>
P08 200 
P09   1 <#FLOB:P09\><p_>As the great shell keep of Berkeley Castle rose 
P09   2 above the Gloucestershire countryside ahead of them, the ancient 
P09   3 stonework glowing warmly in the late afternoon sun, Philippa 
P09   4 marvelled at the vast, uncountable numbers of Henry's supporters 
P09   5 encamped outside the castle's defences. Lords' gay silken pavilions 
P09   6 jostled with makeshift shelters erected by men - at - arms, archers 
P09   7 and camp followers: the servants and tradesmen, not to mention the 
P09   8 women ready to accommodate the needs of the men for a fee. The red 
P09   9 rose of Lancaster and the Lancastrian version of the Royal Arms 
P09  10 fluttered from almost every pole, counterpointing the splendidly 
P09  11 charged pennons of the impressive array of magnates whose support 
P09  12 Henry had enlisted.<p/>
P09  13 <p_>Young Wat Instow had ridden ahead to discover the situation, 
P09  14 Giles's personal badge -  an acorn -  painted on the arms of his 
P09  15 leather jerkin making his allegiance plain for all to see. The 
P09  16 party from Alban Castle, under Sir Malcolm de Boyes, had already 
P09  17 pitched their tents, and it was from Sir Malcolm that Wat had 
P09  18 elicited his information.<p/>
P09  19 <p_><quote_>"The castle is almost full, lord,"<quote/> Wat 
P09  20 reported, riding out to meet them as they approached. 
P09  21 <quote_>"Edmund of Langley, the Duke of York, is here!"<quote/><p/>
P09  22 <p_><quote_>"Is he indeed? As keeper of the Realm, he has come to 
P09  23 meet the King on his return from Ireland, no doubt. How did he 
P09  24 greet Henry?"<quote/><p/>
P09  25 <p_><quote_>"Amicably, I gather. They are in conference now. Room 
P09  26 can be found for Lady Philippa and her woman in one of the domestic 
P09  27 dorters in the eastern bailey, but we shall have to camp here 
P09  28 overnight. Sir Malcolm already has your pavilion 
P09  29 erected."<quote/><p/>
P09  30 <p_><quote_>"'Twill be no hardship in this weather. I thank you, 
P09  31 Malcolm,"<quote/> he added as the night strode over to greet them. 
P09  32 <quote_>"Did all go well at Alban this morn?"<quote/><p/>
P09  33 <p_><quote_>"Aye, lord, as far as I know. We left before Sir Walter 
P09  34 and the Earl and his family were - "<quote/><p/>
P09  35 <p_><quote_>"What was my father's condition?"<quote/> cut in 
P09  36 Philippa anxiously.<p/>
P09  37 <p_>Sir Malcolm bowed in her direction. They had not dismounted, 
P09  38 and he lifted his rather nice brown eyes to her face. <quote_>"Much 
P09  39 the same, my lady. Though I believe he had articulated a word or 
P09  40 two, and was able to move the fingers of his hand. The physician 
P09  41 gave his permission for him to travel."<quote/><p/>
P09  42 <p_><quote_>"What of Sir William?"<quote/> asked Giles. <quote_>"He 
P09  43 has not arrived as yet?"<quote/><p/>
P09  44 <p_><quote_>"Nay, lord. He expected to be a day at least carrying 
P09  45 out your orders."<quote/><p/>
P09  46 <p_>Giles frowned. <quote_>"So long? Were the stores so 
P09  47 vast?"<quote/><p/>
P09  48 <p_><quote_>"I do not know, lord. I left, as ordered, before he had 
P09  49 properly taken inventory."<quote/><p/>
P09  50 <p_><quote_>"No doubt he'll catch up ere long. Meanwhile, I will 
P09  51 escort the Lady Philippa to the castle."<quote/> Giles turned to 
P09  52 Philippa with formal courtesy. <quote_>"Come, my lady. You should 
P09  53 rest comfortably again tonight."<quote/><p/>
P09  54 <p_>Philippa followed obediently as he prodded Panache forward 
P09  55 through the embattled entrance and, having ascertained the 
P09  56 direction, threaded his way through the throng to cross one bailey 
P09  57 to reach the other.<p/>
P09  58 <p_>Her thoughts were far from comfortable. Her father seemed to 
P09  59 have improved slightly, but, although the journey might not harm 
P09  60 him in itself, he would resent having to make it. Her stomach 
P09  61 turned and the sickness returned. Frustration at his helplessness 
P09  62 might bring on a relapse. Still, she consoled herself, forcing down 
P09  63 her panic, Mary would be well able to cope, and was fond enough of 
P09  64 her father - in - law to do her best. She herself could have done 
P09  65 little apart from offering her presence, but she would have given 
P09  66 much to be with him.<p/>
P09  67 <p_>Memories of home filled her momentarily with nostalgia. Alban 
P09  68 was small compared to this vast edifice. Thrusting her anxiety 
P09  69 behind her, Philippa eyed her surroundings with growing interest, 
P09  70 noting the frenetic bustle of all the officials and serfs as they 
P09  71 carried out their orders, while tired Lancastrian retainers lounged 
P09  72 idly by. The farriers' hammers rang around the yard, horses stamped 
P09  73 and neighed in impatience or protest. Pigs, chickens and geese 
P09  74 scattered at their approach. There seemed hardly room to move 
P09  75 within the castle walls.<p/>
P09  76 <p_>Ignoring the ancient tower and passing the more recently built 
P09  77 Great Hall, Giles drew rein before the entrance to the newish 
P09  78 building containing the living quarters. He called a servant, who 
P09  79 showed them the way to a small, bare, closet - like chamber which 
P09  80 contained two pallets crowded together to leave a small space for 
P09  81 movement near the doorway.<p/>
P09  82 <p_><quote_>"You are fortunate,"<quote/> remarked Giles drily. 
P09  83 <quote_>"You will have privacy here."<quote/><p/>
P09  84 <p_><quote_>"Except that there is no door to the chamber, which, 
P09  85 being designed for the use of servants, leads directly from that 
P09  86 used by the ladies of the castle,"<quote/> returned Philippa 
P09  87 sharply.<p/>
P09  88 <p_><quote_>"You have an arras to shield the doorway. I will find 
P09  89 you better lodgings in Bristol,"<quote/> promised Giles. 
P09  90 <quote_>"We will meet again shortly in the Hall, at supper. 
P09  91 Farewell, Philippa."<quote/><p/>
P09  92 <p_>Philippa shifted uneasily and voiced an awareness which had 
P09  93 been growing on her since entering the castle. <quote_>"Is this not 
P09  94 where the King's great - grandfather was murdered?"<quote/> she 
P09  95 asked, and cleared her throat to free it of a sudden thickness.<p/>
P09  96 <p_><quote|>"Aye." Giles met her eyes steadily. <quote_>"Edward II 
P09  97 met his end somewhere in this castle."<quote/> He smiled grimly. 
P09  98 <quote_>"Richard should have learned from his ancestor's mistakes. 
P09  99 The second Edward was extravagant, and attempted to rule through 
P09 100 favourites, rather than through Parliament. Richard has not only 
P09 101 been profligate and taken bad advice from his cronies, but has 
P09 102 tried to take power into his own hands. He thinks he is above the 
P09 103 law, a law unto himself. He must be shown that he is 
P09 104 wrong."<quote/><p/>
P09 105 <p_><quote_>"And you and Henry Bolingbroke are appointed by God to 
P09 106 show him the error of his ways?"<quote/> scorned Philippa, suddenly 
P09 107 angry again. It was better than being scared.<p/>
P09 108 <p_><quote_>Henry has been wronged. The duty of every true knight 
P09 109 is to see all wrings righted, be it with or without the King's 
P09 110 writ. Richard must answer to Parliament. He has no real power 
P09 111 without its consent."<quote/><p/>
P09 112 <p_><quote_>"Richard is King,"<quote/> stated Philippa flatly.<p/>
P09 113 <p_>Giles bowed. <quote_>"On the least we are agreed, my lady. We 
P09 114 meet at supper."<quote/><p/>
P09 115 <p_>Ida found a page to send for water, which arrived in pitchers 
P09 116 carried by a file of churls. The fact that it was cold did not 
P09 117 matter, since the weather was warm.<p/>
P09 118 <p_>Sponged down, changed into her spare kirtle, her hair freshly 
P09 119 braided and held in the silken frets, Philippa began to feel 
P09 120 better. She would see Henry at supper. And the great Duke of York, 
P09 121 Henry's uncle. Richard's uncle, too. How must the old man feel, she 
P09 122 wondered, caught between his nephews? Yet he owed duty to Richard, 
P09 123 who had left the Realm in his uncle's safe - keeping while he 
P09 124 himself went to Ireland to put down a rebellion by that troublesome 
P09 125 and elusive chieftain, Art MacMurrach.<p/>
P09 126 <p_>Philippa had led a sheltered and uneventful life, seldom 
P09 127 venturing further from Alban Castle than Tewkesbury or Evesham, 
P09 128 though once a year the whole family travelled to one of the Earl's 
P09 129 other castles or manors while Alban was sweetened. These 
P09 130 expeditions had seemed like a holiday, and Philippa had made the 
P09 131 most of them. Once she had travelled to the beautiful manor house 
P09 132 of Acklane in Oxfordshire to meet Giles's parents. But she'd only 
P09 133 been twelve at the time, and memory of that important occasion had 
P09 134 dimmed.<p/>
P09 135 <p_>She didn't want to be here at Berkeley, of course, but she 
P09 136 could not help a feeling of importance, of excitement, of destiny, 
P09 137 almost, at being caught up in great events. How many women would be 
P09 138 able to tell their grandchildren that they had actually seen Henry 
P09 139 Bolingbroke on his way to confront his cousin?<p/>
P09 140 <p_>If she ever had grandchildren. The knowledge that if she did 
P09 141 they were likely to be Giles's too brought a flush to her cheeks 
P09 142 and a pout of rebellion to her lips.<p/>
P09 143 <p_>Philippa felt quite lost in the vast, lavishly decorated Hall, 
P09 144 and was betrayed into a feeling of gladness when Giles strode to 
P09 145 her side, and escorted her to a seat beside his own -  not at the 
P09 146 high table, but well above the salt cellar.<p/>
P09 147 <p_>Trumpets flourished. Lionel, Duke of York, strode in, followed 
P09 148 by a procession of men which included his nephew Henry Bolingbroke, 
P09 149 the Henry Percys -  father and son, Ralph Neville, Earls of 
P09 150 Westmorland, Archbishop Arundel, and others who had been with Henry 
P09 151 in Paris. Philippa had the feeling that, had it not been for her 
P09 152 presence, Giles would have been among them.<p/>
P09 153 <p_><quote_>"See young Thomas Fitzalan, Archbishop Arundel's 
P09 154 nephew?"<quote/> he shouted in her ear. She would not have heard 
P09 155 him, else.<p/>
P09 156 <p_><quote_>"The one in red brocade?"<quote/> speculated Philippa 
P09 157 in return.<p/>
P09 158 <p_><quote_>"Aye. He, too is out to regain the inheritance taken 
P09 159 from him two years ago when his father was executed for treason. 
P09 160 Did you hear of that disgraceful episode, and of the even more 
P09 161 disgraceful murder of Richard's other uncle, Thomas, Duke of 
P09 162 Gloucester, in Calais?"<quote/><p/>
P09 163 <p_><quote_>"I heard something of the scandalous accusations made 
P09 164 against the King,"<quote/> muttered Philippa.<p/>
P09 165 <p_><quote_>"They were not made without just cause. Richard swore 
P09 166 by John the Baptist that his uncle's exile would bring good to both 
P09 167 of them, and that no harm would come to the Earl of Arundel. Both 
P09 168 men are now dead. Do you wonder that others now lack trust in his 
P09 169 assurances?"<quote/><p/>
P09 170 <p_><quote_>"Mayhap not,"<quote/> admitted Philippa reluctantly.<p/>
P09 171 <p_><quote_>"You may not remember -  you were only a child at the 
P09 172 time -  but some ten years ago the Earl of Arundel dared, with 
P09 173 Gloucester and others, including Henry Bolingbroke, to attempt to 
P09 174 limit Richard's excesses. And succeeded, for a while. They became 
P09 175 known as the Lords Appellant. Despite appearances to the contrary, 
P09 176 Richard never forgave any of them."<quote/><p/>
P09 177 <p_>Philippa digested this in silence. Politics had never 
P09 178 previously touched her life.<p/>
P09 179 <p_>Despite his advanced age, Lionel was still a handsome man, his 
P09 180 easy - going nature evident in his face. Lavishly robed in purple 
P09 181 velvet and ermine, a chaplet of gold set with glowing jewels 
P09 182 resting on his sweating brow, he had escorted his nephew to the 
P09 183 table and, with the utmost courtesy, placed him next to himself. 
P09 184 Before Grace was said, he ordered a flourish of trumpets, and rose 
P09 185 again, commanding silence by the lifting of his hand.<p/>
P09 186 <p_><quote_>"Most here support my nephew Henry Bolingbroke against 
P09 187 his cousin, our Sovereign Prince, King Richard, in the matter of 
P09 188 his inheritance,"<quote/> he began. <quote_>"Let it be known that 
P09 189 I, too, render him my support. I believe the King has been led into 
P09 190 error. I will use my utmost endeavours to bring peace between my 
P09 191 nephews, and thus to this Realm."<quote/><p/>
P09 192 <p_>A great cheer rang around the vast Hall. Men sprang to their 
P09 193 feet, lifting their mugs and goblets to drink to the Duke, Giles 
P09 194 among them.<p/>
P09 195 <p_><quote_>"Even he has deserted the King,"<quote/> scowled 
P09 196 Philippa in disgust.<p/>
P09 197 <p_><quote_>"Not deserted. You heard him. He hopes to mediate 
P09 198 between the cousins. No one can deny the justice of Henry's cause. 
P09 199 And remember, Thomas of Gloucester was York's brother. No doubt he 
P09 200 feels as insecure as the rest of the great lords under Richard's 
P09 201 capricious rule."<quote/><p/>
P09 202 <p_>Philippa's head began to whirl. Only yesterday life had seemed 
P09 203 so black and white, right and wrong so clearly distinguished. 
P09 204 Suddenly, there were vast areas of grey in between which she did 
P09 205 not wish to examine too closely.<p/>
P09 206 <p_>She fixed her eyes on the source of all the confusion, 
P09 207 admitting to herself that Henry was an agreeable surprise. Another 
P09 208 handsome man -  but which Plantagenet was not, according to popular 
P09 209 acclaim? Not as tall as his uncle, rather stocky in fact, but 
P09 210 reputedly an able soldier, strong, agile, an accomplished jouster 
P09 211 and swordsman. Red hair curled into his nape from under a golden 
P09 212 chaplet, a serpentine moustache and neatly trimmed beard edged his 
P09 213 mouth and chin. His chaplet and robes were simpler than those of 
P09 214 the Duke, though the high collar of his houpplelande was studded 
P09 215 with costly jewels. There was definitely something about him...<p/>
P09 216 <p_>A charisma. An innate air of command which York lacked. No easy 
P09 217 - going face, Henry's, but one full of determination and 
P09 218 authority.<p/>
P09 219 <p_>He would be no easy man to defeat.<p/>
P09 220 
P10   1 <#FLOB:P10\><p_>He paused, but still she did not speak. Her silence 
P10   2 was a rebuke. <quote_>"I assume that the young lady did not mention 
P10   3 the circumstance to you. She pretended to me -  very convincingly, 
P10   4 in fact -  that she was no more than a country girl, and I kissed 
P10   5 her."<quote/><p/>
P10   6 <p_>Lady Waverton gave a faint smile.<p/>
P10   7 <p_><quote_>"No wonder she did not tell me about it. And 
P10   8 then?"<quote/><p/>
P10   9 <p_><quote_>"She kicked me. Hard. And I am afraid I deserved it, 
P10  10 for I confess I was not taken in by her charade. She did it well -  
P10  11 very well, in fact! I exchanged a few words with her the following 
P10  12 afternoon: Edmund had disappeared, and I was looking for him, so I 
P10  13 was in a hurry. I am afraid I teased her."<quote/><p/>
P10  14 <p_>A little frown wrinkled Lady Waverton's forehead. <quote_>"She 
P10  15 is very innocent. More so than most girls of her age, form the 
P10  16 circumstance of our having lived so very retired. She would have no 
P10  17 idea of the risk she ran."<quote/><p/>
P10  18 <p_><quote_>"I am not in the habit of ravishing every country girl 
P10  19 I find,"<quote/> he pointed out mildly.<p/>
P10  20 <p_><quote_>"No, but she did not know that, did she? I think the 
P10  21 better of you for telling me about it -  trusting, of course, that 
P10  22 the episode will not be repeated. It may have given her a useful 
P10  23 lesson, and it certainly made her think. The following day she 
P10  24 asked me about her father."<quote/><p/>
P10  25 <p_><quote_>"Waverton? The name seems familiar."<quote/><p/>
P10  26 <p_><quote_>"Sir George Waverton. I... left him, before Theodora 
P10  27 was born."<quote/><p/>
P10  28 <p_><quote_>"From what I have heard, I do not altogether blame you. 
P10  29 I was still at school then, but he was a gambler, was he not? And 
P10  30 that is why you live as you do?"<quote/><p/>
P10  31 <p_><quote_>"Yes. As a deserting wife, I could have no place in 
P10  32 Society. I tell you this, because it is only right that Lacy 
P10  33 Lingdale should know of the household in which her son is 
P10  34 residing."<quote/><p/>
P10  35 <p_><quote_>"You are very scrupulous. I do not think it is 
P10  36 something that will worry her. Something else will, however. Your 
P10  37 daughter."<quote/><p/>
P10  38 <p_>Lady Waverton sighed. <quote_>"I know it. But they are both so 
P10  39 young, hardly more than children..."<quote/><p/>
P10  40 <p_><quote_>"She is a very beautiful girl, and he is just of the 
P10  41 age to be forming romantic attachments. So, of course, is 
P10  42 she."<quote/><p/>
P10  43 <p_><quote_>"What can I do? To keep them apart would do more harm 
P10  44 than good, for they would have nothing to do but think of one 
P10  45 another. It is the greatest misfortune that she should have found 
P10  46 him, except, of course, that the poor boy might have died if he had 
P10  47 remained out in the cold night."<quote/><p/>
P10  48 <p_><quote_>"I would have nothing to say against such a match, for 
P10  49 she is his equal in birth, and might well do him the world of 
P10  50 good,"<quote/> Mr Ravensworth commented.<p/>
P10  51 <p_><quote_>"You make her sound like a paregoric draught,"<quote/> 
P10  52 returned Lady Waverton.<p/>
P10  53 <p_><quote_>"Unintentionally, you may be sure. It is his mother who 
P10  54 might be the trouble. It has not yet occurred to her that one day 
P10  55 she will have to lose her son to another woman."<quote/><p/>
P10  56 <p_><quote_>"I think we are worrying unnecessarily over something 
P10  57 that will probably not happen. You have not had a chance to 
P10  58 discover that Theodora has a great deal of common sense. The best 
P10  59 thing we can do is to behave as if nothing were further form our 
P10  60 thoughts. To separate them, or to warn them, would only put ideas 
P10  61 into their heads. I shall keep Theodora busy, and you may be sure 
P10  62 that they will spend no time alone together."<quote/><p/>
P10  63 <p_>Mr Ravensworth rose.<p/>
P10  64 <p_><quote_>"Once again, you put me to rights. I will take my leave 
P10  65 of you in the hope that I may be allowed to visit again tomorrow? I 
P10  66 must inform Edmund's mother of his whereabouts, and arrange for him 
P10  67 to be seen by another doctor -  no insult to your own man is 
P10  68 intended, of course, but knowing Amelia Lingdale, she will want to 
P10  69 have her own doctor visit, at vast expense, from 
P10  70 London."<quote/><p/>
P10  71 <p_><quote_>"Will Lady Lingdale wish to visit her son? If so - 
P10  72 "<quote/><p/>
P10  73 <p_><quote_>"I shall do my best to discourage it. You have enough 
P10  74 on your hands without entertaining strangers, and she is very 
P10  75 exacting. Besides, I think it better if she does not set eyes on 
P10  76 your daughter!"<quote/><p/>
P10  77 <p_>Lady Waverton could not but agree with him.<p/>
P10  78 <p_>Upstaris in her bedroom, Theodora had enjoyed a hearty burst of 
P10  79 tears, and then had philosophically washed her face and sat down by 
P10  80 the window to reflect, as her mother had suggested. Passing under 
P10  81 review the short interview that had taken place, she found her 
P10  82 hands were unconsciously clenching themselves into fists, and 
P10  83 relaxed them. There was no doubt that she had behaved rudely, but 
P10  84 what of him? If anyone deserved taking down a peg or two, it was Mr 
P10  85 Ravensworth.<p/>
P10  86 <p_>The memory of his kiss seared her; with an effort she bundled 
P10  87 the thought back into the depths of her mind, resolutely slamming 
P10  88 the door on the recollection of her feelings. He was detestable, 
P10  89 and a tease, and a bully too, and she would not be at all surprised 
P10  90 if he were not planning some mischief to his hapless ward.<p/>
P10  91 <p_>By the time her mother came to see her, she had worked herself 
P10  92 up into a fine crusading zeal to protect Lord Lingdale, and bring 
P10  93 his persecutor to justice. Lady Waverton looked at the flushed, 
P10  94 mutinous face.<p/>
P10  95 <p_><quote_>"Mr Ravensworth has gone,"<quote/> she said mildly.<p/>
P10  96 <p_><quote_>"Good! I hope I shall never have to exchange another 
P10  97 word with him."<quote/><p/>
P10  98 <p_><quote_>"That will be difficult, since he is bound to come and 
P10  99 visit his ward. Do you propose to spend the next few weeks up here, 
P10 100 or would you like to go and stay with the doctor and his wife? I am 
P10 101 sure they would have you."<quote/><p/>
P10 102 <p_><quote_>"Run away from him? Certainly not!"<quote/><p/>
P10 103 <p_><quote_>"Then you must try not to embarrass me by behaving as 
P10 104 you did this afternoon. These are not the manners I have tried to 
P10 105 teach you, my dear."<quote/><p/>
P10 106 <p_><quote_>"No, Mama, and I am very sorry. But if you knew! I did 
P10 107 not tell you before, because I did not want to vex you, but I have 
P10 108 met Mr Ravensworth before, when I went to visit Mag the other 
P10 109 day."<quote/><p/>
P10 110 <p_><quote_>"I know. Mr Ravensworth confessed it."<quote/><p/>
P10 111 <p_><quote_>"But I am sure he did not confess how he 
P10 112 behaved?"<quote/><p/>
P10 113 <p_><quote_>"Well, he told me he kissed you. And I have to tell 
P10 114 you, Theodora, that you were lucky that one snatched kiss was all 
P10 115 you received."<quote/><p/>
P10 116 <p_>Her daughter hung her head.<p/>
P10 117 <p_><quote_>"I'm sorry, Mama. I thought if I talked like a village 
P10 118 girl he would leave me alone. Afterwards, I realised I had been 
P10 119 mistaken. Oh, Mama, do all men behave so? I had thought him a 
P10 120 gentleman."<quote/><p/>
P10 121 <p_><quote_>"Not all men, darling. And he is a gentleman. He meant, 
P10 122 I think, to teach you a lesson. I have to tell you that he was not 
P10 123 deceived by your act, though he did say you did it very 
P10 124 well."<quote/><p/>
P10 125 <p_><quote_>"You mean... he knew I was a gentlewoman... and he 
P10 126 still kissed me? And you say he is a gentleman?"<quote/><p/>
P10 127 <p_><quote_>"Yes. And yes."<quote/><p/>
P10 128 <p_><quote_>"Well, I do not. How could he?"<quote/><p/>
P10 129 <p_><quote_>"As I said, to teach you a lesson. A less well - bred 
P10 130 man, my dear, would have pretended to me that he <tf|>was convinced 
P10 131 by your acting, if he had ever spoken of it at all. I think you 
P10 132 should be grateful to him."<quote/><p/>
P10 133 <p_><quote_>"Grateful to him? He is the most horrible man I have 
P10 134 ever met!"<quote/><p/>
P10 135 <p_><quote_>"Then you are not likely to imagine you are forming a 
P10 136 romantic passion for him, are you? He is very good - looking, after 
P10 137 all,"<quote/> said her mother, wiser than Mr Ravensworth in the 
P10 138 ways of young girls.<p/>
P10 139 <p_><quote_>"A romantic passion? For him? I would be as likely to 
P10 140 fall in love with -  with an adder!"<quote/><p/>
P10 141 <p_>With this, Lady Waverton had to be satisfied.<p/>
P10 142 <p_>Mr Ravensworth did not, in fact, visit during the following 
P10 143 afternoon. Theodora, who had been practising a look of dignified 
P10 144 disdain in front of her looking - glass<&|>sic!, and had done her 
P10 145 hair up with more than usual care, was scornful.<p/>
P10 146 <p_><quote_>"He is not even a man of his word! Did he not say he 
P10 147 would come to see you today? Now it is nearly dark, and he will 
P10 148 certainly not arrive."<quote/><p/>
P10 149 <p_><quote_>"Thank goodness for that,"<quote/> replied the invalid. 
P10 150 <quote_>"I do not want to see him at all."<quote/><p/>
P10 151 <p_><quote_>"No, nor do I, but if he said he would come, it is very 
P10 152 rode of him not to,"<quote/> said Theodora inconsistently. 
P10 153 <quote_>"Anyway, you do not need to be afraid of him 
P10 154 here."<quote/><p/>
P10 155 <p_><quote_>"I am not afraid of him!"<quote/> he responded 
P10 156 indignantly. <quote_>"I just do not want to see him! He has such a 
P10 157 sarcastic way with him; whatever I say he <}_>< - |> seemes 
P10 158 <+|>seems<}/> to misunderstand me. I am sure he does it on 
P10 159 purpose."<quote/><p/>
P10 160 <p_><quote_>"Of course he does. You should not let him put you 
P10 161 out."<quote/><p/>
P10 162 <p_><quote_>"You should have heard him when I said I did not wish 
P10 163 to go hunting with the Belvoir! And, whatever he may say, it was 
P10 164 not because I had that fall last time he took me out hunting with 
P10 165 him."<quote/><p/>
P10 166 <p_><quote_>"Was it bad? Were you hurt?"<quote/><p/>
P10 167 <p_><quote_>"No, not really. He took a fence, and there was a ditch 
P10 168 on the other side. I tried to follow him, because I thought he 
P10 169 would be pleased, but I did not know about the ditch. I went over 
P10 170 the horse's head, but the horse broke its front legs, and had to be 
P10 171 shot."<quote/><p/>
P10 172 <p_>Theodora shivered.<p/>
P10 173 <p_><quote_>"How dreadful! No wonder you did not want to go again. 
P10 174 Was he very angry?"<quote/><p/>
P10 175 <p_><quote_>"Yes. It was his horse. He was far more upset about 
P10 176 that than about danger to me, I am sure."<quote/><p/>
P10 177 <p_>Theodora gazed at him, wide - eyed.<p/>
P10 178 <p_><quote_>"You do not suppose... he meant you to have an 
P10 179 accident, do you?"<quote/><p/>
P10 180 <p_>Edmund looked back, all too quick to pick up her meaning.<p/>
P10 181 <p_><quote_>"I do not think so,"<quote/> he said, slowly. 
P10 182 <quote_>"He told me, at the meet, not to follow him, because I did 
P10 183 not know the country. He said I should not risk a jump unless I was 
P10 184 quite sure of it, and that there was no shame in going round by a 
P10 185 gate."<quote/><p/>
P10 186 <p_><quote_>"If anyone said that to me, I would jump every hedge 
P10 187 and fence I came to,"<quote/> asserted Theodora.<p/>
P10 188 <p_><quote_>"Yes, and so I did,"<quote/> he admitted.<p/>
P10 189 <p_><quote_>"Then that was what he meant you to do,"<quote/> she 
P10 190 said darkly, lowering her voice so that the incurious Mary would 
P10 191 not be likely to hear them. <quote_>"It would be just like him, to 
P10 192 tell you to do one thing so that you would do just the 
P10 193 opposite!"<quote/><p/>
P10 194 <p_>He was impressed by her reasoning, but dubious. <quote_>"But he 
P10 195 was very annoyed about the horse."<quote/><p/>
P10 196 <p_><quote_>"Of course he was! That was his mask, to cover the fact 
P10 197 that he was <tf|>really annoyed that you had not been killed! I 
P10 198 expect he would have inherited your fortune, wouldn't 
P10 199 he!"<quote/><p/>
P10 200 <p_><quote_>"Yes, but - "<quote/><p/>
P10 201 <p_><quote_>"There you are, then! She was triumphant.<p/>
P10 202 <p_><quote_>"But I haven't go a fortune -  not really. Oh, I don't 
P10 203 mean I'm a pauper, or anything. There's a place in the country, and 
P10 204 some land, and money in Funds. I suppose you could say I'm 
P10 205 comfortably off. But Cousin Alexander is rich! Really rich, I mean. 
P10 206 I don't really know, but I believe his income is at least forty 
P10 207 thousand a year."<quote/><p/>
P10 208 <p_>Theodora was impressed, but was too enamoured of her theory to 
P10 209 abandon it too easily.<p/>
P10 210 <p_><quote_>"You don't think he might have gambled it all away? He 
P10 211 told mama he was a member of Brook's, and they play very high 
P10 212 there, don't they?"<quote/><p/>
P10 213 <p_><quote_>"Yes, but he has the most extraordinary luck. He's 
P10 214 known for it. And he's far too careful to bet more than he can 
P10 215 afford. Why, he once gave me a real dressing down only for putting 
P10 216 fifty guineas on a horse!"<quote/><p/>
P10 217 <p_><quote_>"Then if it's not your fortune, it must be your title. 
P10 218 After all, he's only a plain Mr, and you're a Lord!"<quote/><p/>
P10 219 <p_><quote_>"I don't know that he cares very much for 
P10 220 that."<quote/><p/>
P10 221 
P11   1 <#FLOB:P11\><p_>Jon's eyes sparked wickedly. <quote_>"How kind of 
P11   2 you to say so, Delaney. I didn't know you'd noticed."<quote/><p/>
P11   3 <p_><quote_>"I haven't,"<quote/> she snapped, flinging her hand up 
P11   4 in a gesture of frustration, and catching it in her amethyst 
P11   5 necklace. Immediately the clasp loosened, and she watched in horror 
P11   6 as the purple beads slid down the cleavage of her dress and 
P11   7 disappeared between her small, neat breasts.<p/>
P11   8 <p_><quote_>"Can I help?"<quote/> asked Jon blandly, as she 
P11   9 grovelled helplessly with one hand, and tried frantically to 
P11  10 prevent the necklace's further descent. <quote_>"Privilege of the 
P11  11 betrothed and all that."<quote/><p/>
P11  12 <p_><quote|>"No!" yelped Jessica, back away from him with her arms 
P11  13 wrapped around her chest, as her eyes searched anxiously for the 
P11  14 exit. <quote_>"No, you certainly can <tf|>not."<quote/><p/>
P11  15 <p_>She found the door into the hallway, and disappeared, unhappily 
P11  16 aware that he was enjoying her discomfiture. If she hadn't known 
P11  17 him better she would have sworn that as she left she heard him 
P11  18 whisper softly <quote_>"What a pity."<quote/><p/>
P11  19 <p_>Once in the blue and gold bathroom with pink geese all over the 
P11  20 wall, she rescued the necklace, shoved it into her bag, and took a 
P11  21 long and very deep breath.<p/>
P11  22 <p_>This brainwave of hers about enlisting Jon's help had <tf|>not 
P11  23 been one of her brighter ones. His behaviour had been impeccable, 
P11  24 he had done exactly what she asked him to do, and yet - and yet his 
P11  25 presence was proving quite devastatingly distracting.<p/>
P11  26 <p_>She returned to the party, found Jon holding court again, and 
P11  27 as soon as it was decently possible suggested that they ought to 
P11  28 leave. Pleading exhaustion, which occasioned knowing smiles all 
P11  29 round, they thanked their host and hostess for a delightful 
P11  30 evening, and beat a relieved retreat to Jon's car.<p/>
P11  31 <p_><quote|>"Satisfied?" he asked as they sped down the darkened 
P11  32 highway.<p/>
P11  33 <p_><quote_>"What do you mean?"<quote/><p/>
P11  34 <p_><quote_>"Was my performance up to standard? And, by the way, 
P11  35 just in case you have any illusions, I have no intention of playing 
P11  36 this role again. Under no circumstances will there be an 
P11  37 encore."<quote/><p/>
P11  38 <p_><quote_>"No, of course not. I wouldn't think of asking you to 
P11  39 do it again."<quote/><p/>
P11  40 <p_>When she saw that he had turned his head towards her, and was 
P11  41 regarding her with a look of blatant scepticism - which made her 
P11  42 want to kick him instead of thanking him - she repeated sharply, 
P11  43 <quote_>"I really <tf|>wouldn't. And yes. Thank you. Your 
P11  44 performance was masterly. Much better than mine was."<quote/> She 
P11  45 had to admit it. <quote_>"You carried it off 
P11  46 beautifully."<quote/><p/>
P11  47 <p_>Jon, as if he recognised how reluctantly the admission was 
P11  48 made, bowed his head in mocking acceptance of her praise, and 
P11  49 Jessica said with a mixture of irritation and contrition, 
P11  50 <quote_>"It wasn't really so very awful, was it?"<quote/><p/>
P11  51 <p_><quote_>"I suppose not, if you consider being propositioned by 
P11  52 two cocktail hostesses and a waitress with a dirty neck 
P11  53 amusing."<quote/><p/>
P11  54 <p_><quote_>"Were you really?"<quote/> Jessica giggled. 
P11  55 <quote_>"Funny, I've never thought of you as the Casanova type 
P11  56 before."<quote/><p/>
P11  57 <p_><quote_>"So I've observed,"<quote/> he replied 
P11  58 enigmatically.<p/>
P11  59 <p_>A few minutes later they had pulled up outside the house near 
P11  60 Centennial Park, and Jon was helping her out of his car.<p/>
P11  61 <p_>They had just stepped into the front hall, shutting the door 
P11  62 behind them, when the phone rang, and Nick ambled past saying he'd 
P11  63 get it.<p/>
P11  64 <p_><quote_>"Did you go to that party after all?"<quote/> he asked 
P11  65 over his shoulder as he groped for the receiver.<p/>
P11  66 <p_><quote_>"We did,"<quote/> said Jon heavily, <quote_>"and I'm 
P11  67 beginning to think that getting engaged to your sister was <tf|>not 
P11  68 the most intelligent move I ever made."<quote/><p/>
P11  69 <p_>Nick's eyes widened. <quote_>"Getting engaged to - Oh, hello, 
P11  70 Mom. Where are you calling from?"<quote/><p/>
P11  71 <p_><quote_>It's Mother,"<quote/> said Jessica unnecessarily. 
P11  72 <quote_>"I think they're in Salzburg today."<quote/><p/>
P11  73 <p_>Her voice trailed off as she heard Nick continue, <quote_>"Did 
P11  74 you say whose engagement? Oh, Jessica's, I guess. She just came 
P11  75 home with Jon Stuart ..."<quote/><p/>
P11  76 <p_>A sound that was a cross between a whoop and a sob squealed 
P11  77 over the wires so that, as Nick held the phone away from his ear, 
P11  78 Mrs Delaney's gurgling voice was audible across the hall.<p/>
P11  79 <p_><quote|>"Hey!" cried Jessica, rushing towards her brother, and 
P11  80 trying to grab the receiver. <quote_>"Let me have that."<quote/><p/>
P11  81 <p_>But, the moment he obligingly released it, the line went 
P11  82 dead.<p/>
P11  83 <p_><h_><p_>CHAPTER TREE<p/><h/><p/>
P11  84 <p_><quote_>"NICK!" wailed Jessica. <quote_>"What did you tell Mom 
P11  85 <tf|>that for? And why has she hung up?"<quote/><p/>
P11  86 <p_><quote_>"She was in a phone booth,"<quote/> he replied 
P11  87 casually. <quote_>"Said someone was waiting to use it, and she'll 
P11  88 be calling back tomorrow after she's told Dad the news."<quote/> 
P11  89 When he saw Jessica's stricken face, and her indigo eyes dark with 
P11  90 horror, he added doubtfully, <quote_>"Why? Is something wrong? 
P11  91 <tf|>Arent't you engaged to Jon, then?"<quote/><p/>
P11  92 <p_><quote_>"Of course I'm not. I told you ..."<quote/> She 
P11  93 hesitated.<p/>
P11  94 <p_><quote_>"She told you she couldn't think of anyone she would 
P11  95 less like to marry than me,"<quote/> said Jon impassively. 
P11  96 <quote_>"I believe there was also some mention of smug, patronising 
P11  97 old bores."<quote/><p/>
P11  98 <p_><quote_>"Oh, Jon, you know I didn't mean ..."<quote/> Then, as 
P11  99 the full enormity of what had happened overwhelmed her, she stopped 
P11 100 worrying about Jon's sensibilities. She didn't think he had many, 
P11 101 anyway. The real problem was that by some ghastly misunderstanding 
P11 102 her mother was now firmly convinced that Jessica was engaged to Jon 
P11 103 - and, judging from the noises she had heard trilling over the 
P11 104 wires, Mrs Delaney was more than pleased - she was ecstatic. Which 
P11 105 would make the disappointment all the more shattering when Jessica 
P11 106 explained the mistake. She had always been vaguely aware that her 
P11 107 mother harboured fond notions of a union between the Stuart family 
P11 108 and the Delaneys ...<p/>
P11 109 <p_>Oh hell, what a horrible muddle.<p/>
P11 110 <p_><quote_>"Nick, how <tf|>could you?"<quote/> she groaned.<p/>
P11 111 <p_><quote_>"It's not my fault,"<quote/> he protested, aggrieved. 
P11 112 <quote_>"<tf|>He said getting engaged to you wasn't one of the more 
P11 113 intelligent things he'd done."<quote/><p/>
P11 114 <p_><quote_>"But you <tf|>knew it was only for this 
P11 115 evening,"<quote/> she accused him.<p/>
P11 116 <p_><quote_>"I forgot,"<quote/> said Nick, giving the age-old 
P11 117 teenage excuse. And in a sense Jessica knew it was true. Nick 
P11 118 hadn't actually forgotten, but his mind was so absorbed by the 
P11 119 Orange Peril parked in the driveway that nothing else held much 
P11 120 meaning for him.<p/>
P11 121 <p_>She groaned again.<p/>
P11 122 <p_><quote_>"I'm sorry,"<quote/> said Jon stiffly. <quote_>"My 
P11 123 rather poor joke seems to have backfired. But you did bring it on 
P11 124 yourself, Delaney. You always do."<quote/><p/>
P11 125 <p_>Jessica's emotions, never far from the surface, erupted in a 
P11 126 way that took both of them by surprise.<p/>
P11 127 <p_><quote_>"You are a superior devil, aren't you?"<quote/> she 
P11 128 gibed, as the strain of her job interview, the party and now this 
P11 129 latest calamity with her mother overcame her and exploded in a rush 
P11 130 of indignant resentment at the only target she could find to her 
P11 131 distress. <quote_>"I was right the first time. You're a smug, 
P11 132 self-satisfied jerk. If you hadn't told Nick we were engaged, 
P11 133 Mother wouldn't be over there in Europe celebrating the news. And 
P11 134 now you're trying to tell me it's all my fault."<quote/><p/>
P11 135 <p_>Something white and hot seemed to flicker in front of Jessica's 
P11 136 eyes then, and she raised both fists to thump them down, hard, on 
P11 137 his chest.<p/>
P11 138 <p_>For a moment he just stood there, solid as a rock and 
P11 139 unflinching, staring down at her hands which now lay still against 
P11 140 the soft white cotton of his sweatshirt. Then his jaw tightened, 
P11 141 and he caught her wrists swiftly in a firm grip.<p/>
P11 142 <p_>Jessica stared up at him, suddenly unable to move. His eyes 
P11 143 were stony, the line of his mouth forbidding. And he was very 
P11 144 definitely not amused.<p/>
P11 145 <p_><quote|>"Delaney!" His voice clipped her like a blow in the 
P11 146 face. <quote_>"That's enough. Now simmer down and start to behave 
P11 147 like an adult instead of like a spoilt little girl. Because I've 
P11 148 had about all I'm going to take from you for one 
P11 149 evening."<quote/><p/>
P11 150 <p_>Behind her, Jessica heard Nick mutter approval under his 
P11 151 breath, and a moment later the door slammed and she and Jon were 
P11 152 alone in the dimly lit hallway.<p/>
P11 153 <p_>Jessica's body sagged a little as she looked into Jon's set 
P11 154 face, but when she studied it more closely she saw that behind the 
P11 155 authoritarian words there was still a stern but unmistakable 
P11 156 affection. She also saw that the scarring across his forehead had 
P11 157 gone quite white, and when his hands moved from her wrists to her 
P11 158 upper arms she shivered. Suddenly all the unreasoning indignation 
P11 159 drained out of her.<p/>
P11 160 <p_><quote|>"Cold?" asked Jon softly, his voice no longer harsh and 
P11 161 domineering, but filled with the quiet solicitude she had come to 
P11 162 expect.<p/>
P11 163 <p_>She shook her head. <quote_>"No. No, I'm not cold. You - 
P11 164 believe it or not - you scared me for a minute, that's 
P11 165 all."<quote/><p/>
P11 166 <p_><quote|>"Good," he replied unrepentantly. <quote_>"A good scare 
P11 167 won't do you any harm. How do you think I felt when you started to 
P11 168 attack me like an ungrateful little wildcat?"<quote/><p/>
P11 169 <p_><quote_>"Not scared,"<quote/> said Jessica with conviction.<p/>
P11 170 <p_><quote_>"No. You're right. I felt bloody angry."<quote/><p/>
P11 171 <p_><quote_>"I know. You wanted to hit me back."<quote/><p/>
P11 172 <p_><quote_>"Damn right I did! So don't try it again, 
P11 173 Delaney."<quote/><p/>
P11 174 <p_><quote_>"I wasn't planning on it,"<quote/> Jessica assured him. 
P11 175 <quote_>"I'm sorry, Jon. That <tf|>was a childish exhibition, and I 
P11 176 honestly don't know what came over me. Especially when you've just 
P11 177 done me such a good turn - with Mr and Mrs Sanegra, I 
P11 178 mean."<quote/><p/>
P11 179 <p_><quote_>"Don't worry about it. You over-reacted at the end of a 
P11 180 bad day, nothing more."<quote/> He smiled. <quote_>"Like I said, 
P11 181 just don't do it again."<quote/> Softly his big hands moved and 
P11 182 began to knead her shoulders. <quote_>"Relax, Delaney. I'm sorry 
P11 183 too- that my thoughtless joke has given your mother the wrong 
P11 184 impression."<quote/><p/>
P11 185 <p_>Jessica sighed as she let the warmth of his caressing hands 
P11 186 seep into her nerve-ends, and she found herself drifting closer to 
P11 187 the greater heat emanating from his body. There was something 
P11 188 almost magnetic about his eyes now. They had her locked in an 
P11 189 impossibly powerful grip.<p/>
P11 190 <p_><quote_>"It's not your fault,"<quote/> she whispered 
P11 191 unsteadily.<p/>
P11 192 <p_><quote|>"No."<p/>
P11 193 <p_>Was he drawing her purposely towards him? She wasn't sure.<p/>
P11 194 <p_>Slowly one big hand slipped beneath her long curls, cradling 
P11 195 the back of her neck, and a remembered excitement snaked at the pit 
P11 196 of her stomach. Remembered, and yet - different. This man wasn't 
P11 197 Richard, this was Jon, who had never in his life looked at her the 
P11 198 way he was looking at her now ... except, perhaps, that once ...<p/>
P11 199 <p_>When her breasts touched the soft whiteness of his sweatshirt 
P11 200 he drew in his breath, stared at her for a long, timeless moment, 
P11 201 then muttered something which sounded like a curse - and let her 
P11 202 go.<p/>
P11 203 <p_>Startled and, in an obscure way, disappointed, Jessica 
P11 204 staggered back. Automatically he reached out a hand to steady her, 
P11 205 and then withdrew it abruptly.<p/>
P11 206 <p_><quote_>"Party's over, isn't it, Delaney?"<quote/> he said 
P11 207 cryptically. <quote_>"Good luck with your mother tomorrow. And with 
P11 208 your new job. Be good."<quote/><p/>
P11 209 <p_>He touched her finger briefly to her cheek, and before she 
P11 210 could collect her wits to ask him if he wanted coffee he had closed 
P11 211 the door none too quietly behind him.<p/>
P11 212 <p_>Then she heard his car start up, and he was gone.<p/>
P11 213 <p_>Unwillingly Jessica opened her eyes. The sun was flickering 
P11 214 through a chink in the pink curtains, and it was Saturday morning. 
P11 215 She blinked. Strange, she had been sure it would take her hours to 
P11 216 fall asleep, but she must have been out like a light the moment her 
P11 217 head hit the pillow.<p/>
P11 218 <p_>She stared across the room at the curtains fluttering in the 
P11 219 hot air from the furnace which they had been forced to turn on 
P11 220 again last week. In spite of it there was an autumnal chill in the 
P11 221 airy bedroom, and she pulled the blankets up around her chin.<p/>
P11 222 <p_>What on earth had happened to her last night? - apart from the 
P11 223 fiasco with her mother. Jon <tf|>had been kind in his own way, and 
P11 224 she had repaid him by attacking him like a - a wildcat, he had 
P11 225 called her.<p/>
P11 226 <p_>She smiled guiltily, remembering the feel of his chest beneath 
P11 227 her fists and the quick sizzle of excitement she had felt when he 
P11 228 touched her. An excitement she had never known with Richard. Or had 
P11 229 she just forgotten? Perhaps she was only starved for male 
P11 230 company.<p/>
P11 231 
P12   1 <#FLOB:P12\><p_>Miss Majors inspected the surgeon's neck and 
P12   2 shoulders. <quote_>"Miss Villiers has worked up an excellent 
P12   3 erythema here. You look quite pink, Mr Buchanan."<quote/><p/>
P12   4 <p_><quote_>"She's done a very thorough and professional job, Miss 
P12   5 Majors, especially with her deep kneading."<quote/><p/>
P12   6 <p_><quote_>"I'm so glad we've been of service, Mr 
P12   7 Buchanan,"<quote/> the clinical instructor cooed delightedly. 
P12   8 <quote_>"And any time you feel the need, I'm sure we can 
P12   9 accommodate you again."<quote/> And off she went.<p/>
P12  10 <p_>Fleur would have made her escape quickly too, but Max caught 
P12  11 her gently by the elbow and whispered, <quote/>"Thanks, Fleur, I 
P12  12 really enjoyed the experience. We could continue any time you like 
P12  13 at my house."<quote/><p/>
P12  14 <p_><quote_>"No way!"<quote/> She sounded defiant. <quote_>"All I 
P12  15 want you to remember is the stimulating massage."<quote/><p/>
P12  16 <p_><quote_>"Ah... yes,"<quote/> he replied laconically. <quote_>"I 
P12  17 enjoy nothing better than a <tf|>stimulating woman."<quote/><p/>
P12  18 <p_>Fleur cringed inwardly. Max had tuned the situation upside down 
P12  19 with his remark. Damn him, why did he always win!<p/>
P12  20 <h_><p_>CHAPTER EIGHT<p/><h/>
P12  21 <p_>EVEN three weeks after the massage incident with Max, Fleur 
P12  22 still recoiled at the recollection. Thank goodness all her other 
P12  23 patients were sane!<p/>
P12  24 <p_>It was directly after lunch and she was rubbing the name of a 
P12  25 discharged patient from the board in the department.<p/>
P12  26 <p_><quote_>"That's a piece of luck."<quote/> Fleur swung round to 
P12  27 see Miss Majors holding a treatment card. <quote_>"I've got a 
P12  28 businessman outside who needs a lunchtime<&|>sic! appointment. 
P12  29 Would you like to treat a Dupuytren's contracture?"<quote/><p/>
P12  30 <p_>Fleur said eagerly, <quote_>"Yes, I'd love to. I've never 
P12  31 treated one before."<quote/><p/>
P12  32 <p_><quote_>"Good. Jim Beacon is one of Mr Buchanan's patients. 
P12  33 There are some specific instructions for treatment."<quote/> Miss 
P12  34 Majors pointed to the front of the card. <quote_>"You see, after 
P12  35 his time in North America, Mr Buchanan is interested in using some 
P12  36 higher therapeutic ultrasound doses. He'd like this patient treated 
P12  37 at 1.0 W/cm<sp_>2<sp/> pulsed."<quote/><p/>
P12  38 <p_><quote_>"That's high,"<quote/> Fleur commented.<p/>
P12  39 <p_><quote_>"Yes. I've examined the man's hand, but I think the 
P12  40 skin will tolerate it. But call me periodically so that I can take 
P12  41 a look and keep an eye on things."<quote/><p/>
P12  42 <p_>Fleur walked out into Reception and called her new patient's 
P12  43 name. Jim Beacon was a stocky man of about fifty. He wore a well - 
P12  44 cut executive suit that was slightly baggy at the knees.<p/>
P12  45 <p_><quote_>"Thank you for taking me so quickly."<quote/> He was 
P12  46 all smiles. <quote_>"When you run a company your time isn't your 
P12  47 own -  this is my lunch hour."<quote/><p/>
P12  48 <p_><quote_>"It was lucky timing,"<quote/> Fleur explained. Then 
P12  49 she led him into a cubicle.<p/>
P12  50 <p_>Here she pulled out a chair and an arm table with a pillow on 
P12  51 top. When he had removed his jacket and rolled up his sleeve, she 
P12  52 began her examination.<p/>
P12  53 <p_>She knew that a Dupuytren's contracture was a contracture of 
P12  54 the palmar aponeurosis. Fortunately Jim's condition didn't look as 
P12  55 though it had been long - standing. There was a nodule of thickened 
P12  56 tissue in his palm and a slight puckering of the skin, but she 
P12  57 couldn't see any flexion contractures in the flexor tendons of his 
P12  58 ring or little finger.<p/>
P12  59 <p_><quote_>"I don't know what caused it,"<quote/> he said, looking 
P12  60 steadfastly at his hand.<p/>
P12  61 <p_><quote_>"It's a tricky condition,"<quote/> Fleur told him. 
P12  62 <quote_>"Often people can't pinpoint any injury. But there is a 
P12  63 hereditary predisposition."<quote/><p/>
P12  64 <p_>But Jim didn't know of anyone else in his family who had the 
P12  65 condition.<p/>
P12  66 <p_>To get to the deeper facts Fleur had to ask for more details. 
P12  67 <quote_>"What kind of company do you run?"<quote/><p/>
P12  68 <p_><quote_>"We manufacture and supply fire alarm systems. The 
P12  69 company has been in the family for generations."<quote/><p/>
P12  70 <p_><quote_>"Do you ever work any heavy duty machines? Anything 
P12  71 that would cause a vibration into the palm of your 
P12  72 hand?"<quote/><p/>
P12  73 <p_><quote_>"No such luck any more,"<quote/> he sighed. 
P12  74 <quote_>"Now I'm at the top, all I seem to do is push paper, spend 
P12  75 my time in meetings, and troubleshoot."<quote/><p/>
P12  76 <p_>Fleur laughed easily with him.<p/>
P12  77 <p_>Jim looked serious. <quote_>"Mr Buchanan said I must have 
P12  78 injured my palmar apon..."<quote/><p/>
P12  79 <p_><quote|>"Aponeurosis," she supplied.<p/>
P12  80 <p_><quote_>"Yes. What exactly is that?"<quote/><p/>
P12  81 <p_><quote_>"It's a thin but tough membrane. It lies directly under 
P12  82 the skin, and runs from the wrist to the near ends of your 
P12  83 fingers."<quote/><p/>
P12  84 <p_>Fleur asked many more questions and then, <quote_>"Is there 
P12  85 anything you can do to make your hand feel better?"<quote/><p/>
P12  86 <p_><quote_>"Funny you should say that -  only last night I was 
P12  87 helping defrost the freezer and I found that after I'd been 
P12  88 handling the frozen food this rucked - up part felt 
P12  89 easier."<quote/><p/>
P12  90 <p_>It was unusual to treat a hand with ice. But, if Fleur 
P12  91 explained to Miss Majors, this treatment could be instigated.<p/>
P12  92 <p_><quote_>"What are you going to do to make me better?"<quote/> 
P12  93 Jim asked.<p/>
P12  94 <p_><quote_>"The main treatment will be high - frequency sound 
P12  95 waves. You won't hear them because the human ear can't pick them 
P12  96 up."<quote/><p/>
P12  97 <p_><quote_>"Will it hurt?"<quote/><p/>
P12  98 <p_><quote_>"No, not in the least. All you'll feel is a flat piece 
P12  99 of metal, the treatment head, moving across your palm."<quote/><p/>
P12 100 <p_>When Jim was satisfied with the explanations Fleur went to find 
P12 101 Miss Majors, and reported the information about the ice.<p/>
P12 102 <p_>Miss Majors considered the matter. <quote_>"If the patient 
P12 103 feels it helps, then go ahead with wet ice. Dupuytren's is a 
P12 104 curious condition, and I'll be interested to see how Jim Beacon 
P12 105 responds."<quote/><p/>
P12 106 <p_>Having cleared the treatment, Fleur set her patient up for his 
P12 107 ice. She placed a plastic sheet and a towel on top of the pillow on 
P12 108 the arm table, and positioned a wet towelling bag full of crushed 
P12 109 ice under his palm.<p/>
P12 110 <p_><quote_>"This is just a ten - minute treatment,"<quote/> she 
P12 111 explained. <quote_>"But if your hand begins to feel very painful 
P12 112 for any reason, then ring this bell."<quote/><p/>
P12 113 <p_>When the time was up Fleur dried Jim's hand and applied 
P12 114 transmission gel in preparation for the ultrasound. Then she placed 
P12 115 the ultrasound head of the machine on Jim's palm. This was the size 
P12 116 and shape of small hand torch, but the head was a plain metal 
P12 117 face.<p/>
P12 118 <p_>Before switching on the machine she gave Jim the customary 
P12 119 warning. <quote_>"If you should feel any pain or undue heat during 
P12 120 the treatment than tell me immediately."<quote/><p/>
P12 121 <p_>After a minute or two, while Fleur moved the treatment head in 
P12 122 a steady circular motion, Jim said, <quote_>"I can't feel anything 
P12 123 at all. How do I know anything's happening?"<quote/><p/>
P12 124 <p_>Fleur laughed. <quote_>"Lots of patients say this. I'll prove 
P12 125 the machine is working after the treatment."<quote/><p/>
P12 126 <p_>Following the initial five - minute dose, she passed a tissue 
P12 127 to Jim so that he could clean off the gel. Then after wiping the 
P12 128 head of her machine she said, <quote_>"I'm going to get some water 
P12 129 and you'll see how the machine works."<quote/><p/>
P12 130 <p_>With the water from a plastic cup Fleur sprinkled a few drops 
P12 131 so that they covered the treatment head. <quote_>"Watch closely 
P12 132 now,"<quote/> she told Jim.<p/>
P12 133 <p_>Then she switched the machine to a constant beam, set the 
P12 134 intensity high and turned on. The droplets of water began to 
P12 135 bubble.<p/>
P12 136 <p_><quote_>"That's amazing!"<quote/> exclaimed Jim, his eyes 
P12 137 steadily fixed.<p/>
P12 138 <p_>As Fleur turned up the intensity the bubbling became more 
P12 139 agitated. <quote_>"If I turned it way up the water would 
P12 140 boil,"<quote/> she told him.<p/>
P12 141 <p_><quote_>"Don't upset your machine,"<quote/> Jim advised. 
P12 142 <quote_>"You've proved your point, I'm a believer now."<quote/><p/>
P12 143 <p_>Next she gave the hand some thumb kneading over the thickened 
P12 144 aponeurosis. She used a lanolin - type cream for this because it 
P12 145 made the massage easier. Then she performed some passive 
P12 146 stretching. This was to make sure that the flexor tendons of his 
P12 147 fingers didn't contract. In extreme cases the nail could be forced 
P12 148 right down into the palm of the hand.<p/>
P12 149 <p_>Afterwards Jim studied his hand. <quote_>"I think it feels 
P12 150 better, even after one session,"<quote/> he said.<p/>
P12 151 <p_><quote|>"Good," Fleur sounded pleased. <quote_>"You'll have 
P12 152 twelve treatments, then you'll be reviewed again by Mr 
P12 153 Buchanan."<quote/><p/>
P12 154 <p_>Pulling on his jacket, Jim said,<quote_>"I've just remembered 
P12 155 something. My wife bought me a new toothbrush a couple of months 
P12 156 ago, and now I think about it, the handle is rather short and it 
P12 157 does tend to dig into my palm. Do you think that could have caused 
P12 158 it?"<quote/><p/>
P12 159 <p_><quote|>"Ah..." Fleur raised her eyebrows, <quote_>"that might 
P12 160 be very significant. As I said before, the cause of Dupuytren's is 
P12 161 generally unknown, but a repeated micro - trauma like that might 
P12 162 have started some irritation. And the palm of the hand is very 
P12 163 sensitive."<quote/><p/>
P12 164 <p_>Jim nodded. <quote_>"I'll buy a toothbrush with a longer handle 
P12 165 on my way back to work. Hmm... you all seem knowledgeable and 
P12 166 efficient here."<quote/><p/>
P12 167 <p_><quote_>"I'm glad you think so,"<quote/> smiled Fleur. They 
P12 168 agreed on the day of the next treatment and Jim left the 
P12 169 department.<p/>
P12 170 <p_>Fleur was late walking home that evening because she had stayed 
P12 171 for a long time at the School chatting to Ros. Now, in the blazing 
P12 172 summer heat, some road works forced her to take a detour down 
P12 173 Dolphin Road.<p/>
P12 174 <p_>As she approached number sixty - two, she looked up at the 
P12 175 handsome fa<*_>c - cedille<*/>ade. She was half angry, half sad 
P12 176 when she thought of the master of this house.<p/>
P12 177 <p_>Angry because she believed that her father was literally 
P12 178 working himself to death. Unfortunately he had placed all his hopes 
P12 179 on winning the HDH research grant, and he spent long and punishing 
P12 180 hours labouring late into the night. Fleur had even taken the 
P12 181 precaution of looking up first aid treatment for possible heart 
P12 182 attack.<p/>
P12 183 <p_>But she was sad too. Deep in her heart she knew she loved Max. 
P12 184 If only he hadn't broken his promise and sent that last letter to 
P12 185 the <tf|>Journal. If only Mrs Bramley had retrieved the letter and 
P12 186 sent it by mistake. Then she might feel free to really love him.<p/>
P12 187 <p_>Only yards away from the high hedge that fronted his house, 
P12 188 Fleur began to be wary. She knew he had left the hospital early 
P12 189 this afternoon, because he had some free time.<p/>
P12 190 <p_>If he saw her now he might well take the opportunity to rush 
P12 191 out and play another retaliation prank.<p/>
P12 192 <p_>Huh, she wasn't going to fall for any more of his nonsense. If 
P12 193 she saw him, she'd say <quote_>"Good evening"<quote/> politely and 
P12 194 walk straight past with her head in the air.<p/>
P12 195 <p_>Coming level to Max's front drive, she saw some garden tools 
P12 196 lying haphazardly on the lawn, and a garden fork leaning at an odd 
P12 197 angle, half in the earth.<p/>
P12 198 <p_>Then to her horror she saw Max lying in an awkward slumped 
P12 199 position. His head was partly under the hedge.<p/>
P12 200 <p_>A red alert warning of heart attack flashed across her mind. 
P12 201 Instantly she was filled with fear. Heart attack was one of the 
P12 202 commonest causes of death for people in the prime of life.<p/>
P12 203 <p_>She sped towards the crouching figure and skidded to a halt by 
P12 204 his side. Turning him over quickly, she said urgently, <quote_>"Max 
P12 205 darling, it's all right, I'm here. I'll get you to the hospital as 
P12 206 soon as possible!"<quote/><p/>
P12 207 <p_>Automatically her fingers flew to his jeans belt buckle to 
P12 208 loosen his tight clothing. But as she took a closer look at his 
P12 209 face <tf|>she was the one in shock.<p/>
P12 210 <p_>She had expected his face to be ashen, his lips blue, and his 
P12 211 skin to be sweating profusely. Instead, she saw that his face was a 
P12 212 healthy ruddy colour, and that his skin was not clammy but only 
P12 213 slightly damp with perspiration. And it was quite obvious that he 
P12 214 was breathing and his heart pumping blood.<p/>
P12 215 <p_>She turned a brilliant pink and stuttered, <quote_>"I... I... 
P12 216 thought..."<quote/><p/>
P12 217 <p_>Max's faculties were firing on all cylinders. Before she knew 
P12 218 it, he had pulled her down on to the springy grass and now his 
P12 219 weight pinned her there.<p/>
P12 220 <p_>Between feverish kisses that covered her eyes, her cheeks and 
P12 221 her mouth, he ground out, <quote_>"Fleur darling, if you can't wait 
P12 222 to rip my clothes off, we'll make love right here!"<quote/><p/>
P12 223 <p_>She struggled beneath his weight, she was gasping to reply, but 
P12 224 his mouth repeatedly covered hers. At last she managed to catch her 
P12 225 breath. <quote_>"For heaven's sake, Max, I thought you'd had a 
P12 226 heart attack, but there's obviously nothing wrong with you. Now get 
P12 227 off!"<quote/><p/>
P12 228 <p_>Her cries were useless. He rasped close to her ear, 
P12 229 <quote_>"You're wrong, Fleur darling. There is a problem with my 
P12 230 heart, and this is the best recovery position I can think of - 
P12 231 "<quote/><p/>
P12 232 
P13   1 <#FLOB:P13\><p_><quote_>"What you need is an extra backer,"<quote/> 
P13   2 she declared when on Wednesday, still wading in financial treacle, 
P13   3 he informed her that the bank had already been on the phone before 
P13   4 she'd got there.<p/>
P13   5 <p_><quote_>"I wish!"<quote/> he replied.<p/>
P13   6 <p_>By Friday, however, some people who owed <tf|>him money, quite 
P13   7 a lot of it, paid up, and that particular crisis was weathered. But 
P13   8 it had been a fraught week -  so much so that Saturday morning 
P13   9 arrived Pernelle felt more in need of a blow of fresh air than 
P13  10 tackling any of her usual Saturday morning chores.<p/>
P13  11 <p_>She took a quick look around her already neat - as - a - new - 
P13  12 pin home, and wasted no more time. Soon she was out in her car and 
P13  13 was leaving the town of East Durnley behind her. She did not drive 
P13  14 very far, however, no more than five or six miles, when, as if the 
P13  15 charming village pulled her, she found that she was motoring slowly 
P13  16 through Chumleigh Edge.<p/>
P13  17 <p_>I could have lived here, but for that man Tremaine, she thought 
P13  18 solemnly, having never forgotten his name, nor the unfairness that 
P13  19 he was living where she wanted to live, but only at weekends. 
P13  20 Correction -  only on the occasional weekend!<p/>
P13  21 <p_>She motored on, out of the village itself, until, when a right 
P13  22 fork would have taken her away from Myrtle Cottage, her car seemed 
P13  23 to have a will of its own and turned left.<p/>
P13  24 <p_>She was still driving slowly, but slowed down even more as she 
P13  25 neared the pair of semi - detached cottages. The setting was still 
P13  26 beautiful, but the garden of Primrose Cottage seemed strangely 
P13  27 neglected somehow -  but Primrose Cottage did not concern her just 
P13  28 then. What were they doing to beautiful Myrtle Cottage?<p/>
P13  29 <p_>Alarm chased through her as she pulled up at the bottom on the 
P13  30 double gates of the property and opened the car window for a better 
P13  31 look. There was a heap of builders' material on the driveway, 
P13  32 which, as her heart sank, meant only one thing to Pernelle. Myrtle 
P13  33 Cottage was about to be extensively altered and, in her opinion, 
P13  34 absolutely ruined!<p/>
P13  35 <p_><quote_>"Oh, no!"<quote/> she gasped aloud, though she had no 
P13  36 idea that any sound had escaped her until, while her eyes were 
P13  37 glued to the cottage, she suddenly discovered that she had company. 
P13  38 A man, a tall man, somewhere in his mid - thirties, had, by the 
P13  39 look of it, returned from a walk. He had appeared from the rear of 
P13  40 her car and was about to open the gates and go through when he 
P13  41 halted to turn and look aloofly down at her.<p/>
P13  42 <p_><quote|>"Yes?" he enquired crisply, clearly a man who expected 
P13  43 straight answers.<p/>
P13  44 <p_>As he stared at her, though, so Pernelle stared back at him. 
P13  45 His eyes were dark blue, she noted, so dark as to be almost black, 
P13  46 and they had already done a speedy if thorough scrutiny of her long 
P13  47 thick black hair, dainty features and flawless complexion. His own 
P13  48 hair was thick and dark, and he had the merest sprinkling of 
P13  49 attractive silver at his temples.<p/>
P13  50 <p_>But his look had become sharp, and it seemed to Pernelle as if 
P13  51 he was for all the world daring her to object to what he, and his 
P13  52 builder, were intending to do to beautiful Myrtle Cottage. And that 
P13  53 was when Pernelle's past disappointment and present horror at what 
P13  54 she envisaged merged and boiled over into anger.<p/>
P13  55 <p_>Who did he think he was, the -  the usurper! She was totally 
P13  56 unused to being so arrogantly regarded, and she tilted her chin an 
P13  57 arrogant fraction too, before she let go with a heartfelt, 
P13  58 <quote_>"Going to ruin it, I see, Tremaine!"<quote/><p/>
P13  59 <p_>That she appeared to know his name had no effect on him 
P13  60 whatsoever, though it was plain that nobody ever gave <tf|>him 
P13  61 uppity treatment! Plain, too, that he did not care for it. Though 
P13  62 when it came to put - down one - liners he was king, she very soon 
P13  63 discovered.<p/>
P13  64 <p_><quote_>"We must have met on one of my very rare off - 
P13  65 nights,"<quote/> he drawled coolly.<p/>
P13  66 <p_><quote_>"We have <tf|>never met!"<quote/> Pernelle erupted.<p/>
P13  67 <p_><quote_>"Then who might you be?"<quote/>he rapped back before 
P13  68 she could draw breath.<p/>
P13  69 <p_><quote_>"I'm Pernelle Richards!"<quote/> she snapped furiously, 
P13  70 but saw at once that her name meant nothing to him. <quote_>"The 
P13  71 person you cheated out of Myrtle Cottage!"<quote/> she was angry 
P13  72 enough to hurl at him.<p/>
P13  73 <p_><quote|>"Cheated?" he echoed, but by then Pernelle had decided 
P13  74 it was utterly beneath her to stay and argue with him.<p/>
P13  75 <p_>With her head still as much in the air as possible as she 
P13  76 searched for first gear, she started up her car and drove away, 
P13  77 wishing she had never driven in the direction of Myrtle Cottage, 
P13  78 and had never pulled up. Perhaps it was hiding her head in the 
P13  79 sand, but she wouldn't be feeling half so churned up inside as she 
P13  80 was now if she hadn't seen for herself the evidence that the new 
P13  81 owner was going to spoil it beyond recognition.<p/>
P13  82 <p_>While her anger remained, Pernelle felt quite justified in 
P13  83 calling him a cheat. Only later, when she had cooled down, did she 
P13  84 start to think that in calling him a cheat to his face the way she 
P13  85 had done she might perhaps have been going a little too far. Even 
P13  86 so, it was better to call him a cheat to his face than behind his 
P13  87 back, she decided, though was not too sorry that she was never 
P13  88 going to see him again.<p/>
P13  89 <p_>In that surmise, though, she was to have doubts before the 
P13  90 following week was out. Oddly, having met the man Tremaine, having 
P13  91 seen him, she was finding it extremely difficult to get what she 
P13  92 reluctantly acknowledged was his attractive face out of her mind. 
P13  93 Of course it wasn't every day that she got so furious at what 
P13  94 someone was doing to a lovely old stone building -  not to mention 
P13  95 the memory of past events -  that she really went to town and 
P13  96 called that someone a cheat, but she was glad to get to work on 
P13  97 Monday and have something else to concentrate her thoughts on.<p/>
P13  98 <p_>She had been at work a couple of hours, though, when Rufus 
P13  99 Sayer, the estate agent she had dealt with over Myrtle Cottage, 
P13 100 telephoned her. <quote_>"I told you I'd let you know if another 
P13 101 cottage like Myrtle Cottage came on to my books,"<quote/> he began. 
P13 102 <quote_>"I've just been out to measure up something that will suit 
P13 103 you down to the ground."<quote/><p/>
P13 104 <p_><quote_>"Oh, yes?"<quote/> Pernelle enquired carefully, still 
P13 105 in her heart of hearts wanting Myrtle Cottage and no other.<p/>
P13 106 <p_><quote_>"You'll be thrilled and delighted when you know where 
P13 107 it is!"<quote/> he almost chortled in his selling pitch.<p/>
P13 108 <p_><quote_>"Where is it?"<quote/> she obliged, and at his answer, 
P13 109 at once felt her pulses start to stir.<p/>
P13 110 <p_><quote_>"Chumleigh Edge."<quote/><p/>
P13 111 <p_><quote_>"Chumleigh Edge?"<quote/> she exclaimed. <quote_>"Where 
P13 112 in Chumleigh Edge?"<quote/><p/>
P13 113 <p_><quote_>"Do you remember Primrose Cottage? It's right 
P13 114 next..."<quote/><p/>
P13 115 <p_><quote_>"Primrose Cottage? Not the one next door to Myrtle 
P13 116 Cottage?"<quote/><p/>
P13 117 <p_><quote_>"Yes! Now isn't that lucky?"<quote/> he said, and went 
P13 118 on to tell her how at nine sharp that morning Mr Goodwin, the same 
P13 119 Mr Goodwin who had acted for his mother when she had decided to 
P13 120 sell Myrtle Cottage, had rung him to say that he was now acting on 
P13 121 behalf of his aunt, the owner of Primrose Cottage. She had 
P13 122 apparently been finding life exceedingly lonely without her sister 
P13 123 - in - law living next door. Things had come to a head, apparently, 
P13 124 when she had had a fall and had been unable to get up. But for the 
P13 125 laundry man calling that day, she had realised, she would have been 
P13 126 in a great deal of trouble. A vacancy now existed in the same 
P13 127 nursing home that the Myrtle Cottage Mrs Goodwin was in, and she, 
P13 128 missing her sister - in - law too, had finally prevailed on her to 
P13 129 join her. <quote_>"I'll take you round to view it in your lunch 
P13 130 hour if you'd like me to,"<quote/> he ended.<p/>
P13 131 <p_>But Pernelle wasn't so sure, and hesitated. <quote_>"I've got a 
P13 132 busy lunch hour today,"<quote/> she replied, having planned to work 
P13 133 through part of it, though knowing she could have altered her plan 
P13 134 if she really wanted to. <quote_>"I'll be in touch,"<quote/> she 
P13 135 told him, and put the phone down -  to be plagued from then until 
P13 136 she left the office that evening by asking herself what on earth 
P13 137 she was playing at. Cottages in Chumleigh Edge didn't come up that 
P13 138 often, for goodness' sake.<p/>
P13 139 <p_>By the time Pernelle reached her home she had faced the fact 
P13 140 that what was really bothering her was having Tremaine for a 
P13 141 neighbour. For a few more hours the charms of Chumleigh Edge tugged 
P13 142 at her. But, as her mother's offer of the deposit for any suitable 
P13 143 property had never been withdrawn, Pernelle knew she was weakening 
P13 144 when at about eight o'clock that evening she picked up the phone 
P13 145 and rang her mother.<p/>
P13 146 <p_>Primrose Cottage, when Pernelle viewed it the next day, was 
P13 147 not, as she'd known, as big as Myrtle Cottage. Nor was it in such a 
P13 148 good state of repair as Myrtle Cottage, and it in no way came up to 
P13 149 Myrtle Cottage, but it had potential. But because it was not as 
P13 150 large as its neighbour, and because of its need of complete 
P13 151 redecoration, the asking price was considerably cheaper.<p/>
P13 152 <p_>Pernelle walked around the downstairs sitting - room and 
P13 153 kitchen again. Upstairs was a bedroom and a bathroom. She looked 
P13 154 out through the rear window at the screen of trees, and at once 
P13 155 started to get happy vibes. Gradually the feel of the place started 
P13 156 to take over. That night she rang her mother again.<p/>
P13 157 <p_><quote_>"Did you go to see it?"<quote/> was Stella Lewis's 
P13 158 first excited question.<p/>
P13 159 <p_><quote_>"I did."<quote/><p/>
P13 160 <p_><quote|>"And..."<p/>
P13 161 <p_><quote_>"It wants a lot doing to it. Every room wants 
P13 162 decorating and..."<quote/><p/>
P13 163 <p_><quote_>"Did you like it?"<quote/> was what her mother wanted 
P13 164 to know. <quote_>"It's in a fantastic spot."<quote/><p/>
P13 165 <p_><quote_>"It's in a gorgeous spot,"<quote/> Pernelle could do no 
P13 166 other than agree. <quote_>"And I could -  love it there,"<quote/> 
P13 167 she added honestly. <quote|>"But..."<p/>
P13 168 <p_><quote|>"But?" her mother queried.<p/>
P13 169 <p_>Pernelle had told her about her brush with Tremaine, though not 
P13 170 that she had called him a cheat. <quote_>"What about 
P13 171 <tf|>him?"<quote/> she asked.<p/>
P13 172 <p_><quote|>"Him?"<p/>
P13 173 <p_><quote_>"My neighbour."<quote/><p/>
P13 174 <p_><quote_>"From what you've said, he'll only be there at weekends 
P13 175 -  and only occasionally at that,"<quote/> Stella Lewis pointed 
P13 176 out. <quote_>"That's true"<quote/>, Pernelle agreed slowly.<p/>
P13 177 <p_><quote_>"And I can't see, if he's so busy that he can only make 
P13 178 his retreat on the occasional weekend, that he'll hang on to Myrtle 
P13 179 Cottage for much longer,"<quote/> Stella added, to cheer Pernelle 
P13 180 up some more.<p/>
P13 181 <p_><quote_>"That's a point,"<quote/> Pernelle replied, and rang 
P13 182 off to ponder -  should she then, rather than purchase Primrose 
P13 183 Cottage, wait for Myrtle Cottage to come on to the market again?<p/>
P13 184 <p_>She decided against that when she recalled how it appeared, on 
P13 185 a more detailed inspection over the hedge today, that Tremaine was 
P13 186 having a large garage built at the side of his property. That, plus 
P13 187 any other modernisation he was having done, was bound to take any 
P13 188 future asking price way beyond her means. She'd pushed herself to 
P13 189 her financial limits to offer for it before, she recalled.<p/>
P13 190 <p_>The next day she went into the estate agents' and put in a firm 
P13 191 bid for Primrose Cottage, but she did not make the mistake again of 
P13 192 thinking Primrose Cottage was hers until the day both she and Mrs 
P13 193 Goodwin had signed the contract.<p/>
P13 194 <p_>She saw Tremaine only once again, and that was two weeks after 
P13 195 she had called him a cheat. Her mother and Bruce were up for the 
P13 196 weekend, itemising what furniture was to go to Yeovil and what 
P13 197 would ultimately find a home in Primrose Cottage. It was Saturday 
P13 198 afternoon when all three of them took a drive over, and Tremaine 
P13 199 was on his way out.<p/>
P13 200 <p_>Had things been different, Pernelle might have introduced 
P13 201 herself as his new neighbour and introduced her mother and 
P13 202 stepfather, but she didn't in any case, get the chance, for 
P13 203 Tremaine didn't so much as glance her way.<p/>
P13 204 <p_>with her chin in the air she went up the path to the front door 
P13 205 of Primrose Cottage and went in. She had not set eyes on him since.
P13 206 
P14   1 <#FLOB:P14\><p_>Rayner dropped his arms, freeing her from his hold, 
P14   2 and stepped back, but his eyes never left hers. He removed his 
P14   3 jacket and laid it on the ground. The, with hands that trembled, he 
P14   4 dealt with her jacket in the same way. Heat surged from the centre 
P14   5 of her body to every part of her, and she recognised the power he 
P14   6 had over her as he drew her close again.<p/>
P14   7 <p_>His slight nervousness enthralled her, his raw sexuality 
P14   8 enslaved her, and when he picked her up in his arms and laid her on 
P14   9 the ground she saw something in his eyes that made her heart turn 
P14  10 over in her breast.<p/>
P14  11 <p_>His fingers fumbled with the buttons of her shirt, and she 
P14  12 covered them with her own, helping him to undress her. Within 
P14  13 seconds they were both naked, hands and lips seeking, urgent. They 
P14  14 came together in a frenzy of unashamed need. The place, the broad 
P14  15 daylight, forgotten in the urgency of their passion.<p/>
P14  16 <p_>Marie lay, her head pillowed on Rayner's chest, and listened to 
P14  17 his thudding heartbeat beneath her ear. Her body felt heavy, but 
P14  18 her heart was lighter than it had been in weeks. For the first time 
P14  19 since their marriage Rayner had mad love to her and completely lost 
P14  20 control. They both had. Her eyes closed, and, her hands delicately 
P14  21 stroking the soft hair on his broad chest, she savoured the 
P14  22 knowledge, loving him, and glorying in his impetuosity and her 
P14  23 own.<p/>
P14  24 <p_><quote_>"I intended to ask if you missed me,"<quote/> Rayner's 
P14  25 voice rasped, <quote_>"but I think I know the answer."<quote/> And 
P14  26 folding his arms tighter around her soft body he added, <quote_>"I 
P14  27 missed you, Marie."<quote/><p/>
P14  28 <p_>His admission in a voice husky and gently was the sweetest 
P14  29 words Marie had ever heard. She shivered, but not with cold, 
P14  30 exulting in their moments of closeness -  maybe he was beginning to 
P14  31 care.<p/>
P14  32 <p_><quote_>"You're trembling. My God, I must be crazy -  it's 
P14  33 almost freezing."<quote/> And rising to his feet he held out his 
P14  34 hand to her and pulled her up beside him. <quote_>"The middle of 
P14  35 October is no time to be making love outside,"<quote/> Rayner 
P14  36 chuckled, carefully helping her on with her clothes.<p/>
P14  37 <p_>His grey eyes smiling down into hers, his lean fingers brushed 
P14  38 her cheek, and he looked at her quietly, then bent his head and 
P14  39 kissed her so tenderly that it made her heart sing.<p/>
P14  40 <p_>Trance - like, she stood and watched him, unashamedly 
P14  41 delighting in the play of muscle in his broad back, and firm 
P14  42 buttocks, as he retrieved his crumpled clothes and put them back 
P14  43 on.<p/>
P14  44 <p_><quote_>"You're ogling, Marie, and, much as I would like to 
P14  45 oblige, we do have guests arriving very shortly."<quote/><p/>
P14  46 <p_><quote_>"The party!"<quote/> she exclaimed, her dazed mind 
P14  47 finally beginning to function. <quote_>"My hair!"<quote/> She 
P14  48 frantically ran her hands through it, dislodging a shower of 
P14  49 leaves. <quote_>"What time is it?"<quote/> she groaned in dismay, 
P14  50 and to her chagrin Rayner flung his head back and burst out 
P14  51 laughing. <quote_>"It's not funny,"<quote/> she muttered, shoving 
P14  52 her feet into the brown moccasins.<p/>
P14  53 <p_><quote_>"It is to me, darling, the oh, so proper former Marie 
P14  54 Doumerque, with leaves in her hair and grass stains in 
P14  55 unmentionable places,"<quote/> he roared.<p/>
P14  56 <p_><quote_>"You're not a picture of sartorial elegance,"<quote/> 
P14  57 she shot back, grinning at his once beautiful jacket rumpled and 
P14  58 dirty. Their eyes locked, gold mingling with grey, a companionable 
P14  59 warmth, and something else Marie was too afraid to name, flowing 
P14  60 between them.<p/>
P14  61 <p_><quote_>"You were right, Marie,"<quote/> Rayner mused, his lips 
P14  62 quirking with humour as he glanced around the familiar glade. 
P14  63 <quote_>"One day we will laugh with our grandchildren over this 
P14  64 place."<quote/><p/>
P14  65 <p_>Her heart lurched, and she fought for breath. Dared she believe 
P14  66 him? Was it possible his thinking could alter so drastically in a 
P14  67 few short weeks? She stared in amazement at his cheerful, smiling 
P14  68 face. He looked genuine, and his smile encouraged her to share the 
P14  69 joke. Tentatively her lips parted in a reciprocal grin. She would 
P14  70 once more take him at his face value, and she prayed this time he 
P14  71 had no ulterior motive...<p/>
P14  72 <p_>He caught her hand in his and raised it to his lips in an oddly 
P14  73 gallant gesture. <quote_>"I'm sorry, Marie. I wish we didn't have 
P14  74 to give this damn party. We need to talk, but now is not the time. 
P14  75 Later, hmm?"<quote/><p/>
P14  76 <p_>The round fat face of Chief Inspector Jones turned bright red 
P14  77 as he roared with laughter. Marie had not thought the joke that 
P14  78 funny, but in her position as hostess she dutifully chuckled.<p/>
P14  79 <p_>Over his shoulder Marie's eyes clashed with Rayner's, she felt 
P14  80 a tiny jerk to her heart - strings, and involuntarily her lips 
P14  81 parted in a slow, warm smile. Rayner looked magnificent in his dark 
P14  82 dinner - suit, the party was going perfectly, and all her earlier 
P14  83 fears had vanished.<p/>
P14  84 <p_>They had returned to the house with only an hour to spare 
P14  85 before the arrival of their guests. A tingling warmth spread 
P14  86 through her body at the moment of the shared shower...<p/>
P14  87 <p_>She glanced down at her left hand, where the diamond solitaire 
P14  88 Rayner had given her glittered brilliantly on her slender finger -  
P14  89 a belated wedding present, he had said. She could see again in her 
P14  90 mind's eye his almost boyish grin as he had slipped it on her 
P14  91 finger an hour earlier. She felt like pinching herself to make sure 
P14  92 she wasn't living in a dream. The transformation in Rayner's 
P14  93 behaviour was a miracle.<p/>
P14  94 <p_><quote_>"Enjoying yourself, darling?"<quote/> The softly spoken 
P14  95 words surprised her. Lost in her thoughts, she had not noticed 
P14  96 Rayner's approach. But quite spontaneously she leant back into the 
P14  97 arm that curved around her bare shoulders.<p/>
P14  98 <p_><quote_>"More than I thought possible,"<quote/> she responded, 
P14  99 luxuriating in the pressure of his hard body firm against her 
P14 100 back.<p/>
P14 101 <p_><quote_>"I'm not sure that dress was such a good idea, after 
P14 102 all. You look ravishing, and every man in the place is wondering 
P14 103 what's underneath,"<quote/> Rayner's deep voice claimed 
P14 104 possessively in her ear.<p/>
P14 105 <p_>Marie chuckled and tilted her head back to look up at him. 
P14 106 <quote_>"Does that include you?"<quote/> she teased.<p/>
P14 107 <p_><quote_>"For God's sake, don't lean back like that; my nerves 
P14 108 can't stand the strain, and neither can that dress by the look of 
P14 109 it."<quote/> His gaze slid to the creamy mounds of her breasts, 
P14 110 displayed by the strapless bodice of her gown, and swiftly he 
P14 111 turned her into his side, dropping his arm to her waist.<p/>
P14 112 <p_>The Valentino dress had created quite an impact, Marie thought 
P14 113 smugly; the colours really suited her. The boned bodice clung to 
P14 114 her luscious breasts as though it was moulded to her, the skirt 
P14 115 swirled around her long legs in a rainbow of gold, red and brown, 
P14 116 and with her Titian hair loose and curling around her shoulders to 
P14 117 hang halfway down her back, she portrayed a primitive sensual 
P14 118 appeal that, if she had realised it, would have horrified her.<p/>
P14 119 <p_><quote_>"You'r a lucky man, Rayner. Your wife is charming, and 
P14 120 she laughs at my jokes."<quote/> The inspector's compliment was 
P14 121 music to Marie's ears.<p/>
P14 122 <p_><quote_>"I hope you haven't been regaling her with some of your 
P14 123 more <foreign|>risqu<*_>e - acute<*/> ones,"<quote/> Rayner 
P14 124 prompted with a grin. <quote_>"Doris would kill me if I 
P14 125 did,"<quote/> the inspector responded bluntly.<p/>
P14 126 <p_>Marie laughed out loud at the incongruity of the chief's 
P14 127 statement. She had met his wife -  she was a tiny bird - like woman 
P14 128 barely five feet tall.<p/>
P14 129 <p_><quote_>"Don't be fooled by her size. Explosives come in little 
P14 130 packages,"<quote/> he joked, and at that moment his wife joined 
P14 131 him.<p/>
P14 132 <p_><quote_>"I heard that, Cedric. Talking about me behind my back, 
P14 133 shame on you,"<quote/> she teased. The turning to Marie she said, 
P14 134 <quote_>"My dear, I've just found out who you are, and I'm so happy 
P14 135 for you. It's like a fairy - tale come true. Of course, I never 
P14 136 believed the rumours about Rayner. It was a lover's quarrel. I can 
P14 137 still remember when Cedric and I were first courting -  fought all 
P14 138 the time, we did. But look how we turned out, and I'm sure you and 
P14 139 Rayner will be wonderfully happy. A friend of yours, Rayner the 
P14 140 tall blonde lady, was telling me all about it. Oh, here she is. 
P14 141 Isn't it marvellous -  I do so like happy endings. My heartiest 
P14 142 congratulations, Marie."<quote/><p/>
P14 143 <p_>Marie never knew afterwards how she got through the rest of the 
P14 144 night...<p/>
P14 145 <p_>As the evening had progressed she had begun to relax and 
P14 146 thoroughly enjoy herself. The only slight unease she had felt was 
P14 147 when Rayner had introduced her to one of the last couples to 
P14 148 arrive: a journalist friend of his called Jake, and his girlfriend 
P14 149 Lisa.<p/>
P14 150 <p_>Marie had got the distinct impression that the arrival of the 
P14 151 stunning - looking blonde model had been a nasty surprise to her 
P14 152 husband, but in the ensuing hours she had forgotten all about it. 
P14 153 Now, as the tiny Doris prattled on, Marie felt the blood drain from 
P14 154 her face and it was only by the most almighty effort of will she 
P14 155 managed to retain a fixed, polite smile.<p/>
P14 156 <p_><quote_>"Thank you, Doris."<quote/> She accepted the 
P14 157 congratulations with all the composure she could muster, and 
P14 158 watched in rising horror and humiliation as Lisa strolled up to 
P14 159 Rayner and placed red - tipped fingers on his arm.<p/>
P14 160 <p_><quote_>"And such a tidy ending, Rayner darling,"<quote/> the 
P14 161 tall blonde drawled cynically. <quote_>"They were weeping into 
P14 162 their champagne at Annabelle's when the news arrived. The silver 
P14 163 fox finally snared -  how droll."<quote/> She turned feral blue 
P14 164 eyes on Marie. <quote_>"But Marie, I wasn't surprised. Under the 
P14 165 circumstances you were the only woman he needed to 
P14 166 marry.<quote/><p/>
P14 167 <p_>Marie was struck dumb by the viciousness of the other woman's 
P14 168 attack. Needed, of course. Now she finally understood why Rayner 
P14 169 had married her. His equation of justice was completed by her 
P14 170 presence at his side tonight. With blinding clarity she saw it all: 
P14 171 she was here to clear Rayner's name before all his old friends. The 
P14 172 silver fox -  how appropriate, she thought bitterly. 'Sly' was one 
P14 173 of the adjectives she would have liked to shout at Rayner. She felt 
P14 174 as though her heart had been cut to pieces, and the hardest cut of 
P14 175 all was to know that Rayner had confided his plan to Lisa.<p/>
P14 176 <p_>Acting out of her skull, she turned limpid eyes to Rayner. 
P14 177 <quote_>"It was Rayner who snared me, and I'm truly grateful he 
P14 178 did."<quote/> Now way was she going to let them know how much she 
P14 179 was hurting.<p/>
P14 180 <p_><quote|>"Yes," he agreed and expanded on his affirmative. 
P14 181 <quote_>"It has taken me a lot longer than I originally envisaged 
P14 182 to trap my lovely wife, but now I have I expect to spend the rest 
P14 183 of my life in connubial bliss."<quote/> He squeezed her waist 
P14 184 affectionately then relaxed his hold to turn to Lisa. <quote_>"As 
P14 185 for you, Lisa, I might have known you couldn't resist a 
P14 186 gossip,"<quote/> he opined, laughing down into the blonde's 
P14 187 upturned face.<p/>
P14 188 <p_>Marie stiffened and stepped carefully back, distancing herself 
P14 189 from the small group. With blank eyes she gazed around the room; 
P14 190 the laughter, the conversation swirled around her but she 
P14 191 registered little of it. She was blessedly numb, frozen in 
P14 192 shock.<p/>
P14 193 <p_>Her eyes sought Rayner's on one last desperate appeal, hoping 
P14 194 against hope that she was wrong about him, but all his attention 
P14 195 was centred on the inspector, his handsome face betraying no sign 
P14 196 of embarrassment at Doris's crushing disclosure as he laughingly 
P14 197 recalled his unfortunate stay in gaol, and the punch on the 
P14 198 selfsame man's jaw that had helped to keep him there for months.<p/>
P14 199 <p_>Swinging on her heel, she grabbed a glass of champagne from the 
P14 200 tray of a passing waiter. Her mouth was as dry as the Sahara. She 
P14 201 took a deep swallow of the sparkling liquid, and blessed the years 
P14 202 she had spent learning to hide her true feelings.<p/>
P14 203 <p_>The astounding news that she was the girl who had caused the 
P14 204 old scandal in the Millard family swept the room like wildfire. She 
P14 205 suffered through another round of congratulations, her lips peeled 
P14 206 back against her teeth in parody of a smile. She felt as though she 
P14 207 were walking through a nightmare. Earlier she had delighted in his 
P14 208 friends' good wishes, but now she wanted to run away into a corner 
P14 209 and hide...<p/>
P14 210 
P15   1 <#FLOB:P15\><p_>Frances gave a rueful laugh. <quote_>"Not nearly so 
P15   2 much as when he'll be sitting in on a surgery of mine!"<quote/><p/>
P15   3 <p_>They were still laughing when there was a sudden tap at the 
P15   4 door and Dr Ryan strode in. He glanced at each of them in turn, and 
P15   5 the smile froze on Frances's face.<p/>
P15   6 <p_><quote_>"Good morning, June,"<quote/> he said briefly. 
P15   7 <quote_>"Is Neville in yet?"<quote/> When June shook her head, he 
P15   8 turned to Frances. <quote_>"Are you going to follow through your 
P15   9 pyelitis diagnosis and do an X-ray form?"<quote/><p/>
P15  10 <p_><quote_>"Oh, yes, of course."<quote/> She coloured slightly, 
P15  11 wondering if he had expected her to do it automatically.<p/>
P15  12 <p_><quote_>"If you go out to Reception one of the girls will give 
P15  13 you a form. Is my post ready yet, June?"<quote/><p/>
P15  14 <p_><quote_>"Not yet, Dr Ryan,"<quote/> June replied calmly. 
P15  15 <quote_>"I'll bring it through as soon as it's sorted."<quote/><p/>
P15  16 <p_><quote_>"Did you want me for anything else?"<quote/> Frances 
P15  17 asked as she replaced the top on her pen and handed the forms back 
P15  18 to June. The older woman shook her head, and Frances stood up. 
P15  19 <quote_>"In that case, I'll go and get my X-ray request 
P15  20 form."<quote/> Leaving Dr Ryan in the office, she went out to the 
P15  21 desk where Lynne, another of the receptionists, gave her the form 
P15  22 she wanted. She began to fill it in, then realised she couldn't 
P15  23 complete it without the patient's records, and as far as she knew 
P15  24 Dr Ryan still had those. She hesitated, wondering if she dared 
P15  25 approach him, when he suddenly appeared beside her. It was obvious 
P15  26 he'd had the same thought, for he had the necessary records in his 
P15  27 hand.<p/>
P15  28 <p_>Glancing at his watch, he said, <quote_>"I have a few minutes 
P15  29 before surgery -  come along to the room we've prepared for you and 
P15  30 you can write your form there."<quote/><p/>
P15  31 <p_>At that moment there was a sudden commotion at the front 
P15  32 entrance and the waiting area was filled with at least a dozen 
P15  33 foreign students who all seemed to be talking at the same time. Two 
P15  34 of them were supporting one young lad who was hopping on one foot. 
P15  35 His ankle looked badly swollen. Dr Ryan raised his eyebrows at 
P15  36 Lynne, who seemed to visibly brace herself to deal with the 
P15  37 situation.<p/>
P15  38 <p_>Frances's consulting-room had once been a store-room, but a 
P15  39 little thought had been put into the conversion and she found she 
P15  40 was delighted with the result. Admittedly it was small, but, from 
P15  41 what she had heard from other trainees, she was extremely lucky to 
P15  42 have a room of her own. The usual procedure was for the trainee to 
P15  43 use the room of whichever doctor happened to be away, either on 
P15  44 holiday or on a day off. This arrangement worked well until the 
P15  45 inevitable happened and all partners were working on the same 
P15  46 day.<p/>
P15  47 <p_>The room had been tastefully decorated with pale green paint 
P15  48 and darker green carpet tiles and window blinds. Floral-patterned 
P15  49 curtains concealed an examination couch while the desk, positioned 
P15  50 in front of the window, boasted the usual office implements plus a 
P15  51 computer screen and keyboard.<p/>
P15  52 <p_><quote_>"Are you familiar with these monsters?"<quote/> asked 
P15  53 Dr Ryan, pointing to the terminal as Frances followed him into the 
P15  54 room.<p/>
P15  55 <p_><quote_>"More or less,"<quote/> she replied cautiously. 
P15  56 <quote_>"We had them at the hospital, although I didn't use them 
P15  57 that often."<quote/><p/>
P15  58 <p_><quote_>"We had the system installed about a year ago. Simon 
P15  59 swears by it, says he now couldn't manage without one, while 
P15  60 Neville, on the other hand, can't seem to get the hang of 
P15  61 them."<quote/><p/>
P15  62 <p_><quote_>"What about you?"<quote/> She threw him a glance and 
P15  63 saw a frown had creased his forehead.<p/>
P15  64 <p_><quote_>"I'm not sure. For things like drug reports, cervical 
P15  65 smear recalls, and repeat prescribing, I'll admit they save time, 
P15  66 but there are other times when something goes wrong and I end up 
P15  67 exasperated and thinking it would have been easier to have done the 
P15  68 whole thing by hand."<quote/><p/>
P15  69 <p_><quote_>"I'll have to get someone to explain the system to 
P15  70 me,"<quote/> Frances replied doubtfully.<p/>
P15  71 <p_><quote_>"I'm sure Simon will be only too happy to 
P15  72 oblige,"<quote/> Dr Ryan observed drily. <quote_>"Now, let's get 
P15  73 down to more practical matters."<quote/> He handed her the records 
P15  74 of the patient they'd seen that morning. <quote_>"There are the 
P15  75 notes for your X-ray request."<quote/><p/>
P15  76 <p_><quote_>"Thank you."<quote/> She placed them on her desk and 
P15  77 turned back to him. <quote_>"You said yesterday, Dr Ryan, that you 
P15  78 wanted me to spend the morning getting familiar with everything. 
P15  79 Did you have anything specific in mind?"<quote/><p/>
P15  80 <p_>He nodded, and she was struck by how decisive he seemed. 
P15  81 <quote_>"Yes, I want you to spend time with the girls in Reception. 
P15  82 Get them to show you how the whole system works -  they're a nice 
P15  83 bunch of girls, I'm sure you'll get on well with them. It might 
P15  84 also be a good idea to talk to Sandra."<quote/><p/>
P15  85 <p_><quote|>"Sandra?"<p/>
P15  86 <p_><quote_>"You haven't met her yet?"<quote/> When Frances shook 
P15  87 her head, he continued. <quote_>"She's the practice nurse. She 
P15  88 works in the treatment room and has her own appointment 
P15  89 system."<quote/> He paused, hesitating for a moment, then 
P15  90 apparently choosing his words carefully he said, <quote_>"You may 
P15  91 find Sandra can be a bit difficult at times, but she's a good nurse 
P15  92 and does her job well. Now, is there anything you want to ask 
P15  93 before I go and start my surgery?"<quote/><p/>
P15  94 <p_><quote_>"I don't think so, thank you, Dr Ryan."<quote/><p/>
P15  95 <p_>He turned to the door, then paused. <quote_>"Oh, there is just 
P15  96 one thing -  please drop the Dr Ryan and call me Alex."<quote/><p/>
P15  97 <p_>There was a faint trace of amusement in the brown eyes, and 
P15  98 Frances felt her cheeks grow hot. She merely nodded in reply, but 
P15  99 when he made no attempt to go, she frowned questioningly. 
P15 100 <quote_>"Was there anything else?"<quote/> she faltered at last.<p/>
P15 101 <p_><quote_>"I was rather hoping that you were going to ask me to 
P15 102 call you Frances. 'Dr Marriott' is going to be very formal for a 
P15 103 whole year."<quote/><p/>
P15 104 <p_><quote_>"Oh... oh, yes."<quote/> She was suddenly confused, all 
P15 105 the more so by his amusement, which was now only too apparent. 
P15 106 <quote|>"Yes." she took a deep breath <quote_>"...please call me 
P15 107 Frances."<quote/><p/>
P15 108 <p_>With a brief nod he was gone, leaving her to sink down into the 
P15 109 chair behind the desk, hating herself for the way she seemed to be 
P15 110 reacting to him. There was something about him that made her act 
P15 111 like a gauche schoolgirl instead of a qualified doctor.<p/>
P15 112 <p_>She glanced round the room, then resolutely she squared her 
P15 113 shoulders and decided that she wouldn't be intimidated by anyone; 
P15 114 apprehensive she might be, but she would not be patronised. Briskly 
P15 115 she filled in the X-ray request form, then spent the next half-hour
P15 116 arranging the room to her liking. Finally she reached the 
P15 117 point where she could do no more until her books arrived, so she 
P15 118 made her way back to Reception.<p/>
P15 119 <p_>The scene that met her eyes appeared to be one of organised 
P15 120 chaos, for. although the whole area was packed with waiting 
P15 121 patients, the phones ringing continuously, the doctors' buzzers 
P15 122 sounding and a constant stream of people coming and going, the 
P15 123 girls behind the desk seemed to be in complete control. With calm 
P15 124 efficiency, they directed and organised, giving help or advice 
P15 125 where necessary.<p/>
P15 126 <p_>June was in the office area behind the desk which housed the 
P15 127 practice filing system, and when she saw Frances she beckoned to 
P15 128 her, then proceeded to show her around.<p/>
P15 129 <p_>Carefully she explained everything; how new patients registered 
P15 130 with a doctor, the method they used for repeat prescribing, the 
P15 131 appointment and house call system, and even how the intercom worked 
P15 132 on the telephone.<p/>
P15 133 <p_>The girls were friendly and cheerful and seemed only too 
P15 134 willing to help Frances and explain their various jobs. Just when 
P15 135 she thought her head would burst with so many facts, June said, 
P15 136 <quote_>"Now, I think it's time you met Sandra."<quote/> She looked 
P15 137 at Lynne. <quote_>"Is she very busy at the moment?"<quote/><p/>
P15 138 <p_>Lynne glanced at an appointment book on the desk. 
P15 139 <quote_>"She's removing stitches,"<quote/> she replied, then looked 
P15 140 up quickly as a door opposite the desk suddenly opened. 
P15 141 <quote_>"Oh, she must have finished, here's the patient 
P15 142 now."<quote/><p/>
P15 143 <p_>A white-faced man came slowly out of the treatment-room, 
P15 144 then stopped and held on to the top of the desk as if for 
P15 145 support.<p/>
P15 146 <p_><quote_>"Would you like to sit down for a few minutes?"<quote/> 
P15 147 Lynne asked kindly. He nodded and walked across to a row of 
P15 148 chairs.<p/>
P15 149 <p_>June nodded at Frances. <quote_>"I think this might be a good 
P15 150 time,"<quote/> she said. They walked out from behind the desk and 
P15 151 crossed to the treatment-room, where June tapped on the door.<p/>
P15 152 <p_>As they entered, a petite woman in a navy blue uniform turned 
P15 153 from an instrument trolley. She was very pretty with small 
P15 154 features, china-blue eyes and her blonde hair tied back under her 
P15 155 white frilly cap. Her eyes narrowed slightly as she caught sight of 
P15 156 Frances.<p/>
P15 157 <p_><quote_>"Whatever did you do to that poor man, Sandra?"<quote/> 
P15 158 June asked with a chuckle. <quote_>"He looked quite ill when he 
P15 159 came out of here!"<quote/><p/>
P15 160 <p_><quote_>"He'd had a hernia operation. I only took his stitches 
P15 161 out, for heaven's sake. Honestly, men are such babies!"<quote/> She 
P15 162 sniffed, then her gaze flickered back to Frances.<p/>
P15 163 <p_><quote_>"Sandra, I'd like you to meet Frances 
P15 164 Marriott,"<quote/> said June. <quote_>"You were on holiday when she 
P15 165 came to see us before. Frances is Dr Ryan's trainee."<quote/> She 
P15 166 turned. <quote_>"Frances, this is Sandra Jones, our practice 
P15 167 nurse."<quote/><p/>
P15 168 <p_>Frances held out her hand but the other woman barely touched 
P15 169 it, simply nodding in response with no word of welcome. Her 
P15 170 attitude took Frances by surprise, for it was in such marked 
P15 171 contrast to the behaviour of everyone else.<p/>
P15 172 <p_>June went on to query some matter of supplies, and Frances 
P15 173 found herself watching the nurse closely. She judged her to be 
P15 174 somewhere in her mid-thirties, and closer observation revealed 
P15 175 lines of discontent on her face. As she waited for June, Frances 
P15 176 remembered that Alex Ryan had told her that Sandra could be 
P15 177 difficult, a fact that, now she's met her, she didn't find hard to 
P15 178 believe.<p/>
P15 179 <p_>They left the treatment-room, still without a friendly word, 
P15 180 and Frances decided that she might well have to accept the 
P15 181 situation. She'd done very well up until that point, and she took 
P15 182 the attitude that she really couldn't expect to get on with 
P15 183 everyone.<p/>
P15 184 <p_>The rest of the morning was taken up with more explanations in 
P15 185 Reception and a coffee-break in the staff-room, where she 
P15 186 renewed her acquaintance with Neville Chandler. The senior partner, 
P15 187 a bluff, hearty man in his sixties, couldn't remember who she was 
P15 188 at first, but after June had patiently reminded him he proved the 
P15 189 kindness itself. Coffee was followed by a spell with June in her 
P15 190 office discussing the doctors' duty rota, the, before she had time 
P15 191 to collect her thoughts, the morning had passed and it was 
P15 192 lunchtime. She was about to make her way up to her flat for a quick 
P15 193 sandwich when Simon appeared in Reception.<p/>
P15 194 <p_><quote|>"Frances!" He seemed to have recovered from his 
P15 195 tiredness and was evidently pleased to see her. <quote_>"How about 
P15 196 a quick pie and a pint at the Mucky Duck?"<quote/><p/>
P15 197 <p_>She hesitated but, not giving her a chance to refuse, he took 
P15 198 her arm. <quote_>"Come on, I mustn't be long, I've calls to make, 
P15 199 but I'm not one of the breed of doctors that can go all day without 
P15 200 sustenance."<quote/><p/>
P15 201 <p_>With a laugh she gave in and allowed him to lead her to the 
P15 202 door, where he turned and winked at the girls behind the desk, who 
P15 203 seemed to find the whole thing very amusing.<p/>
P15 204 <p_>On their way through the car park they met Alex on his way in 
P15 205 form an emergency visit. He frowned slightly when he saw them. 
P15 206 <quote/>"Don't forget our meeting, Frances,"<quote/> he said 
P15 207 briefly.<p/>
P15 208 <p_><quote_>"Don't worry, Ales, I'll get her back,"<quote/> said 
P15 209 Simon, then with a grin he added, <quote_>"The poor girl as to eat, 
P15 210 you know."<quote/><p/>
P15 211 <p_>With a curt nod Alex walked past them and into the house.<p/>
P15 212 <p_><quote_>"My God, you'll have to watch him,"<quote/> Simon 
P15 213 muttered as he opened the passenger door of his sports car for her. 
P15 214 <quote_>"He's a right slave-driver."<quote/><p/>
P15 215 
P16   1 <#FLOB:P16\><p_>Robby moved forward on to the battlements, as if he 
P16   2 were escaping from his enemies, and came over to where she stood. 
P16   3 <quote|>"Guillam," he said gently, <quote_>"be a good fellow and 
P16   4 make yourself scarce."<quote/> He glared at her. <quote_>"He's only 
P16   5 trying to help."<quote/><p/>
P16   6 <p_><quote_>"I don't <tf|>need his help, thank you."<quote/><p/>
P16   7 <p_><quote_>"Perhaps not, but I do. I can't be in two places at 
P16   8 once."<quote/><p/>
P16   9 <p_><quote_>"I will not have <tf|>my performance judged by young Mr 
P16  10 Pentecost."<quote/><p/>
P16  11 <p_><quote_>"He's not making any judgements. He's 
P16  12 prompting."<quote/><p/>
P16  13 <p_><quote_>"He goes or I go, Robby. That's all there is to 
P16  14 it."<quote/> She knew she was being unreasonable, and she didn't 
P16  15 care. She realized that she was no more amenable to reason than 
P16  16 Lady Macbeth. She had <tf|>become Lady Macbeth, and the problem was 
P16  17 no longer how to play her, but how to stop. Her anger with Robby 
P16  18 was both real and in the role.<p/>
P16  19 <p_>She turned on her heels, made her way back up the battlements, 
P16  20 waited for the spotlight to catch up with her, and began again, her 
P16  21 voice rising in triumph, a Lady Macbeth that filled the house.<p/>
P16  22 <p_>She swept down the battlements to where Robby was to make his 
P16  23 entrance, saw him in the wings, and as if on instinct flung herself 
P16  24 towards him.<p/>
P16  25 <p_>Before he could even say, <quote_>"<tf_>My dearest love,/ 
P16  26 Duncan comes here tonight<tf/>," she tumbled off the edge of the 
P16  27 battlement and reached out to put her arms around him, catching him 
P16  28 by surprise - which might not have mattered, except that the 
P16  29 spotlights swept on past them both, plunging them into darkness, so 
P16  30 that she missed her footing, fell to her knees, and brought Robby, 
P16  31 on the word <quote|>"<tf|>Duncan", crashing down to the floor, with 
P16  32 a cry of pain, followed by the noise of his helmet rolling across 
P16  33 the stage.<p/>
P16  34 <p_>For a moment, she wondered if the disaster of <tf_>Romeo and 
P16  35 Juliet<tf/> had repeated itself, but Robby rose to his feet a 
P16  36 little stiffly, and ran his hand over his extremities. 
P16  37 <quote_>"Nothing broken,"<quote/> he said. <quote_>"That's at least 
P16  38 one piece of good luck."<quote/><p/>
P16  39 <p_><quote_>"You <tf|>might help me up!"<quote/><p/>
P16  40 <p_>He reached out his hand. For a moment she thought he was going 
P16  41 to put his arms around her and laugh, as he would have done in the 
P16  42 old days, but once she was on her feet, he turned, walked away and 
P16  43 retrieved his helmet. Then he looked at her coldly from the wings 
P16  44 and called out, <quote_>"Shall we begin again?"<quote/><p/>
P16  45 <p_>It was not until she was back on the battlements, cursing her 
P16  46 luck, the lights, <tf|>him, that it dawned on her Robby must think 
P16  47 she was drunk ...<p/>
P16  48 <p_>She knew whom she had to thank for that!<p/>
P16  49 <p_>Opening nights had long since lost their terror for her, if not 
P16  50 for Robby - particularly in a place as unglamorous as wartime 
P16  51 Manchester.<p/>
P16  52 <p_><quote_><tf_>"Is this a dagger which I see before me,<p/>
P16  53 <p_>The handle toward my hand?"<tf/><quote/><p/>
P16  54 <p_>She watched from the wings as Robby stumbled in the darkness 
P16  55 after the dagger that hovered in the air before him momentarily, 
P16  56 only to shift suddenly towards his face, so that he was blinded. 
P16  57 She derived a certain gloomy satisfaction from the spectacle of him 
P16  58 lurching unsteadily up the steep steps, like a man trying to catch 
P16  59 a butterfly in his hands at dusk.<p/>
P16  60 <p_>She had foretold disaster with the lighting and the special 
P16  61 effects, and she had been right. At any moment she expected to hear 
P16  62 that most dreaded of sounds during the performance of a tragedy - a 
P16  63 giggle, or a muffled laugh.<p/>
P16  64 <p_>Robby's strength as an actor, the sheer power of his eyes 
P16  65 alone, was enough to keep the audience silent, for the moment. But 
P16  66 from her vantage point, she could see his look of terror as he 
P16  67 realized he was climbing the flimsy staircase with its impossibly 
P16  68 narrow steps in pitch darkness, staring at the illuminated dagger 
P16  69 as it swayed and dipped before him. At any moment he might miss his 
P16  70 footing and go plunging to the stage in a clatter of armour and 
P16  71 chain mail.<p/>
P16  72 <p_>Serve him right! she told herself. Anybody who could act knew 
P16  73 that nothing was more dangerous than a dark stage, unless it was a 
P16  74 stray spotlight catching you full in the face and momentarily 
P16  75 blinding you. Robby had managed to give himself a scene in which 
P16  76 both were almost a certainty. He, of all people, should have known 
P16  77 better.<p/>
P16  78 <p_>She hugged herself for warmth - since California, she suffered 
P16  79 from the cold and damp in England all the time - pulling her shawl 
P16  80 tighter around her shoulders. Robby had reached the top of the 
P16  81 stairs now, and was poised precariously on a small platform, 
P16  82 designed to represent the landing, as seen from the audience's 
P16  83 point of view. Here, at last, the wavering dagger flickered towards 
P16  84 the flies and vanished, and he was able to draw his real one.<p/>
P16  85 <p_>It was a good speech, not one of the great ones that older 
P16  86 theatregoers knew by heart, so that you could sometimes hear them 
P16  87 mumbling the lines when you were on stage, but lively enough to 
P16  88 give Robby a good chance to win the audience over before the real 
P16  89 fireworks of the play began. She knew how important it was to do 
P16  90 that, and also could tell that he wasn't succeeding. Somehow his 
P16  91 Macbeth seemed <tf|>smaller than life. She heard a discreet cough 
P16  92 beside her, and turned to see Toby Eden, peering over her 
P16  93 shoulder.<p/>
P16  94 <p_><quote_>"A full house,"<quote/> he whispered. <quote_>"And 
P16  95 every one of them awake!"<quote/><p/>
P16  96 <p_>She could smell gin on his breath, though he seemed perfectly 
P16  97 sober. Of course, you could never tell with Toby - she knew that. 
P16  98 He had elected to play Banquo with such grave dignity that he gave 
P16  99 the impression of being a bishop rather than a battle-hardened 
P16 100 soldier, but he was quite capable of changing his mind at the last 
P16 101 moment and kicking up his heels. <quote_>"He's very quiet,"<quote/> 
P16 102 she whispered back.<p/>
P16 103 <p_>Toby rolled his eyes. <quote_>"I can hear him perfectly 
P16 104 well."<quote/><p/>
P16 105 <p_><quote_>"That's not what I meant."<quote/><p/>
P16 106 <p_><quote_>"He's holding something back? Yes. Good thinking! 
P16 107 <tf|>Plenty of big scenes to come for him, what? No point letting 
P16 108 it all out in Act One, is there?"<quote/><p/>
P16 109 <p_><quote_>"I don't think it's just that ..."<quote/><p/>
P16 110 <p_><quote_>"Steady start makes for a strong finish. Every jockey 
P16 111 knows that, Lish."<quote/><p/>
P16 112 <p_><quote_>"There's such a thing as being left behind at the 
P16 113 start, Toby."<quote/><p/>
P16 114 <p_><quote_>"He may be thinking about you, the dear chap. Ah, the 
P16 115 bell! Break a leg, darling."<quote/><p/>
P16 116 <p_>She heard the bell, then the end of Robby's speech.<p/>
P16 117 <p_>She moved forward for her cue, letting her shawl fall. Above 
P16 118 her she heard a dull thud as Robby made his exit through the door 
P16 119 to Duncan's bedchamber, closing the door behind him.<p/>
P16 120 <p_>She squared her shoulders, blinked quickly (for some reason her 
P16 121 eyes always opened wider after blinking), and walked at the slowest 
P16 122 pace she could towards the stage, the footlights glaring up at her. 
P16 123 She had learned never to make a quick entrance - learned it years 
P16 124 ago, at the feet of the Master, Philip Chagrin himself. Everything 
P16 125 you do on stage, he used to tell her, seems speeded up to the 
P16 126 audience, so always slow it down. Nothing about acting was natural, 
P16 127 after all - the hardest work of all was to make it all <tf|>look 
P16 128 natural.<p/>
P16 129 <p_>She reached her mark, paused a beat for the spotlight which 
P16 130 wavered in front of her as unsteadily as it had in rehearsal.<p/>
P16 131 <p_>The audience was silent - though she did not have that 
P16 132 'You-can-hear-a-pin-drop' feeling that would have been there if 
P16 133 Robby had pulled out all the stops for the dagger speech ... There 
P16 134 was a special quality to the silence of an audience that had just 
P16 135 been bowled over, left numb as they had been by Robby's Antony, but 
P16 136 it was not here tonight.<p/>
P16 137 <p_>Nevertheless, this was the moment she lived for. Nothing 
P16 138 thrilled her more than the love of an audience. She could feel, 
P16 139 rather than hear, the faint rustle of programmes as the audience 
P16 140 took a deep breath and craned forward in their seats for a better 
P16 141 look at <tf|>her, movie star, famous beauty, object of curiosity. 
P16 142 It was like an electric current running through her body, as if the 
P16 143 expectation of the audience was charging her with energy.<p/>
P16 144 <p_>She saw the spot come to rest at last in exactly the right 
P16 145 place, took a deep breath, and moved out into the sudden, swelling 
P16 146 thunder of applause. She let it go on, standing there in her own 
P16 147 brilliant pool of light, inhaling the familiar smells of dusty 
P16 148 velvet seats, damp clothes and perspiration that drifted across the 
P16 149 stage along with the warmth from the audience, and waited for the 
P16 150 sound to die down, eyes fixed on the far end of the stage, where 
P16 151 Robby, hurrying down the ladder from the platform above, would soon 
P16 152 make his own entrance.<p/>
P16 153 <p_>It was only with the return of breathless silence that it 
P16 154 occurred to her to wonder if what Toby was trying to tell her was 
P16 155 that Robby was toning <tf|>down his performance to make her look 
P16 156 better. Instinctively she knew she was right, that Robby, worried 
P16 157 by Pentecost's report of her drinking, by his fear of another 
P16 158 <tf_>Romeo and Juliet<tf/>, on home turf this time, had 
P16 159 deliberately set out to make her performance look good, not 
P16 160 trusting her to do it by herself.<p/>
P16 161 <p_>I'll show him! she promised herself, and with a look of rage so 
P16 162 intense and genuine that it brought a collective gasp from the 
P16 163 startled audience, she swept across the stage, her voice rising in 
P16 164 a terrifying shriek as she cried out:<p/>
P16 165 <p_><quote_><tf_>"That which hath made them drunk hath made me 
P16 166 bold;<p/>
P16 167 <p_>what hath quenched them hath given me fire ..."<tf/><quote/><p/>
P16 168 <p_>so loudly that she could see Robby, eyes wide open, staring at 
P16 169 her in horror from the wings, and heard behind her the hoarse, 
P16 170 unmistakable, gin-sodden whisper of Toby Eden: <quote_>"Crikey! 
P16 171 What the hell's got into <tf|>her?"<quote/><p/>
P16 172 <p_>In his dressing room, Robby fretted. <quote_>"I can't 
P16 173 <tf|>imagine what's got into her."<quote/><p/>
P16 174 <p_><quote_>"You should be resting, old boy. Act Five's a 
P16 175 bugger,"<quote/> Toby said.<p/>
P16 176 <p_><quote_>"I can't rest. I don't feel it's going 
P16 177 well."<quote/><p/>
P16 178 <p_><quote_>"It's going well enough. Felicia's 
P16 179 splendid!"<quote/><p/>
P16 180 <p_><quote_>"You don't think she's carrying things a little far, 
P16 181 Toby? I mean, <tf|>Macbeth is not a horror picture ..."<quote/><p/>
P16 182 <p_><quote_>"Oh, I don't know, old boy. In its own way, that's 
P16 183 <tf|>exactly what it is."<quote/><p/>
P16 184 <p_><quote_>"I'm not so sure I didn't like it better when she was 
P16 185 'kittenish', to tell you the truth, Toby."<quote/><p/>
P16 186 <p_>Robert Vane lay on his sofa, still dressed in his costume, 
P16 187 smoking a cigarette and sipping at a cup of tea. On the table 
P16 188 beside him sat his crown, his sword and his dagger.<p/>
P16 189 <p_>Toby Eden sat sprawled in the armchair beside him holding a 
P16 190 drink, his robe fastened loosely over his costume, his face still 
P16 191 covered with the white face paint and blood he wore as Banquo's 
P16 192 ghost. He had the relaxed air of a man whose death and reapparition 
P16 193 took place comparatively early in the play, leaving him two acts 
P16 194 with nothing to do but drink and smoke his pipe. <quote_>"She's got 
P16 195 a very unhealthy gleam in her eye,"<quote/> he said. <quote_>"Not 
P16 196 often Shakespeare gives an actress the chance to be a real villain. 
P16 197 Lisha takes to it like a duck to water."<quote/> He puffed on his 
P16 198 pipe. <quote_>"Odd, that."<quote/><p/>
P16 199 <p_><quote_>"She's playing <tf|>against me, Toby. I blame Philip 
P16 200 for that."<quote/><p/>
P16 201 <p_><quote|>"Ah." Eden wreathed himself in clouds of smoke. 
P16 202 <quote_>"Intersting you should say that. I'm not so sure that's 
P16 203 what Philip had in mind at all, as a matter of fact, but you can 
P16 204 ask him yourself. I think he's in the audience."<quote/><p/>
P16 205 <p_><quote_>"Philip? Here?"<quote/><p/>
P16 206 <p_><quote_>"Fifth row, aisle. Bloody great bandage on his head. 
P16 207 Looks like a wog. Couldn't miss him."<quote/><p/>
P16 208 <p_>Vane closed his eyes. He hated the knowledge that another actor 
P16 209 he respected was out front, particularly Philip Chagrin. He wanted 
P16 210 to think of the audience as an anonymous mass, not as individuals 
P16 211 well known to him. Those who came to see him perform made sure not 
P16 212 to tell him in advance.<p/>
P16 213 
P17   1 <#FLOB:P17\><p_><quote_>"Well, it hasn't expanded since we last saw 
P17   2 it,"<quote/> he replied laconically.<p/>
P17   3 <p_><quote_>"Why did you decide to go ahead?"<quote/><p/>
P17   4 <p_><quote_>"There is room, I discovered, to add an extension later 
P17   5 on if need be,"<quote/> he told me, handing me a bunch of keys.<p/>
P17   6 <p_>Like most of Father's unexpected surprises, in which the gift 
P17   7 was of such value, after the initial pleasure experienced a moment 
P17   8 of awful let-down, as if the pleasure was suddenly buried under the 
P17   9 weight of obligation.<p/>
P17  10 <p_>But it didn't last long.<p/>
P17  11 <p_><quote_>"Well, what are we waiting for?"<quote/> I said and, 
P17  12 with a whoop of joy, jumped out of the car and rushed towards the 
P17  13 front door of my new home.<p/>
P17  14 <p_>As I went from room to room, I was filled with a rush of such 
P17  15 spontaneous happiness, I felt like hugging Father. Losing all my 
P17  16 inhibitions I ran into the crooked drawing room to find him - and 
P17  17 then quickly recovered myself. He was standing stiffly in the 
P17  18 centre of the room, like a surveyor, a thoughtful expression on his 
P17  19 face.<p/>
P17  20 <p_><quote_>"Theoretically another floor could be added without 
P17  21 much problem,"<quote/> he said, gazing up at the skylight.<p/>
P17  22 <p_><quote_>"I reckon it's perfect,"<quote/> I said.<p/>
P17  23 <p_>As I stood there in the shaft of sunlight that poured through 
P17  24 the skylight, I felt within a turmoil of such conflicting emotions 
P17  25 that for a moment I could not speak. It was a mixture of gratitude, 
P17  26 laced with obligation and resentment. Then I shrugged these 
P17  27 feelings away. The same had been given to Richard after all, and no 
P17  28 doubt William would do just as well as soon as he was back from 
P17  29 America. And this was what I'd always wanted after all - something 
P17  30 I could call my own.<p/>
P17  31 <p_>I moved into Palace Mews a fortnight later, ecstatic with life 
P17  32 and the way things were turning out for me. It was only when things 
P17  33 started to go wrong soon afterwards that I was able to distinguish 
P17  34 between what I had so proudly gained on the one hand and 
P17  35 irrevocably lost on the other.<p/>
P17  36 <h|>21
P17  37 <p_>I started working for Bayer Associates at the beginning of 
P17  38 September. Each morning I would walk through Green Park to the 
P17  39 office from Palace Mews, returning in the evening as it was getting 
P17  40 dark. The job was a mixed blessing, mindlessly dull on the one hand 
P17  41 and way above my head on the other. In spite of my good results at 
P17  42 Cambridge, I was far from understanding the more practical aspects 
P17  43 of business. What had seemed logical on paper was often difficult 
P17  44 to apply and days passed when, sitting at my desk, baffled by some 
P17  45 new problem, I wondered what I was doing, and why the hell I was 
P17  46 doing it in the first place. Thrust into a quantitative 
P17  47 environment, when I had learnt how to be qualitative, I began to 
P17  48 struggle. I was also paying dearly for having crammed at Cambridge. 
P17  49 It may have got me through some of the vital exams, but it was 
P17  50 information I had not retained and could now have used. On top of 
P17  51 that, the consultants and managers at Bayers were extraordinarily 
P17  52 bright. Like an elite set of boffins, they moved in mysterious ways 
P17  53 - I tried to put on a good face, but I was beating my head against 
P17  54 the wall. Having been so adept at catching on to strategies, 
P17  55 management policies, facts and figures at Cambridge, now it was as 
P17  56 if a thick white veil had curtained off my brain and I was working 
P17  57 through a fog. It was a miserable introduction to business. And 
P17  58 then, when I'd only been there a month, I learnt that Bayer 
P17  59 Associates had tried to sell a case to the Aston Group - which was 
P17  60 no doubt what had induced them to hire me in the first place. It 
P17  61 was a bit of a shock. For just as a doctor's job is to try to cure 
P17  62 a sick patient, diagnose an illness or suggest a preventive 
P17  63 measure, so our job was to help a sick company, offer financial 
P17  64 guidance to keep a company thriving, or just generally boost sales. 
P17  65 The thought that Bayer Associates had tried to nose their way into 
P17  66 the affairs of the Aston Group made me feel as if I was lying in 
P17  67 the examining room of the outpatients in a large hospital. It was 
P17  68 some comfort to know that the Aston group had turned down the 
P17  69 case.<p/>
P17  70 <p_>Then one good thing happened. Geoffrey Meridith joined Bayers, 
P17  71 as another research associate. Up until then I had no friends in 
P17  72 the office. The consultants moved on another intellectual plane 
P17  73 that seemed to have little to do with everyday life - future 
P17  74 Einsteins with stained shirts and brains like computers. Geoffrey 
P17  75 Meridith was to bring a breath of fresh air into the office. Just 
P17  76 out of Oxford, his enthusiasm for the work was enviable. I could 
P17  77 see he was going to go far in business. We spent some of our lunch 
P17  78 hours together and on the days we worked late, sought out unusual 
P17  79 restaurants that served Sechuan, Indonesian, Thai, Greek or 
P17  80 whatever food took our fancy. Geoffrey was a great lover of food. 
P17  81 He was, however, a different breed of 'foodie' from Father, but all 
P17  82 the same he was one of those types who has developed such a 
P17  83 demanding and sensitive palate they appear to go to any length for 
P17  84 a sprig of mint to put on a salad or a rare and exotic fruit to 
P17  85 garnish a dish. We combed the city for unusual cheeses and meat and 
P17  86 came to know all the foreign delicatessens in London. We went to 
P17  87 Beak Street market for melons and fruits, to Camisa for cheeses and 
P17  88 fresh pasta, Partridge's for quail's eggs. With Geoffrey it was a 
P17  89 form of eccentricity as well as the joy of discovery, whereas for 
P17  90 Father it was the search for perfection.<p/>
P17  91 <p_>Through Geoffrey I met a new crowd of people, and started 
P17  92 seeing a girl called Janet Winters. She had a degree in history and 
P17  93 was on a permanent job search. I did wonder briefly what Father's 
P17  94 view on historians were and decided probably not good. He was 
P17  95 totally present and future oriented. He had no time to consult the 
P17  96 past. But, as it happened, we never got to the stage of inviting 
P17  97 one another home as the relationship began to peter out after a 
P17  98 couple of months. She was good-looking in a wild sort of way, 
P17  99 highly intelligent and was always rushing around after me with 
P17 100 something she had just cooked or a beer, my cigarettes, an ashtray. 
P17 101 She washed up, cleaned the house on the days the cleaning woman 
P17 102 didn't come and was quite the most considerate person I'd ever met. 
P17 103 I couldn't understand why I wasn't besotted with her, why I always 
P17 104 felt so half-hearted about my relationships. It was as if my lack 
P17 105 of motivation had spread to every area of my life. I couldn't seem 
P17 106 to get enthusiastic about anything or anyone.<p/>
P17 107 <p_>But gradually, working at Bayers became easier, and with 
P17 108 Geoffrey there almost enjoyable. I started going out more, visiting 
P17 109 the art galleries or the theatre and spending the odd weekend away 
P17 110 with Janet, driving to Stratford-upon-Avon, or to Woodstock to stay 
P17 111 at the Bear Inn. One day, close to Christmas, when I was feeling 
P17 112 carefree again, I bumped into Elizabeth after another long silence 
P17 113 and had a nasty shock.<p/>
P17 114 <p_>London, in a festive mood, was lit up with Christmas lights. 
P17 115 Regent Street blazed with colour and the tree outside the 
P17 116 Dorchester had been strung with hundreds of yellow bulbs. Even a 
P17 117 light snow fell appropriately and people filled the pubs as if 
P17 118 warming up for a feast. I had already done my Christmas shopping 
P17 119 and was having a last look just in case any of the latest gimmicks 
P17 120 should appeal to me. I had left Janet in Selfridges, dithering over 
P17 121 a glass case full of earrings, and was glad to be alone. I had 
P17 122 bought a baby blue Stilton for Father, a foie gras for Geoffrey, 
P17 123 some medical books Harry had asked for and a beautiful model of an 
P17 124 old Dakota for Richard. For William there was a Mont Blanc pen 
P17 125 which I had sent some weeks ago along with a card containing a 
P17 126 cryptic message about his writing career, and I had some 
P17 127 contingency presents from a joke shop just in case I received an 
P17 128 unexpected gift from somebody. I had crossed Elizabeth off the list 
P17 129 of people I was buying presents for as I didn't know where she was 
P17 130 and even Theo couldn't throw any light on her whereabouts. I had 
P17 131 rung him a couple of times, but he had sounded vague and on the 
P17 132 second occasion slightly put out. Perhaps he wanted nothing more to 
P17 133 do with her, for which, if this was the case, I could hardly blame 
P17 134 him. That afternoon I walked the length of the King's Road, ending 
P17 135 up in World's End near the Club, where there were a couple of dusty 
P17 136 antique shops. By the time I had finished browsing, it was dark and 
P17 137 bitterly cold. I saw a couple of giraffe women striding elegantly 
P17 138 along the King's Road, shrouded in fur, and for the first time in 
P17 139 ages my thoughts turned to Elizabeth. Where was she? I wondered. 
P17 140 What would she be doing for Christmas, short of spending vast 
P17 141 amounts of somebody else's money and causing all sorts of 
P17 142 dramas?<p/>
P17 143 <p_>I had no plans for the evening, as Janet had suddenly announced 
P17 144 she was going home for the weekend. Not wanting to return to an 
P17 145 empty house I decided I would find somewhere to eat and have an 
P17 146 early supper. That was the joy of being alone. You could eat dinner 
P17 147 at five o'clock in the afternoon if you felt like it. I remembered 
P17 148 Geoffrey had mentioned a good curry house in Fulham, so after 
P17 149 collecting the jeep I took a left down Sydney Street, towards the 
P17 150 Fulham Road. I left the jeep illegally parked down a side street, 
P17 151 then began to walk in the direction of Fulham Broadway. I passed 
P17 152 several interesting restaurants on the way, where people queued 
P17 153 outside, in spite of the cold. One of them looked particularly 
P17 154 inviting - it had tall money plants in the windows and looked as 
P17 155 busy and hectic as a French brasserie. I stood and read the menu 
P17 156 for a while, discovering it served mainly hamburgers. Each time the 
P17 157 door opened a rush of warm air and music came out with the people 
P17 158 and a man with an earring stood and shouted. <quote_>"Table for a 
P17 159 party of three ..."<quote/> Deciding it wasn't worth queuing in the 
P17 160 cold for a hamburger, I turned to leave, then stopped dead in my 
P17 161 tracks. There, sitting in the window seat - her favourite position 
P17 162 - was Elizabeth. I stared in shock, for it was Elizabeth and yet it 
P17 163 couldn't be. Nobody had hair like hers. It was her. But what had 
P17 164 happened to her face ...? With a beating heart I pushed open the 
P17 165 door, ignoring the man who was saying, <quote_>"I said party of 
P17 166 three", and went inside. She was sitting with a man who had greasy, 
P17 167 pitted skin and was speaking to her intensely. I stood where I was 
P17 168 for a moment, unable to approach them. Watching the scene, it 
P17 169 seemed to me that Elizabeth had sunk even lower than ever, to a 
P17 170 life of wheeling and dealing, violence and seedy men with pitted 
P17 171 skin. Somebody had beaten her to a pulp. There was no other way to 
P17 172 describe it. Her skin was shiny and bruised over her cheekbones and 
P17 173 one eye was a violet slit. Her nose had been broken by the look of 
P17 174 it, for it swelled at the bridge, but the worst part was her mouth. 
P17 175 Her lips were cut and swollen beyond all recognition and surrounded 
P17 176 by mauve scabs. I watched her try to suck something through a straw 
P17 177 and wince at the effort. I might have known that something like 
P17 178 this would happen - that one day somebody probably quite normal 
P17 179 would be driven to this.
P17 180 
P17 181 
P18   1 <#FLOB:P18\>When I went to my cell that night, the sisters had put 
P18   2 little bunches of flowers all over my bed."<quote/> She paused, and 
P18   3 recited softly. <quote_>"And now with all my heart I follow You: I 
P18   4 fear You and I seek to see Your face."<quote/><p/>
P18   5 <p_>He blew out his breath in a long whistle. <quote_>"That's 
P18   6 incredible."<quote/> she turned to look at him with shining eyes 
P18   7 and it took him a moment to realise they were full of tears.<p/>
P18   8 <p_><quote_>"I made a promise, and I'm terribly afraid I'm going to 
P18   9 break it."<quote/><p/>
P18  10 <p_><quote_>"You're contemplating divorce, then. You and me 
P18  11 both."<quote/> He sat down opposite her on an uncomfortable modern 
P18  12 stool of steel and canvas. She sniffed and nodded.<p/>
P18  13 <p_><quote_>"It's not as if I'm particularly unusual. Leaving 
P18  14 religious life is more common now, just as divorce is more common 
P18  15 outside. Lots of orders have actually disappeared or joined up with 
P18  16 others because they've lost so many people."<quote/> She brushed 
P18  17 the back of her hand across her cheek to dry it. <quote_>"Sorry 
P18  18 about that. I shouldn't have talked so much. And I suppose I 
P18  19 shouldn't be sitting here with you like this, either."<quote/><p/>
P18  20 <p_><quote_>"You want me to go."<quote/><p/>
P18  21 <p_><quote|>"Yes." No.<p/>
P18  22 <p_><quote_>"All right."<quote/> Neither moved. He added, so low 
P18  23 she could hardly catch the words, <quote_>"Do I hear what you're 
P18  24 not saying?"<quote/><p/>
P18  25 <p_><quote_>"I ... don't know."<quote/> Yes. He dragged the stool 
P18  26 across the floor so he was sitting closer, their knees touching, 
P18  27 her hands locked nervously round the mug of coffee. He leaned 
P18  28 forward to catch hold of the edges of her shawl on both sides, 
P18  29 pulling her towards him. It was all very slow. Anna had plenty of 
P18  30 time to draw back, get up, say something to make him stop. But she 
P18  31 did none of these things. He transferred the shawl to his right 
P18  32 hand and reached out with his left to touch her face. His fingers 
P18  33 on her cheek, tracing the spray of lashes beneath her eye so she 
P18  34 blinked. He cupped her chin in his palm and smoothed his thumb over 
P18  35 her lips, and when she opened her mouth she breathed in the smell 
P18  36 of his hand. She recalled the slow moment of peace in the middle of 
P18  37 the birth, the three of them touching, holding on in the damp heat 
P18  38 of the snow-lit room. And for the first time in the intervening 
P18  39 hours, she allowed herself to remember the sensation of his mouth 
P18  40 against the skin of her inner wrist. She whispered, <quote_>"I 
P18  41 never thanked you for helping us last night."<quote/><p/>
P18  42 <p_>He let go the shawl and took the coffee cup out of her fingers, 
P18  43 set it on the floor. He held her upper arm tightly, stared intently 
P18  44 into her face. Even in the dim light he could make out the 
P18  45 complicated mouth, the concisely cut upper lip that belonged to a 
P18  46 prim little girl, the full lower lip of a sensuous woman. He looked 
P18  47 into wide, wary eyes beneath the feathery strokes of dark brows. He 
P18  48 was close enough to see the delicate black line etched round the 
P18  49 edges of the luminous irises. She was feminine, almost fragile in 
P18  50 his grasp - and then the abrupt shock of the brutally close-cropped 
P18  51 head. In any other woman it would be a signal of defiance, a 
P18  52 declaration of aggression. But Anna had accepted the loss of her 
P18  53 hair as an act of submission. Pity for her pointless offering was a 
P18  54 stone in his chest and with a groan he pressed his hand against the 
P18  55 shorn pelt, felt warm electricity as it prickled against his 
P18  56 palm.<p/>
P18  57 <p_>Under his gaze Anna turned her head, too shy to look back at 
P18  58 him. He noted the curve of the round neck rising from the row of 
P18  59 pearly buttons on her nightdress, the heavy fabric shielding the 
P18  60 shape of her body. She put a hand to her throat and he put his own 
P18  61 on top of it, conscious of roughened skin, short nails, the ridge 
P18  62 of a scar along the middle finger.<p/>
P18  63 <p_>She was all contradictions and complexes, as difficult and 
P18  64 prickly as anyone he'd ever met. Not in speech - she was almost 
P18  65 over-polite, too careful not to argue or offend: the product of 
P18  66 convent discipline. But the discipline couldn't control the 
P18  67 emotions that swept subtle changes over those cool features, 
P18  68 stretching the skin over her cheekbones, drooping pale lids like 
P18  69 bars over the transparent eyes. There was something unpredictable 
P18  70 in her that was only explained now he knew about her convent 
P18  71 background, something about the unexpected ways in which she 
P18  72 reacted to quite simple things, like the workman's whistle from the 
P18  73 building site in Cornhill: she had so little personal vanity, she'd 
P18  74 not even connected it with herself. He was fascinated by the 
P18  75 freshness she brought to even the simplest acts: she'd pored over 
P18  76 the list of sandwiches in the lounge of the Victoria Hotel as if 
P18  77 she'd never seen a menu before. It wasn't greed, she'd eaten with 
P18  78 an abstracted air, her mind clearly elsewhere. (He didn't recognise 
P18  79 yet another legacy of her training). There was nothing jaded about 
P18  80 her, nothing dulled by use or hardened by knowledge. She reminded 
P18  81 him of adolescence: his hands were sweating like a 
P18  82 sixteen-year-old's. So it was a sixteen-year-old who asked, 
P18  83 <quote_>"Can I kiss you?"<quote/><p/>
P18  84 <p_>She swallowed and wouldn't look at him. And then she shut her 
P18  85 eyes and held up her face for him in a child's trusting gesture, 
P18  86 waiting.<p/>
P18  87 <p_>He put her mouth on hers. No more than that, their lips just 
P18  88 meeting. Hers were pressed tightly together, slightly puckered, 
P18  89 making the sticky lipsticked touch of other women lascivious by 
P18  90 comparison. She drew a quick breath but didn't move away from him. 
P18  91 He increased the pressure slightly so he could feel the shape of 
P18  92 her teeth and cursed inwardly as she made a move to withdraw. Too 
P18  93 much, too fast. He could have laughed at himself. At thirty-seven 
P18  94 he'd lived with two women and was divorcing a third. There'd been 
P18  95 good years, when the passion of the moment could be treated as just 
P18  96 that, slaked without cautious probings about previous partners, 
P18  97 nervous jokes about safe sex and paralysing post-coital anxiety. 
P18  98 He'd thought that particular hassle was over for him. He should 
P18  99 have worked harder at family life, as Judy had waspishly remarked 
P18 100 during that frightful meeting at her solicitor's.<p/>
P18 101 <p_>Daniel Stern sighed. Anna thought it was because of her: she'd 
P18 102 done something wrong, failed to respond adequately. She opened her 
P18 103 eyes but by now he'd closed his, and she was able to examine his 
P18 104 face without embarrassment. She liked what she could see: thick 
P18 105 brown hair silvering at the temples, slightly hollow cheeks. He was 
P18 106 clearly tired now, but he always had the pallor of someone who 
P18 107 spent too much time working under artificial light. She pulled away 
P18 108 from him and when he murmured a protest, put her fingers against 
P18 109 his mouth. A down-curved mouth: a more knowledgeable woman would 
P18 110 have thought, self-indulgent. She leant her forehead against his 
P18 111 face and he said, above her head, <quote_>"Butterfly kisses. 
P18 112 Mmm."<quote/><p/>
P18 113 <p_><quote|>"What?" She spluttered with laughter, the release of 
P18 114 tension.<p/>
P18 115 <p_><quote_>"Your eyelashes. Don't stop."<quote/> He pulled her 
P18 116 close again. <quote|>"More."<p/>
P18 117 <p_>Anna felt a surge of confidence. Whatever she was doing, he 
P18 118 clearly liked it. Emboldened, she rubbed her cheek against his, 
P18 119 relishing the texture of his warm skin against her own. He put a 
P18 120 hand round the back of her head, pushing his fingers into her hair 
P18 121 so he could feel the bones, stroking the exposed nape of her neck 
P18 122 which made her seem so defenceless.<p/>
P18 123 <p_>Daniel Stern was a man who liked looking after people. He was 
P18 124 protective towards Sam and had, at the start of their marriage, 
P18 125 been the same with his wife. People who needed help touched and 
P18 126 moved him. He'd have fought dragons for Lynn last night if it would 
P18 127 have helped ease her.<p/>
P18 128 <p_>But the realisation that Anna was vulnerable did not spark the 
P18 129 usual reaction. Just the opposite. Inside his head, her image in 
P18 130 wedding white bent submissive to symbolic scissors. Stern was 
P18 131 speared by a double passion - for the eighteen-year-old Anna who 
P18 132 had made herself into a living sacrifice, and for the forbidden 
P18 133 flesh of the woman he was holding. With sudden strength he pulled 
P18 134 her towards him so that she was dislodged from the edge of her 
P18 135 chair. He supported her as she dropped to her knees, falling with 
P18 136 her so they collapsed together. He twisted so he was beneath her, 
P18 137 breaking her fall, and put both arms round her tightly, all the 
P18 138 time expecting she would struggle, pull away.<p/>
P18 139 <p_>Only she did neither. She lay inert, closed in on herself. 
P18 140 Disconcerted, he kissed her again, his mouth hard now, seeking an 
P18 141 answer. Getting none, he rolled them both over so he was above 
P18 142 her.<p/>
P18 143 <p_>Anna took the unaccustomed weight of his body with a little 
P18 144 sigh of acceptance. He was heavy and warm, his chest squashing her 
P18 145 breasts, his head on her shoulder. She lay with her arms by her 
P18 146 sides, remembering the times she had wondered what it must be like 
P18 147 to lie under a man. Those brief, quickly suppressed imaginings had 
P18 148 been erotic - not for a moment had she anticipated this bear hug. 
P18 149 She felt she could fall asleep on the carpet, let herself believe 
P18 150 she had no part in what was happening.<p/>
P18 151 <p_>This wasn't like Hal's unpremeditated embrace, so disconcerting 
P18 152 in daylight on Bradley Moor, after she'd made such a fool of 
P18 153 herself falling into that damn bog. And she'd been unable to put it 
P18 154 out of her mind. She'd known she should erase it, blot it out, beg 
P18 155 forgiveness. But something in her protested. One kiss. Her single - 
P18 156 pathetically brief - lapse. Heaven knew how many times she'd gone 
P18 157 over it, examining the clamour it had started in her heart. And her 
P18 158 body.<p/>
P18 159 <p_>Now Daniel Stern's mouth and hands transmitted urgent messages 
P18 160 to Anna. But more than a decade of denial padlocked Sister 
P18 161 Gabriel's responses: she was unable to bring herself to do what her 
P18 162 body demanded - put her arms around him, hold him the way a woman 
P18 163 holds a man she desired. Instead, she retreated mentally.<p/>
P18 164 <p_>She sloughed off responsibility for her actions. For years she 
P18 165 had been subject to the strictest supervision, reduced by rules to 
P18 166 the status of a child. In Bradford she'd had to change but it 
P18 167 wasn't easy to be in control, of herself or of others. Much easier, 
P18 168 now, if she had no choice, if what was happening to her was 
P18 169 inevitable. As inevitable as the birth of Lynn's child, woven to 
P18 170 the same pattern. She wanted to be part of it, now, as desperately 
P18 171 as once she had feared it: love and sex and birth and life.<p/>
P18 172 <p_>The man had one hand behind her head while the other caressed 
P18 173 her, stroking her neck, her long back, the dip of her waist. His 
P18 174 lips found the pulse at the base of her throat and he licked her 
P18 175 skin so she shivered. He stopped for a moment, nudging her with his 
P18 176 knees as he kicked off his shoes. His knee came back, pushing at 
P18 177 her own, insinuating itself between her legs but before she'd 
P18 178 decided what to do about that, he was tasting her mouth with his 
P18 179 tongue. He slid his right hand down from her throat to follow the 
P18 180 line of her shoulder, the flesh of her upper arm, her ribs. She 
P18 181 relaxed against him, enjoying the unaccustomed caresses, not 
P18 182 letting herself think. He ran the back of his hand gently under the 
P18 183 slight swell of her breast, bent his head to smooth his cheek 
P18 184 against the fabric. She made a sound to warn him but he took it for 
P18 185 assent and fastened his mouth on the cotton covering her nipple as 
P18 186 she gasped with surprise, sucking so it puckered pointed against 
P18 187 the damp cloth. He did the same for the other breast, his fingers 
P18 188 squeezing one nipple, his lips the other, until wicked pleasure 
P18 189 stopped her breath. She pressed her face into his shoulder so she 
P18 190 couldn't see and let go, slipping into the tide of sensation 
P18 191 closing over her head.<p/>
P18 192 
P19   1 <#FLOB:P19\><h_><p_>Start your week's reading with this touching 
P19   2 complete Story by Kate Mortimer.<p/>
P19   3 <p_>Which Way To Happiness? <p/><h/>
P19   4 <p_>Rob and Judy had reached a crossroads in their marriage... and 
P19   5 the decision they made would make or break their future 
P19   6 together.<p/>
P19   7 <p_>AS Judy Adams hung up the 'closed' sign outside the glass panel 
P19   8 of the front door, she decided that she would no longer put off 
P19   9 asking Rob what was troubling him.<p/>
P19  10 <p_>Sometimes, she felt she knew him so well. And yet...<p/>
P19  11 <p_>She wondered whether anybody ever really knew anyone - even 
P19  12 their nearest and dearest. They'd married seven years ago, when she 
P19  13 was twenty-one and he had already become a well-established 
P19  14 accountant at the age of thirty.<p/>
P19  15 <p_>But for the last two years, ever since events had led them to 
P19  16 this glorious, small town in the Yorkshire Dales, he had seemed as 
P19  17 thankful, as confident, and as blissfully content as she was.<p/>
P19  18 <p_>Until this past week.<p/>
P19  19 <p_>Until, in fact, he'd had that letter from Joe, his former 
P19  20 colleague.<p/>
P19  21 <p_>It had been a busy evening, she reflected as she cleared the 
P19  22 condiments and mats from the tables. Turning the ground floor of 
P19  23 their home, Adams' Haven, into a restaurant had been one of the 
P19  24 best ideas they'd ever had.<p/>
P19  25 <p_>Judy stacked the remaining coffee cups and oddments left by the 
P19  26 last customers and carried the tray into the kitchen where Robert 
P19  27 was finishing the washing up.<p/>
P19  28 <p_><quote_>"A good day,"<quote/> he said as she put the tray down. 
P19  29 <quote_>"Didn't we have a fascinating mixture of customers tonight? 
P19  30 That geologist professor and his wife were terrific - and didn't 
P19  31 Dr Muir and his wife enjoy it all?"<quote/><p/>
P19  32 <p_><quote|>"Yes," Judy agreed. <quote_>"It's great the way we seem 
P19  33 to attract the locals as well as the tourists."<quote/> She paused 
P19  34 and looked at her husband.<p/>
P19  35 <p_><quote|>"Rob," she chided gently, <quote_>"you're bothered 
P19  36 about something, aren't you? Are you... are you beginning to have 
P19  37 regrets... do you think it's too soon to start taking overnight 
P19  38 guests?"<quote/><p/>
P19  39 <p_><quote|>"No." He straightened up and turned to face her. 
P19  40 <quote_>"It's just that..."<quote/><p/>
P19  41 <p_><quote_>"Just what?"<quote/> Judy persisted. She had to know. 
P19  42 She couldn't - wouldn't - tell him her own news until he told 
P19  43 her.<p/>
P19  44 <p_><quote|>"Well?" She studied his face earnestly.<p/>
P19  45 <p_><quote_>"It... it's something Joe told me in his letter. It's a 
P19  46 bit of a problem. Listen, you go upstairs to the sitting-room, 
P19  47 get the log fire going and as soon as I've stacked this lot, we'll 
P19  48 talk about it."<quote/><p/>
P19  49 <p_>AS she waited for the fire to catch, Judy went and stood in the 
P19  50 gay window, facing the main street of Dingley. It was too large a 
P19  51 place to be called a village, but too small to be called a town. 
P19  52 She had grown to love it though, just as she loved the house, with 
P19  53 the same strength that one loves human beings.<p/>
P19  54 <p_>Not far from here, she reflected, it had all begun for me and 
P19  55 Rob. It was on that crazy day when we first met on the train!<p/>
P19  56 <p_>Or rather, off a train on the famous Settle to Carlisle 
P19  57 Railway.<p/>
P19  58 <p_>Judy had been travelling alone, on holiday from her job in an 
P19  59 Edinburgh hotel. The friend who was going to come with her had 
P19  60 developed appendicitis, but Judy had decided to go ahead.<p/>
P19  61 <p_>She decided to leave the train to take a closer look at the 
P19  62 Ribblesdale Viaduct, but had forgotten that the train steps were 
P19  63 much higher than the platforms on this route.<p/>
P19  64 <p_>So, as Rob would often tease her, she'd literally thrown 
P19  65 herself at him, falling out of the carriage and into his arms.<p/>
P19  66 <p_><quote_>"Remember about the step next time,"<quote/> he'd told 
P19  67 her.<p/>
P19  68 <p_><quote_>"I will, and thanks a million,"<quote/> she'd said, 
P19  69 before wandering off on her own.<p/>
P19  70 <p_>Her rescuer re-joined his group of friends. But they'd caught 
P19  71 her up - a happy, easy-going, warm-hearted lot - and had 
P19  72 adopted her.<p/>
P19  73 <p_>They'd taken her along with them on a trek through the Dales 
P19  74 which she would never have tackled alone. And Rob was clearly glad 
P19  75 of her company.<p/>
P19  76 <p_>Now, of course, she could see that it had all been 
P19  77 inevitable.<p/>
P19  78 <p_><quote_>"You and I were born - destined - for each other. I 
P19  79 knew from the moment I caught you in my arms. I was sure that there 
P19  80 would only be you, for ever."<quote/><p/>
P19  81 <p_>Yes, she'd felt it too, that wondrous feeling of being able to 
P19  82 talk to someone about absolutely anything - or be silent without 
P19  83 any sense of strain or embarrassment.<p/>
P19  84 <p_>Her only moment of doubt had been on his first visit to her 
P19  85 home in Edinburgh. It had been a shock, really, because at first 
P19  86 she hadn't recognised the smartly-dressed young man who had 
P19  87 jumped out of the train wearing a navy-blue pin-striped suit, 
P19  88 perfectly-tied grey tie and shining black shoes.<p/>
P19  89 <p_>But of course, Assistant Personnel Managers of large companies 
P19  90 could hardly go to work in hiking gear. <quote|>"Or," as Rob had 
P19  91 told her, <quote_>"to meet his future in-laws."<quote/><p/>
P19  92 <p_><quote_>"I'm still the same underneath,"<quote/> he'd 
P19  93 teased.<p/>
P19  94 <p_>Her parents had taken to him at once, as, later, his own folk 
P19  95 had welcomed her.<p/>
P19  96 <p_>Sometimes, after they were married and she had joined Rob in 
P19  97 London, Judy was afraid that it was all too good to be true. Their 
P19  98 happiness was too perfect.<p/>
P19  99 <p_>Then the blow struck.<p/>
P19 100 <p_>She could still hear Rob's cracked voice.<p/>
P19 101 <p_><quote_>"I don't know what's been going on. But the firm... 
P19 102 it's gone bankrupt and we're all out on our ears."<quote/><p/>
P19 103 <p_>They were numb with shock during the weeks which followed. 
P19 104 Despair encompassed them, as Rob's chances of a similar job grew 
P19 105 less and less.<p/>
P19 106 <p_>One day, when their future seemed hopeless, Judy had an 
P19 107 idea.<p/>
P19 108 <p_><quote_>"Let's go back to the beginning, to where we 
P19 109 started,"<quote/> she suggested. <quote_>"Just for a 
P19 110 weekend."<quote/><p/>
P19 111 <p_><quote|>"OK," Rob agreed wearily, <quote_>"Though I can't see 
P19 112 how it'll solve anything."<quote/><p/>
P19 113 <p_>But it worked.<p/>
P19 114 <p_>Wandering down Dingley High Street, from the Youth Hostel, they 
P19 115 had seen this house. It was forlorn, almost ruinous, but had a good 
P19 116 slate roof and strong walls.<p/>
P19 117 <p_><quote_>"It has been empty for ages,"<quote/> the postmistress 
P19 118 told them.<p/>
P19 119 <p_><quote_>"Needs a lot doing to it,"<quote/> she said. 
P19 120 <quote_>"That's why it really is going for a song."<quote/><p/>
P19 121 <p_><quote_>"Rob, it would make a marvellous restaurant,"<quote/> 
P19 122 Judy said excitedly. <quote_>"Maybe in time we could even develop 
P19 123 and take guests... all my hotel experience would come in useful.<p/>
P19 124 <p_><quote_>"And tourists do come down this road in droves - 
P19 125 walking, biking, motoring. Of course it's crazy and 
P19 126 yet..."<quote/><p/>
P19 127 <p_>Living in a one-roomed apartment near London, they had saved 
P19 128 hard from Rob's good salary, and from Judy's - she had a job in a 
P19 129 hotel nearby.<p/>
P19 130 <p_>I KNOW what you're doing - taking a trip down Memory 
P19 131 Lane!"<quote/><p/>
P19 132 <p_>Bob's voice broke into her reverie, for she hadn't heard him 
P19 133 coming upstairs.<p/>
P19 134 <p_><quote|>"Yes," she said thoughtfully. <quote_>"Thinking of the 
P19 135 gamble we took, of how both our families backed us up to the hilt, 
P19 136 coming here in droves to help with the renovations! We saved Adam's 
P19 137 Haven - brought it back to life - and now, even the locals seem 
P19 138 to love us!"<quote/><p/>
P19 139 <p_>Rob sat down in the big armchair beside the fire and held out 
P19 140 his arms. Without a word, she snuggled down on his lap.<p/>
P19 141 <p_>He took the letter from his pocket and handed it to her.<p/>
P19 142 <p_>With her heart beating fast, Judy read it. It seemed that Joe, 
P19 143 after a series of odd jobs doing all sorts as Rob had done, had at 
P19 144 last landed another accountancy job.<p/>
P19 145 <p_><tf_>It's an office equipment business,<tf/> he wrote. 
P19 146 <tf_>Actually they're a bunch of whizz kids but pleasant with it - 
P19 147 not like the last lot!<p/>
P19 148 <p_>Sarah's thrilled because, like me, she's a real city type. 
P19 149 She's been scared we might end up in the back of beyond like you 
P19 150 and Judy! Well, of course we loved coming to see you, but 
P19 151 holidaying in a place isn't the same as living there...<tf/><p/>
P19 152 <p_>So he went on, describing everything about the job, until the 
P19 153 final paragraph.<p/>
P19 154 <p_><tf_>The point of all this, Rob, is that this firm is 
P19 155 advertising for a Personnel Manager and I thought you might be 
P19 156 interested. I'll enclose a copy of the advertisement so you can 
P19 157 follow it up. I'm sure you and Judy would be thankful to get back 
P19 158 to civilisation with a good job, security, good pay...<tf/><p/>
P19 159 <p_><quote|>"Civilisation," Judy murmured. <quote_>"All the racket, 
P19 160 the hassle, the traffic of London is civilisation...?"<quote/><p/>
P19 161 <p_>She stopped. Looking at Rob she suddenly understood, a cold 
P19 162 dread creeping into her heart.<p/>
P19 163 <p_><quote_>"You are interested?"<quote/> she whispered. 
P19 164 <quote_>"You want to return?"<quote/><p/>
P19 165 <p_><quote_>"I... I don't know,"<quote/> he said hesitantly. 
P19 166 <quote_>"I've never even thought about it."<quote/><p/>
P19 167 <p_>Suddenly, Judy remembered one of her father's favourite 
P19 168 quotations, something about 'opposition strengthens that which is 
P19 169 opposed.'<p/>
P19 170 <p_>If Rob was even slightly interested, she shouldn't try to stop 
P19 171 him from having a go. Maybe he wouldn't get the job anyway. Maybe 
P19 172 he wouldn't want it.<p/>
P19 173 <p_>She remembered how he had said on their honeymoon, up here in 
P19 174 the Dales where they'd met, <quote_>"If only we could stay up here 
P19 175 for ever. If only we didn't have to go back to the din and dirt of 
P19 176 London. Oh, Judy, I've always longed to live in the country -  
P19 177 always."<quote/><p/>
P19 178 <p_>But now - had he really, deep down, been missing the old life 
P19 179 in a busy office?<p/>
P19 180 <p_><quote_>"If you have the faintest notion you might like 
P19 181 it,"<quote/> she managed to say steadily, <quote_>"you should go 
P19 182 back and give it another go."<quote/><p/>
P19 183 <p_>He smiled faintly.<p/>
P19 184 <p_><quote_>"But you've always said it's a mistake to turn back, 
P19 185 that we must always go forward."<quote/><p/>
P19 186 <p_><quote_>"I know. But if you don't go, maybe later on you'll 
P19 187 wish you had tried it and regret would be awful for 
P19 188 you."<quote/><p/>
P19 189 <p_>She leaned forward and held his hands tightly. For a few 
P19 190 fleeting moments, she was tempted to tell him her news. But she 
P19 191 chose not to. It might influence him, one way or the other.<p/>
P19 192 <p_>No, that must wait.<p/>
P19 193 <p_><quote_>"Apply for it, Rob,"<quote/> she told him. <quote_>"If 
P19 194 you go for an interview and they offer you the job, you'll know 
P19 195 whether you really want to go back to city life. You might as well 
P19 196 write away for it. You'll only be unsettled until you do 
P19 197 something!"<quote/><p/>
P19 198 <p_><quote_>"All right,"<quote/> he said at last. <quote_>"But 
P19 199 there's one thing, Judy. If they do offer me the job, I won't 
P19 200 accept it until you and I have talked it through."<quote/><p/>
P19 201 <p_><quote_>"Bless you,"<quote/> she said. But only she knew how 
P19 202 much it had cost her to encourage him.<p/>
P19 203 <p_>THROUGHOUT a long and sleepless night, Judy hoped she had been 
P19 204 right, advising him to go ahead. She wondered whether, lately, 
P19 205 she'd not noticed that Rob had been growing restless.<p/>
P19 206 <p_>Or was it that Joe's letter had awakened something that had 
P19 207 been there, dormant, all along?<p/>
P19 208 <p_>Somehow, they both got through the next day, having agreed to 
P19 209 say no more about it unless Rob heard from the firm.<p/>
P19 210 <p_>But when the phone rang at 10 a.m. on Tuesday morning, Judy 
P19 211 felt instinctively it was about the job. It was. Rob was being 
P19 212 asked about an interview.<p/>
P19 213 <p_><quote_>"Any time convenient to you,"<quote/> Rob said 
P19 214 politely. <quote_>"Whatever's most suitable,"<quote/> he said.<p/>
P19 215 <p_><quote_>"Tomorrow morning at eleven o'clock will suit me 
P19 216 fine,"<quote/> he added a moment later.<p/>
P19 217 <p_>Then Rob rang Joe and arranged to meet him for lunch 
P19 218 afterwards, before catching the train back north.<p/>
P19 219 <p_><quote_>"Couldn't you possibly come with me?"<quote/> he asked 
P19 220 Judy.<p/>
P19 221 <p_><quote_>"We have that archaeological group coming,"<quote/> she 
P19 222 reminded him. Besides, she thought, around the time of your 
P19 223 appointment I have one, too - with Dr Muir.<p/>
P19 224 <p_>A storm was raging, and it was raining stair-rods when Rob 
P19 225 went off early next morning to pick up the fast train at the 
P19 226 junction.<p/>
P19 227 <p_>Thank heaven he had made it, Judy thought. I have a very busy 
P19 228 day ahead of me!<p/>
P19 229 <p_>Whatever happened, she decided, at least they'd had a go up 
P19 230 here and succeeded beyond their wildest dreams.<p/>
P19 231 <p_>It had been a wonderful experience which they'd never 
P19 232 forget.<p/>
P19 233 <p_>It was just at lunchtime that the coach broke down, and its 
P19 234 occupants 'invaded' Adams' Haven - a group of schoolchildren on a 
P19 235 geology project.<p/>
P19 236 <p_>The other people who worked in the restaurant joined in all the 
P19 237 talk, answering a barrage of questions.<p/>
P19 238 
P20   1 <#FLOB:P20\><h_>BETTY McINNES continues her superb Story about the 
P20   2 Kennedy family of Dundee.<p/>
P20   3 <p_>The River Calls Us Home<p/><h/>
P20   4 <p_>While other women were fighting for the vote, Chrissie was 
P20   5 fighting for her family's approval to marry the man she loved...<p/>
P20   6 <p_>WHEN CHRISTINA KENNEDY promised DANNY MURPHY she would marry 
P20   7 him, she knew there would be difficulties ahead.<p/>
P20   8 <p_>The only daughter of Dundee whaling captain, WILLIAM KENNEDY, 
P20   9 she had been spoiled all her life. Her nurse, BESSIE McCUTCHEON, 
P20  10 had tried to show her what life was like for poor folk by taking 
P20  11 her to the home of her sister, BIDDY MURPHY, in a Lochee tenement. 
P20  12 It was there, as a child, that Chrissie met Danny and, over the 
P20  13 years, their friendship had turned to love.<p/>
P20  14 <p_>But whaling was on the decline and so were the fortunes of the 
P20  15 Kennedy family. GEORGE, the eldest of William's three sons, married 
P20  16 JEANNIE, who brought no dowry but gave him two children, GEORGINA, 
P20  17 and HUGH.<p/>
P20  18 <p_>ARTHUR married ELIZABETH BOWERS, the strong-minded daughter 
P20  19 of a jute merchant. Her sister, HARRIET, was to become Chrissie's 
P20  20 best friend.<p/>
P20  21 <p_>ERNEST, quiet and bookish, did not follow his father and 
P20  22 brothers to sea. He worked in Dundee and was engaged to a grocer's 
P20  23 daughter.<p/>
P20  24 <p_>At Arthur and Elizabeth's wedding Chrissie had met CHARLES 
P20  25 RANKINE, the son of a wealthy mill owner. He fell in love with her 
P20  26 and obtained William's permission to court her.<p/>
P20  27 <p_>Chrissie was horrified. She'd already agreed to marry Danny - 
P20  28 but, if she turned Charles down, her father wouldn't get the money 
P20  29 to refit his ships. And the Christina K, named after her, would 
P20  30 have to be sold!<p/>
P20  31 <p_>So, reluctantly, she agreed to see Charles. He was kind and 
P20  32 thoughtful and good company - but he'd never be Danny Murphy... 
P20  33 And, besides, Harriet had confided that she had been in love with 
P20  34 Charles for years...<p/>
P20  35 <p_>When Queen Alexandra visited Dundee Chrissie went with Charles 
P20  36 to meet her. Leaving the station, they came face to face with a 
P20  37 furious Danny Murphy. When Charles learned Chrissie's true feelings 
P20  38 he insisted she choose between himself and the juteworker.<p/>
P20  39 <p_>To Chrissie there was no choice. She loved Danny and wanted to 
P20  40 be his wife.<p/>
P20  41 <p_>Now all she had to do was tell her father...<p/>
P20  42 <h_><p_>Harsh Words<p/><h/>
P20  43 <p_>THE news that a whaler's daughter had turned down the town's 
P20  44 most eligible bachelor went round the drawing-rooms of Dundee 
P20  45 with the speed of an outbreak of influenza. And, what was more, 
P20  46 Chrissie Kennedy had rejected Charles Rankine in favour of a 
P20  47 juteworker!<p/>
P20  48 <p_>What would happen when the whaling fleet got back - and 
P20  49 William Kennedy heard what his daughter had done?<p/>
P20  50 <p_>The old men shook their heads despairingly in the shelter of 
P20  51 the Town House pillars. News had arrived of another disastrous trip 
P20  52 with foul weather and a ship lost.<p/>
P20  53 <p_><quote_>"Aye, the whaling's done for!"<quote/> one old lad 
P20  54 grumbled.<p/>
P20  55 <p_>Everyone knew demand for whale-oil had dwindled away now 
P20  56 streets and houses were lit by gaslight. Why, even the Overgate, a 
P20  57 cheery, narrow artery in the very heart of the town, was soon to be 
P20  58 lit by the marvel of electricity.<p/>
P20  59 <p_><quote_>"Och, Captain Kennedy has enough to worry about, 
P20  60 without a wilful daughter,"<quote/> someone else agreed, puffing 
P20  61 away on his pipe.<p/>
P20  62 <p_>Chrissie shed bitter tears in private, but she walked out in 
P20  63 the September sunshine with her head held high.<p/>
P20  64 <p_>Most of her acquaintances shunned her, but not everyone 
P20  65 condemned her. The bleachers who were embarked on a bitter strike 
P20  66 against their employers, cheered as she passed the empty  
P20  67 bleach-fields.<p/>
P20  68 <p_><quote_>"Good for you, lass! You show 'em!"<quote/> someone 
P20  69 shouted.<p/>
P20  70 <p_>But that was small comfort to Chrissie. She loved her father 
P20  71 dearly, and, for the fist time in her life, dreaded his 
P20  72 homecoming...<p/>
P20  73 <p_>Chrissie was on her knees, wrestling with weeds in the 
P20  74 overgrown garden, when the jingle of harness brought her to her 
P20  75 feet.<p/>
P20  76 <p_><quote_>"How nice to see you, Lizzie!"<quote/> Chrissie greeted 
P20  77 her sister-in-law warmly with a dutiful peck on the cheek.<p/>
P20  78 <p_>Lizzie tethered the pony and trap to the porch rail and slipped 
P20  79 a nosebag over the placid little animal's head. She looked grim.<p/>
P20  80 <p_><quote_>"Could we go inside please, Christina?"<quote/><p/>
P20  81 <p_>Chrissie's heart sank, but she smiled brightly.<p/>
P20  82 <p_><quote_>"Yes, of course."<quote/><p/>
P20  83 <p_>She led the way, pausing by the kitchen door.<p/>
P20  84 <p_><quote_>"Here's Lizzie come to visit, Bessie. May we have tea 
P20  85 and a piece of your shortbread, perhaps?"<quote/><p/>
P20  86 <p_>The two young women were no sooner in the parlour, with the 
P20  87 door closed, than Lizzie rounded on Chrissie.<p/>
P20  88 <p_>"What's this I hear about your turning down Charles for a 
P20  89 juteworker?"<quote/><p/>
P20  90 <p_>Chrissie lifted her chin mutinously.<p/>
P20  91 <p_><quote_>"It's true. I don't love Charles Rankine, and I'll not 
P20  92 marry him. I'm pledged to someone else."<quote/><p/>
P20  93 <p_>Two angry spots of colour appeared on Lizzie's cheeks.<p/>
P20  94 <p_><quote_>"You're daft, Christina! Charles will be one of the 
P20  95 richest men in Dundee one day, an you've humiliated him. Taking up 
P20  96 with a juteworker, indeed! Who is the man?"<quote/><p/>
P20  97 <p_><quote_>"His name's Daniel Murphy and he works in the High 
P20  98 mill,"<quote/> Chrissie answered defiantly. <quote_>"His father's a 
P20  99 road-sweeper, and his mother's one of the kindest women I know. 
P20 100 They live in a tenement in Lochee."<quote/><p/>
P20 101 <p_><quote_>"His father's a - a scavenger?"<quote/> Lizzie's voice 
P20 102 rose to an outraged squeak.<p/>
P20 103 <p_>Chrissie was angry. Tutored by Danny, she was fluent in 
P20 104 Dundee's distinctive dialect, and she slipped into it now.<p/>
P20 105 <p_><quote_>"Aye, Lizzie, Mr Patrick Murphy's a scaffie, and he's 
P20 106 kept busy! There's plenty work for scaffies in this 
P20 107 town!"<quote/><p/>
P20 108 <p_>Lizzie all but wrung her hands.<p/>
P20 109 <p_><quote_>"The Kennedys will never live this down. I can only 
P20 110 imagine you've been led astray by an unscrupulous rogue, 
P20 111 Christina."<quote/><p/>
P20 112 <p_><quote_>"Danny is hard working and honest and I'll thank you 
P20 113 not to insult him. Otherwise I shall ask you to leave."<quote/><p/>
P20 114 <p_>Lizzie plumped herself on the couch, glowering.<p/>
P20 115 <p_><quote_>"I'll not leave until I've made you see sense! I feel 
P20 116 responsible in your father's absence, Christina. He'd be horrified 
P20 117 if he knew how that woman - Bessie - has been letting you consort 
P20 118 with rude, common folk!"<quote/><p/>
P20 119 <p_>There was a muffled snort of indignation from the door. Lizzie 
P20 120 was on her feet and had it wrenched open in an instant. Bessie was 
P20 121 caught in the act, her ear at the keyhole.<p/>
P20 122 <p_><quote_>"So! I'm glad you heard that, Bessie McCutcheon, 
P20 123 because when Captain Kennedy returns I shall insist you are 
P20 124 dismissed."<quote/><p/>
P20 125 <p_><quote_>"Lizzie, no!<quote/> Chrissie cried in horror.<p/>
P20 126 <p_>Bessie rose with as much dignity as she could muster.<p/>
P20 127 <p_><quote_>"That's for the master to decide, Mistress Lizzie. I 
P20 128 did what I believed right. I wanted Chr - Miss Christina to see 
P20 129 how other folk live. I'd no idea she and my nephew... To tell the 
P20 130 truth I'm as heartsick as you are! I wish it hadn't 
P20 131 happened."<quote/><p/>
P20 132 <p_><quote_>"Aah-hah! The man's your nephew. Now I understand! 
P20 133 You hope to advance your family!"<quote/> Lizzie exclaimed 
P20 134 grimly.<p/>
P20 135 <p_><quote_>"Stop it!"<quote/> Chrissie cried in dismay.<p/>
P20 136 <p_>Bessie's dander was up. She glared at Lizzie.<p/>
P20 137 <p_><quote_>"I'll tell you one thing for sure, Mistress 
P20 138 Lizzie!"<quote/><p/>
P20 139 <p_><quote_>"And what's that?"<quote/><p/>
P20 140 <p_><quote_>"You're no' getting a single bite of my good 
P20 141 shortbread!"<quote/> And with a sniff, she headed for the kitchen, 
P20 142 slamming the door.<p/>
P20 143 <p_>Lizzie stared after her angrily.<p/>
P20 144 <p_><quote_>"Well, really! What cheek! Your father will hear this, 
P20 145 Christina. That woman must go!"<quote/><p/>
P20 146 <p_>Chrissie had never been so angry. To hear Lizzie threatening 
P20 147 dear, loyal Bessie was more than she could bear. She held the door 
P20 148 wide open.<p/>
P20 149 <p_><quote_>"Please leave, Lizzie! It's none of your business how I 
P20 150 live my life."<quote/><p/>
P20 151 <p_>Lizzie gathered up her gloves with dignity.<p/>
P20 152 <p_><quote_>"There's gratitude for you. I only wanted to help. I 
P20 153 needn't have bothered!"<quote/> And with that she swept outside.<p/>
P20 154 <p_>Chrissie's anger quickly evaporated and now she was sorry she'd 
P20 155 been so unkind to Arthur's wife. She followed her outside.<p/>
P20 156 <p_>Lizzie was busy with the pony. Stony<?_>-<?/>faced, she 
P20 157 untethered the beast and climbed aboard the trap. Chrissie touched 
P20 158 her arm hesitantly.<p/>
P20 159 <p_><quote_>"Lizzie - I'm so sorry about the baby 
P20 160 dying..."<quote/><p/>
P20 161 <p_>For a moment Lizzie Kennedy was caught unawares, and Chrissie 
P20 162 had a startling glimpse of the depth of her sorrow and suffering. 
P20 163 Then she nodded quickly and gathered up the rains, urging the 
P20 164 little pony on to the Dundee road.<p/>
P20 165 <h_><p_>'Votes For Women!'<p/><h/>
P20 166 <p_>HARRIET BOWERS didn't know what to think when she heard 
P20 167 Chrissie had turned Charles down.<p/>
P20 168 <p_>She admired Chrissie's devotion to Danny, and pitied Charles 
P20 169 because he'd been rejected. She couldn't stop hoping he might turn 
P20 170 to her for comfort, but...<p/>
P20 171 <p_>She was still determined to be a doctor. She loved Charles, but 
P20 172 she didn't want to be married - yet.<p/>
P20 173 <p_>Someday... maybe... she thought as she strolled among the 
P20 174 roses.<p/>
P20 175 <p_><quote_>"Penny for them, Harriet?"<quote/><p/>
P20 176 <p_>Charles was leaning against the summerhouse in the sunshine. 
P20 177 Smiling, he held out a penny, which she took gravely.<p/>
P20 178 <p_><quote_>"I was thinking about you and Chrissie,"<quote/><p/>
P20 179 <p_><quote_>"Oh! That's something I try <tf|>not to think about! I 
P20 180 work harder than usual, smoke and drink more than I ought, but I 
P20 181 still find myself -" He broke off.<p/>
P20 182 <p_>Harriet remained silent, studying his tall, spare frame, the 
P20 183 quirky curve to his lips, the kindness of his steady, intelligent 
P20 184 eyes. He returned her stare.<p/>
P20 185 <p_><quote_>"Chrissie tells me you want to be a doctor?"<quote/><p/>
P20 186 <p_><quote_>"Yes, I've been accepted on the strength of my exam 
P20 187 results. Are you shocked, Charles? Mama had to be revived with 
P20 188 smelling salts when I told her!"<quote/><p/>
P20 189 <p_><quote_>"No, I'm not shocked."<quote/> He grinned. <quote_>"A 
P20 190 liberal dose of Harriet Bowers' commonsense is just what the 
P20 191 medical profession needs."<quote/><p/>
P20 192 <p_><quote_>"You're teasing me!"<quote/><p/>
P20 193 <p_><quote_>"No, I'm not!"<quote/><p/>
P20 194 <p_>Charles looked down into Harriet's wide eyes. He was very fond 
P20 195 of her and they got on well. He knew he must marry one day, and if 
P20 196 he couldn't have the woman he loved, perhaps...<p/>
P20 197 <p_><quote_>"What about marriage - and children?"<quote/><p/>
P20 198 <p_>Harriet's heart gave a wild leap, but she paused gravely to 
P20 199 consider the question.<p/>
P20 200 <p_><quote_>"I think it would be a great wrench,"<quote/> she 
P20 201 answered honestly. <quote_>"But if I truly loved the man, I would 
P20 202 do it for him."<quote/><p/>
P20 203 <p_><*_>four-stars<*/><p/>
P20 204 <p_>The mild, misty spell of September weather broke at last, and 
P20 205 the suffragettes marched along the High Street on October 1 in 
P20 206 chilly rain. Chrissie was with them, persuaded against her better 
P20 207 judgement by Harriet's infectious enthusiasm.<p/>
P20 208 <p_><quote_>"Don't you want the vote, Chrissie?"<quote/> Harriet 
P20 209 had challenged her.<p/>
P20 210 <p_><quote_>"Well, yes, I suppose so, but -"<quote/><p/>
P20 211 <p_>Chrissie wasn't sure what she'd do with a vote if she had it. 
P20 212 Surely her small mark upon a ballot paper wouldn't change anything? 
P20 213 She said as much to Harriet.<p/>
P20 214 <p_><quote_>"Of course, it would! Imagine a whole army of women 
P20 215 with the power to vote. We could change the world! There would be 
P20 216 women in Parliament keeping an eye on the men. A woman Prime 
P20 217 Minister even!"<quote/> Harriet's eyes glowed with fervour.<p/>
P20 218 <p_><quote_>"The Prime Minister a women? Och, Harriet, what 
P20 219 nonsense!"<quote/> Chrissie giggled.<p/>
P20 220 <p_><quote_>"Well, maybe that's going a wee bit far,"<quote/> her 
P20 221 friend agreed with a grin. <quote_>"But you must come, Chrissie, to 
P20 222 help hold my banner. It's huge, and I can't manage on my 
P20 223 own!"<quote/><p/>
P20 224 <p_>So Chrissie marched, holding one end of a rain-soaked banner 
P20 225 which proclaimed in red paint VOTES FOR WOMEN... NOW! They marched 
P20 226 to the vigorous beat of Daisy Marchmont's big drum, shepherded 
P20 227 dourly by most of Dundee's impressively tall policemen.<p/>
P20 228 <p_>Chrissie felt horribly conspicuous and embarrassed. She spotted 
P20 229 a disapproving group waiting for a tram outside the Town House 
P20 230 pillars, and recognised some of the ladies who'd been her sternest 
P20 231 critics. Her feet began to drag reluctantly.<p/>
P20 232 <p_>Suddenly the interested crowd began to swell. The shifts had 
P20 233 changed at the mills. There was Danny with a group of 
P20 234 mill<?_>-<?/>workers, as cheering loudly!<p/>
P20 235 <p_>He caught her eye and waved furiously, blowing a kiss.<p/>
P20 236 <p_><quote_>"Look, lads, <}_><-|> There's <+|>there's<}/> 
P20 237 Chrissie, my bonnie lass. Votes for women, say I!"<quote/> Danny 
P20 238 waved his cap, and all the millworkers cheered themselves 
P20 239 hoarse.<p/>
P20 240 <p_>Chrissie felt a lump in the throat. With Danny she wouldn't sit 
P20 241 aimlessly at home with an embroidery frame. She would be his 
P20 242 companion and helpmate, working shoulder to shoulder with him to 
P20 243 make ends meet. It would be hard, she knew, but she would be the 
P20 244 equal of any man. She would <tf|>earn her right to vote.<p/>
P20 245 <p_>Chrissie hoisted the banner higher, giving it a defiant shake 
P20 246 as the procession wound past the scandalised group by the Town 
P20 247 House.<p/>
P20 248 
P21   1 <#FLOB:P21\><h_><p_>A story by Phoebe Roome<p/>
P21   2 <p_>Love out of season<p/>
P21   3 <p_>Tom had gone out into the blizzard to get milk for the baby, 
P21   4 yet here he was, trapped in a strange car with a beautiful girl and 
P21   5 feeling unreasonably happy<p/><h/>
P21   6 <p_>Tom Foley was asleep and deep in a dream in which he had just 
P21   7 resigned from the water company to begin a contract as a gag writer 
P21   8 for the comedian Dave Berry. The company hadn't liked it and, 
P21   9 rather unreasonably, had sentenced him to death by firing squad. 
P21  10 Half a dozen beautiful girls in Santagram outfits were lined up in 
P21  11 front of him. They took aim carefully and, on the command of Mr 
P21  12 Webb his acidly sarcastic boss, let off a volley of... 
P21  13 snowballs!<p/>
P21  14 <p_>Kersplatt!<p/>
P21  15 <p_>One hit him right on his nose.<p/>
P21  16 <p_>That's when he woke up to find a blizzard blowing through the 
P21  17 open window on the bed.<p/>
P21  18 <p_>He got up, snapped the window shut and thanked goodness that he 
P21  19 and Julie were now sleeping in separate rooms. The official reason 
P21  20 was Baby Ben's late night feeds. But there were others - like 
P21  21 Tom's habit of sleeping with the window open in all weathers, and 
P21  22 his snoring.<p/>
P21  23 <p_>Little reasons - which all rolled up into one big reason 
P21  24 really. And that was fifteen years of marriage and the gradual 
P21  25 compromise of the dreams they'd had and the plans they'd make when 
P21  26 they'd sat in that wonderful, clapped-out old car in a time when 
P21  27 the very stars in the sky had seemed so near that all you had to do 
P21  28 was reach out...<p/>
P21  29 <p_>Julie's inheritance from a rich relative and the new 
P21  30 independence it had given her hadn't helped either.<p/>
P21  31 <p_>It was Sunday and the world outside had been transformed
P21  32 <}_><-|>in to<+|>into<}/> a wonderful white-shrouded fairyland.<p/>
P21  33 <p_><quote_>"Good grief!"<quote/> exclaimed Tom to himself. 
P21  34 <quote_>"A blizzard, in April. And a lot of it."<quote/><p/>
P21  35 <p_>The snow was remarkably deep. Even now the radio in the kitchen 
P21  36 was delivering the news that most parts of Britain were buried 
P21  37 under the greatest unseasonable snowfall since who knew when. Tom's 
P21  38 heart sank as he realised he was trapped. His plans to spend the 
P21  39 day in the garden were just as effectively buried as the newly 
P21  40 sprouting crocuses.<p/>
P21  41 <p_>Trapped, with the incessant chatter of the boys, the telephone 
P21  42 calls, the complaining demands to <quote_>"fix that drawer, put the 
P21  43 plug back on the toaster, fix that bike"<quote/>.<p/>
P21  44 <p_>Julie was in her dressing gown feeding Baby Ben. What a mistake 
P21  45 it had been, having another baby at forty. Just as Tom raised his 
P21  46 first cup of coffee to his lips Ben kicked out and the last bottle 
P21  47 of milk was all over the floor. Baby Ben screamed in triumphant 
P21  48 rage and Julie screamed back at him. Tom did his best to clean up 
P21  49 but, of course, he only made it worse.<p/>
P21  50 <p_>So, stuffed into his hardiest weatherproofs, Tom made his way 
P21  51 into the arctic streets to buy precious milk.<p/>
P21  52 <p_>SNOW had been drifting all night. The garage door was blocked 
P21  53 but so what? There was no chance of driving through the  
P21  54 snow<?_>-<?/>bound streets.<p/>
P21  55 <p_>Tom struggled in the direction of the only shop that might 
P21  56 possibly have opened for business, Patel's.<p/>
P21  57 <p_>Snow whipped into his face as he struggled through the  
P21  58 knee-deep drifts.<p/>
P21  59 <p_><quote|>"Damn!" he exclaimed as he blundered into the back of a 
P21  60 half-buried car.<p/>
P21  61 <p_>He stooped to rub his shin and realised that there was a young 
P21  62 woman inside the vehicle. She was bent over the wheel, her face 
P21  63 buried in her deep collar. Tom thumped on the side window. The girl 
P21  64 looked up and Tom saw that she was crying.<p/>
P21  65 <p_><quote_>"What's wrong?"<quote/> he mouthed through the 
P21  66 snow-crusted glass.<p/>
P21  67 <p_>The girl shook her head, not understanding.<p/>
P21  68 <p_>Tom scraped away the snow that was blocking the door and the 
P21  69 girl pushed from inside.<p/>
P21  70 <p_>Finally the door opened and Tom crawled inside. The motor was 
P21  71 running to keep the heater going and the interior was as cosy as a 
P21  72 mitten.<p/>
P21  73 <p_><quote_>"Did you get trapped here?"<quote/> Tom asked, noting 
P21  74 the devastatingly pretty face.<p/>
P21  75 <p_><quote_>"I came out a couple of hours ago to get some 
P21  76 milk,"<quote/> the girl said, with a sob in her voice.<p/>
P21  77 <p_><quote|>"Hah," exclaimed Tom. <quote_>"So did I."<quote/><p/>
P21  78 <p_><quote_>"I don't know what to do. I hoped a policeman or a 
P21  79 snowplough might come along, but you're the first person I've 
P21  80 seen."<quote/><p/>
P21  81 <p_><quote_>"There are no other cars on the road,"<quote/> said 
P21  82 Tom. <quote_>"Why not let me see you home? It's the least I can 
P21  83 do."<quote/><p/>
P21  84 <p_><quote_>"No thanks. I'm fine."<quote/><p/>
P21  85 <p_><quote_>"You mean you want to stay in this car? What happens if 
P21  86 you run out of petrol?"<quote/><p/>
P21  87 <p_><quote_>"It will stop soon."<quote/><p/>
P21  88 <p_><quote_>"But you can't stay here. Even when it stops you won't 
P21  89 be able to drive. I can't leave you, that would be 
P21  90 ridiculous."<quote/><p/>
P21  91 <p_><quote_>"Everything's ridiculous."<quote/><p/>
P21  92 <p_>Tom was beginning to feel uncomfortable in the heat and 
P21  93 closeness of the car, He shrugged open his anorak, rummaged in his 
P21  94 pockets and produced a packet of mints.<p/>
P21  95 <p_><quote_>"Have a mint,"<quote/> he ordered.<p/>
P21  96 <p_>The girl took one.<p/>
P21  97 <p_><quote_>"You know people can suffocate in cars. It happens all 
P21  98 of the time. It can be dangerous."<quote/><p/>
P21  99 <p_><quote_>"It's more dangerous in your own kitchen than in your 
P21 100 car."<quote/> she returned crisply.<p/>
P21 101 <p_>Was she stubborn? Tom didn't like that about her. They sucked 
P21 102 on their mints and looked gloomily out of the window. He studied 
P21 103 her out of the corner of his eye. She was breathtakingly pretty, 
P21 104 about twenty-eight, he guessed, startling green eyes, a strong 
P21 105 determined mouth and a beautiful nose.<p/>
P21 106 <p_>Tom tilted his head up a little to hide his bald spot.<p/>
P21 107 <p_><quote_>"I'm terribly sorry,"<quote/> the girl said, looking 
P21 108 full into his face. <quote_>"I was very rude."<quote/><p/>
P21 109 <p_><quote_>"It's OK. I expect you've got a good reason. I'll just 
P21 110 open this window a bit for safety."<quote/><p/>
P21 111 <p_>He managed to lower the window and cold, fresh air spilled into 
P21 112 the little car.<p/>
P21 113 <p_><quote_>"Along comes a handsome stranger to rescue me and I 
P21 114 turn him down. But that's just my style. Anything to be awkward. 
P21 115 You just woudn't know the half of it."<quote/><p/>
P21 116 <p_><quote_>"I'd be happy to find out,"<quote/> said Tom oafishly, 
P21 117 blushing like a teenager.<p/>
P21 118 <p_><quote_>"Don't bother to. Everything I touch turns to... 
P21 119 to..."<quote/><p/>
P21 120 <p_><quote|>"Dross?" Tom offered. <quote_>"I think that's what 
P21 121 things turn to - or gold, but I don't think that's what you 
P21 122 mean."<quote/><p/>
P21 123 <p_><quote_>"No, dross is the word all right,"<quote/> she said. 
P21 124 <quote_>"What do you do?"<quote/><p/>
P21 125 <p_><quote_>"I work in the accounts department of the water company 
P21 126  - not very exciting, I'm afraid."<quote/><p/>
P21 127 <p_><quote_>"I like it,"<quote/> she said. <quote_>"It sounds 
P21 128 normal."<quote/><p/>
P21 129 <p_><quote_>"I write comedy scripts as well. I send them to 
P21 130 comedians and shows all over the place but they hardly ever get 
P21 131 accepted."<quote/><p/>
P21 132 <p_>She smiled a glorious smile.<p/>
P21 133 <p_><quote_>"I thought you didn't really look like the 
P21 134 water-board - or talk like it."<quote/><p/>
P21 135 <p_>Tom glowed with pride but couldn't trust himself to say 
P21 136 anything.<p/>
P21 137 <p_>The girl peered through the windscreen at the unceasing snow. 
P21 138 <quote_>"My mother will be worried. She's looking after my little 
P21 139 girl for me. She's six months old. I was looking for a shop to buy 
P21 140 milk when I got stuck here."<quote/><p/>
P21 141 <p_><quote_>"I've got a little boy of nine months - and two other 
P21 142 not so little ones,"<quote/> Tom confessed.<p/>
P21 143 <p_>The snow fell silently around them, cutting off the world with 
P21 144 an opaque white screen. They could have been the last people on 
P21 145 earth. Tom felt he had been close to the girl in the car for 
P21 146 years.<p/>
P21 147 <p_><quote_>"How amazingly quiet it is,"<quote/> she said. 
P21 148 <quote_>"Have you ever known anything so amazingly 
P21 149 quiet?"<quote/><p/>
P21 150 <p_><quote_>"No, it's wonderful. I live surrounded by noise. This 
P21 151 is great therapy."<quote/><p/>
P21 152 <p_><quote_>"You should stick at those scripts. You sound like a 
P21 153 natural writer."<quote/><p/>
P21 154 <p_><quote_>"Maybe. Maybe a lot of things."<quote/><p/>
P21 155 <p_><quote_>"Honestly, I mean it. I know, I was married to one. I 
P21 156 suppose I still am."<quote/><p/>
P21 157 <p_><quote_>"I see,"<quote/> said Tom, his throat constricting in 
P21 158 reasonless jealousy. He wished he could sit next to her forever, 
P21 159 but he knew they should leave now.<p/>
P21 160 <p_><quote_>"You know, we might be breathing carbon monoxide in 
P21 161 here and not even know it. You feel drowsy, close your eyes and 
P21 162 that's it - so I believe."<quote/><p/>
P21 163 <p_><quote_>"I take it all back,"<quote/> she said. <quote_>"You 
P21 164 talk like a writer but think like the water-board."<quote/><p/>
P21 165 <p_><quote_>"What's that supposed to mean?"<quote/><p/>
P21 166 <p_><QUOTE_>"This is the only time I'm going to have a whole lot of 
P21 167 silence to share with a stranger whose name I don't even know but 
P21 168 who seems to understand all about me."<quote/><p/>
P21 169 <p_>Tom was thrown by the reply.<p/>
P21 170 <p_><quote_>"Oh, I'm being too emotional and silly,"<quote/> 
P21 171 continued the beautiful girls. <quote_>"That's what my husband used 
P21 172 to say."<quote/><p/>
P21 173 <p_><quote_>"This is the weirdest place in the world for the 
P21 174 beginning of an affair,"<quote/> Tom thought. <quote_>"Things like 
P21 175 that only happen in books."<quote/><p/>
P21 176 <p_><quote_>"One day,"<quote/> she said, <quote_>"he packed his 
P21 177 bags and left and I haven't seen him since."<quote/><p/>
P21 178 <p_><quote_>"When was that?"<quote/><p/>
P21 179 <p_><quote_>"Oh, six months ago. Half a year - so my mother came 
P21 180 to live with me."<quote/><p/>
P21 181 <p_><quote_>"I'm sorry."<quote/><p/>
P21 182 <p_><quote_>"You don' know the first thing about me, why be 
P21 183 sorry?"<quote/> she said, changing her tune completely.<p/>
P21 184 <p_><quote_>"Don't let's fight,"<quote/> said Tom. <quote_>"I'll 
P21 185 only lose."<quote/><p/>
P21 186 <p_>They both laughed.<p/>
P21 187 <p_><quote_>"I'll say this,"<quote/> she said. <quote_>"You talk 
P21 188 like somebody real. He was unreal."<quote/><p/>
P21 189 <p_><quote_>"Presumably his great novel didn't pay the rent. What 
P21 190 did he do for a living?"<quote/><p/>
P21 191 <p_><quote_>"Oh, he worked freelance for an advertising agency - 
P21 192 you know. "Wash away washday blues." That sort of 
P21 193 thing."<quote/><p/>
P21 194 <p_><quote_>"I'm not surprised,"<quote/> said Tom.<p/>
P21 195 <p_><quote_>"What about you?"<quote/> she said. <quote_>"I mean 
P21 196 what about the water company?"<quote/> Her voice asked one question 
P21 197 but her lovely green eyes seemed to ask another.<p/>
P21 198 <p_>Tom croaked out an answer. <quote_>"Oh, there's nothing to talk 
P21 199 about. I do the accounts. At least, design the computer systems 
P21 200 that do the accounts. There are millions of them. The computer does 
P21 201 them. It works them out and sends them."<quote/><p/>
P21 202 <p_><quote_>"Well, I won't say it sounds fascinating,"<quote/> she 
P21 203 said, her hand brushing his, <quote_>"but you must be awfully 
P21 204 clever to get all those computers to do all those bills and get 
P21 205 them right."<quote/><p/>
P21 206 <p_>Tom laughed. He felt unreasonably happy. She was going to his 
P21 207 head like wine.<p/>
P21 208 <p_><quote_>"Well, I'm really called a systems analyst. What I do 
P21 209 for the water company, I could do for anybody with a need to do 
P21 210 what they call large batch accounts. I break up the task into 
P21 211 logical steps and then plan the computer system for handling it. 
P21 212 It's so boring, I don't really want to talk about it."<quote/><p/>
P21 213 <p_>She was looking into his eyes.<p/>
P21 214 <p_><quote_>"I mean it's boring me as well. It would bore 
P21 215 anybody."<quote/><p/>
P21 216 <p_><quote_>"Why don't you walk on?"<quote/><p/>
P21 217 <p_><quote_>"Walk on?"<quote/><p/>
P21 218 <p_><quote_>"Stop what you're doing and move on to something 
P21 219 else?"<quote/><p/>
P21 220 <p_><quote_>"Nobody ever asked me that before."<quote/><p/>
P21 221 <p_><quote_>"I asked George."<quote/><p/>
P21 222 <p_><quote_>"And?"<quote/><p/>
P21 223 <p_><quote_>"He was always complaining that he hated doing 
P21 224 advertising, that it was ruining his work but that he had a wife 
P21 225 and a family and had to do it. And besides, it paid well, and he 
P21 226 didn't have to go in everyday."<quote/><p/>
P21 227 <p_><quote_>"Don't knock it. It doesn't sound at all bad to 
P21 228 me."<quote/><p/>
P21 229 <p_><quote_>"Well, you wouldn't believe it. The clients are so 
P21 230 fussy. He had to do each thing over and over again - sometimes 
P21 231 dozens and dozens of times. And he'd start drinking if he couldn't 
P21 232 think of what the girl could say to her friend with bad breath. He 
P21 233 became impossible so I told him to get on his bike. I couldn't 
P21 234 understand how he'd let anything so trivial get him down so much. 
P21 235 He said it was just because it was so trivial that it got him down. 
P21 236 I sort of saw his point."<quote/><p/>
P21 237 <p_><quote_>"And he went?"<quote/><p/>
P21 238 <p_><quote_>"All the way to Los Angeles. He wrote to me to say he'd 
P21 239 got another job in advertising there. He says it's no better, but 
P21 240 at least it's sunny. The trouble is he really likes doing it but 
P21 241 he's ashamed to admit it."<quote/><p/>
P21 242 <p_>Tom passed her another mint and she held his hand steady as she 
P21 243 pulled it out from the wrapper. He felt he'd known her for a 
P21 244 million years.<p/>
P21 245 <p_><quote_>"I'm glad he's gone. He freed us both."<quote/>
P21 246 
P22   1 <#FLOB:P22\><p_><quote_>"Of course, I knew it would be, 
P22   2 darling,"<quote/> said my mother.<p/>
P22   3 <p_>Martha looked at me and raised her eyebrows.<p/>
P22   4 <p_><quote_>"Oh, one's always jittery just before,"<quote/> said my 
P22   5 mother defensively. <quote_>"You have to be. If you weren't, you'd 
P22   6 go on stage flat. It's the life, darling."<quote/><p/>
P22   7 <p_>As we were pulling up at the house, I noticed the girl. She was 
P22   8 standing near a lamp post, but I could see her face. She looked 
P22   9 rather dejected and I wondered what she was doing standing about at 
P22  10 this time of night.<p/>
P22  11 <p_>My mother was saying: <quote_>"Oh, I'm so weary, and 'Can I 
P22  12 help you, Madam?' keeps going round and round in my 
P22  13 head."<quote/><p/>
P22  14 <p_>Thomas had jumped down from the driver's seat and was holding 
P22  15 the door open. My mother alighted. I saw the girl take a step 
P22  16 forward. Her face was still tense. Before I could alight from the 
P22  17 carriage she was hastily walking away.<p/>
P22  18 <p_>I said: <quote_>"Did you see that girl?"<quote/><p/>
P22  19 <p_><quote_>"Which girl?"<quote/><p/>
P22  20 <p_><quote_>"The one who was standing over there. She looked as 
P22  21 though she were watching you."<quote/><p/>
P22  22 <p_><quote_>"Came to take a look at Countess Maud, I 
P22  23 reckon,"<quote/> said Martha.<p/>
P22  24 <p_><quote_>"Yes. But she seemed different somehow."<quote/><p/>
P22  25 <p_><quote_>"Another of the stagestruck crowd,"<quote/> said 
P22  26 Martha. <quote_>"Thinks she's another D<*_>e-acute<*/>sir<*_>e-acute<*/>, 
P22  27 I don't doubt. Most of them do."<quote/><p/>
P22  28 <p_><quote_>"Come in,"<quote/> said my mother. <quote_>"I'm half 
P22  29 asleep, if you're not."<quote/><p/>
P22  30 <p_>I knew that we should all find it difficult to sleep. It was 
P22  31 like this on first nights... but this night seemed different. There 
P22  32 were two things to make it so: the presence of Roderick in the 
P22  33 theatre, which set me wondering again about Charlie, Lady Constance 
P22  34 and the relationship he must have with my mother; and then the girl 
P22  35 in the street. Why had she made such an impression on me? People 
P22  36 often stood about to get a glimpse of my mother... outside the 
P22  37 theatre and occasionally outside our home, for the press had 
P22  38 betrayed where D<*_>e-acute<*/>sir<*_>e-acute<*/> lived. The 
P22  39 girl must have been, as Martha had said, stagestruck: she had 
P22  40 wanted to see D<*_>e-acute<*/>sir<*_>e-acute<*/> at close 
P22  41 quarters.<p/>
P22  42 <p_>I should be at peace. The first night was over. Now there would 
P22  43 be a long run and my mother and I would have more time together.<p/>
P22  44 <h_><p_>The Accident<p/><h/>
P22  45 <p_><tf_>Countess Maud<tf/> had settled in - another success for 
P22  46 D<*_>e-acute<*/>sir<*_>e-acute<*/>.<p/>
P22  47 <p_>It was about three weeks after the opening night - a Thursday 
P22  48 and a matin<*_>e-acute<*/>e. My mother had left for the theatre 
P22  49 and I had said I wanted to do some shopping and I would come to the 
P22  50 theatre so that I could join her after the performance and Thomas 
P22  51 could drive us home together. He often did this. It gave us a 
P22  52 little time together before she dashed off for the evening 
P22  53 performance.<p/>
P22  54 <p_>As I came out of the house I saw Roderick Claverham coming down 
P22  55 the street.<p/>
P22  56 <p_><quote|>"Hello," he said, for a few seconds we stood smiling at 
P22  57 each other.<p/>
P22  58 <p_>I spoke first. <quote_>"You are still in London, 
P22  59 then?"<quote/><p/>
P22  60 <p_><quote_>"I have been home and came back again."<quote/><p/>
P22  61 <p_><quote_>"How are the remains?"<quote/><p/>
P22  62 <p_><quote_>"No further discoveries. It would be surprising if 
P22  63 there were. I was hoping I might see you. I've been here once or 
P22  64 twice before with the same object in view. This time I've struck 
P22  65 lucky."<quote/><p/>
P22  66 <p_>I felt pleased because he had admitted that he was looking for 
P22  67 me.<p/>
P22  68 <p_><quote_>"Were you going to call on us?"<quote/> I asked.<p/>
P22  69 <p_><quote_>"I thought in the circumstances that might not be quite 
P22  70 acceptable, would it?"<quote/><p/>
P22  71 <p_><quote_>"Perhaps not."<quote/><p/>
P22  72 <p_><quote_>"Whereas meeting by accident..."<quote/><p/>
P22  73 <p_><quote_>"Would be quite another matter, of course."<quote/><p/>
P22  74 <p_><quote_>"Were you going somewhere?"<quote/><p/>
P22  75 <p_><quote_>"Only shopping."<quote/><p/>
P22  76 <p_><quote_>"May I come?"<quote/><p/>
P22  77 <p_><quote_>"You wouldn't be interested."<quote/><p/>
P22  78 <p_><quote_>"I think I should."<quote/><p/>
P22  79 <p_><quote_>"It is not necessary shopping. I was really going to 
P22  80 finish up at the theatre and come home with my mother."<quote/><p/>
P22  81 <p_><quote_>"Perhaps I could escort you to the theatre."<quote/><p/>
P22  82 <p_><quote_>"It will be two hours before the show 
P22  83 finishes."<quote/><p/>
P22  84 <p_><quote_>"Well, we could walk round a bit. You could show me 
P22  85 this part of London. Perhaps we could have a cup of tea somewhere? 
P22  86 Does that seem like a bore to you?"<quote/><p/>
P22  87 <p_><quote_>"Quite the contrary."<quote/><p/>
P22  88 <p_><quote_>"Then shall we start?"<quote/><p/>
P22  89 <p_><quote_>"Of course, you are attracted to the past,"<quote/> I 
P22  90 said as we walked along. <quote_>"I don't think we have anything 
P22  91 here as ancient as your Roman remains. My governess is very 
P22  92 interested in this area. You see, it is very much associated with 
P22  93 the theatre and she is devoted to all that."<quote/><p/>
P22  94 <p_><quote_>"Perhaps that's because she is with a theatrical 
P22  95 family."<quote/><p/>
P22  96 <p_><quote_>"There is my mother, of course, but to tell the truth 
P22  97 Matty rather despises her achievements. People do when they find 
P22  98 someone who has reached the top of what they consider to be a lower 
P22  99 grade than they themselves aspire to - particularly if they 
P22 100 haven't made even the first steps towards their goal. You see, 
P22 101 Matty fancies herself as a great actress and that she is wasting 
P22 102 her time teaching."<quote/><p/>
P22 103 <p_><quote_>"I should have thought she should have been very proud 
P22 104 of her present pupil."<quote/><p/>
P22 105 <p_><quote_>"We get along quite well. But it is acting she is 
P22 106 really interested in. I think in her heart she knows all that is 
P22 107 right out of reach. But don't you agree that people get pleasure 
P22 108 out of daydreams?"<quote/><p/>
P22 109 <p_><quote_>"Very likely."<quote/><p/>
P22 110 <p_><quote_>"It's an easy way. Matty can live in her dreams - 
P22 111 those moments when she is on the stage giving the finest 
P22 112 performance of Lady Macbeth, accepting the acclaim of the audience, 
P22 113 receiving the bouquets, reading about her genius in the next 
P22 114 morning's papers. She doesn't have to go through all the nerve-racking 
P22 115 tensions, the hideous doubts, the nightmare of the opening 
P22 116 performance as my mother does."<quote/><p/>
P22 117 <p_><quote_>"I should have thought your mother was absolutely sure 
P22 118 of success."<quote/><p/>
P22 119 <p_><quote_>"It is because she isn't that she is successful... if 
P22 120 you understand what I mean. She tells me that unless you are in a 
P22 121 state of tension you don't give your best performance. In any case, 
P22 122 I can tell you that being a successful actress is not easy and I am 
P22 123 beginning to think that Matty's dreams are more enjoyable than the 
P22 124 reality. She gets lyrical about this place and she loves being in 
P22 125 the theatrical environment. She thoroughly enjoys our walks round 
P22 126 here."<quote/><p/>
P22 127 <p_><quote_>As I am doing."<quote/><p/>
P22 128 <p_><quote_>"We always talk a lot about the old days. It must have 
P22 129 been exciting when the theatres were reinstated. Matty goes on at 
P22 130 length about the Puritans under Cromwell who closed the theatres. 
P22 131 They thought they were sinful. Matty rails against 
P22 132 them."<quote/><p/>
P22 133 <p_><quote_>"I agree with her. I have a dislike for the 
P22 134 sanctimonious who enjoy taking away people's pleasures with the 
P22 135 excuse that it is good for them to be without it while all the time 
P22 136 they are indulging their pleasure in contemplating their own 
P22 137 virtue."<quote/><p/>
P22 138 <p_><quote_>"I feel the same. But it was wonderful when the theatre 
P22 139 came back. Almost worth having been without it! Matty is very 
P22 140 interested in the Restoration playwrights. She has made it a 
P22 141 subject for us to study. She says it will be good for me. I am glad 
P22 142 she did."<quote/><p/>
P22 143 <p_><quote_>"I dare say she is teaching herself as well as 
P22 144 you."<quote/><p/>
P22 145 <p_><quote_>"I am sure she is. We went to libraries and unearthed 
P22 146 all sorts of information. <tf|>You will understand how exciting it 
P22 147 was. You have your Roman relics."<quote/><p/>
P22 148 <p_><quote_>"I certainly do. And when you walk these streets you 
P22 149 picture
P22 150 them as they were years ago."<quote/><p/>
P22 151 <p_><quote_>"Yes... with the men in their magnificent wigs and 
P22 152 feathered hats - and Nell Gwynn was, of course, at Drury Lane 
P22 153 selling oranges and then becoming an actress and fascinating King 
P22 154 Charles. It's all so romantic."<quote/><p/>
P22 155 <p_><quote_>"And you do not wish to go on the stage and share in 
P22 156 the limelight with your mother?"<quote/><p/>
P22 157 <p_><quote_>"I have too much respect for her talents to imagine I 
P22 158 share them. I can't sing and my mother has a beautiful voice. She 
P22 159 is also a wonderful dancer."<quote/><p/>
P22 160 <p_><quote_>"And, unlike Matty, she does not sigh for the classical 
P22 161 roles."<quote/><p/>
P22 162 <p_><quote_>"<tf_>Countess Maud<tf/> and suchlike are good enough 
P22 163 for her."<quote/><p/>
P22 164 <p_><quote_>"And very good she is with them."<quote/><p/>
P22 165 <p_><quote_>"I saw you at the play."<quote/><p/>
P22 166 <p_><quote_>"Yes, I saw you."<quote/><p/>
P22 167 <p_><quote_>"You didn't stay. You must have hurried 
P22 168 off."<quote/><p/>
P22 169 <p_><quote_>"I was unsure. Better to take no action when you are 
P22 170 wondering which is the right one."<quote/><p/>
P22 171 <p_><quote_>"I suppose so. By the way, this is Vere Street. We 
P22 172 discovered an interesting story about a theatre which was once 
P22 173 here. It was opened by Killigrew and Davenant, who were two well-known 
P22 174 theatrical men. They were so anxious to get the theatres 
P22 175 started again that they opened one here only a few months after the 
P22 176 Restoration. Matty said their enthusiasm must have been marvellous. 
P22 177 They brought out a patent that women could play on the stage. 
P22 178 Before that their parts were taken by boys. Can you imagine that! 
P22 179 Women had been very badly treated through the ages. I think it is 
P22 180 time we did something about it. Don't you agree?"<quote/><p/>
P22 181 <p_><quote_>"I fear that if I don't I shall lose any regard you 
P22 182 have for me, so I will say at once that I do."<quote/><p/>
P22 183 <p_>I laughed. <quote_>"I should not want you to agree with me for 
P22 184 that reason."<quote/><p/>
P22 185 <p_><quote_>"Forget that I said it. It was a foolish remark to make 
P22 186 in a serious conversation. Yes, I do agree, but I am sure that with 
P22 187 people like you around that situation will soon be 
P22 188 remedied."<quote/><p/>
P22 189 <p_><quote_>"The story I was going to tell you was of a wronged 
P22 190 woman. She was one of the first women to play on the stage. She was 
P22 191 in the theatre which was in Vere Street and she was playing Roxana 
P22 192 in <tf_>The Siege of Rhodes<tf/>. The Earl of Oxford, Aubrey de 
P22 193 Vere, came to see the play and conceived a passion for her. A de 
P22 194 Vere could not marry an actress, but she would not submit without 
P22 195 marriage. The villain then produced a bogus clergyman who arranged 
P22 196 a sham marriage, and she did not learn how she had been tricked 
P22 197 until it was too late."<quote/><p/>
P22 198 <p_><quote_>"Not the first, I believe, to have suffered in that 
P22 199 way."<quote/><p/>
P22 200 <p_><quote_>"Matty loves to collect stories about these people. She 
P22 201 can tell you about the arrogance of Colly Cibber and the virtue of 
P22 202 Anne bracegirdle."<quote/><p/>
P22 203 <p_><quote_>"Tell me about the virtuous one."<quote/><p/>
P22 204 <p_><quote_>"She was an actress who died in the middle of the 
P22 205 eighteenth century, which was a time when a lot of interesting 
P22 206 people seem to have lived. She had very high moral standards, which 
P22 207 was rare in an actress. She used to go round helping the poor. She 
P22 208 reminds me of my mother. She has hundreds of begging letters. 
P22 209 People are always waiting outside the theatre with some pitiable 
P22 210 story."<quote/><p/>
P22 211 <p_><quote_>"Your mother has a lovely face. There is a softness... 
P22 212 a gentleness about her. She is beautiful, of course, but she has a 
P22 213 sort of inner beauty. I believe that when people have faces like 
P22 214 that they are really good."<quote/><p/>
P22 215 <p_><quote_>"What a nice thing to say. I want to tell her that. She 
P22 216 will be amused. She doesn't think she's good at all. She thinks 
P22 217 she's a sinner. But you're right. She <tf|>is good. I often think 
P22 218 how lucky I am to be her daughter."<quote/><p/>
P22 219 <p_>He pressed my arm and we were silent for a moment, then he 
P22 220 said: <quote_>"What happened to Roxana?"<quote/><p/>
P22 221 <p_><quote_>"We did discover that there was a child named Aubrey de 
P22 222 Vere, and he called himself the Earl of Oxford. He was the son of 
P22 223 an actress and it was said that the earl had gone through a form of 
P22 224 mock marriage with his mother."<quote/><p/>
P22 225 <p_><quote_>"That must have been the one, unless he made a habit of 
P22 226 going through mock marriages."<quote/><p/>
P22 227 <p_><quote_>"I could imagine he might. That's the maddening thing 
P22 228 about these stories. One often doesn't know how it turned out in 
P22 229 the end."<quote/><p/>
P22 230 <p_><quote_>"One has to imagine it. I hope Roxana became a great 
P22 231 actress and nemesis overtook the Earl of Oxford."<quote/><p/>
P22 232 <p_><quote_>"Matty discovered that he was notoriously immoral, but 
P22 233 he was witty and popular at Court, so I suppose he didn't suffer 
P22 234 for his misdeeds."<quote/><p/>
P22 235 <p_><quote_>"What a shame! Look.
P22 236 
P23   1 <#FLOB:P23\><p_><quote_>"They must think I'm on a diet or 
P23   2 something,"<quote/> he complained, eyeing his tiny portion with 
P23   3 disfavour. <quote_>"I could do with a big, juicy burger right now - 
P23   4  with fries!"<quote/><p/>
P23   5 <p_><quote_>"Just the all-American boy,"<quote/> Abby mocked 
P23   6 lightly, but she had noticed that he ran an expert eye over the 
P23   7 wine list and selected an unpretentious label which none the less 
P23   8 perfectly complemented the meal. She took a sip now and eyed him 
P23   9 over the rim of her glass. <quote_>"Do you deliberately cultivate 
P23  10 your image?"<quote/><p/>
P23  11 <p_>He grinned. <quote_>"What image is that, Abigail?"<quote/><p/>
P23  12 <p_><quote_>"You're so... American."<quote/><p/>
P23  13 <p_>Nick leant forward, suddenly serious. <quote_>"As far as I'm 
P23  14 concerned, I don't have an image, Abby. I like hamburgers, I like 
P23  15 fine wines. I don't see that those things are mutually exclusive. I 
P23  16 happen to like wearing fun clothes. I'm afraid that's just me. The 
P23  17 problem is that <tf|>you have an image of me based on some 
P23  18 prejudices you have against Americans - I don't know why. I am not 
P23  19 ashamed of being American, but it's not something I cultivate 
P23  20 deliberately as you're suggesting. The fact is that I grew up like 
P23  21 any normal boy in Colorado. I always wanted to be an actor, but I 
P23  22 sure didn't get discovered overnight like they always do in the 
P23  23 books. I had to work hard to get where I am today."<quote/> He 
P23  24 shrugged. <quote_>"The fact that <tf|>Carver took off unexpectedly 
P23  25 was a lucky break. If it hadn't I'd still be looking for an agent, 
P23  26 but I'd be the same guy - I just wouldn't be able to afford the 
P23  27 good wines!"<quote/><p/>
P23  28 <p_>Reaching across the table, he took her hand and Abby felt a 
P23  29 jolt that was becoming uncomfortably familiar. She tried to draw 
P23  30 her hand away, but he held it tightly against the pale green linen 
P23  31 tablecloth. <quote_>"Would you feel differently about me if I threw 
P23  32 away all my shirts, Abigail?"<quote/><p/>
P23  33 <p_><quote_>"I might if you could learn to call me Abby instead of 
P23  34 Abigail!"<quote/> Unreasonably flustered, she tugged her hand 
P23  35 away.<p/>
P23  36 <p_>The intent look vanished from his eyes, and he sat back with a 
P23  37 grin. <quote_>"Couldn't you at least be like other girls and learn 
P23  38 to love me for my money?"<quote/><p/>
P23  39 <p_><quote_>"That's probably exactly what Peter will 
P23  40 think."<quote/><p/>
P23  41 <p_><quote_>"He ought to know you better than that,"<quote/> Nick 
P23  42 said gently. At the warm smile in his eyes, Abby's heart began to 
P23  43 thump slowly and painfully against her ribs and she was relieved 
P23  44 when he looked away to catch a passing waiter's attention with the 
P23  45 barest lift of an eyebrow. <quote_>"What about something else to 
P23  46 eat - or would you prefer just coffee?"<quote/><p/>
P23  47 <p_><quote_>"I'd like pudding <tf|>and coffee, please,"<quote/> she 
P23  48 said with determined brightness. <quote_>"The chocolate cake sounds 
P23  49 wonderful!"<quote/><p/>
P23  50 <p_>Nick sounded amused. <quote_>"Most of the girls I take out just 
P23  51 want to push a lettuce leaf around their plate."<quote/><p/>
P23  52 <p_><quote_>"I wish I had that kind of self-control,"<quote/> 
P23  53 Abby confessed as she dug her spoon into the deliciously moist 
P23  54 cake, not wanting to know about all those other girls he had taken 
P23  55 out. <quote_>"But I've got to go to the dentist tomorrow morning, 
P23  56 so I'm eating extra now in case I can't tomorrow."<quote/><p/>
P23  57 <p_><quote_>"You don't need to make excuses. I like a girl with a 
P23  58 healthy appetite. There's something kind of erotic about seeing 
P23  59 someone enjoy their food!"<quote/><p/>
P23  60 <p_>Abby paused with the spoon halfway to her mouth. She glanced 
P23  61 up, knowing that he was joking and trying to laugh back at him, but 
P23  62 as their eyes met, and looked quickly away again, the laughter 
P23  63 faded and trailed away into silence.<p/>
P23  64 <p_>Abby put down her spoon uncertainly, unprepared for the rush of 
P23  65 molten desire that dissolved her bones and left her burning with an 
P23  66 aching need to reach across and touch him. She wanted to run her 
P23  67 hands over him, she wanted to trace the laughter lines at the 
P23  68 corner of his eyes, she wanted to wrap herself round him, breathe 
P23  69 in the warm, masculine smell of him. There was a place where the 
P23  70 pulse beat below his ear; she wanted to press her mouth to it. 
P23  71 Horrified, Abby pushed her plate away with unsteady hands. Her 
P23  72 appetite had gone.<p/>
P23  73 <p_>The candle cast flickering shadows on Nick's face as he stirred 
P23  74 his coffee with a brooding expression. Abby found her gaze dwelling 
P23  75 on the firm contours of his face, at once peculiarly familiar and 
P23  76 exciting. She felt as if the two of them were marooned together at 
P23  77 this table, with only the warm candlelight and the soft silence 
P23  78 between them.<p/>
P23  79 <p_>A dribble of melted wax slid down the candle. Abby moulded it 
P23  80 with her fingers, trying desperately to think of something to say, 
P23  81 but her tongue felt dry and awkward. She swallowed, and, despite 
P23  82 herself, her eyes slid back to Nick's mouth. Why choose this time 
P23  83 to remember the feel of his lips? She picked up her wine glass and 
P23  84 drained it, realising too late that it was already empty. Setting 
P23  85 it down again with unwonted care, she ran her finger down the stem 
P23  86 while her gaze skittered back to the hard line of his jaw.<p/>
P23  87 <p_>Without warning, Nick lifted his head and looked straight into 
P23  88 her eyes. Abby could not have turned away if she had tried. For 
P23  89 long moments they stared at each other while the silence seemed to 
P23  90 stretch and crackle with sudden tension. In the end it was Nick who 
P23  91 spoke first, softly. <quote_>"Shall we go?"<quote/><p/>
P23  92 <p_>Outside the night air was cool against Abby's face. They kept a 
P23  93 good distance between them as they walked to the car in silence. 
P23  94 Abby was preternaturally aware of everything: the whisper of silk 
P23  95 against her legs, the click as Nick unlocked the car, the blue 
P23  96 whiteness of his shirt against the dark jacket, the haunting scent 
P23  97 of honeysuckle adrift in the darkness...<p/>
P23  98 <p_>There was silence as the Rolls nosed its way out of the car 
P23  99 park and into the dark country lanes, until Nick spoke suddenly out 
P23 100 of the darkness.<p/>
P23 101 <p_><quote_>"That guy who hurt you before - in the States - what 
P23 102 was his name?"<quote/><p/>
P23 103 <p_><quote|>"Stephen." It was easier to talk about him than she had 
P23 104 thought. <quote_>"I was very young, very unhappy. My mother had 
P23 105 just remarried and I was still missing my father."<quote/> Abby's 
P23 106 voice was distant as the memories crowded back. <quote_>"He worked 
P23 107 for an international bank, and we always lived overseas, but he 
P23 108 used to promise that we'd come back to England one day to live in 
P23 109 the country. We used to come here for holidays. They were always 
P23 110 such golden times.<p/>
P23 111 <p_>"I couldn't believe it when my mother married Zack so soon 
P23 112 after my father died and we went to live in Washington. Selfish of 
P23 113 me, I suppose. My mother has a right to happiness as well, and she 
P23 114 loves the parties and the social life there. I just wasn't prepared 
P23 115 to try to like it."<quote/> It was the first time Abby had admitted 
P23 116 as much to herself and she glanced at Nick. She knew he was 
P23 117 listening, but he said nothing, so she went on.<p/>
P23 118 <p_><quote|>"Stephen..." She paused. <quote_>"Well, Stephen was 
P23 119 charming and good-looking, and I amused him for a while. I 
P23 120 suppose I was different from the other girls he knew. I'd never 
P23 121 been in love before, and I obviously didn't know how to play the 
P23 122 game properly."<quote/><p/>
P23 123 <p_><quote_>"What game?"<quote/> Nick asked.<p/>
P23 124 <p_>Abby sighed. <quote_>"The dating game. The career game. The 
P23 125 Washington game. Zack was - is - an influential man, and Stephen 
P23 126 was... very ambitious. I was too na<*_>i-trema<*/>ve to realise 
P23 127 that. Unfortunately for Stephen, my mother's marriage broke up 
P23 128 quite soon. I think she probably married Zack on the rebound after 
P23 129 Dad died. Anyway, she and Zack were divorced quite amicably. Poor 
P23 130 Stephen!"<quote/> Abby's smile was crooked. <quote_>"It turned out 
P23 131 that he'd been wasting his time after all. And unknown English 
P23 132 widow's daughter is not quite the same thing as Zack's 
P23 133 stepdaughter. Stephen just vanished from my life 
P23 134 overnight."<quote/><p/>
P23 135 <p_><quote_>Didn't you ever see him again?"<quote/><p/>
P23 136 <p_><quote_>"Once. Just before -"<quote/> Abby broke off.<p/>
P23 137 <p_><quote_>"Just before what?"<quote/> Nick prompted.<p/>
P23 138 <p_><quote_>"It doesn't matter."<quote/> She stared out through the 
P23 139 windscreen, but she wasn't seeing the road. <quote_>"It doesn't 
P23 140 matter,"<quote/> she said again.<p/>
P23 141 <p_><quote|>"OK." Nick's voice was gentle. <quote_>"Thank you for 
P23 142 telling me, Abby. I'm sorry it had to happen to you. Nobody needs a 
P23 143 lesson like that."<quote/><p/>
P23 144 <p_>Abby turned to look at him, surprised at her own sense of 
P23 145 relief at having told him. <quote_>"Actually, I think it helped to 
P23 146 talk about it. I didn't think it would, but it does."<quote/><p/>
P23 147 <p_><quote|>"Good." That was all Nick said, but Abby knew that he 
P23 148 wouldn't ask her any more. Obscurely grateful, she burned back to 
P23 149 look out of her window as Nick leant over to slot a cassette into 
P23 150 the machine. Music from <tf_>La Traviata<tf/> came spilling out of 
P23 151 the speakers and Abby raised her eyebrows.<p/>
P23 152 <p_><quote_>"Opera's not your usual style."<quote/><p/>
P23 153 <p_><quote|>"No." He glanced at her and his smile gleamed briefly 
P23 154 in the reflected lights on the dashboard. <quote_>"But then, 
P23 155 neither are a lot of the things I like most."<quote/><p/>
P23 156 <p_>The car gathered speed as the languid, irresistible voice rose 
P23 157 and fell, the music swelling to fill the car. Abby let it wash over 
P23 158 her, and the blood began to beat insistently in her veins. When the 
P23 159 last notes died away, she sat, excruciatingly aware of Nick so 
P23 160 close beside her. He was only a matter of inches away. She could 
P23 161 stretch out her hand and touch him now. Fiercely, Abby clasped her 
P23 162 fingers together. This was madness!<p/>
P23 163 <p_>He's American, this is just a game he's playing, you don't like 
P23 164 him, not really, she repeated to herself, risking a sidelong glance 
P23 165 at Nick. He was staring straight at the road ahead with a slight 
P23 166 frown, almost forbidding in his immaculate diner-jacket.<p/>
P23 167 <p_>Abby felt a desperate need to shore up her crumbling 
P23 168 resistance. Was she just like all those other girls, a pushover for 
P23 169 the price of a meal and the warm light in a pair of green eyes? She 
P23 170 longed to be home and away from the dangerous attraction of the man 
P23 171 beside her.<p/>
P23 172 <p_>As the car drew up outside, the light in her doorway seemed to 
P23 173 beckon as a safe harbour. Nick switched off the engine and in the 
P23 174 echoing quiet turned in his seat to watch her profile.<p/>
P23 175 <p_>Despite herself, Abby tensed.<p/>
P23 176 <p_><quote|>"Relax," he said softly. <quote_>"I grew out of making 
P23 177 passes in the front seat years ago."<quote/><p/>
P23 178 <p_>It was easier to deal with the familiar, mocking Nick. Abby 
P23 179 lifted her chin proudly. <quote_>"I'm glad to hear it."<quote/><p/>
P23 180 <p_><quote_>"Quite apart from anything else, English cars just 
P23 181 aren't designed for it. It must have been some moralist who thought 
P23 182 of putting the shift in between the seats like that!"<quote/> He 
P23 183 opened his door, but forestalled Abby as she reached for her own 
P23 184 door-handle. <quote_>"Wait, let me."<quote/><p/>
P23 185 <p_>Moments later he opened her door for her with a flourish. 
P23 186 <quote_>"You see, we Americans do have some manners!"<quote/><p/>
P23 187 <p_>Unable to think of a suitable reply, Abby gave a stiff smile. 
P23 188 <quote_>"Thank you."<quote/><p/>
P23 189 <p_>Nick was very close, blocking her way to the gate, and 
P23 190 unconsciously she stepped back against the car. Pushing the door 
P23 191 shut with a click, he moved to place one hand firmly on either side 
P23 192 of her.<p/>
P23 193 <p_>Pinned as she was against the bodywork, Abby's heart was 
P23 194 pounding so loudly she was sure that Nick must hear it, but she 
P23 195 said bravely, <quote_>"I thought you'd grown out of kissing girls 
P23 196 in cars."<quote/><p/>
P23 197 <p_><quote_>"I have."<quote/> Green eyes glinted in the moonlight. 
P23 198 <quote_>"But only in the front seat. I didn't say anything about 
P23 199 kissing them <tf|>against cars!"<quote/><p/>
P23 200 <p_>She had plenty of time to move. She could have pushed him away 
P23 201 if she had tried. But instead Abby stood, ensnared by desire, while 
P23 202 Nick's hands slid slowly up her arms and lingered on her shoulders 
P23 203 as he looked down into her eyes.<p/>
P23 204 <p_><quote_>"Your skin is like silk,"<quote/> he said, his voice 
P23 205 deep and warm, and then his hands were cupping her face and he was 
P23 206 bending his head with agonising slowness to capture her mouth with 
P23 207 his own.<p/>
P23 208 <p_>At the first touch of his lips, so warm, so sure, all of Abby's 
P23 209 carefully constructed defences collapsed, scattered like straws in 
P23 210 the wind.
P23 211 
P24   1 <#FLOB:P24\><h_><p_>CHAPTER SEVEN<p/><h/>
P24   2 <p_>WHY was human nature so fickle and inconstant? Jenny wondered. 
P24   3 Why was it that, as soon as Leo Trenthan had professed no interest 
P24   4 in her, she began to think of him constantly? She wavered between 
P24   5 reassuring herself that she had been right to speak to him so 
P24   6 sharply, to wondering why she had rejected him so finally, 
P24   7 especially when there was, without a doubt, as he had said, 
P24   8 something there.<p/>
P24   9 <p_>But you couldn't let sexual attraction rule your life, could 
P24  10 you? Taking it to its logical conclusion, she might have gone out 
P24  11 with him a few times, probably have gone to bed with him, and then 
P24  12 what? The basic differences between them would have reared their 
P24  13 heads sooner or later, and he would have been off to his next job, 
P24  14 with her waving a hankie at the gate of her cottage.<p/>
P24  15 <p_>And wasn't she assuming a lot? They might not necessarily have 
P24  16 gone to bed. But the shiver and the gap which appeared in her 
P24  17 self-analysis told her that you might be able to fool other people, 
P24  18 but you couldn't fool yourself. Look how she'd been with him that 
P24  19 day, after just one kiss.<p/>
P24  20 <p_>She brushed her hair furiously. Dwelling on what had happened 
P24  21 wasn't going to change anything. He wasn't going to be there 
P24  22 forever, was he? What had her mother always told her? That men were 
P24  23 nothing but trouble - and she should know!<p/>
P24  24 <p_>But then something happened to make her revise her opinion of 
P24  25 Leo Trentham as a troublemaker. She had a letter from Judy, 
P24  26 post-marked St Lucia. It was a long letter, beginning with an 
P24  27 apology for having left in such a hurry.<p/>
P24  28 <p_>David and I were thinking of a change for a long time, 
P24  29 particularly once we knew that early retirement for him was an 
P24  30 option. The chance came to go, and we took it! It all happened so 
P24  31 quickly, and Penny needs us; the scan says that the baby looks 
P24  32 fine!<p/>
P24  33 <p_>But also, Jenny, I had been discontented for some time - I felt 
P24  34 as though I had been doing the same thing for all my life, which I 
P24  35 suppose I had! Dr Marlow's death came as such a shock, but it 
P24  36 seemed a natural time for me to go, particularly as I could see 
P24  37 that there were likely to be all kinds of changes with the arrival 
P24  38 of the new doctor. I can't imagine how you'll get on with him - he 
P24  39 seems very dynamic! - but I know you'll give him a chance!<p/>
P24  40 <p_>Harry's death was very sudden, and very sad - Sonia Walker 
P24  41 wanted to trace you, but Dr Trentham was against it, and I agreed 
P24  42 with him. You needed the rest badly - you should get away more 
P24  43 often.<p/>
P24  44 <p_>You only have one life, Jenny, and you must live it as <tf|>you 
P24  45 want - not as your mother or anyone else wanted. I always felt that 
P24  46 perhaps we weren't as innovative on the ward as we might have been, 
P24  47 more out of habit than anything else. Your mother and Harry were a 
P24  48 great team, but in a way it might be easier for you now, with 
P24  49 someone new to work with.<p/>
P24  50 <p_>If only she knew, thought Jenny. The rest of the letter was 
P24  51 news of their travels, but she scarcely registered the words; her 
P24  52 thoughts were all taken up with the opening part of the letter.<p/>
P24  53 <p_>It had been couched differently, but the words could have been 
P24  54 Leo's own. Judy had been gentle, but there was no mistaking the 
P24  55 admonishment - reluctant to change, lack of innovation ... Had she 
P24  56 really been so bound by her mother's influence, never daring to try 
P24  57 anything new?<p/>
P24  58 <p_>And Judy had even agreed that she had backed Leo in not wanting 
P24  59 to recall her from her holiday. Whatever else Leo had done, he had 
P24  60 certainly not driven Judy away. Her face burned as she remembered 
P24  61 accusing him - and he had not troubled to deny it. Why?<p/>
P24  62 <p_>The day she received the letter she could hardly bear to look 
P24  63 at him - she felt so ashamed, and she thought that he glanced at 
P24  64 her oddly a couple of times. She wanted to tell him that she'd 
P24  65 misjudged him, but she didn't know how to approach it, and the 
P24  66 longer she left it, the harder it became. She just couldn't face 
P24  67 him.<p/>
P24  68 <p_>But India Westwood certainly had no similar hang-ups about 
P24  69 facing him, and whenever Leo was on the ward India was never far 
P24  70 from his side. Jenny watched as she cornered him in the office one 
P24  71 day, batting the lashes of those pale eyes as she finished telling 
P24  72 him about the laminectomy case she had spent the morning caring 
P24  73 for, and he nodded as he listened intently. At the end of the 
P24  74 discourse she twinkled up at him.<p/>
P24  75 <p_><quote_>"You're off this weekend, aren't you, Leo? What a 
P24  76 coincidence - so am I!"<quote/> She rushed on. <quote_>"I've got 
P24  77 some tickets for a rock concert in Bath. D'you fancy 
P24  78 coming?"<quote/><p/>
P24  79 <p_>Leo's expression didn't change, and then he gave India one of 
P24  80 his lazy smiles. <quote_>"Have to refuse, India - but thanks, 
P24  81 anyway."<quote/> It was so smooth it couldn't possibly have given 
P24  82 offence.<p/>
P24  83 <p_><quote|>"Oh!" India looked rather taken aback and very, very 
P24  84 disappointed, and perhaps he sensed it, for he moved out on to the 
P24  85 ward before either of the two girls had really noticed that he had 
P24  86 gone.<p/>
P24  87 <p_>To Jenny's surprise and - astonishingly enough - relief, he 
P24  88 appeared to have forgotten his angry outburst the other day, and he 
P24  89 carried on as normal with her, whatever normal might be. She had to 
P24  90 admit that he seemed to be an unusually uncomplicated kind of 
P24  91 person, totally without guile or front. She wondered why more 
P24  92 people weren't like him, but, there again, it might be difficult if 
P24  93 everyone were so honest - how on earth would politicians manage?<p/>
P24  94 <p_> Then she started thinking - what if he <tf|>had meant it when 
P24  95 he'd told her that he thought he was in love with her? She sighed. 
P24  96 Even if he had, it was too late now. She'd blown it.<p/>
P24  97 <p_>She began to realise that maybe she <tf|> had been 
P24  98 unnecessarily hostile to him when he had first arrived. It was just 
P24  99 that she hadn't known how to respond to someone like him. She began 
P24 100 to make a real effort to be nice to him, which she actually found 
P24 101 very easy. If he noticed he said nothing, though she could have 
P24 102 sworn that she saw an eyebrow raised the first time it happened. 
P24 103 After a week or so of this unacknowledged laying down of arms she 
P24 104 actually began to look forward to coming in to work.<p/>
P24 105 <p_>One morning he came in to do his round before operating, and 
P24 106 she was struck by how utterly exhausted he looked. He had great 
P24 107 shadows under his eyes, and lines of weariness were drawn deep 
P24 108 around the normally smiling mouth. Burning the candle at both ends, 
P24 109 no doubt, she thought automatically, but her face was soft with 
P24 110 concern as she observed him.<p/>
P24 111 <p_>She disappeared to the kitchen, her neat rubber<?_>-<?/>soled 
P24 112 shoes making no sound on the shiny floor, and seconds later she had 
P24 113 put a large mug of strong tea before him. He looked up at her and 
P24 114 blinked.<p/>
P24 115 <p_><quote_>"What's this?"<quote/><p/>
P24 116 <p_><quote_>"The milk of human kindness!"<quote/> she quipped 
P24 117 without thinking, and his eyes widened.<p/>
P24 118 <p_><quote_>"She joked! She definitely did, and I definitely heard 
P24 119 her! Jenny Hughes has been caught trying to boost the morale of her 
P24 120 flagging registrar,"<quote/> he teased.<p/>
P24 121 <p_<quote_>"Shut up,"<quote/> she replied amiably.<quote_>"And 
P24 122 don't burn the candle at both ends next time!"<quote/><p/>
P24 123 <p_>He sipped the tea. <quote_>"It was worth it. Very exciting 
P24 124 assignation ..."<quote/><p/>
P24 125 <p_><quote_>"I don' think -"<quote/> said Jenny primly, hoping he 
P24 126 wouldn't notice her fixed smile.<p/>
P24 127 <p_><quote_>"... with my textbook,"<quote/> he finished, 
P24 128 smiling.<p/>
P24 129 <p_><quote_>"Your textbook?"<quote/><p/>
P24 130 <p_><quote_>"I'm taking the second part of my fellowship in three 
P24 131 weeks' time - didn't you realise?"<quote/><p/>
P24 132 <p_><quote|>"No," she answered, a smile so wide that it was 
P24 133 dazzling. <quote_>"No, I didn't'."<quote/> She didn't know why, as 
P24 134 she went off to the drug-round, her feet felt as though there were 
P24 135 a layer of air between them and the floor.<p/>
P24 136 <p_>Whether or not it was a direct result of Judy's letter, she 
P24 137 didn't know - but she had decided that she, too, was in a rut. She 
P24 138 started a night-class in French, and once a week she went to an 
P24 139 aerobics class. She had great fun going out to choose all the new 
P24 140 clothes for it.<p/>
P24 141 <p_>The woman in the sports-shop persuaded her to buy a very clingy 
P24 142 leotard.<p/>
P24 143 <p_><quote_>"Isn't it cut a little high on the leg?"<quote/> asked 
P24 144 Jenny doubtfully.<p/>
P24 145 <p_><quote_>"Oh, goodness me, <tf|>no, dear!"<quote/> answered the 
P24 146 woman, smiling. <quote_>"You've got such a lovely figure - you 
P24 147 ought to show it off! You should see some of the ones who come in 
P24 148 here!"<quote/><p/>
P24 149 <p_>So she bought the lot, and then one night she saw him. She was 
P24 150 just getting out of her car and Leo had obviously been having an 
P24 151 early-evening stroll. Her mac flew open and she thought she saw him 
P24 152 start a little as it revealed the clinging emerald green leotard 
P24 153 with the matching tights and the purple leg-warmers which lay in 
P24 154 folds around her slim ankles.<p/>
P24 155 <p_>He stopped and shut the car door for her.<p/>
P24 156 <p_><quote|>"Thanks," she said, more breathless than after an 
P24 157 entire hour's work-out.<p/>
P24 158 <p_><quote|>"Pleasure," he murmured. "You look hot."<quote/><p/>
P24 159 <p_><quote_>"I've just been working out,"<quote/> she explained, 
P24 160 although it struck her that no explanation was necessary.<p/>
P24 161 <p_><quote_>"Have you, now?"<quote/> he murmured politely, and then 
P24 162 he nodded in the direction of the pub. <quote_>"I was just going 
P24 163 for a drink - pity you're not dressed for it, or you could have 
P24 164 joined me."<quote/><p/>
P24 165 <p_><quote_>"I could ..."<quote/> she started. She had been about 
P24 166 to say that she could always go and change, and then she remembered 
P24 167 India Westwood's invitation to him, <tf|>and how it had been turned 
P24 168 down!<p/>
P24 169 <p_><quote|>"Mm?" he queried, raising dark eyebrows.<p/>
P24 170 <p_><quote_>"I could do with an early night, actually"<quote/>, she 
P24 171 finished lamely, and he nodded.<p/>
P24 172 <p_><quote_>"I expect you could. Well, I'll leave you to your 
P24 173 beauty sleep. Goodnight, Jenny."<quote/><p/>
P24 174 <p_><quote_>"Goodnight, Leo."<quote/><p/>
P24 175 <p_>One day at work, she had him bleeped.<p/>
P24 176 <p_><quote_>"Yes, Jenny?"<quote/> he answered.<p/>
P24 177 <p_><quote_>"Are you still operating?"<quote/> she asked.<p/>
P24 178 <p_><quote_>"My assistant is just closing up for me. Why? What's 
P24 179 the problem?"<quote/><p/>
P24 180 <p_><quote_>"I'd just like you to have a look at one of the 
P24 181 patients - I'm a bit worried."<quote/><p/>
P24 182 <p_><quote_>"I'm on my way,"<quote/> he said, and put the phone 
P24 183 down.<p/>
P24 184 <p_>He was less than five minutes.<p/>
P24 185 <p_><quote_>"You were quick,"<quote/> she said gratefully.<p/>
P24 186 <p_><quote_>"You don't sound that urgent very often,"<quote/> he 
P24 187 replied. <quote_>"Who are you worried about?"<quote/><p/>
P24 188 <p_><quote_>"It's Joe Lyons - you did his tib and fib thirty-six 
P24 189 hours ago."<quote/><p/>
P24 190 <p_><quote|>"Yes?"<p/>
P24 191 <p_><quote_>"I'm worried that he has compartmental 
P24 192 syndrome."<quote/><p/>
P24 193 <p_><quote_>"But he was fine when I saw him earlier."<quote/><p/>
P24 194 <p_><quote_>"I know,"<quote/> she said <quote_>"but he's been 
P24 195 complaining of a loose feeling in his foot all morning, and - 
P24 196 "<quote/><p/>
P24 197 <p_><quote_>"Is he anxious?"<quote/> he interrupted.<p/>
P24 198 <p_><quote_>"Not unduly. Do you want to do a neurological 
P24 199 assessment?"<quote/><p/>
P24 200 <p_>He nodded. <quote_>"Please. If you're right, and the neuro test 
P24 201 is OK, we'll have to get him straight back to Theatre. Or 
P24 202 ..."<quote/> The eyes which met hers were serious.<p/>
P24 203 <p_><quote_>"Or he loses the limb,"<quote/> she said quietly. Joe 
P24 204 Lyons was twenty-one years old.<p/>
P24 205 <p_>He nodded again. <quote_>"Have you time to help me?"<quote/><p/>
P24 206 <p_><quote_>"Of course I have. I'd like to bring one of the junior 
P24 207 nurses, as well. Doplar's syndrome is rare enough for me to have 
P24 208 only ever seen it once before."<quote/><p/>
P24 209 <p_>She called Nurse Galloway over to her as she headed towards the 
P24 210 clinic-room. As she found the instruments for Leo, part of her 
P24 211 couldn't help feeling amazed that he had taken her tentative 
P24 212 diagnosis so seriously. While she washed her hands she began to 
P24 213 explain the condition to Daisy Galloway.<p/>
P24 214 <p_><quote_>"Compartmental syndrome is a rare condition which can 
P24 215 occur after surgical intervention following fracture. There are 
P24 216 four blood-compartments in the leg, and the blood supply to these 
P24 217 compartments can be cut off through pressure caused by swelling. 
P24 218 The patient complains of a loose, uncomfortable feeling in the 
P24 219 foot. Obviously, we have to assess whether or not this is simply 
P24 220 post<?_>-<?/>operative anxiety or not. Dr Trentham is going to 
P24 221 assess the patient neurologically first of all, and then he's going 
P24 222 to do something called a Doplar test.
P24 223 
P25   1 <#FLOB:P25\><p_><quote_>"Not for one moment do I regret marrying 
P25   2 your father,"<quote/> Amelia hastened to rectify that sigh. 
P25   3 <quote_>"He was the dearest and most beloved of God's 
P25   4 creatures."<quote/><p/>
P25   5 <p_><quote_>"Yes, Mother."<quote/> Ellen wished she could say the 
P25   6 same about her own young husband, but that would be hypocrisy. She 
P25   7 looked down on the grandchildren, and wondered what life had in 
P25   8 store for them. The grave little boy, so shy and sensitive, the 
P25   9 eager, intelligent little girl. She loved them both. Paul was hers 
P25  10 to cherish for three short years. When he was seven, his father 
P25  11 would claim him. Perhaps she would be allowed to have him for the 
P25  12 holidays? As for Vicky, it would depend on her mother's health. If 
P25  13 Prue had to be sent away to a clinic, and it seemed likely, then 
P25  14 Basil would want his daughter to live at home. <quote_>"Sufficient 
P25  15 unto the day,"<quote/> Ellen reminded herself. The pattern of life 
P25  16 would be made plain, one day. Her empty arms had been filled, at 
P25  17 long last.<p/>
P25  18 <p_><quote_>"I can smell roast chicken,"<quote/> Grandma 
P25  19 pronounced, as she stepped into the lobby. <quote_>"We always have 
P25  20 roast chicken on Easter Sunday,"<quote/> she told the children. 
P25  21 <quote_>"And this afternoon we shall take the cab to the promenade 
P25  22 and listen to the band. Well, what do you say to that?"<quote/> she 
P25  23 prompted.<p/>
P25  24 <p_><quote_>"Thank you, Grandmama,"<quote/> they chorused.<p/>
P25  25 <p_>Every Sunday evening followed the same pattern. When tea was 
P25  26 finished, they all trooped into the drawing-room, and Grandmama 
P25  27 played hymns. The children stood on either side of her. Ellen, 
P25  28 Bertha and Norah seated themselves on the sofa. They knew all the 
P25  29 hymns by heart, so did Vicky, because Grandmama played only the 
P25  30 familiar ones she had once played to her own children, and to her 
P25  31 three grandchildren, Prudence, Arabella and Thomas. These two, 
P25  32 standing so obediently by her side, were actually her 
P25  33 great-grandchildren, but she pushed the thought aside, lifted her 
P25  34 proud little head, and touched the keys with a certain delicacy 
P25  35 only Grace had inherited. All her daughters, and her two 
P25  36 grand-daughters, had been obliged to practise on the schoolroom 
P25  37 pianoforte for half an hour each day, apart from the Sabbath. It 
P25  38 had been a laborious task for the girls, and a painful ordeal for 
P25  39 those who listened to those interminable scales and exercises. 
P25  40 Nevertheless, there was no escape, for no young lady in that day 
P25  41 and age could claim to have completed her education without the 
P25  42 rudiments of music, plain needlework and sketching. It was the 
P25  43 custom.<p/>
P25  44 <p_>Vicky and Paul enjoyed this last hour of Sunday. They sang 
P25  45 'Jesus loves me, this I know, for the Bible tells me so. Little 
P25  46 ones to Him belong, They are weak but He is strong.' They sang 
P25  47 Vicky's favourite, 'All things bright and beautiful, All creatures 
P25  48 great and small, All things wise and wonderful, The Lord God made 
P25  49 them all.' Then they sang, 'Now the day is over, Night is drawing 
P25  50 nigh, Shadows of the evening, Steal across the sky.' Three hymns, 
P25  51 no more and no less. That, too, was the custom.<p/>
P25  52 <p_>Paul had an ear for music, as Nana had discovered. He liked to 
P25  53 pick out nursery rhymes on the schoolroom piano. He missed the 
P25  54 regimental band and the singing Welsh voice of Uncle David in the 
P25  55 open-air concerts. 'Land of my Fathers' and 'The Minstrel Boy' 
P25  56 filled his eyes with tears. He could not explain such emotion 
P25  57 because he did not know its source, might never know the truth of 
P25  58 his birthright. If David Jones had claimed his son, and he had been 
P25  59 brought up in Wales, the pattern of his life would have been 
P25  60 completely changed. But David loved Rosalind, and she had been 
P25  61 spared the scandal. During the following three years, David would 
P25  62 send birthday and Christmas presents to the boy who was growing in 
P25  63 his likeness, but they would not meet. He was saddened when he 
P25  64 discovered Paul had not returned to Aldershot.<p/>
P25  65 <p_>It was Vicky who developed measles and passed it on to Paul 
P25  66 that first week of the summer term. Ellen had been expecting it, 
P25  67 for it happened to most children in their early years at school. 
P25  68 Next year it would probably be chicken-pox. She hoped and prayed 
P25  69 they would escape diphtheria, the dreadful scourge that still 
P25  70 claimed the lives of so many young children.<p/>
P25  71 <p_>Vicky thought it was fun to be tucked up in the same bed as 
P25  72 Paul, but she had only a mild attack. He was smothered in a rash 
P25  73 and ran a high temperature. He was quite ill, but he made no fuss. 
P25  74 Norah squeezed oranges and made jelly, for he had no appetite for 
P25  75 food, while Vicky enjoyed such delicacies as minced chicken, 
P25  76 poached eggs on creamed potatoes, and grilled plaice. It was quite 
P25  77 impossible to keep her in bed for more than a few days, and since 
P25  78 she was disturbing Paul with her restlessness, she was allowed to 
P25  79 get up at midmorning; wrapped in a warm dressing-gown, she amused 
P25  80 herself with a box of coloured pencils and a copy-book, or curled 
P25  81 up in the armchair with a book. A fire burned in the tiny grate, 
P25  82 day and night, and a lamp was turned low to protect their eyes. 
P25  83 Strong light was harmful and could cause permanent damage, 
P25  84 according to the family doctor, who was called in to diagnose the 
P25  85 rash. Not that Ellen needed to be reminded it was measles. She 
P25  86 remembered the time when all six sisters had been isolated on the 
P25  87 top floor with the nursemaid and the governess, and Kate, who had 
P25  88 only a mild attack, had nearly driven them mad with her demands for 
P25  89 more attention. When her own two girls had measles, during their 
P25  90 first term at the convent, it was Prue who demanded all the 
P25  91 attention, and Bella, so accustomed to her sister's domination, who 
P25  92 patiently awaited her turn. Fortunately for everyone concerned, 
P25  93 Thomas had not caught the measles, or chicken-pox the following 
P25  94 year. Ellen was in her true element with a sick child to nurse, and 
P25  95 another to keep quietly amused. It was Norah who carried the heavy 
P25  96 trays upstairs, and Mabel who struggled up three flights of stairs 
P25  97 with scuttles of coal and cans of hot water. As for Amelia, she was 
P25  98 not expected to inconvenience herself in any way, and her normal 
P25  99 routine was undisturbed.<p/>
P25 100 <p_><quote_>"Will Vicky's teddybear catch my measles?"<quote/> Paul 
P25 101 asked, anxiously, as he cuddled the bear to his spotty chest.<p/>
P25 102 <p_>Ellen smiled, and assured him there was no danger. She was 
P25 103 constantly surprised by the sensitive perception of such a young 
P25 104 child. From whom did he inherit such qualities? she asked herself. 
P25 105 Not from Thomas or Rosalind, and certainly not from Grandmama! It 
P25 106 did not occur to Ellen that she could have been the indirect source 
P25 107 of such unselfish qualities, for she was much too modest for such 
P25 108 thoughts.<p/>
P25 109 <p_>When she wrote to inform Thomas that his small son had measles, 
P25 110 his only reaction was to send a box of toy soldiers. Paul turned 
P25 111 his head away. <quote_>"I 'spected Teddybear and Elephant,"<quote/> 
P25 112 he sighed.<p/>
P25 113 <p_><quote_>"Never mind, darling. You may keep my teddybear for 
P25 114 always. I think he loves you best,"<quote/> Vicky told him, 
P25 115 soothingly.<p/>
P25 116 <p_><quote_>"Thank you."<quote/> His weak smile could not hide the 
P25 117 tears of disappointment. And the box of soldiers went into the 
P25 118 cupboard unopened.<p/>
P25 119 <p_>Before they started back to school, Ellen took the children for 
P25 120 walks along the promenade each day. The sea air soon put a flush on 
P25 121 Vicky's cheeks, but Paul was pale and languid.<p/>
P25 122 <p_>Jane and Edward took a week's holiday from the Mission at 
P25 123 Hoxton, and came to stay at The Haven during that period of the 
P25 124 children's convalescence. It was Ellen's suggestion, and it did 
P25 125 more for Paul than the doctor's tonic. Both children adored Uncle 
P25 126 Edward, and Auntie Jane was a great favourite because she was still 
P25 127 young at heart, and never too tired or too busy to join in the 
P25 128 interminable games of Ludo and Snakes and Ladders. Having no 
P25 129 children of her own was her only regret in a very happy marriage. 
P25 130 Looking for some new diversion for the children's amusement 
P25 131 outdoors, she discovered two bicycles carefully wrapped in old 
P25 132 sheets in the shed, and wheeled them into the yard. Memories 
P25 133 crowded in as she pumped the tyres and took a trial run on each one 
P25 134 in turn, down the lane at the back of the house, watched by the 
P25 135 children. <quote_>"Perfectly all right. We will make use of 
P25 136 them,"<quote/> she announced.<p/>
P25 137 <p_><quote_>"How? When?"<quote/> Vicky demanded, excitedly, for she 
P25 138 had never seen the bicycles until today, and was much impressed by 
P25 139 Auntie Jane's performance.<p/>
P25 140 <p_><quote_>"Do you remember the bluebell wood?"<quote/> Jane asked 
P25 141 her sister.<p/>
P25 142 <p_>Ellen nodded.<p/>
P25 143 <p_><quote_>"We will take the children on a picnic. You can take 
P25 144 Paulie on your carrier, and I will take Vicky. Edward can hire a 
P25 145 bike from the shop in Clifton Road. Norah will pack us up some 
P25 146 sandwiches, and I will fill the flasks with tea. It will be like 
P25 147 old times."<quote/> She smiled affectionately at her elder sister, 
P25 148 and hurried down the back steps to find Norah most co-operative, as 
P25 149 always. They made the sandwiches together while the kettle boiled, 
P25 150 reminiscing over the good old days before Ellen's marriage, when 
P25 151 the sisters had often spent a day in the woods in the early spring, 
P25 152 taking the younger ones on the carriers, and a picnic lunch in the 
P25 153 baskets on the handlebars. Those same baskets would be filled with 
P25 154 primroses or bluebells on the return journey. The primroses would 
P25 155 decorate the church on Easter Sunday, but the bluebells would 
P25 156 quickly fade.<p/>
P25 157 <p_><quote_>"It will be fun,"<quote/> Vicky told her little cousin 
P25 158 as Ellen pulled an extra jersey over his head.<p/>
P25 159 <p_><quote_>"Will it?"<quote/> Paul was a little doubtful. He had 
P25 160 never been transported by bicycle, and had never seen a 
P25 161 bluebell.<p/>
P25 162 <p_><quote_>"You will en-j-joy it, old chap,"<quote/> said Uncle 
P25 163 Edward, encouragingly, and went off to hire the bicycle.<p/>
P25 164 <p_>Grandmama thought it was a most unsuitable expedition for 
P25 165 children only recently recovered from measles."<quote/><p/>
P25 166 <p_><quote_>"Nonsense, Mother. It is just what they need,"<quote/> 
P25 167 Jane retorted. An independent married woman for a number of years, 
P25 168 Jane was no longer under her mother's thumb.<p/>
P25 169 <p_><quote_>"Can I take Teddybear?"<quote/> Paul was asking Nan at 
P25 170 the last moment.<p/>
P25 171 <p_><quote_>"Of course you may. He can sit in my basket with the 
P25 172 thermos flasks,"<quote/> she told him kindly.<p/>
P25 173 <p_><quote_>"I'll fetch him."<quote/> Vicky raced upstairs. Paul 
P25 174 smiled his thanks, then they were off.<p/>
P25 175 <p_>Edward, Jane and Ellen wore straw boaters, the children wore 
P25 176 linen hats stiffly starched by Mabel, who had left her scrubbing to 
P25 177 wave them off at the back gate.<p/>
P25 178 <p_>Paul clung like a limpet to Nana's waist. Vicky was clutching 
P25 179 Auntie Jane's well-padded bottom. Mabel was sceptical about such a 
P25 180 dangerous expedition. Shanks's pony was so much safer. And who 
P25 181 would want to travel three miles on a bicycle to pick bluebells?<p/>
P25 182 <p_><quote_>"What can you do with bluebells?"<quote/> she had asked 
P25 183 Vicky.<p/>
P25 184 <p_><quote_>"I don't know. I think they would look pretty in a blue 
P25 185 jug,"<quote/> the child answered. Bluebells in a jug? Mabel looked 
P25 186 puzzled. In her cluttered bed-sitting-room, smelling strongly of 
P25 187 cat, the scent of flowers was something quite alien and quite 
P25 188 unnecessary.<p/>
P25 189 <p_><quote_>"You be careful now. Mind you 'ang on tight,"<quote/> 
P25 190 she admonished her little favourite. Then she closed the gate and 
P25 191 went back to her scrubbing.<p/>
P25 192 <p_>Having covered the distance with his head tucked into the folds 
P25 193 of Nana's jacket and his eyes shut, Paul was lifted down and was 
P25 194 instantly transported into Paradise. A million bluebells stretched 
P25 195 like a carpet under a canopy of green beech. Birds twittered in the 
P25 196 hedgerows, and there was no other sound but the scraping of the 
P25 197 bicycles against the fence. Even Vicky was awed into silence, and 
P25 198 stared wide-eyed, clutching Paul's hand.<p/>
P25 199 <p_>Edward, Jane and Ellen had seen it all before, yet it was new, 
P25 200 as everything was born anew at this wondrous season of the year. 
P25 201 Jane was the first to speak, her voice husky with emotion.<p/>
P25 202 <p_><quote_>"We came here on just such a day in April, my darling, 
P25 203 and you had my engagement ring in your pocket."<quote/>
P25 204 
P26   1 <#FLOB:P26\><h_><p_>Chapter 10<p/><h/>
P26   2 <p_>Marie smiled wryly. She was beginning to relax. The superb 
P26   3 standard of food and service given by the Savoy, combined with 
P26   4 Berry's amusing charm, was working miracles. It was odd that the 
P26   5 first thing to bring her peace of mind since the tragic accident at 
P26   6 Pencombe was a dinner meeting she hoped would help her business. 
P26   7 She had accepted Berry's invitation because she realized he was the 
P26   8 lesser of two evils. If he kept to his declared intention to help 
P26   9 dispose of some of her sites, he could act as a buffer between her 
P26  10 and the bank.<p/>
P26  11 <p_>She had to get alongside the financier, she understood that 
P26  12 now. The bank was becoming ever more insistent that she dispose of 
P26  13 most, if not all, of the high street sites. Truthfully she would 
P26  14 like nothing more than to be able, overnight, to get her products 
P26  15 into the big stores, preferably on a shop-within-a-shop basis, but 
P26  16 failing that, simply on the counters. But there were a lot of 
P26  17 market forces working against her and, in the depressed retail 
P26  18 market, the fact that her whole product line was a straightforward 
P26  19 'take-off' of other, higher-priced brands, was the biggest drawback 
P26  20 of all.<p/>
P26  21 <p_>She was able to look genuinely at ease as she replied to her 
P26  22 companion's question. <quote_>"Damion was never my Monsieur 
P26  23 Berg<*_>e-acute<*/>, never the business brains behind my artistic 
P26  24 abilities,"<quote/> she said firmly.<p/>
P26  25 <p_>Berry gestured at a hovering waiter to leave them alone. He 
P26  26 took the half-empty bottle of Bollinger from the champagne bucket 
P26  27 and topped up Marie's glass himself. <quote_>"Perhaps he was more 
P26  28 your Mademoiselle de la Falaise, your right hand, your 
P26  29 inspiration?"<quote/><p/>
P26  30 <p_>Marie laughed happily. It was fun to be able to make silly, 
P26  31 frivolous conversation with someone who totally understood her 
P26  32 references.<p/>
P26  33 <p_><quote_>"It's as well I know all about the Yves Saint Laurent 
P26  34 legend,"<quote/> Berry continued. He seemed to be able to read her 
P26  35 mind, as well as being able to join in with her 
P26  36 in<?_>-<?/>jokes.<p/>
P26  37 <p_><quote_>"I think you probably know more about him than I 
P26  38 do,"<quote/> Marie said. She indicated the splendour of the room 
P26  39 around them, the highly organized bustle of the Riverside 
P26  40 Restaurant. <quote_>"I can only pop in and out of this kind of 
P26  41 environment. I travel a fair bit, and get to France several times a 
P26  42 year. But London is my home, my headquarters, and I spend most of 
P26  43 my time here in my office. I have the feeling that you're far more 
P26  44 the international socialite. After all, you told me you know the 
P26  45 great man himself."<quote/><p/>
P26  46 <p_><quote_>"Know is too personal a word. I 'know' Pierre 
P26  47 Berg<*_>e-acute<*/>, and through him I have met the maestro. But 
P26  48 I'm not amongst his friends. I think to achieve that status I'd 
P26  49 have to have a touch of the artist in my make-up, and that I 
P26  50 certainly can't lay claim to."<quote/> He tipped the last of the 
P26  51 champagne into his own glass. <quote_>"We'll have another bottle of 
P26  52 the same, I think, so that we can toast your idol. I gather it went 
P26  53 very well for him last week."<quote/><p/>
P26  54 <p_><quote_>"You mean the Paris show?"<quote/><p/>
P26  55 <p_>Berry caught the eye of a passing waiter and ordered more 
P26  56 champagne.<p/>
P26  57 <p_>Marie paused until she had Berry's attention again and then 
P26  58 continued, <quote_>"Yes, I gather it was brilliant. Your friend 
P26  59 Monsieur Berg<*_>e-acute<*/> must have been delighted. I was 
P26  60 touched by his saying that when there is no longer an Yves Saint 
P26  61 Laurent the couture house will close."<quote/><p/>
P26  62 <p_><quote_>"It was also a nice opportunity for him to make 
P26  63 disparaging remarks about some of his competitors. What was it he 
P26  64 said. Something like, 'Look at Chanel without Mademoiselle Chanel, 
P26  65 and Dior without Christian Dior. It is more than a nonsense. It has 
P26  66 no integrity. It is a sham.' I tried to remember the quote exactly. 
P26  67 I thought you'd appreciate the cleverness of it."<quote/><p/>
P26  68 <p_><quote_>"How nice of you to be thinking of me in 
P26  69 Paris."<quote/> Marie laughed. <quote_>"I would have thought you 
P26  70 had someone with you to take your mind off business."<quote/><p/>
P26  71 <p_><quote_>"Yes, I had someone with me."<quote/> Berry suddenly 
P26  72 looked serious. He reached over the table and laid his hand gently 
P26  73 over Marie's. <quote_>"But that didn't take my mind off 
P26  74 you."<quote/><p/>
P26  75 <p_><quote|>"Berry." Marie slowly pulled her hand away. She had 
P26  76 absolutely no intention of allowing the relationship to develop 
P26  77 into an intimate one. <quote_>"I think you should know how I feel. 
P26  78 I have a rule- a golden rule- never to mix business with pleasure. 
P26  79 I broke it once, a couple of years ago, and things have gone very 
P26  80 wrong. It just proved how right I'd been to begin with. I can't do 
P26  81 business with you and become personally involved."<quote/><p/>
P26  82 <p_><quote_>"That's easy."<quote/> Berry laughed although his eyes 
P26  83 had become cold. <quote_>"We'll just give up the business side of 
P26  84 our relationship tomorrow. No, let me rephrase that, we'll give it 
P26  85 up tonight. Timing in these things is of the essence. More 
P26  86 champagne?"<quote/><p/>
P26  87 <p_>Marie shook her head. <quote_>"No, thank you. I think I've had 
P26  88 more than enough already. You still haven't said what we're 
P26  89 celebrating,"<quote/><p/>
P26  90 <p_><quote_>"No, I haven't, have I. And now I'm not going to. It 
P26  91 was strictly business. I'll play by your rules."<quote/> He reached 
P26  92 out and took her hand again. This time so firmly that she couldn't 
P26  93 remove it from his grip. Marie felt the colour rise to her cheeks. 
P26  94 She didn't like to feel trapped. <quote_>"It has to be business 
P26  95 between us- you know that. The bank made it more than clear that 
P26  96 you're to be involved in Body Beautiful. A little flirting has been 
P26  97 fun, but that's all it has been. Please don't make things more 
P26  98 difficult than they already are."<quote/><p/>
P26  99 <p_><quote_>"I don't take no for an answer. You can find that out 
P26 100 from anybody I've worked with in the past. We're very much alike, 
P26 101 you and I, in that we can get a lot of the thrills and spills of 
P26 102 the chase from our working lives, but there comes a time when work 
P26 103 stops. I want you."<quote/> His grip tightened. <quote_>"I've tried 
P26 104 the traditional English gentleman's way- nice food, nice wine a 
P26 105 nice line in chat. If that's not how you want to play then it's all 
P26 106 right with me. But make no mistake, Marie, we belong together, in 
P26 107 the boardroom and in bed."<quote/><p/>
P26 108 <p_><quote_>"I'm not an asset."<quote/> Marie pulled her hand free. 
P26 109 She felt choked by her anger. <quote_>"You can't strip me like some 
P26 110 company you've taken over."<quote/><p/>
P26 111 <p_>The smile touched Berry's mouth but not his eyes. <quote_>"What 
P26 112 a clever pun to produce under pressure. But then you are clever, 
P26 113 aren't you? That's a great part of your appeal."<quote/><p/>
P26 114 <p_><quote_>"I'm so pleased to hear it."<quote/> Marie stood 
P26 115 abruptly. <quote_>"Because it's my cleverness that you'll be 
P26 116 dealing with. I shall ask a representative of the bank to be in on 
P26 117 our next meeting. I think they should see what, if anything, they 
P26 118 are getting for their money. Because you are being paid a retainer, 
P26 119 aren't you? As well as the percentage of whatever property deals 
P26 120 you fix up for my company. I do so hope this meal gets covered by 
P26 121 the expenses they give you. I wouldn't like to think you'll have to 
P26 122 pay for it out for your own pocket. Especially since your won't get 
P26 123 what you so clearly expected out of it."<quote/> She left Berry 
P26 124 sitting at the table.<p/>
P26 125 <p_>Walking swiftly between the tables of chattering, elegant 
P26 126 diners, she went out towards the wide green-carpeted stairway that 
P26 127 led down to the rear exit of the hotel. Two men in white dinner 
P26 128 jackets were paying off a taxi. She waited on the pavement until 
P26 129 they had finished and then, ignoring their studied attentiveness as 
P26 130 they opened the door for her, stepped into the dark interior of the 
P26 131 cab. She could feel hot tears ruining her make-up. The driver had 
P26 132 to query the address she gave him twice. She could hardly speak; 
P26 133 she had never felt so humiliated, never.<p/>
P26 134 <p_><quote_>"Give us a smile, luv. Go on, show us some 
P26 135 teeth,"<quote/> the photographer shouted.<p/>
P26 136 <p_>From his vantage point, balanced on a three-foot-high ornate 
P26 137 cast-iron litter bin, he was way above the other twenty or so 
P26 138 camera-decked members of the press assembled on the Thames 
P26 139 Embankment. The traffic beside them had slowed to a crawl as 
P26 140 fascinated drivers craned their necks to get a view of Marie posing 
P26 141 on the car roof. Beneath her elegantly high-heeled feet, a 
P26 142 mirror-polished white stretch Jaguar, the latest cult vehicle, 
P26 143 attracted almost as much attention as she did.<p/>
P26 144 <p_>Marie's cheeks were aching. The smile she had fixed on for the 
P26 145 photographers felt like a grimace. They'd only been about a quarter 
P26 146 of an hour taking shots, but it felt like for ever. Sarah had 
P26 147 achieved a spectacular turnout for her first photocall, and the 
P26 148 weather had also obliged by being brilliant.<p/>
P26 149 <p_><quote_>"Over here, Marie, over here,"<quote/> they were all 
P26 150 calling to her, each wanting an exclusive, special shot.<p/>
P26 151 <p_>Her legs were trembling with the effort of balancing on the 
P26 152 shiny surface. If she fell off, as she thought she might, they'd be 
P26 153 delighted. A short sharp breeze form the river beside them blew 
P26 154 open the wrap-round skirt of her navy suit to expose a thigh clad 
P26 155 in five-denier porcelain lycra. The cameras clicked like an orgy of 
P26 156 crickets<p/>
P26 157 <p_><quote_>"Three more minutes,"<quote/> Sarah called out from her 
P26 158 position by the stone wall that kept pedestrians from falling in 
P26 159 the river.<p/>
P26 160 <p_>Body Beautiful's new PR director looked ice-cool in a 
P26 161 mint-green skin-tight dress that owed much of its inspiration to a 
P26 162 cheong sam. Many of the photographers began winding up, removing 
P26 163 lenses and filters. A young man Marie recognized as a trade journal 
P26 164 photographer stepped forward. He'd been biding his time.<p/>
P26 165 <p_><quote_>Nice smile, please,"<quote/> he asked, and received 
P26 166 just what he wanted. <quote_>"Nice. Now just tip your head down a 
P26 167 bit, chin in. Nice."<quote/> He wound on and took a couple more 
P26 168 shots then politely thanked Marie.<p/>
P26 169 <p_><quote_>"You can get down now,"<quote/> Sarah called.<p/>
P26 170 <p_>It was going to be easier said than done. In the excitement of 
P26 171 clambering up on to the car, she hadn't had too much of a problem, 
P26 172 except trying not to show her underwear. This bit, however, was 
P26 173 going to be tricky. She bent slowly and slipped off her shoes. The 
P26 174 <tf|>Sun journalist surreptitiously reloaded his Nikon.<p/>
P26 175 <p_>The dove-grey-suited hired chauffeur who had come with the limo 
P26 176 looked about eighteen years old and lacking in any sort of 
P26 177 initiative. He stood a good six feet back from the side of the car 
P26 178 and watched as Marie slowly edged her way forward. As her feet 
P26 179 touched the chrome rim running around the top of the windscreen he 
P26 180 called out:<p/>
P26 181 <p_><quote_>"My boss ain't gonna like it if you muck up the 
P26 182 wipers."<quote/><p/>
P26 183 <p_>Marie glanced over at him. The river was glinting, and a group 
P26 184 of Japanese tourists clustered at the entrance to the river boat 
P26 185 where she had earlier given her prepared press release on the new 
P26 186 Sunkissed range. Her toes felt the slipperiness of the glass.<p/>
P26 187 <p_>She looked over at Sarah. Why on earth didn't she do something? 
P26 188 Angelique and the other helpers had gone back to the office the 
P26 189 minute the photocall had started. Someone had to give Marie a hand 
P26 190 down, but she didn't feel like asking for help in front of the 
P26 191 still assembled press.<p/>
P26 192 <p_><quote|>"Here." The young man who'd asked so nicely for his 
P26 193 photo came forward, holding his hands up. <quote_>"Hang on to 
P26 194 me."<quote/><p/>
P26 195 <p_>Marie reached towards him. Her legs were trembling in earnest 
P26 196 now. The <tf|>Sun photographer had come up close behind her 
P26 197 would-be gallant. Her hands clutched convulsively as she started to 
P26 198 slide. With a small cry she launched herself off the roof of the 
P26 199 car towards the pavement. She caught the sensation-seeker from the 
P26 200 tabloids with the point of her elbow. His camera flew sideways and 
P26 201 out of his hands, the woven strap round his neck almost throttled 
P26 202 him and he swore fluently.<p/>
P26 203 <p_>There was an ominous tearing sound as Marie landed, but a quick 
P26 204 check didn't show any damage to her skirt. She smiled as she 
P26 205 straightened up.
P26 206 
P27   1 <#FLOB:P27\><h_><p_>A SHORT STORY BY RACHEL MURRAY<p/>
P27   2 <p_>Thomas and Sophie<p/><h/>
P27   3 <p_>Love is supposed to be blind and, in the case of the Thomsons, 
P27   4 never was a truer word spoken. Their friends only hoped the young 
P27   5 couple's illusions would never be shattered...<p/>
P27   6 <p_>Thomas was getting past it. He was pot-bellied, receding and 
P27   7 irritable. His digestion was poor, he had a rash round his chin, 
P27   8 his eyes were bloodshot and his once blond hair was a nondescript 
P27   9 hay colour.<p/>
P27  10 <p_>Not, you might think, the ideal mate for a luscious little 
P27  11 woman like Sophie, with her raven hair, big blue eyes and 
P27  12 undulating figure; but, as their friends could recall, she used to 
P27  13 be overweight, with mousy hair and spots. It was marriage to the 
P27  14 dynamic Thomas Thomson from Advertising, that brought out her 
P27  15 latent beauty. She dieted rigidly, had her hair tinted, took a 
P27  16 course of skin treatments and, by the time Thomas put up capital 
P27  17 for her boutique, she could wear the trendy gear from her stock 
P27  18 with devastating effect.<p/>
P27  19 <p_>They adored each other, but the odd thing was that, as Thomas 
P27  20 aged with astonishing rapidity, Sophie became even more glamorous, 
P27  21 causing him to drive himself desperately in order to keep her in 
P27  22 unasked-for luxury. She rushed back each evening to cook his 
P27  23 favourite supper, and would press her curves against his paunch 
P27  24 when he came home, but he was still unnerved by the swan into which 
P27  25 his plump little duckling had transformed herself.<p/>
P27  26 <p_>One day he was at his desk, devoid of ideas and wishing he'd 
P27  27 thought of the tiger for Esso, when the boss rushed in. 
P27  28 <quote_>"Ah, Thomas. Where are Sebastian and Angelique?"<quote/><p/>
P27  29 <p_>Thomas raised vivid blue eyes with blood-shot whites. 
P27  30 <quote_>"They're both out on their new sausage-meat 
P27  31 campaign,"<quote/> he muttered. <quote_>"You know - <tf_>a sausage 
P27  32 in a skin is a sausage for the bin, but sausagemeat that's free is 
P27  33 the sausagemeat for me<tf/>."<quote/> "Oh, well, as they aren't 
P27  34 here, go round to Tasty-Bite's, will you? They're anxious to 
P27  35 discuss a new campaign for their meatless meat pies. Land it and 
P27  36 I'll double your bonus."<p/>
P27  37 <p_>In his haste to reach Tasty-Bite's, Thomas slipped on a dropped 
P27  38 ice lolly and fractured his thigh. <quote|>"Typical!" said the boss 
P27  39 when he heard the news. "I said he was getting past it."<p/>
P27  40 <p_>Angelique and Sebastian nudged each other and gave a snigger, 
P27  41 secure in the belief that they were neither past it nor merely 
P27  42 approaching it - they were well and truly with it. Meanwhile, 
P27  43 Sophie frenziedly reorganised her days to fit in with hospital 
P27  44 visiting hours, while Thomas, despairing, settled in his bed.<p/>
P27  45 <p_><quote_>"Now Mr Thomson,"<quote/> said Sister firmly, 
P27  46 <quote_>"we watch our patients' weight very carefully. And what's 
P27  47 this nasty rash on your chin? We can't have that. Stop shaving for 
P27  48 a week and see how it goes."<quote/><p/>
P27  49 <p_>Three weeks later, his leg still in traction, Thomas' 
P27  50 appearance had improved dramatically. He had lost weight, his eyes 
P27  51 were clear, his beard was blond and curly, and unruly waves 
P27  52 disguised his receding hairline. The fracture was complicated, and 
P27  53 would require a lengthy stay in hospital.<p/>
P27  54 <p_>Sophie, meanwhile, was shattered. She couldn't sleep without 
P27  55 Thomas in their big oval bed. Dark circles appeared around her 
P27  56 lovely eyes and she started having midnight snacks to while away 
P27  57 the lonely hours. <quote_>"But, Mrs Thomson,"<quote/> protested her 
P27  58 assistant one day, <quote_>"do you really think these woolly 
P27  59 dressing gowns show our usual - er - flair?"<quote/><p/>
P27  60 <p_><quote|>"What?" asked Sophie vaguely. <quote_>"Oh, those! Well, 
P27  61 actually, I thought they were a new line in evening gowns - the 
P27  62 fluffy, cuddly look or something. I can't worry about them now. I'm 
P27  63 off to the hospital."<quote/> She found Thomas on the balcony in 
P27  64 the sun, a drawing<?_>-<?/>board propped against the pulleys on his 
P27  65 bed, busily sketching ideas for Tasty-Bite Pies. His latest slogan 
P27  66 was <tf_>A pie without meat keeps you neat but replete<tf/>. He 
P27  67 hummed as he drew.<p/>
P27  68 <p_>Sophie sat by his bed, munching the chicken sandwich she'd 
P27  69 brought him. <quote_>"But, darling,"<quote/> she protested, 
P27  70 <quote_>"must you work quite so hard? After all, Sebastian and 
P27  71 Angelique have landed the account, haven't they?"<quote/><p/>
P27  72 <p_><quote_>"Not yet,"<quote/> Thomas rasped. <quote_>"I've sent 
P27  73 the boss several sketches because I'm still after that bonus, 
P27  74 sweetheart. Don't forget I've promised you a black leather 
P27  75 catsuit."<quote/><p/>
P27  76 <p_>Sophie's eyes filled with tears. <quote_>"Oh, Thomas, you are 
P27  77 so thoughtful."<quote/> Her voice rose to a wail. <quote_>"But - 
P27  78 you seem so happy in here. Don't you long to get home to my 
P27  79 cooking? You know you love my lobster thermidor and my cream 
P27  80 meringues."<quote/><p/>
P27  81 <p_>Thomas flinched. The truth was he'd never felt better. For the 
P27  82 first time in ten years his overworked digestive tract was behaving 
P27  83 itself. He patted Sophie's cheek with a lean brown hand. 
P27  84 <quote_>"Of course I want to get home, but I'm still in plaster. 
P27  85 Have patience!"<quote/><p/>
P27  86 <p_>She hurried back to the boutique, loosening her belt another 
P27  87 notch as she went. Business was bad; the fluffy dressing-gowns 
P27  88 weren't selling, and a batch of woollen vests she'd ordered in an 
P27  89 overwrought moment didn't appeal to the Knightsbridge shoppers 
P27  90 either.<p/>
P27  91 <p_>At last the day arrived when Thomas was to be allowed home. 
P27  92 Watched by admiring nurses, he paced the ward with his stick, 
P27  93 waiting for Sophie. His trousers stayed up only by willpower and a 
P27  94 tight belt. His sun-bleached hair was dazzling and his curly yellow 
P27  95 beard showed off his tan.<p/>
P27  96 <p_><quote_>"Well, Mr Thomson,"<quote/> said Sister smugly, 
P27  97 <quote_>"you look like a new man."<quote/><p/>
P27  98 <p_>Sophie arrived, plump and breathless, her cheeks slightly 
P27  99 spotty. There had been no time for hair appointments, and the 
P27 100 glossy black waves were by now quite mousy-brown. <quote|>"Thomas!" 
P27 101 she said tearfully. <quote_>"You look awful! So thin - so 
P27 102 undernourished!"<quote/><p/>
P27 103 <p_><quote_>"But you look marvellous,"<quote/> he beamed. 
P27 104 <quote_>"Just like the girl I married."<quote/><p/>
P27 105 <p_>The boss called round that evening and eyed Thomas enviously. 
P27 106 <quote_>"I say, hospital life certainly suits you! No 
P27 107 offence,"<quote/> he added hastily, casting an apologetic look at 
P27 108 Sophie. <quote_>"I've called to congratulate you on landing the 
P27 109 contract with Tasty-Bite Pies. Their parent company, Yum-Yum 
P27 110 Puddings, want you to handle their new campaign ..."<quote/><p/>
P27 111 <p_>And that's how Thomas and Sophie moved into the super-tax 
P27 112 bracket. When thinking up new slogans, he goes to bed for a few 
P27 113 days on a low-starch diet. It helps him to think and also delays 
P27 114 the return of his paunch. He's kept the beard, though. He says it's 
P27 115 good for his image now he has his own agency.<p/>
P27 116 <p_>Sophie, after much thought, hasn't gone back to dieting but at 
P27 117 least she's got rid of the spots! She sold the boutique, complete 
P27 118 with stock, because she is too busy looking after their 
P27 119 twelve-roomed house - and, of course, her beloved Thomas.THE 
P27 120 END.<p/>
P27 121 <h_><p_>A SHORT STORY BY MOIRA ILES<p/>
P27 122 <p_>The outing<p/><h/>
P27 123 <p_>It was a day of good fellowship and good food. But, as the 
P27 124 villagers agreed, the comeliest sight of all was young Ann in her 
P27 125 sprigged muslin. By nightfall she'd have won more than one lad's 
P27 126 heart<p/>
P27 127 <p_>THE CHAPEL outing was always a great event and was particularly 
P27 128 welcome coming, as it did, between the haymaking and the corn 
P27 129 harvest. It was a day off, a day when you had to do nothing except 
P27 130 enjoy yourself, and those days were few and far between. But this 
P27 131 year, 1896, it would be an even greater event than usual, for it 
P27 132 was the centenary.<p/>
P27 133 <p_><quote_>"The what?"<quote/> enquired Mrs Perkins.<p/>
P27 134 <p_><quote_>"It's a hundred years since they started building the 
P27 135 chapel,"<quote/> said her husband.<p/>
P27 136 <p_>They were in the village shop which, in fact, was the front 
P27 137 room of their cottage. It was stocked from floor to ceiling with 
P27 138 bacon and bootlaces, soap and candles - anything that anyone might 
P27 139 want and a great deal more besides.<p/>
P27 140 <p_><quote_>"How do they know for certain?"<quote/> Mrs Perkins 
P27 141 asked suspiciously. <quote_>"Even Granny Markham's only ninety-six 
P27 142 and, anyway, she couldn't remember what happened last market day 
P27 143 let alone when the chapel was built."<quote/><p/>
P27 144 <p_><quote_>"They've got the actual deeds,"<quote/> said Mrs 
P27 145 Saunders who had come in for two and five-eighths yards of blue 
P27 146 ribbon but couldn't decide whether to have the pale blue or the 
P27 147 dark. <quote_>"The land belonged to my husband's great-uncle and he 
P27 148 gave it to the chapel to please his father who heard Mr Wesley 
P27 149 preach several times. In fact, Mr Wesley stayed at Lower 
P27 150 Challiscombe two or three times when he was on his journeys. You 
P27 151 must get my husband to tell you about it sometime."<quote/><p/>
P27 152 <p_>The Saunders family, one of the wealthiest farming families in 
P27 153 the district, was certainly a cut above the Perkins family. 
P27 154 However, Mrs Saunders had recently realised that her son Jacob had 
P27 155 his eyes on the Perkins girl, Ann. If it should turn out that they 
P27 156 were to be related by marriage - well, it might be as well to start 
P27 157 being friendly now.<p/>
P27 158 <p_>Mrs Perkins was also aware of the situation and had mentioned 
P27 159 it to her husband.<p/>
P27 160 <p_><quote_>"They won't want him marrying our Ann,"<quote/> he 
P27 161 said. <quote_>"They'll want someone who'll bring a bit of land with 
P27 162 her."<quote/><p/>
P27 163 <p_><quote_>"They've got plenty of land, but I daresay they could 
P27 164 do with a bit of happiness."<quote/><p/>
P27 165 <p_>Mrs Saunders said much the same to her husband, so that he 
P27 166 shouldn't be overtaken by events.<p/>
P27 167 <p_><quote_>"Oh well"<quote/>, he said, <quote_>"Jacob won't take 
P27 168 any notice of me so it's no good saying anything."<quote/><p/>
P27 169 <p_><quote|>"Well," his wife said comfortingly, <quote_>"she's a 
P27 170 nice enough girl and she does make a good seed cake."<quote/><p/>
P27 171 <p_>The Manse stood next to the chapel, on the outskirts of the 
P27 172 village. From the study window, the Reverend John Grange could look 
P27 173 across the meadows and the river to the high moors beyond.<p/>
P27 174 <p_><tf_>I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills from whence cometh 
P27 175 my help<tf/>, he thought. He needed help to deal with Mr Pilton. 
P27 176 This morning he was trying to settle the details of the outing with 
P27 177 Mr Pilton, who always arranged these things.<p/>
P27 178 <p_><quote_>"I thought,"<quote/> said Mr Pilton, <quote_>"that we 
P27 179 might do something different this year. We could go on the railway 
P27 180 to Primley Sands. There is a halt right by the beach."<quote/><p/>
P27 181 <p_>The minister was taken aback. He liked the traditional outing. 
P27 182 The local farmers lent their wagons, all newly painted and 
P27 183 decorated with flower and foliage. They all gathered at the chapel 
P27 184 at the appointed time - grandparents, parents, children, chapel 
P27 185 members and the hangers-on. They then made their way, at a 
P27 186 leisurely pace, through the lanes and across the downs to Damson 
P27 187 Dell, where they ate the lunch they had taken with them. Next they 
P27 188 played cricket or gossiped or slept until it was time to go to the 
P27 189 local chapel where they were always given a splendid tea. Finally 
P27 190 they joined with the local people in singing well-loved hymns until 
P27 191 it was time to leave.<p/>
P27 192 <p_>On the way home, they would stop at the Dog and Drake for 
P27 193 refreshments. As the outing was always arranged for full moon, the 
P27 194 journey home was a joy in itself: the slow procession making its 
P27 195 way through the moonlit countryside, heavy with the scents of a 
P27 196 summer night, somewhere a nightingale singing, somewhere an owl 
P27 197 hooting but, otherwise, just the clip-clop of the horses who knew 
P27 198 the way home as well as anyone, the wagons full of drowsy 
P27 199 people.<p/>
P27 200 <p_><quote|>"Well," said Mr Grange, <quote_>"I think that people 
P27 201 are very happy with the present arrangements."<quote/><p/>
P27 202 <p_><quote_>"I don't think,"<quote/> said Mr Pilton, <quote_>"that 
P27 203 you have fully grasped the advantages of going by train. We could 
P27 204 put males and females into separate compartments, thereby avoiding 
P27 205 any indecorous behaviour. And we would come straight home without 
P27 206 the temptations of calling at the inn."<quote/><p/>
P27 207 <p_><quote_>"Oh, come,"<quote/> protested Mr Grange. <quote_>"I 
P27 208 have never seen any indecorous behaviour."<quote/><p/>
P27 209 <p_><quote_>"It occurs."<quote/> Mr Pilton lowered his voice. 
P27 210 <quote_>"Only the other day I saw two young members of the choir 
P27 211 walking home from the choir practice - their little fingers 
P27 212 entwined!"<quote/><p/>
P27 213 <p_>Mr Grange sighed - possibly for the young couple or possibly 
P27 214 for Mr Pilton. <quote_>"As for calling at the Dog and 
P27 215 Drake,"<quote/> he said, <quote_>"I have never seen any one having 
P27 216 anything other than lemonade or ginger beer."<quote/><p/>
P27 217 <p_><quote_>"But the temptation is there,"<quote/> insisted Mr 
P27 218 Pilton. Indeed, he knew only too well that temptation was there - 
P27 219 the cider at the Dog and Drake was very potent and Maisie's dark 
P27 220 eyes had bewitched him - but that was long ago and now he must see 
P27 221 others did not fall.
P27 222 
P28   1 <#FLOB:P28\><h|>6
P28   2 <p_>Leaving the village of Eglingham behind her, with Widow Dodds 
P28   3 waving farewell from her doorway, Hannah gave Dickon his head over 
P28   4 the moor to Shopley Burn and on to the hamlet of Charlton. This 
P28   5 much of the way was known to her. The real adventure started when 
P28   6 she joined the Great North Road, that thoroughfare of coaches, 
P28   7 waggons, pony-trains, riders on horseback and travellers on foot, 
P28   8 tinkers, pedlars, vagrants and highwaymen.<p/>
P28   9 <p_>Stretching from London to Scotland, its condition worsened the 
P28  10 further north it went. Here in Northumberland, it was reduced to a 
P28  11 narrow causeway with a quagmire on either side that was the dread 
P28  12 of all coach travellers. An encounter with another vehicle which 
P28  13 forced one or the other to leave the surfaced strip was an 
P28  14 invitation to disaster as the many broken wheels lying at either 
P28  15 side testified. Many were the sloughs and potholes waiting to trap 
P28  16 an unwary rider. Hannah kept Dickon to a careful trot.<p/>
P28  17 <p_>She had a journey in front of her of some twelve leagues and 
P28  18 had left home at an early hour in order to reach Tom before the day 
P28  19 was far spent. He had promised to keep a watch on the road and 
P28  20 would come to meet her at first sighting. Her heart warmed at the 
P28  21 thought of her brother but not without a tinge of apprehension. He 
P28  22 was seventeen now. Grown up.<p/>
P28  23 <p_>Such doubts as she had were pushed to the back of her mind by 
P28  24 the sudden sight of the sea. The road lay along the broad coastal 
P28  25 plain, curving to within a few miles of the shore from time to time 
P28  26 to show her a wide expanse of water shimmering silver on this early 
P28  27 June morning. Previous glimpses of the sea had been from the 
P28  28 distant heights of Bewick Moor, appearing as a vague grey-blue 
P28  29 space. Now, for the first time, she could discern its running, 
P28  30 white-topped waves and the bobbing, dipping progress upon it of a 
P28  31 ship in full sail. A fresh and salty breeze smacked her in the face 
P28  32 and sent Dickon's head up with a whinny of delight.<p/>
P28  33 <p_>Everything around her was excitingly different. Cattle, much 
P28  34 fatter and sleeker than the cows at home, grazed on pastures that 
P28  35 sloped right down to the pale golden sands. Women sang as they 
P28  36 worked in the fields. A party of faws came by in a covered waggon 
P28  37 jingling with pots and pans, led by a brown-skinned young woman 
P28  38 in a green silk frock with a money on her shoulder. Hannah laughed 
P28  39 out loud at its antics and when rich merchants went by, she could 
P28  40 not contain her admiration for their splendid mounts, magnificent 
P28  41 horses sixteen hands high, bridle and martingale of plaited leather 
P28  42 decorated with filets of gleaming brass.<p/>
P28  43 <p_><quote_>"A fine horse you got there, sir! Nae mistake about 
P28  44 that!"<quote/> But her compliment went unacknowledged by haughty 
P28  45 milords who had no time for peasant girls.<p/>
P28  46 <p_>She passed many a small dwelling built on common land at the 
P28  47 edge of the road where curs yapped at every passing traveller. 
P28  48 Children played in the sun at open doors surrounded by dusty hens, 
P28  49 their mothers keeping an eye on them from washing line or spinning 
P28  50 wheel. From time to time the tall chimneys and gable ends of a 
P28  51 great house would show through a noble stand of trees but when, at 
P28  52 last, a square church tower set amongst other substantial buildings 
P28  53 appeared on the skyline, Hanna knew she was nearing Belford.<p/>
P28  54 <p_>Carts began to crowd the road. There were serving maids in 
P28  55 waggons packed with butter, cheese and eggs, and tidy matrons in 
P28  56 gaily painted dog carts whipping up their high-stepping ponies. 
P28  57 All exchanged a greeting with her and it seemed to Hannah that the 
P28  58 world was full of the most amiable people imaginable until the 
P28  59 London coach came by, careering through pools of stagnant water, 
P28  60 fouling the clothes of those on foot and sending them leaping into 
P28  61 the ditch for safety. Dickon reared in alarm, almost unseating his 
P28  62 rider and Hannah was spattered with gobs of mud from the kerchief 
P28  63 at her neck to her new white woollen stockings.<p/>
P28  64 <p_>In a fury, she pricked Dickon into pursuit of the coach. 
P28  65 Standing in the stirrups, shaking her fist and roundly cursing the 
P28  66 coachman, she provided considerable entertainment for the 
P28  67 passengers. But Dickon was no match for the team of four galloping 
P28  68 greys and disconsolately, she was forced to give up the chase. She 
P28  69 was in no fit state now to go visiting and must needs stop awhile 
P28  70 in Belford to clean herself up before continuing to Buckton.<p/>
P28  71 <p_>Belford market cross stood on a slight rise in front of the 
P28  72 Blue Bell Inn which was the scene of much activity as Hannah 
P28  73 trotted into town. Ostlers and farriers were busy with buckets and 
P28  74 brushes and jingling harness. Their clatter filled the yard and 
P28  75 through the open door of the inn a babel of voices gusted as the 
P28  76 people came and went. Hannah slipped down from Dickon's back and 
P28  77 looped his reins over the water trough while she attempted to wash 
P28  78 the dirt from her face.<p/>
P28  79 <p_>Aware that she was being watched, she turned her back on a 
P28  80 young lounging at the inn door who seemed to find her plight 
P28  81 amusing and he promptly laughed out loud.<p/>
P28  82 <p_><quote|>"Here," he said kindly, offering a square of cambric, 
P28  83 <quote_>"use my handkerchief, else you will only make the damage 
P28  84 worse."<quote/><p/>
P28  85 <p_>His tone was so inoffensive that Hannah thought better of her 
P28  86 first impulse to tell him to mind his own business and took the 
P28  87 proffered handkerchief, though with little grace.<p/>
P28  88 <p_><quote_>"'Tis a pretty trifle indeed for wiping clarts but I'll 
P28  89 take it nonetheless and thank thee for thy kindness."<quote/><p/>
P28  90 <p_><quote_>"How didst come to be in such a plight?"<quote/> He was 
P28  91 looking at her soiled white stockings.<quote_>"Didst have a fall 
P28  92 from thy horse?"<quote/><p/>
P28  93 <p_>By his speech, Hannah could tell he was from over the border 
P28  94 and, from his courteous manner, a gentleman, although his clothes 
P28  95 were ordinary enough. She recounted the tale of her mishap as she 
P28  96 applied the wet cloth to her face.<p/>
P28  97 <p_><quote_>"That bully will feel the rough edge of my tongue were 
P28  98 I to meet him again. Just look at my frock! I am on my way to visit 
P28  99 my brother whom I have not seen these three long years and I am 
P28 100 loth that he should find me in this sad state."<quote/> She turned 
P28 101 her scrubbed face towards the young man for his approval. 
P28 102 <quote_>"Is my face clean enough?!<quote/><p/>
P28 103 <p_><quote_>"Good as new,"<quote/> he assured her and would not 
P28 104 take the wet kerchief back. <quote_>"A keepsake of your ride to 
P28 105 Belford."<quote/><p/>
P28 106 <p_>Making herself comfortable by the pump, Hannah took her bait of 
P28 107 bread and cheese from her bundle. She would not arrive hungry like 
P28 108 a common beggar at the house of Mistress Reay. The young man 
P28 109 declined to share it with her saying he had important business on 
P28 110 hand and indeed Hannah noted that he kept an alert eye upon the 
P28 111 road leading into the town.<p/>
P28 112 <p_>A sudden burst of noise announced the departure of a coachload 
P28 113 of travellers from the inn. Their coach, equipped with fresh 
P28 114 horses, stood ready for them as, much refreshed by the Blue Bell 
P28 115 hospitality, they trooped out into the sunshine. At the sight of 
P28 116 their driver, Hannah jumped to her feet.<p/>
P28 117 <p_><quote_>"Why, that's the man! That's the scoundrel who almost 
P28 118 ran me off the road!"<quote/><p/>
P28 119 <p_>Before the young man knew what she was about, Hannah had 
P28 120 sprinted across the market square to confront the driver who, whip 
P28 121 in hand, was already taking his seat.<p/>
P28 122 <p_><quote_>"Hi! Thou knave! Dost think the Great North Road 
P28 123 belongs to thee! By rights, ye should buy me a pair of new 
P28 124 stockings for these are covered in mud after ye drove past me like 
P28 125 a madman."<quote/><p/>
P28 126 <p_>The driver turned in some surprise, then laughed to see a maid 
P28 127 in such a temper, which only served to increase Hannah's anger.<p/>
P28 128 <p_><quote_>"Darest laugh at me after putting me in such a 
P28 129 plight!"<quote/><p/>
P28 130 <p_><quote_>"Oh, aye,"<quote/> he grinned, <quote_>"thou'rt a sight 
P28 131 indeed. Be off with you ere I call the watch."<quote/> He was not 
P28 132 averse to giving his passengers an entertainment at the expense of 
P28 133 an impertinent chit. He raised his whip. <quote_>"Be off, I say, 
P28 134 with your dirty stockings, or this leather will make thee even more 
P28 135 of a spectacle than thou'rt already."<quote/><p/>
P28 136 <p_>The young man, reading Hannah's intention as she bent to pick 
P28 137 up a stone, reached her side in a quick stride and laid a 
P28 138 restraining hand on her shoulder. To the driver, he spoke with 
P28 139 surprising authority.<p/>
P28 140 <p_><quote_>"Keep that whip for your horses, driver. This maid has 
P28 141 some justice in her complaint but I'll not detain thee for an 
P28 142 apology as thy passengers grow restive. Go on your way and have a 
P28 143 care for other travellers on the road."<quote/><p/>
P28 144 <p_>The coachman's face purpled. To be made to look foolish in 
P28 145 front of a whole coachload of passengers was almost too much to 
P28 146 bear, and that by a mere youth. Caution whispered to him, however, 
P28 147 that the young man was nobly born, 'twas plain to see, and who 
P28 148 could tell what his family connections might be. With an ill grace, 
P28 149 he brought his whip down heavily on the horses' rumps, sending them 
P28 150 clattering over the cobblestones and on their way.<p/>
P28 151 <p_><quote_>Good riddance to bad rubbish!"<quote/> Hannah yelled 
P28 152 after him and, with some reluctance, dropped the stone from her 
P28 153 hand. <quote_>"You should ha let me hoy this at him,"<quote/> she 
P28 154 chided. <quote_>"'Twas only fair."<quote/><p/>
P28 155 <p_>The youth shook his head with a smile. <quote_>"A word of 
P28 156 advice young maid. Do not seek out trouble for it comes easy enough 
P28 157 without the need to look for it, and 'tis usually the weakest in 
P28 158 the argument who will suffer. If a woman sets herself against a 
P28 159 man, count upon it, justice will not go her way."<quote/><p/>
P28 160 <p_>Hannah looked at him curiously. <quote_>"That's an odd thing 
P28 161 for a man to say. But I'm not weak!"<quote/> she added. <quote_>"I 
P28 162 could outrun that pig's bladder any day. Yet I should thank thee 
P28 163 for speaking on my account,"<quote/> she said, on reflection. 
P28 164 <quote_>"A whole coachload of trouble might have undone 
P28 165 me,"<quote/> she burst out laughing, <quote_>"though, in truth, it 
P28 166 would have made good sport to try!"<quote/><p/>
P28 167 <p_>She regarded her companion with fresh interest. There was not 
P28 168 much to him, apart from his handsome looks. He was slightly built 
P28 169 with delicate hands and feet. <quote_>"What is thy name? Mine is 
P28 170 Hannah."<quote/><p/>
P28 171 <p_><quote_>"Well, Hannah,"<quote/> he said seriously, <quote_>"I 
P28 172 admire your spirit if not your diplomacy. Wait on -,"<quote/> his 
P28 173 eye alighted on a rider who was entering the square at that 
P28 174 moment.<p/>
P28 175 <p_>Following his glance, Hannah saw the postman, leather mail-bag
P28 176 over his shoulder, a red-faced man on a steaming horse. He 
P28 177 clattered to a standstill outside the inn and threw his reins to a 
P28 178 waiting ostler before disappearing inside.<p/>
P28 179 <p_><quote_>"I must leave you now."<quote/> The young man spoke 
P28 180 softly. <quote_>"The man I seek a rendezvous with has 
P28 181 arrived."<quote/> With that, Hannah's new friend followed the 
P28 182 postman into the dark interior of the inn.<p/>
P28 183 <p_><quote_>"And he never told me his name,"<quote/> thought 
P28 184 Hannah, as she set Dickon on the road again, then she put the 
P28 185 events of the morning behind her. A little less than a league to go 
P28 186 and she would be riding into Buckton. She tried to imagine Tom 
P28 187 grown older but the image persisted in her mind of a thirteen-year-old 
P28 188 boy with freckled face and snub nose. What would he 
P28 189 think of her? She looked down at her spattered stockings. There was 
P28 190 no help for them.<p/>
P28 191 <p_>The salt air drenched and scoured her lungs for the road here 
P28 192 lay close to the sea. What manner of house was the potter's house 
P28 193 that had so much wind and water about it? How would she be 
P28 194 received?<p/>
P28 195 <p_>The potter's house lay on the west side of the road between the 
P28 196 hamlets of Buckton and Fenwick, a three<*_>storeyed<*/> house, 
P28 197 solidly built of sandstone, facing the sea with the Kyloe hills at 
P28 198 its back.
P28 199 
P29   1 <#FLOB:P29\><h_>SHIRLEY WORRALL writes this romantic complete 
P29   2 Story.<p/>
P29   3 <p_>At The Moment Of Parting<p/>
P29   4 <p_>SHIRLEY WORRALL<p/><h/>
P29   5 <p_>CAROLINE tore open the envelope and scanned the contents, 
P29   6 briefly at first but then in more detail. Having finished at 
P29   7 university, she'd decided on a year's voluntary work abroad and the 
P29   8 letter contained full details of her travel arrangements to 
P29   9 Africa.<p/>
P29  10 <p_>She was about to dash off and share her exciting news with Andy 
P29  11 when he burst into the living-room.<p/>
P29  12 <p_><quote_>"Caro, you have to help me. Something awful has 
P29  13 happened."<quote/><p/>
P29  14 <p_>Fifty possible disasters raced through her mind.<p/>
P29  15 <p_><quote_>"Whatever's wrong?"<quote/> she asked.<p/>
P29  16 <p_>Andy threw himself down in a chair, looking as if the end of 
P29  17 the world had been prophesied.<p/>
P29  18 <p_><quote_>"I rang Maria and invited her round this 
P29  19 evening,"<quote/> he explained. <quote_>"I planned to cook her a 
P29  20 meal and impress her with all the trimmings. Anyway, she said she 
P29  21 couldn't make it."<quote/><p/>
P29  22 <p_>Caroline laughed with relief.<p/>
P29  23 <p_><quote_>"Is that all?"<quote/> Andy had grown into a very 
P29  24 handsome and charming man so Caroline guessed that a replacement 
P29  25 would be easy enough to find. <quote_>"I'm sure that your little 
P29  26 black book will jump to the rescue, Andy,"<quote/> she added.<p/>
P29  27 <p_>Andy didn't share her amusement.<p/>
P29  28 <p_><quote_>"That's the problem. I then called Sally, who was 
P29  29 delighted to accept."<quote/> With a groan, Andy ran his fingers 
P29  30 through his hair. <quote_>"But Dad's just given me a message saying 
P29  31 that Maria's managed to change her plans and that she'll be here at 
P29  32 seven."<quote/><p/>
P29  33 <p_><quote_>"Oh dear."<quote/> So Andy had a double date. 
P29  34 <quote_>"Can't you telephone one of them?"<quote/><p/>
P29  35 <p_><quote_>I've been trying but neither answers. They must both be 
P29  36 on their way. What am I going to do, Caro? They'll both turn up 
P29  37 together."<quote/><p/>
P29  38 <p_>Caroline burst out laughing again.<p/>
P29  39 <p_><quote_>"It looks as if the three of you will have a very cosy 
P29  40 evening. Think about it logically,"<quote/> she went on, trying to 
P29  41 be serious. <quote_>"Which of them do you like best?"<quote/><p/>
P29  42 <p_><quote_>"I like them both,"<quote/> Andy replied. <quote_>"It's 
P29  43 not serious with either of them."<quote/><p/>
P29  44 <p_><quote_>"Let me put it another way,"<quote/> Caroline grinned. 
P29  45 <quote_>"Is either of them trained in martial arts?"<quote/><p/>
P29  46 <p_><quote_>"Very funny, Caro."<quote/><p/>
P29  47 <p_><quote_>"Sorry, Andy, but you're in big trouble and it serves 
P29  48 you right. You're so - fickle."<quote/><p/>
P29  49 <p_><quote_>"It's you women, changing your minds at the drop of a 
P29  50 hat."<quote/> He stood up and gave Caroline his most appealing 
P29  51 smile. <quote_>"Caro, if I took the first one away, you could 
P29  52 answer the door to the second one and -"<quote/><p/>
P29  53 <p_><quote_>"Oh, no!"<quote/><p/>
P29  54 <p_><quote_>"But if you could just keep one of them out of the way 
P29  55 for a while - say I'd been called away urgently or something - I 
P29  56 could get rid of the first one early and then see the second 
P29  57 one."<quote/><p/>
P29  58 <p_><quote_>"Andy! Women are not things to 'get rid 
P29  59 of'."<quote/><p/>
P29  60 <p_><quote_>"I know that but I can't think of any other way round 
P29  61 it. I don't want to upset either of them."<quote/><p/>
P29  62 <p_><quote_>"And I can't entertain one of your girlfriends for a 
P29  63 couple of hours, Andy. Be sensible."<quote/><p/>
P29  64 <p_>BUT Andy pleaded with her until finally, Caroline agreed to his 
P29  65 monstrous plan. He was her best friend and despite his morals, or 
P29  66 lack of them, she loved him dearly.<p/>
P29  67 <p_>With a smile, Caroline recalled how, at the age of five, she'd 
P29  68 thought that Andy was her brother. After all, they lived in the 
P29  69 same house.<p/>
P29  70 <p_>Andy, a wise nine-year-old, had explained. <quote_>"Brothers 
P29  71 and sisters have to have the same mums and dads."<quote/><p/>
P29  72 <p_><quote_>"But we do. Don't we?"<quote/><p/>
P29  73 <p_>Andy raised his eyes heavenwards.<p/>
P29  74 <p_><quote_>"Of course not. Your mum just works for my 
P29  75 dad."<quote/> He was thoughtful for a moment. <quote_>"If they got 
P29  76 married, then I suppose you'd be my sister."<quote/><p/>
P29  77 <p_><quote_>"Do you want a sister?"<quote/> Caroline asked, 
P29  78 thinking she could persuade her mother to marry Andy's father, 
P29  79 Ben.<p/>
P29  80 <p_><quote|>"Yuk!" was Andy's quick response. <quote_>"No, I 
P29  81 don't."<quote/><p/>
P29  82 <p_><quote_>"I don't want a brother then,"<quote/> Caroline 
P29  83 retaliated.<p/>
P29  84 <p_>From that moment on, she forgot all thoughts of asking her 
P29  85 mother to marry Ben. And from that moment on, she thought, they 
P29  86 grew closer than many brothers and sisters. Which was why she found 
P29  87 herself helping him out of trouble.<p/>
P29  88 <p_>As it turned out, Maria was first to arrive. Andy quickly took 
P29  89 her through to the dining-room which was safely at the back of the 
P29  90 house.<p/>
P29  91 <p_>Sally turned up twenty minutes later. An apologetic Caroline 
P29  92 took her into the sitting-room and explained Andy's absence.<p/>
P29  93 <p_><quote_>"He took off in such a rush that I don't know where he 
P29  94 was going,"<quote/> Caroline said, fingers crossed. <quote_>"I know 
P29  95 it was an emergency though. Perhaps it would be better if he rang 
P29  96 you tomorrow."<quote/><p/>
P29  97 <p_><quote_>"It's OK,"<quote/> Sally said. <quote_>"I can 
P29  98 wait."<quote/><p/>
P29  99 <p_>Caroline hated the deception.<p/>
P29 100 <p_><quote_>"He might be very late."<quote/><p/>
P29 101 <p_><quote_>"I've got all night."<quote/><p/>
P29 102 <p_>Caroline swallowed her groan of dismay and offered Sally 
P29 103 coffee. Sally accepted and the two spent an hour and a half 
P29 104 discussing Andy in great depth. Caroline realised that if Andy 
P29 105 wasn't serious about the relationship, Sally certainly was.<p/>
P29 106 <p_>It was the first time Caroline had met Sally and for some 
P29 107 reason, she couldn't take to her. Usually Caroline made friends 
P29 108 easily, and although she couldn't fault Sally's behaviour, there 
P29 109 was something about the girl that she didn't like.<p/>
P29 110 <p_>Caroline wasn't too fond of Andy at that moment either, and she 
P29 111 couldn't help wondering if their unusual upbringing was at the root 
P29 112 of Andy's irresponsibility.<p/>
P29 113 <p_>Ben, Andy's father, had started his career as an archaeologist 
P29 114 but soon turned to writing about his passion. Caroline's mother 
P29 115 took the job as his secretary, typing notes, arranging meetings and 
P29 116 doing research work. Due to the long hours they worked, it was soon 
P29 117 decided that Caroline and her mother would live in Ben's rambling 
P29 118 old house.<p/>
P29 119 <p_>Ben was divorced and Caroline's own father had died before she 
P29 120 was born, so it might have been reasonable to expect a little 
P29 121 romance between the two. However, it wasn't to be. They spent long 
P29 122 hours in Ben's office, having issued severe warnings that they 
P29 123 weren't to be disturbed.<p/>
P29 124 <p_>Consequently, Caroline and Andy were thrown together. As 
P29 125 children they were left to run wild but because they knew they were 
P29 126 loved, neither of them minded. In fact, they enjoyed their 
P29 127 freedom.<p/>
P29 128 <p_>The lack of parental supervision should have turned them into 
P29 129 hooligans, Caroline thought with a smile, but it didn't. Against 
P29 130 all odds, she and Andy had managed to grow into sane, thoughtful 
P29 131 and considerate adults. Or had they, she wondered. Wasn't Andy 
P29 132 behaving in a totally irresponsible way?<p/>
P29 133 <p_><quote_>DID I hear a car?"<quote/> Sally asked suddenly. It was 
P29 134 a car, but it was going in the wrong direction. It had to be Maria 
P29 135 leaving.<p/>
P29 136 <p_><quote_>"My mother going out,"<quote/> Caroline lied. Minutes 
P29 137 later, the door opened and Andy joined them. His apologies were 
P29 138 totally unnecessary, Caroline noticed, as Sally would have forgiven 
P29 139 him anything. If only she knew, Caroline thought crossly.<p/>
P29 140 <p_>Caroline sat alone to watch the television but her mind wasn't 
P29 141 on it. She couldn't help thinking about Andy. She could imagine him 
P29 142 now, pouring on the charm for Sally and the girl being completely 
P29 143 taken in by it. The more Caroline thought about it, the angrier she 
P29 144 became.<p/>
P29 145 <p_>She was still sitting in front of the television when she heard 
P29 146 Sally leave. Shortly afterwards, Andy brought two glasses of wine 
P29 147 into the sitting-room. Caroline felt a childish desire to tell him 
P29 148 where he could take his girlfriends' leftovers, but she took the 
P29 149 glass and murmured her thanks.<p/>
P29 150 <p_><quote_>"What would I do without you, Caro?"<quote/><p/>
P29 151 <p_><quote_>"Get yourself into even more trouble,"<quote/> she 
P29 152 said, smiling reluctantly.<p/>
P29 153 <p_><quote_>"I owe you one. How about we try 'Pierre's' tomorrow 
P29 154 night? My treat."<quote/><p/>
P29 155 <p_>Caroline's smile broadened to a grin. <quote|>"Pierre's" was 
P29 156 the new restaurant in town and by all accounts it was as fabulous 
P29 157 as the exorbitant prices promised.<p/>
P29 158 <p_><quote_>"I'll keep you to that. Will it be just the two of us, 
P29 159 or will your harem be coming along?"<quote/><p/>
P29 160 <p_><quote_>"Just the two of us. I'm off women - for life."<quote/> 
P29 161 At Caroline's glare, he laughed and ruffled her hair. 
P29 162 <quote_>"You're different, Caro."<quote/><p/>
P29 163 <p_>Caroline wasn't sure that she wanted to be different. And 
P29 164 different in what way? She was just as pretty as Sally, just as 
P29 165 intelligent - so what made her different?<p/>
P29 166 <p_>She didn't know what was wrong with her. She wasn't usually so 
P29 167 tetchy.<p/>
P29 168 <p_><quote|>"Andy!" she exclaimed. <quote_>"I almost forgot. You 
P29 169 know I said I'd enquired about going out to Africa? Well, I'm 
P29 170 going. The letter came this morning. My plane leaves on the 
P29 171 twenty-first."<quote/><p/>
P29 172 <p_>Andy stared back at her as if she'd spoken in a foreign 
P29 173 language.<p/>
P29 174 <p_><quote_>"You're going? But you only said you were thinking 
P29 175 about it. You didn't say anything about actually going."<quote/><p/>
P29 176 <p_><quote_>"Didn't I? Well, I am going."<quote/><p/>
P29 177 <p_>When he finally spoke, he seemed angry.<p/>
P29 178 <p_><quote_>"That's typical of you, Caro. You get these half-baked 
P29 179 ideas and the next thing, you're traipsing halfway around the world 
P29 180 without so much as a word to anyone."<quote/><p/>
P29 181 <p_><quote_>"It's not half-baked."<quote/> His reaction hurt. 
P29 182 <quote_>"I've been thinking about it for ages. I told you about 
P29 183 it."<quote/> She paused before asking quietly, <quote_>"Aren't you 
P29 184 pleased for me?"<quote/><p/>
P29 185 <p_>Andy considered the question but didn't answer it.<p/>
P29 186 <p_><quote_>"When will you be back?"<quote/> he asked finally.<p/>
P29 187 <p_><quote_>"In a year."<quote/> Caroline was unnerved by the way 
P29 188 he was looking at her. He seemed so serious. <quote_>"So if you get 
P29 189 yourself in a mess like tonight's,"<quote/> she tried to smile, 
P29 190 <quote_>"you'll have to sort it out on your own."<quote/><p/>
P29 191 <p_>The attempted joke didn't receive a smile.<p/>
P29 192 <p_>What's wrong with us? Caroline wondered. For no reason she 
P29 193 could put her finger on, she'd been moody all evening. Now Andy 
P29 194 seemed the same. It was so unlike him, so unlike them both. They'd 
P29 195 always been able to talk things over.<p/>
P29 196 <p_>When Caroline went to bed that night, she hoped that things 
P29 197 would be right between them the following morning, but nothing had 
P29 198 changed. There was a cold gulf between them that she couldn't 
P29 199 bridge.<p/>
P29 200 <p_>THREE weeks later, Andy drove her to the airport. They said 
P29 201 little on the journey and Caroline dreaded leaving with things so 
P29 202 awkward between them. She wished she could put everything right, 
P29 203 but she didn't even know what was wrong.<p/>
P29 204 <p_>As they waited for her flight to be called, Caroline tried to 
P29 205 behave as if everything was normal.<p/>
P29 206 <p_><quote_>"I'll write to you often. But I won't hold my breath 
P29 207 waiting for a letter from you. In three years at university, I 
P29 208 think I had a total of four letters."<quote/><p/>
P29 209 <p_><quote_>"As many as that?" Andy tried to smile but he 
P29 210 failed.<p/>
P29 211 <p_>Caroline didn't feel like smiling either.<p/>
P29 212 <p_>The flight was called and her heart turned over. The moment had 
P29 213 arrived and they still had barriers between them. They'd always 
P29 214 been so close, but now they were like strangers.<p/>
P29 215 <p_>In a moment of panic Caroline whispered, <quote_>"Andy, I'm 
P29 216 going to miss you so much."<quote/><p/>
P29 217 <p_>He gazed back at her. <quote_>"Me too. I'll write."<quote/><p/>
P29 218 <p_>She gave him a watery smile. <quote_>No, you won't."<quote/><p/>
P29 219 <p_>The flight was called again and Caroline reached up to kiss 
P29 220 him. <quote_>"Take care, Andy."<quote/><p/>
P29 221 <p_><quote_>"And you."<quote/><p/>
P29 222 <p_>He hugged her and for a long moment, Caroline could do nothing 
P29 223 but cling to him. Then he set her back from him. In an old familiar 
P29 224 gesture, he ruffled her hair.<p/>
P29 225 <p_><quote_>"Watch out for the lions, Caro."<quote/><p/>
P29 226 <p_>She wanted to give him a flippant reply but she couldn't. She 
P29 227 walked away from him and towards the departure lounge. She longed 
P29 228 to turn around for one final look at him but she couldn't do that 
P29 229 either. The tears were pouring down her face.<p/>
P29 230 <p_><*_>four-stars<*/><p/>
P29 231 <p_>Caroline's life in Africa was varied and exciting, filled with 
P29 232 fresh challenges and new friends, so that she didn't have time to 
P29 233 be homesick. Except in the evenings. Then she would sit down and 
P29 234 write Andy long letters, telling him every detail of her life.<p/>
P29 235 <p_>To her complete amazement, she received long letters by return, 
P29 236 sometimes as many as three a week. Andy wrote very chatty letters 
P29 237 so that she could almost imagine he was there talking to her.<p/>
P29 238 <p_>She kept every one of his letters, reading them over and over 
P29 239 until she knew them by heart.<p/>
P29 240 
P29 241 

