P01 1 <#FLOB:P01\>"She is extraordinarily acute, Sothern, you P01 2 must admit," interpolated Lady Staplegrove. "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."

P01 6 "That is as may be, ma'am," Jake responded, P01 7 "but I would rather know the circumstances so that - P01 8 "

P01 9 "So that you may try to order my life as they have P01 10 done," Clementina finished for him. "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."

P01 14 "But you did run away from his home?" Jake P01 15 enquired.

P01 16 "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."

P01 19 Jake raised an eyebrow. "Certainly. There is no secret P01 20 about that. My informant was a Bow Street Runner."

P01 21 Clementina gasped, and Lady Staplegrove uttered a shriek.

P01 22 "Oh, no," Clementina whispered. "Oh, P01 23 no." Her legs felt weak. She looked about for the nearest P01 24 chair. Seeing one by the wall behind her, she sank into it.

P01 25 "Jake, how could you?" her ladyship scolded. P01 26 "Poor, dear child. Wait, I will fetch my P01 27 smelling-salts." She hurried from the room, the taffeta of P01 28 her old-fashioned chemise gown rustling about her.

P01 29 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.

P01 32 "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."

P01 35 Clementina raised her eyes to his. There was desperation in P01 36 them and in her voice when she spoke.

P01 37 "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!" P01 40 Pulling her hands free, she rose suddenly, and began to pace about P01 41 the large room clasping and unclasping her fingers. "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!"

P01 49 She stood silent then, breathing hard, her eyes gazing at some P01 50 picture in her own mind.

P01 51 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.

P01 58 Lady Staplegrove came bustling back into the room at this P01 59 moment, armed with a bottle of aromatic vinegar.

P01 60 Sothern held up a hand. "It's all right, Grandmama. She P01 61 has no need of smelling-salts."

P01 62 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.

P01 66 "I am sorry. I - I did not mean to make a P01 67 scene."

P01 68 Jake smiled. "You appear to have a reason. Come. Sit P01 69 down and let us discuss the matter calmly."

P01 70 "There is nothing to discuss," 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.

P01 73 Lady Staplegrove laid down her vinaigrette, and came over to P01 74 sit on her other side. "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?"

P01 79 "Grandmama, do you mind?" Jake protested.

P01 80 "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?"

P01 83 "If, ma'am, you would confine your romantical notions P01 84 to the novels you are so fond of reading," Jake said P01 85 acidly, "we should do very much better."

P01 86 "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." She put out a hand and patted the girl's arm. P01 89 "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."

P01 92 "Grandmama - "

P01 93 "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."

P01 97 The Earl grinned. "I might have guessed. Well said, P01 98 Grandmama. I am in full agreement with you."

P01 99 Clementina gazed from one to the other, new hope dawning in her P01 100 eyes. "You mean you will not force me to go back? Even if I P01 101 tell you nothing?"

P01 102 "Gracious heaven, don't dare say a word!" P01 103 exclaimed the dowager. "You would utterly spoil everything, P01 104 just when I am settling down to puzzle out the story."

P01 105 Jake groaned. "Grandmama, would you be serious for just P01 106 one moment?"

P01 107 "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."

P01 110 Clementina's lips twitched, and a chuckle escaped her. P01 111 "Oh, ma'am!"

P01 112 Lady Staplegrove leaned forward and patted her hand. P01 113 "There, that is better. You see, you have nothing at all to P01 114 worry about." She glanced at the large gilt clock on the P01 115 mantelshelf. "Dear me, only look at the time! I have an P01 116 engagement, and I am going to be late." She got up. P01 117 "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?"

P01 120 P01 121 Jake bowed. "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."

P01 124 His grandmother snorted. "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."

P01 129 "Oh, indeed," agreed his lordship, moving to P01 130 open the door for her. "But who is to see us here, P01 131 Grandmama?"

P01 132 "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."

P01 135 "Very well, ma'am. Perhaps Clementina would care to P01 136 drive out with me instead?"

P01 137 He glanced at Clementina as he spoke, and smiled at her P01 138 startled expression. "Or do you not care for P01 139 driving?"

P01 140 "Oh, yes, but - "

P01 141 "An excellent suggestion, " chimed in the P01 142 dowager. "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."

P01 145 She bustled over to her charge, pulled her up from the sofa, P01 146 and began to push her towards the door.

P01 147 "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 - "

P01 151 "But, ma'am, I cannot," Clementina cried, P01 152 breaking in on these cheerful plans before Lady Staplegrove had P01 153 quite managed to thrust her from the room. "I mean, it P01 154 wouldn't be - I am not here to - "

P01 155 "Oh, tush, child! What a piece of work you make of a P01 156 very small matter!" The dowager turned to her grandson. P01 157 "Persuade her, dear boy. I positively must P01 158 go."

P01 159 She opened the door and whisked from the room, only to pop her P01 160 head in again a second later.

P01 161 "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."

P01 165 "I shall be devastated to miss it, of course," P01 166 said Jake satirically, "but I am otherwise P01 167 engaged."

P01 168 He reddened very slightly on the words, and his grandmother's P01 169 keen eye sharpened.

P01 170 "I see," she said flatly.

P01 171 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.

P01 174 As if she felt the girl's scrutiny the dowager's eyes turned to P01 175 Clementina, and she smiled warmly.

P01 176 "Then we shall not see him there, child. Make the most, P01 177 then, of your present opportunity."

P01 178 Upon which rather elliptical remark she was gone, leaving the P01 179 door correctly ajar behind her.

P01 180 Clementina gazed after her in some consternation.

P01 181 "What did she mean, my lord? She cannot intend to take P01 182 me to parties while I am here."

P01 183 "Why not?" Jake asked flippantly.

P01 184 "Well, because - because she does not know me. Besides, P01 185 I am not a guest in her house, but a - a -"

P01 186 "A what?"

P01 187 "Well, an interloper, a fugitive."

P01 188 "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."

P01 191 "Oh, there is no need of that," she said, P01 192 sighing. "You will find it out soon enough, I dare say. But P01 193 you will not have heard of it. It is Hythe."

P01 194 "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."

P01 198 Clementina fixed him with that curiously wide gaze. P01 199 "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."

P01 202 Taken aback, Jake blinked. "It had not crossed my mind, P01 203 but I dare say you are right."

P01 204 "I am," Clementina averred. "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."

P01 209 Jake's jaw dropped perceptibly. "Faith, I don't know P01 210 whether to be angry or to laugh!"

P01 211 Clementina merely looked at him enquiringly. Laughter won. He P01 212 came to her, and tilted her chin with one finger.

P01 213 "You are an impertinent little minx, my dear. And you P01 214 don't even know it." He paused, aware suddenly of a pull P01 215 from the guileless wide gaze tugging at his own.

P01 216 "You have green eyes," he said inconsequently, P01 217 taking in the fact.

P01 218 "Yes," she answered. "Yours are dark brown. P01 219 Soulful, I think. Do they account for your success with the ladies, P01 220 do you suppose?"

P01 221 CHAPTER THREE P01 222 JAKE released her chin abruptly.

P01 223 "If you mean to drive out with me," he said P01 224 curtly, "you had better change your dress."

P01 225 Clementina gazed at him, brows raised in amazement. "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?"

P01 228 The Earl stood for a moment, defiant and glaring. Then his lips P01 229 twitched. Clementina's green eyes twinkled responsively.

P01 230 P02 1 <#FLOB:P02\>After a pause, Ross said, "You must have P02 2 had damn strong reasons for doing it."

P02 3 "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."

P02 10 Still looking thunderstruck, Ross said, "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?"

P02 14 "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." He sighed. "In P02 18 theory, the notion of donning uniform and sailing for the Sudan was P02 19 splendid. In practice, I think ..."

P02 20 "Even in theory it was madness," pronounced the P02 21 man who had somehow become his friend in a matter of minutes. P02 22 "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." Taking Vere's glass to refill it, he then P02 25 said, "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 your bluff." He refilled his own P02 29 glass. "What did you do before this?"

P02 30 "Do?" The heat and the brandy were affecting his P02 31 wits.

P02 32 "What was your profession?"

P02 33 "I ran the estate, and I suppose you could call me an P02 34 amateur artist. I paint and sketch rather well."

P02 35 Ross burst into loud gusty laughter. "Oh, my lord, this P02 36 gets more and more unbelievable. I now understand 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!"

P02 39 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. "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."

P02 46 Ross sobered as he sank back on the pillow of his canvas bed. P02 47 "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 them."

P02 56 "Why is a major commanding a regiment?" 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.

P02 59 "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."

P02 68 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, "Why are you prepared to do all P02 71 this for a perfect stranger?"

P02 72 Ross turned his head to answer. "Fellow officer, and P02 73 all that. Might want you to save my own life one day soon." P02 74 His grin then softened the seriousness of his words. P02 75 "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." He closed his eyes, leaving his visitor to P02 80 depart rather unsteadily.

P02 81 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.

P02 88 Smiling encouragement, Vere said, "My name is P02 89 Ashleigh."

P02 90 "I knows that, sir, and I begs Captain Ford as to not P02 91 give me this duty."

P02 92 "You didn't want to serve me?"

P02 93 The thin pale face twitched nervously while eyes the same P02 94 colour as the Nile studied the tent rather than Vere. "No, P02 95 sir."

P02 96 "I see." Nonplussed, he said, "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."

P02 100 The eyes swung to confront him. "It's not owner- ... P02 101 what you said, sir. No, not that."

P02 102 "Then what?"

P02 103 The corners of the thin mouth turned down miserably. "A P02 104 gentleman like yourself, sir, should 'ave the best."

P02 105 "And Private Perkins is not?"

P02 106 The lad shook his head. "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."

P02 109 "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," Vere told him forming a swift opinion of the P02 113 absent Moynihan. "Suppose we give it a try for a day or P02 114 two." Seeing the young soldier's doubt, he added, P02 115 "Would you consider the proposal?"

P02 116 Frowning in perplexity, Perkins said, "I can't P02 117 consider nothin', Mr Ashleigh. I gets me orders."

P02 118 "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."

P02 121 Perkins did not appear to share that confidence but understood P02 122 direct commands. He nodded in resignation.

P02 123 "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?"

P02 128 "Oh, yes, sir, corse I do."

P02 129 "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." He smiled at the serious face regarding him. P02 133 "I rushed out here from England with no time to organise P02 134 things properly."

P02 135 "'Spect they'll send you into Khartoum first, as so P02 136 they should."

P02 137 Vere let that pass. "How old are you, P02 138 Perkins?"

P02 139 "Jest a bit past eighteen."

P02 140 "I have a brother of that age at school in England. P02 141 He'd give anything to be out here as you are." He sat on P02 142 the side of the bed which Perkins had already set up. "Cut P02 143 along now and let me rest."

P02 144 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.

P02 164 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.

P02 171 "It's the same as ours, only more so," said P02 172 Ross. "He can't wait to march into Khartoum and raise the P02 173 flag." He called for the steward. "What'll you P02 174 have, Ashleigh?"

P02 175 "I think I should sign for this," Vere said, P02 176 wondering if he should offer drinks all round.

P02 177 "Rule of the regiment that no man pays for liquor on P02 178 his first night in Mess," Ross told him.

P02 179 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, "Good evening, P02 190 gentlemen."

P02 191 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.

P02 197 "He's superb," Vere murmured to his companion. P02 198 "I wonder if anyone has ever done a nude study of P02 199 him."

P02 200 "Thank your lucky stars I happened to be the one P02 201 to overhear that," said Ross quietly. "Anyone else P02 202 would gain a very dangerous impression."

P02 203 Vere glanced round. "What?"

P02 204 "Subalterns should never voice a desire to see P02 205 their commanding officer naked!"

P02 206 "But he's the answer to an artist's prayer," P02 207 Vere explained. "He shouldn't be doing this. Any man can be P02 208 a soldier. What a waste."

P02 209 Ross sighed heavily. "Your bluff won't last beyond an P02 210 hour if you think along those lines."

P02 211 "I'm an artist. I can't prevent such P02 212 thoughts."

P02 213 "Then don't put them into words, for God's P02 214 sake," came the plea as Forrester began crossing toward P02 215 them. "Let me do the talking."

P02 216 Forrester's smile was worthy of him and increased Vere's sense P02 217 of artistic admiration of the man.

P02 218 "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," 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 "There ... he's still P03 5 swimmin', missus." 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.

P03 9 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.

P03 13 "What is it?" She turned to Luke, who stood P03 14 protectively by her side. His teeth showed in a broad grin.

P03 15 "He made it, missus. He's got Mr Matt. Now they only P03 16 have to come back."

P03 17 "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.

P03 21 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.

P03 25 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.

P03 30 "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.

P03 36 When he could speak he asked hoarsely, "Matt?"

P03 37 "He's all right." 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. "John ..."

P03 41 "Give me a minute, Livvy." 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.

P03 44 The others fell back as the Mundy brothers, streaming water, P03 45 faced each other.

P03 46 "I owe you, John," said Matt.

P03 47 His younger brother ignored the proffered hand. "Reckon P03 48 you do, Matt," he said. "And I owe you something P03 49 too."

P03 50 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.

P03 53 "As to the rest, we'll talk about it tomorrow," 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.

P03 58 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.

P03 64 "Not there," she suddenly said as the buggy P03 65 slowed at the bottom of the main house steps, "Go on to our P03 66 own house, Luke."

P03 67 "Are you m-mad?" John's teeth were chattering. P03 68 "It's not b-been lived in ..."

P03 69 "I know, but it's ours. I'm not going back into that P03 70 house while your brother owns it."

P03 71 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.

P03 77 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.

P03 80 "We'd have been more comfortable at the big P03 81 house," he said as she helped him into bed.

P03 82 "I know that." She drew the blankets over him P03 83 and began to take off her own clothes. "But I didn't want P03 84 to be under the same roof as Matthew - not tonight."

P03 85 "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."

P03 88 Olivia blew out the lantern, slipped into bed beside him and P03 89 reached out to warm him against her own body.

P03 90 "I'm staying," she said against his neck.

P03 91 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.

P03 93 "There's things to be straightened out," he P03 94 said as he dressed. "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."

P03 97 "You'll be careful?"

P03 98 He kissed her. "I'm always careful."

P03 99 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, "Livvy, there's something P03 102 you have to do."

P03 103 "What?"

P03 104 "Write to your sister. Tell her the truth."

P03 105 Olivia felt a flush of panic. "But you said yourself P03 106 that we'd move to the big house and ..."

P03 107 "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." P03 111 He put a finger under her chin and lifted her face so that her eyes P03 112 met his. "Write to her - today."

P03 113 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 ...

P03 117 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.

P03 119 "Dear Annis ..."

P03 120 She put the pen down, then made herself pick it up again. P03 121 "Dear Annis," 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. "There is something I must P03 124 tell you ..."

P03 125 24 P03 126 Rowena was a happy baby, secure and confident of being loved, P03 127 just the way Annis had planned.

P03 128 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.

P03 133 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.

P03 137 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.

P03 141 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.

P03 145 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 Grace and Charity, on her way back to Scotland. She P03 148 studied the maritime reports in the Greenock Herald 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.

P03 151 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.

P03 158 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.

P03 161 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.

P03 163 "Mrs Moncrieff, Mr Ballantyne's in the office, anxious P03 164 to have a word with you."

P03 165 "Ballantyne?" She mouthed the word, then as he nodded P03 166 and beamed, said clearly, "By all means, Mr Beaton. Please P03 167 ask him to come in."

P03 168 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.

P03 172 "Yes, Mr Ballantyne, what can I do for you?"

P03 173 "It's like this, Mrs Moncrieff." He stood P03 174 four-square before the desk, looking down on her, his brows knotted P03 175 with embarrassment. "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 ..."

P03 179 "And still are, Mr Ballantyne," she said, P03 180 indicating a chair. "And still are."

P03 181 "Ye did well tae win Ballantyne back," 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.

P03 187 "There was little winning to it." Annis was P03 188 busy stitching a new dress for Rowena. "It was his P03 189 decision."

P03 190 "And where he goes others'll follow. The worst's over P03 191 for us, lass. We're going to weather the storms."

P03 192 A gust rattled the windows and Annis's head jerked up.

P03 193 "So will he, don't fret yourself about that. P03 194 TheGrace and Charity's a fine ship and she's got the best P03 195 shipmaster in the town."

P03 196 "I wasn't fretting," she said, and he grinned P03 197 and took the pipe from his mouth to point the stem at her.

P03 198 "You've no secrets from me, Annis P03 199 Moncrieff."

P03 200 "Have I not?"

P03 201 "Well ... mebbe one."

P03 202 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.

P03 204 "What would that be?"

P03 205 "I've noticed," said Jem slowly, deliberately, P03 206 "that there's a way wee Rowena looks at me sometimes that P03 207 puts me in mind of ..." He stopped, then said, P03 208 "She's no' a Moncrieff, Annis."

P03 209 "She takes after me."

P03 210 "Aye, she's very like you. But to my eyes there's the P03 211 look of another."

P03 212 Her mouth trembled and she controlled it by biting down hard on P03 213 her lower lip. "You're mistaken."

P03 214 "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\>Chapter Six

P04 2 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.

P04 14 "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:" She gave him a sweeter, more lingering kiss than P04 17 usual, then hurried away before he could see her tears.

P04 18 "Of course, my dear." Nathan watched her go, P04 19 ignorant of the turmoil in her heart.

P04 20 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.

P04 33 "That you, Miss Charlotte?"

P04 34 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. "Yes, Molly," she answered as calmly as she P04 37 could. "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."

P04 41 Molly considered this point, painfully slowly. "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."

P04 44 "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."

P04 48 "Right you are. I'm near dropping on my feet, I can P04 49 tell you." 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.

P04 52 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.

P04 60 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.

P04 63 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.

P04 66 "Who goes there?" 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. "Can it be our talented Miss P04 71 Birthday Girl herself?" 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 "My dearest girl, you look quite worn out, and more than a P04 81 little frozen." Resting his arm protectively across her P04 82 shoulders, he led Charlotte closer to the fire. "Put on P04 83 more logs, get a blaze going; the lass is pinched with the cold. P04 84 Make room there." 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.

P04 92 "Carl, being so handsome, does the romantic leads and P04 93 Phil plays the villain. Ain't that right, Phil?" chortled P04 94 Fosdyke. "Aya," agreed the grinning Phil, looking far from P04 95 villainous. "I'm a brilliant actor, Miss Forbes, but I P04 96 never get the girl."

P04 97 Charlotte laughed out loud, beginning to feel more relaxed now P04 98 that she had her breath and her toes were thawing out.

P04 99 "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." 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.

P04 108 Sally Drew smiled lovingly as she stroked his hair. P04 109 "He'll talk plenty tomorrow. You see if he don't." P04 110

P04 111 "And you've met Fanny already, of course." 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. "Bit tired just now, she is. Been a long day, as I P04 116 expect you have found too." 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. "Was there something P04 119 special you wanted us for? Your uncle has paid our account, you can P04 120 rest assured," he said, adopting a polite smile.

P04 121 "Ohh, I'm so glad. N-no. I forgot to return the P04 122 shawl," Charlotte said, handing over the small neatly P04 123 packed parcel.

P04 124 "Dear Lord, you needn't have run after us just for that P04 125 fleabitten thing," put in Sally.

P04 126 "I didn't. I mean, there was another matter." 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. "I wished to ask a favour P04 133 of you."

P04 134 "A favour." 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. "You have only to name P04 138 it and it is yours. How could anyone refuse so charming a young P04 139 lady?"

P04 140 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 "Might I join P04 144 you?"

P04 145 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. "Now, why would you want to do P04 151 that?" he probed. "Not fallen out with your uncle, P04 152 have you?" 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. "Oh, no, not at all. Only ..." 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. "... 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." Her smile P04 162 vanished. "But if I'd be a nuisance you have only to say. P04 163 However, I do assure you I would work hard."

P04 164 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 "Nothing would give us greater pleasure than P04 167 to have you become a member of the Fosdyke Players".

P04 168 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.

P04 176 "What on earth is going on, Molly? You all seem quite P04 177 demented."

P04 178 "Oh, sir! 'Tis Miss Charlotte," Molly gasped, P04 179 heaving great gulps of air into her flat chest.

P04 180 James felt a prickle of foreboding. "What of Miss P04 181 Charlotte?" He gripped tighter upon Molly's arm and she P04 182 winced.

P04 183 "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."

P04 187 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. "You're sure P04 189 she isn't out riding the new horse?"

P04 190 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 "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\>More significantly he had not written to her P05 2 himself.

P05 3 He had, he thought, struck the first blow in the campaign which P05 4 would inevitably develop between them.

P05 5 He knew she would fight like a tiger to keep him.

P05 6 She would gradually become frantic when she discovered he was P05 7 being elusive.

P05 8 He expected there would be the usual tears and P05 9 recriminations.

P05 10 Such as had happened at the end of several of his P05 11 affaires de coeur.

P05 12 But they had never involved the possibility of marriage.

P05 13 Fiona's position was therefore somewhat different.

P05 14 He also expected she would inform Joscelyn who would call on P05 15 him tomorrow.

P05 16 He knew the tactics only too well.

P05 17 As Joscelyn had said last night, he would beg him with P05 18 heard-rending apologies for money.

P05 19 If he was refused he would begin the familiar semiblackmail, P05 20 pointing out how much the family name would suffer.

P05 21 He would emphasise how deeply distressed their relatives would P05 22 be if his desperate situation should be reported in the P05 23 newspapers.

P05 24 Here he had a point.

P05 25 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.

P05 28 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.

P05 30 "Curse him!" he exclaimed. "I shall P05 31 have to pay up, and he knows it!"

P05 32 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.

P05 34 Yet when he left the Study there was a frown between his P05 35 eyes.

P05 36 There was no time to arrange for his Pirate Coach to be P05 37 attached to the train on which he was to travel.

P05 38 There was however, a Courier to escort him to the Station.

P05 39 He would see that he was given a Reserved Carriage, and that P05 40 the door was locked when he entered it.

P05 41 Mr. Watson would be in the next coach and the luggage deposited P05 42 in the Guard's Van.

P05 43 There would be in fact, very little in the way of trunks.

P05 44 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.

P05 47 He also had a house in Newmarket and another in P05 48 Leicestershire.

P05 49 There were therefore usually very few things to be conveyed P05 50 from Grosvenor Square to Moor Park.

P05 51 The most important this time were the letters which travelled P05 52 beside Mr. Watson in a despatch-case.

P05 53 The Courier acquired all the daily newspapers and put them in P05 54 the Duke's carriage.

P05 55 It was not a long journey as Moor Park was situated North of P05 56 London in the most beautiful part of Oxfordshire.

P05 57 It could be reached by road in under three hours.

P05 58 The Duke however, in the Winter, found it much quicker and on P05 59 the whole more comfortable to travel by train.

P05 60 This would stop by request at his Private Halt.

P05 61 He then had only a two-mile drive to his home.

P05 62 As he stepped out of the train at The Halt there was a red P05 63 carpet across the platform.

P05 64 Three members of his staff were waiting for him.

P05 65 Outside was a Chaise he liked to drive himself.

P05 66 There was also a Brake in which to convey everybody else from P05 67 the Station to the house.

P05 68 He greeted those who were waiting for him in a somewhat frigid P05 69 manner, which made them suspect that something was wrong.

P05 70 Then he got into his Chaise, picked up the reins and drove P05 71 off.

P05 72 The Groom travelled in the seat at the back.

P05 73 Therefore the Duke was not bothered by having the man beside P05 74 him.

P05 75 He drove his horses skilfully round the twisting lanes.

P05 76 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.

P05 78 At the moment to be alone was all he wanted.

P05 79 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.

P05 81 He was not in the mood for sunshine or for the laughter and P05 82 chatter of flirtatious women.

P05 83 He wanted to be by himself, to 'lick his wounds' before he P05 84 moved up into the firing-line.

P05 85 Moor Park was looking magnificent.

P05 86 It did not matter whether it was Spring, Summer, Autumn or P05 87 Winter.

P05 88 The great house always looked the same.

P05 89 The centre block with its wings reaching out on either side was P05 90 breath-taking.

P05 91 To the Duke it was everything that was stable in his life -the P05 92 foundation of his very existence.

P05 93 He drove down the long drive.

P05 94 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.

P05 97 It was not only that she had deceived him.

P05 98 He knew now that however beautiful she might be, both her P05 99 character and her personality were wrong.

P05 100 "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," the Duke thought.

P05 103 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.

P05 105 The red carpet was already down.

P05 106 Footmen were waiting to open the door of the Chaise for him to P05 107 alight.

P05 108 The Butler was standing at the top of the steps.

P05 109 It was all so familiar.

P05 110 But the Duke had the feeling that he was seeing it for the P05 111 first time.

P05 112 Only now did he realise how much it meant to him.

P05 113 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.

P05 115 As he expected, the Architect and the Designer were waiting.

P05 116 He went in through the door which connected the Theatre with P05 117 the house.

P05 118 When the Duke had found the plans drawn up by the Adam brothers P05 119 he had also found a letter of instructions.

P05 120 It had been written to them by his ancestor, then the 7th Earl P05 121 of Moore.

P05 122 It was his grandson, the 9th Earl who had distinguished himself P05 123 so gallantly under Wellington that he had been made a Marquis.

P05 124 It as the Duke's father who had been raised to the Dukedom by P05 125 Queen Victoria.

P05 126 The Earl's instructions to the Adam brothers had been made P05 127 after he had returned from a visit to Russia.

P05 128 He had been there as a guest of the Tsar.

P05 129 He told them that he had been exceedingly impressed by the P05 130 Royal Theatre in the Winter Palace.

P05 131 And even more so by Prince Ysvolsov's Private Theatre which was P05 132 exceptional.

P05 133 The Earl had managed to obtain sketches of the interior of the P05 134 latter.

P05 135 The Adam brothers had therefore been able to model their design P05 136 on it exceedingly cleverly.

P05 137 The Duke had last seen the Theatre a month before he left P05 138 England to go to Holland.

P05 139 He had been sure that his Architect and Designer could recreate P05 140 the charm of the original Theatre at Moor Park.

P05 141 He was however, a little apprehensive that he was expecting too P05 142 much.

P05 143 They were both waiting for him and led him through the door P05 144 into the Theatre.

P05 145 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.

P05 148 A flight of stairs in front of him went down into what in a P05 149 Public Theatre would be known as the 'Stalls'.

P05 150 The building was quite small, in fact it could hold few more P05 151 than a hundred people.

P05 152 It was, the Duke thought, like a child's doll's house.

P05 153 Yet it had all the charm and beauty of what might have been a P05 154 Royal Theatre.

P05 155 In the Stalls were white and gold carved chairs.

P05 156 The 'Circle' was furnished with seats upholstered in crimson P05 157 velvet.

P05 158 The two boxes, one of which was intended for Royalty, had the P05 159 same.

P05 160 The whole effect was quite beautiful, as was the backdrop on P05 161 the stage.

P05 162 Curtains of rich red velvet were drawn back in front of the P05 163 footlights.

P05 164 There was a small 'Pit' for the Orchestra and a huge crystal P05 165 chandelier hung from the ceiling.

P05 166 The Architect and the Designer were watching the Duke's P05 167 face.

P05 168 He looked all round him in silence before he said:

P05 169 "I congratulate you both! It is exactly what I wanted, P05 170 and far better than I dared to expect!"

P05 171 He knew by their looks before they spike how gratified they P05 172 were.

P05 173 When he left them he walked back into the house to have a late P05 174 luncheon.

P05 175 For the first time since last night when he had stood outside P05 176 Fiona's bedroom door, he could think of something else.

P05 177 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.

P05 180 More important, who should take part in the sketch he had P05 181 half-written and which included a part for Fiona.

P05 182 He had not realised until she insisted on singing for him, that P05 183 she had a pleasant voice.

P05 184 It was nothing exceptional.

P05 185 But he knew that with her beauty it would not be difficult for P05 186 her to have an appreciative audience.

P05 187 Although it would in general be a critical one.

P05 188 A great number of his relatives, including his grandmother, P05 189 came to Moor Park every Christmas.

P05 190 They would have arrived without even receiving an P05 191 invitation.

P05 192 It was traditional that they should be there.

P05 193 A tradition they had every intention of maintaining.

P05 194 The idea had come to him that he would compose a song for Fiona P05 195 in which she would appear as an angel.

P05 196 But now he knew that to introduce Fiona as an angel would be a P05 197 crime against God.

P05 198 Then another idea came to him, and there was a melody in his P05 199 mind that kept recurring.

P05 200 He knew it would be with him until he had played it on the P05 201 piano and transcribed it as a score.

P05 202 He hoped that Fiona would not be staying with him at P05 203 Christmas.

P05 204 If she was, she would sit in the Stalls and watch somebody else P05 205 play her part.

P05 206 "You will not forget about the song I am to sing in P05 207 your new Theatre?" she had asked the day before he was P05 208 leaving for Holland. "I shall need time to practise it, and P05 209 I know, darling, Sheldon, how you expect perfection."

P05 210 "How could you be anything else?" he had said P05 211 automatically because it was expected of him.

P05 212 Now he told himself furiously that there was nothing perfect P05 213 about Fiona.

P05 214 "I will find somebody else for the part," he P05 215 thought. "It should not be difficult."

P05 216 After luncheon he ordered a horse form the stables.

P05 217 As the Head Groom brought the horse to the front door, he P05 218 predicted there would be snow before long.

P05 219 "I doubt it!" the Duke replied curtly.

P05 220 "We loiks t'have a white Christmas," the man P05 221 remarked. "Las' year, if Y'Grace Remember, it never snowed P05 222 'til Boxin' Day!"

P05 223 The Duke wondered what that proved.

P05 224 He knew the staff at Moor Park, like his nieces and nephews, P05 225 looked forward to snow at Christmas.

P05 226 They were disappointed if they were denied it.

P05 227 Because the Duke felt he must escape from his thoughts, he rode P05 228 away over the fields.

P05 229 He went Northwards passing through the woods he had not visited P05 230 for a long time.

P05 231 He knew that sometime he must talk to his gamekeepers.

P05 232 But for the moment he just wanted to be alone to be free of P05 233 everything.

P05 234 Most of all of his own feelings.

P05 235 He rode on and on until he realised it was very cold and that P05 236 soon it would be growing dark.

P05 237 It was then he saw just ahead of him a small village that he P05 238 had not visited for some years.

P05 239 He remembered it was called 'Little Bedlington'.

P05 240 It consisted of a few thatched cottages, an ancient P05 241 black-and-white Inn, and what looked like a Norman Church.

P05 242 There was still some left in the County.

P05 243 P06 1 <#FLOB:P06\>"June wasn't really ill. She thought she P06 2 was. Her death was very unexpected."

P06 3 "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."

P06 6 Nicholas leaned forward and looked into her eyes. "Did P06 7 you feel she's disturbed?" he asked earnestly.

P06 8 Tansy's heart fluttered as she replied. "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."

P06 12 "Will you come here to see her?"

P06 13 The temptation to agree was strong. "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."

P06 20 "I do understand," said Nicholas. "I'm P06 21 a paediatrician. When can you see her?"

P06 22 Tansy hesitated. "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?"

P06 26 "Naturally. I suppose he'll want it all made P06 27 official."

P06 28 "He may. Would you agree to that?"

P06 29 "I hoped to avoid her problem being put on hospital P06 30 records," Nicholas confessed. "Perhaps I ought to P06 31 have a word with Dan myself."

P06 32 "He may wonder why you didn't approach him in the first P06 33 place. After all, he is the chief," said Tansy.

P06 34 "And if I say I think it needs a woman's P06 35 touch?" He grinned, and she found herself smiling back.

P06 36 "I hope he'll believe you!"

P06 37 "So when can you see her?"

P06 38 "The only time I can give her tomorrow is four-thirty P06 39 -a cancellation."

P06 40 Nicholas looked anxious. "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-" 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.

P06 45 "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?"

P06 48 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...

P06 55 "Perhaps one of the nurses would keep an eye on P06 56 her?" Nicholas was saying. She jerked back to reality, to P06 57 the beautiful beige and gold room, with the heavy velvet P06 58 curtains.

P06 59 "Oh, there'll be no need for that," she assured P06 60 him. "She'll be my last patient. I'll keep her with me P06 61 until you arrive. We can play games."

P06 62 "She likes you," said Nicholas, smiling.

P06 63 "She's a child. I'd like to help her."

P06 64 Nicholas rose and moved towards her. Catching her breath, she P06 65 stood and straightened her skirt.

P06 66 "I think I'd better go now, if you don't P06 67 mind."

P06 68 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.

P06 73 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.

P06 77 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.

P06 86 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.

P06 91 "Thank you," 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.

P06 94 "Thank you -for the lovely meal."

P06 95 "I'm sorry if my behaviour wasn't up to P06 96 scratch."

P06 97 She stared at him, but his face was in shadow. Was he P06 98 smiling?

P06 99 "You don't have to apologise." 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.

P06 103 "But I do. I invited you for a meal -"

P06 104 "A consultation." Her retort was P06 105 spontaneous.

P06 106 "You're very prickly about it, aren't you? Won't you P06 107 let me explain?"

P06 108 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.

P06 110 "I thought you had."

P06 111 He didn't answer for a moment. "Don't you like me, P06 112 Tansy?"

P06 113 "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 -"

P06 116 "Partly." His hand rested on hers. It was warm and P06 117 somehow comforting. "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."

P06 120 "I don't think -"

P06 121 His strong fingers grasped hers.

P06 122 "The rest of the time, you seem to shut people out. P06 123 Why?"

P06 124 Tansy laughed shakily. "I think you're imagining P06 125 things. If I shut people out I wouldn't have come to your house P06 126 tonight."

P06 127 "You've turned down everyone else."

P06 128 She gasped. "You've been prying into my private life! P06 129 How dare you?" She wrenched herself away from him.

P06 130 "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."

P06 134 "And what do they say about me?" She spoke P06 135 through tight lips.

P06 136 "I don't think it's important. I don't believe them, P06 137 anyway. Not after the way you kissed me -"

P06 138 "Excuse me!" she retorted. "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."

P06 141 Nicholas gave a long dramatic sigh. "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."

P06 146 He started up the car. Tansy sat very still.

P06 147 "Goodnight, Tansy. See you tomorrow when I collect P06 148 Gemma."

P06 149 She couldn't help feeling like a naughty schoolgirl, called to P06 150 see the Head. She climbed out of the car.

P06 151 "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.

P06 157 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.

P06 160 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.

P06 166 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, "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?"

P06 173 But Gemma was staring at Tansy with astonishment. "Dr P06 174 Tansy!" she exclaimed. "You came to see me last P06 175 night!"

P06 176 "That's right," said Tansy, "I P06 177 did."

P06 178 "Is she a patient?" asked Pamela curiously. P06 179 "Dr Vernon didn't say anything, just left her P06 180 here."

P06 181 "Er -not really. I'm -sort of -babysitting for an hour P06 182 or so."

P06 183 Pamela stared at her, then at Gemma. "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 -"

P06 192 "What did you say, Pamela? To Elizabeth?" Tansy P06 193 interrupted.

P06 194 "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."

P06 197 "I see." Tansy's voice was sharp. P06 198 "Well, you'd better go back, in case -"

P06 199 "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 -"

P06 202 "I'm just looking after her for a while. Thank you, P06 203 Pamela."

P06 204 "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 -"

P06 208 "Yes, you're right." Tansy realised she was P06 209 being oversensitive, and smiled at the young receptionist. P06 210 "I'll take Gemma now."

P06 211 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.

P06 213 "Am I a patient?" Gemma asked, as Tansy closed P06 214 the door behind them.

P06 215 "What makes you ask that?" Tansy was unsure of P06 216 what Nicholas had told his daughter.

P06 217 "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."

P06 220 "But you're not ill, are you?" Tansy crossed to P06 221 a small table where there was a pile of modelling clay. Gemma P06 222 followed her.

P06 223 "I was sick on my birthday because I ate too much P06 224 trifle," said Gemma seriously.

P06 225 Tansy smiled. "I'm sure you're better now."

P06 226 "Mummy wasn't ill, but she came here to see doctors. P06 227 Was it because they were friends, like you?"

P06 228 "Am I your friend?" asked Tansy gently.

P06 229 "Daddy said so."

P06 230 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.

P06 233 "Your mummy wasn't ill, yet she came to see someone P06 234 here?" she probed gently. "Who did she come to P06 235 see?"

P06 236 "Dr Whittaker. And Dr Spencer."

P06 237 Tansy digested this carefully. Al Whittaker was a neurologist. P06 238 Flora Spencer was a psychiatrist. P06 239 P07 1 <#FLOB:P07\>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?

P07 6 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.

P07 10 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.

P07 14 "Are you all ready to go?" he asked.

P07 15 "Yes," she replied, puzzled. "How about P07 16 you?"

P07 17 "Oh, I'm not leaving tonight," he said P07 18 offhandedly. Then he grinned. "I have a date."

P07 19 "But what about the documents? We still have to pack up P07 20 the files."

P07 21 "Oh, you can do that," he said airily.

P07 22 Then she saw red. "And what if I happen to have a P07 23 date?" she demanded.

P07 24 "Do you?"

P07 25 "Well, no, but Jack has called several times - P07 26 "

P07 27 "Then get to work, McIntyre," he broke in P07 28 abruptly.

P07 29 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?

P07 33 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.

P07 37 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.

P07 40 "Hey, be a little more careful with that P07 41 stuff," he said. "What are you trying to do, kill P07 42 it?"

P07 43 By now she was more than ready to kill him, and she P07 44 whirled around to face him. "Listen," she said. P07 45 "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."

P07 49 He looked down his nose at her. "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."

P07 55 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.

P07 59 "Yes, sir," she muttered through her teeth.

P07 60 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.

P07 65 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.

P07 70 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.

P07 76 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.

P07 81 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.

P07 88 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.

P07 92 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.

P07 98 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.

P07 104 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.

P07 111 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.

P07 117 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.

P07 122 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.

P07 126 "Yes," she called. "Who is it?"

P07 127 "Regan?" came Don's worried voice. "Is that P07 128 you? Are you at home?"

P07 129 She opened the door. "Come on in, Don."

P07 130 "I heard noises down here and thought I'd better P07 131 investigate." He stepped inside, closing the door after P07 132 him. "You were supposed to call me when you got P07 133 in."

P07 134 "Oh, I didn't want to bother you." They were P07 135 into the living - room. "Sit down for a minute if you have P07 136 time."

P07 137 "Have you eaten?"

P07 138 "No," she said in surprise. "I haven't, as a P07 139 matter of fact." She laughed. "I was so glad to be P07 140 home I forgot all about food."

P07 141 "How about sharing a pizza?"

P07 142 "OK." She pointed at the telephone in the hall. P07 143 "Why don't you call and have one delivered? I still have a P07 144 few things to do."

P07 145 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.

P07 150 "Well," Don said, as she sat down opposite him on the P07 151 couch. "How was the trip?"

P07 152 She made a face. "Harrowing. That boss of mine is a P07 153 real slave driver."

P07 154 "Is that way?"

P07 155 "Oh, you name it. It's 'Go do this, McIntyre,'" P07 156 she mimicked Nick's deep voice. "'Make five hundred copies, P07 157 get me a cup of coffee, pack those boxes.'" She made a wry P07 158 face. "I expected him to put me to work shining his shoes P07 159 or pressing his suits by the time we were through."

P07 160 Don was laughing by now. "Tell me about it!" he P07 161 said with feeling. "I've got a cardiologist at the hospital P07 162 who must have learned his tricks in the same school."h

P07 163 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.

P07 167 "Have you ever thought of asking for another P07 168 assignment?" Don asked between bites. "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."

P07 171 Regan slowly set down her glass and looked at him. P07 172 "Why, no," she said soberly. "That never P07 173 entered my mind." She shrugged. "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?"

P07 177 Don laughed. "Interns don't leave doctors. Doctors fire P07 178 interns." Then his expression grew serious. "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."

P07 182 "Well, then, you should be able to understand the way I P07 183 feel about Nick Wainwright." She eyed the carton on the P07 184 table. I'll toss you for the last slice."

P07 185 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.

P07 190 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.

P07 196 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.

P07 202 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!

P08 8 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.

P08 17 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.

P08 22 "Good morning," 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.

P08 29 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.

P08 34 "Glad you were able to come," he told her.

P08 35 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. "I P08 38 said I would."

P08 39 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. "The first thing I need to do is get P08 43 rid of these." 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.

P08 46 He heard her gasp of indignation. "What did you do that P08 47 for? It took me ages..."

P08 48 "I thought I made myself clear." His tone P08 49 brooked no argument. "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."

P08 52 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!

P08 56 "Come on." 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.

P08 61 "What about Drogo?" she asked him bluntly. P08 62 "I thought you were going to paint him, too?"

P08 63 "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," brusquely he beckoned her to seat herself on the P08 67 chair, "Do you mind? We're wasting time."

P08 68 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.

P08 73 "For how long?" she demanded with a flash of P08 74 her old spirit.

P08 75 "Until I say you can." He frowned. P08 76 "There, you've moved your head already!" With cool P08 77 fingers he corrected her pose, arranging the long silken strands of P08 78 hair to his liking. "Talk if you want to."

P08 79 Puzzled, she stared at him. "What about?"

P08 80 "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."

P08 83 "I haven't got a lover. Or parents," she said P08 84 stiffly.

P08 85 She didn't think he'd heard her for he made no reply, although P08 86 she saw how his jaw tightened.

P08 87 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.

P08 96 "Why not?" she asked, puzzled. "I only P08 97 want to look."

P08 98 "You'll see it when it's ready - providing you can sit P08 99 still long enough for me to finish it!"

P08 100 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.

P08 105 "As long as you don't expect Drogo to stand still for P08 106 you as well," she warned. "He's got a mind of his P08 107 own, has Drogo."

P08 108 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.

P08 112 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 "You can be mother."

P08 116 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.

P08 120 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.

P08 125 "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."

P08 129 "I'm sorry." 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.

P08 134 She winched and it was his turn to apologise, although it came P08 135 out grudgingly. He turned back to his easel. "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."

P08 138 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 "heavy - handed" boy from the town as P08 142 he'd claimed.

P08 143 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.

P08 159 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.

P08 162 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.

P08 175 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.

P08 187 At last Alys stepped out, and handing back the dress, murmured. P08 188 "Thank you, it fits beautifully. I'll take it. Will you P08 189 wrap it up, please?"

P08 190 Counting out the money from her little hoard was the sweetest P08 191 moment of her young life.

P08 192 "To paint you!" Mary O'Malley's eyes P08 193 opened so wide they seemed in danger of falling out. "To P08 194 paint you!"

P08 195 Alys repressed the rude retort that rose to her lips at her P08 196 friend's astounded stare. "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." P08 200 P09 1 <#FLOB:P09\>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.

P09 13 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.

P09 19 "The castle is almost full, lord," Wat P09 20 reported, riding out to meet them as they approached. P09 21 "Edmund of Langley, the Duke of York, is here!"

P09 22 "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?"

P09 25 "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."

P09 30 "'Twill be no hardship in this weather. I thank you, P09 31 Malcolm," he added as the night strode over to greet them. P09 32 "Did all go well at Alban this morn?"

P09 33 "Aye, lord, as far as I know. We left before Sir Walter P09 34 and the Earl and his family were - "

P09 35 "What was my father's condition?" cut in P09 36 Philippa anxiously.

P09 37 Sir Malcolm bowed in her direction. They had not dismounted, P09 38 and he lifted his rather nice brown eyes to her face. "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."

P09 42 "What of Sir William?" asked Giles. "He P09 43 has not arrived as yet?"

P09 44 "Nay, lord. He expected to be a day at least carrying P09 45 out your orders."

P09 46 Giles frowned. "So long? Were the stores so P09 47 vast?"

P09 48 "I do not know, lord. I left, as ordered, before he had P09 49 properly taken inventory."

P09 50 "No doubt he'll catch up ere long. Meanwhile, I will P09 51 escort the Lady Philippa to the castle." Giles turned to P09 52 Philippa with formal courtesy. "Come, my lady. You should P09 53 rest comfortably again tonight."

P09 54 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.

P09 58 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.

P09 67 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.

P09 76 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.

P09 82 "You are fortunate," remarked Giles drily. P09 83 "You will have privacy here."

P09 84 "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," returned Philippa P09 87 sharply.

P09 88 "You have an arras to shield the doorway. I will find P09 89 you better lodgings in Bristol," promised Giles. P09 90 "We will meet again shortly in the Hall, at supper. P09 91 Farewell, Philippa."

P09 92 Philippa shifted uneasily and voiced an awareness which had P09 93 been growing on her since entering the castle. "Is this not P09 94 where the King's great - grandfather was murdered?" she P09 95 asked, and cleared her throat to free it of a sudden thickness.

P09 96 "Aye." Giles met her eyes steadily. "Edward II P09 97 met his end somewhere in this castle." He smiled grimly. P09 98 "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."

P09 105 "And you and Henry Bolingbroke are appointed by God to P09 106 show him the error of his ways?" scorned Philippa, suddenly P09 107 angry again. It was better than being scared.

P09 108 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."

P09 112 "Richard is King," stated Philippa flatly.

P09 113 Giles bowed. "On the least we are agreed, my lady. We P09 114 meet at supper."

P09 115 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.

P09 118 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.

P09 126 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.

P09 135 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?

P09 140 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.

P09 143 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.

P09 147 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.

P09 153 "See young Thomas Fitzalan, Archbishop Arundel's P09 154 nephew?" he shouted in her ear. She would not have heard P09 155 him, else.

P09 156 "The one in red brocade?" speculated Philippa P09 157 in return.

P09 158 "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?"

P09 163 "I heard something of the scandalous accusations made P09 164 against the King," muttered Philippa.

P09 165 "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?"

P09 170 "Mayhap not," admitted Philippa reluctantly.

P09 171 "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."

P09 177 Philippa digested this in silence. Politics had never P09 178 previously touched her life.

P09 179 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.

P09 186 "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," he began. "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."

P09 192 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.

P09 195 "Even he has deserted the King," scowled P09 196 Philippa in disgust.

P09 197 "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."

P09 202 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.

P09 206 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...

P09 216 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.

P09 219 He would be no easy man to defeat.

P09 220 P10 1 <#FLOB:P10\>He paused, but still she did not speak. Her silence P10 2 was a rebuke. "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."

P10 6 Lady Waverton gave a faint smile.

P10 7 "No wonder she did not tell me about it. And P10 8 then?"

P10 9 "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."

P10 14 A little frown wrinkled Lady Waverton's forehead. "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."

P10 18 "I am not in the habit of ravishing every country girl P10 19 I find," he pointed out mildly.

P10 20 "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."

P10 25 "Waverton? The name seems familiar."

P10 26 "Sir George Waverton. I... left him, before Theodora P10 27 was born."

P10 28 "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?"

P10 31 "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."

P10 35 "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."

P10 38 Lady Waverton sighed. "I know it. But they are both so P10 39 young, hardly more than children..."

P10 40 "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."

P10 43 "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."

P10 48 "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," Mr Ravensworth commented.

P10 51 "You make her sound like a paregoric draught," P10 52 returned Lady Waverton.

P10 53 "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."

P10 56 "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."

P10 63 Mr Ravensworth rose.

P10 64 "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."

P10 71 "Will Lady Lingdale wish to visit her son? If so - P10 72 "

P10 73 "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!"

P10 77 Lady Waverton could not but agree with him.

P10 78 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.

P10 86 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.

P10 91 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.

P10 95 "Mr Ravensworth has gone," she said mildly.

P10 96 "Good! I hope I shall never have to exchange another P10 97 word with him."

P10 98 "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."

P10 102 "Run away from him? Certainly not!"

P10 103 "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."

P10 106 "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."

P10 110 "I know. Mr Ravensworth confessed it."

P10 111 "But I am sure he did not confess how he P10 112 behaved?"

P10 113 "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."

P10 116 Her daughter hung her head.

P10 117 "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."

P10 121 "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."

P10 125 "You mean... he knew I was a gentlewoman... and he P10 126 still kissed me? And you say he is a gentleman?"

P10 127 "Yes. And yes."

P10 128 "Well, I do not. How could he?"

P10 129 "As I said, to teach you a lesson. A less well - bred P10 130 man, my dear, would have pretended to me that he 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."

P10 133 "Grateful to him? He is the most horrible man I have P10 134 ever met!"

P10 135 "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," said her mother, wiser than Mr Ravensworth in the P10 138 ways of young girls.

P10 139 "A romantic passion? For him? I would be as likely to P10 140 fall in love with - with an adder!"

P10 141 With this, Lady Waverton had to be satisfied.

P10 142 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.

P10 146 "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."

P10 149 "Thank goodness for that," replied the invalid. P10 150 "I do not want to see him at all."

P10 151 "No, nor do I, but if he said he would come, it is very P10 152 rode of him not to," said Theodora inconsistently. P10 153 "Anyway, you do not need to be afraid of him P10 154 here."

P10 155 "I am not afraid of him!" he responded P10 156 indignantly. "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."

P10 160 "Of course he does. You should not let him put you P10 161 out."

P10 162 "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."

P10 166 "Was it bad? Were you hurt?"

P10 167 "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."

P10 172 Theodora shivered.

P10 173 "How dreadful! No wonder you did not want to go again. P10 174 Was he very angry?"

P10 175 "Yes. It was his horse. He was far more upset about P10 176 that than about danger to me, I am sure."

P10 177 Theodora gazed at him, wide - eyed.

P10 178 "You do not suppose... he meant you to have an P10 179 accident, do you?"

P10 180 Edmund looked back, all too quick to pick up her meaning.

P10 181 "I do not think so," he said, slowly. P10 182 "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."

P10 186 "If anyone said that to me, I would jump every hedge P10 187 and fence I came to," asserted Theodora.

P10 188 "Yes, and so I did," he admitted.

P10 189 "Then that was what he meant you to do," she P10 190 said darkly, lowering her voice so that the incurious Mary would P10 191 not be likely to hear them. "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!"

P10 194 He was impressed by her reasoning, but dubious. "But he P10 195 was very annoyed about the horse."

P10 196 "Of course he was! That was his mask, to cover the fact P10 197 that he was really annoyed that you had not been killed! I P10 198 expect he would have inherited your fortune, wouldn't P10 199 he!"

P10 200 "Yes, but - "

P10 201 "There you are, then! She was triumphant.

P10 202 "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."

P10 208 Theodora was impressed, but was too enamoured of her theory to P10 209 abandon it too easily.

P10 210 "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?"

P10 213 "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!"

P10 217 "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!"

P10 219 "I don't know that he cares very much for P10 220 that."

P10 221 P11 1 <#FLOB:P11\>Jon's eyes sparked wickedly. "How kind of P11 2 you to say so, Delaney. I didn't know you'd noticed."

P11 3 "I haven't," 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.

P11 8 "Can I help?" asked Jon blandly, as she P11 9 grovelled helplessly with one hand, and tried frantically to P11 10 prevent the necklace's further descent. "Privilege of the P11 11 betrothed and all that."

P11 12 "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. "No, you certainly can not."

P11 15 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 "What a pity."

P11 19 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.

P11 22 This brainwave of hers about enlisting Jon's help had 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.

P11 26 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.

P11 31 "Satisfied?" he asked as they sped down the darkened P11 32 highway.

P11 33 "What do you mean?"

P11 34 "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."

P11 38 "No, of course not. I wouldn't think of asking you to P11 39 do it again."

P11 40 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 "I really wouldn't. And yes. Thank you. Your P11 44 performance was masterly. Much better than mine was." She P11 45 had to admit it. "You carried it off P11 46 beautifully."

P11 47 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 "It wasn't really so very awful, was it?"

P11 51 "I suppose not, if you consider being propositioned by P11 52 two cocktail hostesses and a waitress with a dirty neck P11 53 amusing."

P11 54 "Were you really?" Jessica giggled. P11 55 "Funny, I've never thought of you as the Casanova type P11 56 before."

P11 57 "So I've observed," he replied P11 58 enigmatically.

P11 59 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.

P11 61 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.

P11 64 "Did you go to that party after all?" he asked P11 65 over his shoulder as he groped for the receiver.

P11 66 "We did," said Jon heavily, "and I'm P11 67 beginning to think that getting engaged to your sister was not P11 68 the most intelligent move I ever made."

P11 69 Nick's eyes widened. "Getting engaged to - Oh, hello, P11 70 Mom. Where are you calling from?"

P11 71 It's Mother," said Jessica unnecessarily. P11 72 "I think they're in Salzburg today."

P11 73 Her voice trailed off as she heard Nick continue, "Did P11 74 you say whose engagement? Oh, Jessica's, I guess. She just came P11 75 home with Jon Stuart ..."

P11 76 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.

P11 79 "Hey!" cried Jessica, rushing towards her brother, and P11 80 trying to grab the receiver. "Let me have that."

P11 81 But, the moment he obligingly released it, the line went P11 82 dead.

P11 83 CHAPTER TREE

P11 84 "NICK!" wailed Jessica. "What did you tell Mom P11 85 that for? And why has she hung up?"

P11 86 "She was in a phone booth," he replied P11 87 casually. "Said someone was waiting to use it, and she'll P11 88 be calling back tomorrow after she's told Dad the news." P11 89 When he saw Jessica's stricken face, and her indigo eyes dark with P11 90 horror, he added doubtfully, "Why? Is something wrong? P11 91 Arent't you engaged to Jon, then?"

P11 92 "Of course I'm not. I told you ..." She P11 93 hesitated.

P11 94 "She told you she couldn't think of anyone she would P11 95 less like to marry than me," said Jon impassively. P11 96 "I believe there was also some mention of smug, patronising P11 97 old bores."

P11 98 "Oh, Jon, you know I didn't mean ..." 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 ...

P11 109 Oh hell, what a horrible muddle.

P11 110 "Nick, how could you?" she groaned.

P11 111 "It's not my fault," he protested, aggrieved. P11 112 "He said getting engaged to you wasn't one of the more P11 113 intelligent things he'd done."

P11 114 "But you knew it was only for this P11 115 evening," she accused him.

P11 116 "I forgot," 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.

P11 121 She groaned again.

P11 122 "I'm sorry," said Jon stiffly. "My P11 123 rather poor joke seems to have backfired. But you did bring it on P11 124 yourself, Delaney. You always do."

P11 125 Jessica's emotions, never far from the surface, erupted in a P11 126 way that took both of them by surprise.

P11 127 "You are a superior devil, aren't you?" 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. "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."

P11 135 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.

P11 138 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.

P11 142 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.

P11 145 "Delaney!" His voice clipped her like a blow in the P11 146 face. "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."

P11 150 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.

P11 153 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.

P11 160 "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.

P11 163 She shook her head. "No. No, I'm not cold. You - P11 164 believe it or not - you scared me for a minute, that's P11 165 all."

P11 166 "Good," he replied unrepentantly. "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?"

P11 169 "Not scared," said Jessica with conviction.

P11 170 "No. You're right. I felt bloody angry."

P11 171 "I know. You wanted to hit me back."

P11 172 "Damn right I did! So don't try it again, P11 173 Delaney."

P11 174 "I wasn't planning on it," Jessica assured him. P11 175 "I'm sorry, Jon. That 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."

P11 179 "Don't worry about it. You over-reacted at the end of a P11 180 bad day, nothing more." He smiled. "Like I said, P11 181 just don't do it again." Softly his big hands moved and P11 182 began to knead her shoulders. "Relax, Delaney. I'm sorry P11 183 too- that my thoughtless joke has given your mother the wrong P11 184 impression."

P11 185 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.

P11 190 "It's not your fault," she whispered P11 191 unsteadily.

P11 192 "No."

P11 193 Was he drawing her purposely towards him? She wasn't sure.

P11 194 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 ...

P11 199 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.

P11 203 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.

P11 206 "Party's over, isn't it, Delaney?" he said P11 207 cryptically. "Good luck with your mother tomorrow. And with P11 208 your new job. Be good."

P11 209 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.

P11 212 Then she heard his car start up, and he was gone.

P11 213 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.

P11 218 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.

P11 222 What on earth had happened to her last night? - apart from the P11 223 fiasco with her mother. Jon 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.

P11 226 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.

P11 231 P12 1 <#FLOB:P12\>Miss Majors inspected the surgeon's neck and P12 2 shoulders. "Miss Villiers has worked up an excellent P12 3 erythema here. You look quite pink, Mr Buchanan."

P12 4 "She's done a very thorough and professional job, Miss P12 5 Majors, especially with her deep kneading."

P12 6 "I'm so glad we've been of service, Mr P12 7 Buchanan," the clinical instructor cooed delightedly. P12 8 "And any time you feel the need, I'm sure we can P12 9 accommodate you again." And off she went.

P12 10 Fleur would have made her escape quickly too, but Max caught P12 11 her gently by the elbow and whispered, "Thanks, Fleur, I P12 12 really enjoyed the experience. We could continue any time you like P12 13 at my house."

P12 14 "No way!" She sounded defiant. "All I P12 15 want you to remember is the stimulating massage."

P12 16 "Ah... yes," he replied laconically. "I P12 17 enjoy nothing better than a stimulating woman."

P12 18 Fleur cringed inwardly. Max had tuned the situation upside down P12 19 with his remark. Damn him, why did he always win!

P12 20 CHAPTER EIGHT

P12 21 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!

P12 24 It was directly after lunch and she was rubbing the name of a P12 25 discharged patient from the board in the department.

P12 26 "That's a piece of luck." Fleur swung round to P12 27 see Miss Majors holding a treatment card. "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?"

P12 30 Fleur said eagerly, "Yes, I'd love to. I've never P12 31 treated one before."

P12 32 "Good. Jim Beacon is one of Mr Buchanan's patients. P12 33 There are some specific instructions for treatment." Miss P12 34 Majors pointed to the front of the card. "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/cm2 pulsed."

P12 38 "That's high," Fleur commented.

P12 39 "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."

P12 42 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.

P12 45 "Thank you for taking me so quickly." He was P12 46 all smiles. "When you run a company your time isn't your P12 47 own - this is my lunch hour."

P12 48 "It was lucky timing," Fleur explained. Then P12 49 she led him into a cubicle.

P12 50 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.

P12 53 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.

P12 59 "I don't know what caused it," he said, looking P12 60 steadfastly at his hand.

P12 61 "It's a tricky condition," Fleur told him. P12 62 "Often people can't pinpoint any injury. But there is a P12 63 hereditary predisposition."

P12 64 But Jim didn't know of anyone else in his family who had the P12 65 condition.

P12 66 To get to the deeper facts Fleur had to ask for more details. P12 67 "What kind of company do you run?"

P12 68 "We manufacture and supply fire alarm systems. The P12 69 company has been in the family for generations."

P12 70 "Do you ever work any heavy duty machines? Anything P12 71 that would cause a vibration into the palm of your P12 72 hand?"

P12 73 "No such luck any more," he sighed. P12 74 "Now I'm at the top, all I seem to do is push paper, spend P12 75 my time in meetings, and troubleshoot."

P12 76 Fleur laughed easily with him.

P12 77 Jim looked serious. "Mr Buchanan said I must have P12 78 injured my palmar apon..."

P12 79 "Aponeurosis," she supplied.

P12 80 "Yes. What exactly is that?"

P12 81 "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."

P12 84 Fleur asked many more questions and then, "Is there P12 85 anything you can do to make your hand feel better?"

P12 86 "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."

P12 90 It was unusual to treat a hand with ice. But, if Fleur P12 91 explained to Miss Majors, this treatment could be instigated.

P12 92 "What are you going to do to make me better?" P12 93 Jim asked.

P12 94 "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."

P12 97 "Will it hurt?"

P12 98 "No, not in the least. All you'll feel is a flat piece P12 99 of metal, the treatment head, moving across your palm."

P12 100 When Jim was satisfied with the explanations Fleur went to find P12 101 Miss Majors, and reported the information about the ice.

P12 102 Miss Majors considered the matter. "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."

P12 106 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.

P12 110 "This is just a ten - minute treatment," she P12 111 explained. "But if your hand begins to feel very painful P12 112 for any reason, then ring this bell."

P12 113 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.

P12 118 Before switching on the machine she gave Jim the customary P12 119 warning. "If you should feel any pain or undue heat during P12 120 the treatment than tell me immediately."

P12 121 After a minute or two, while Fleur moved the treatment head in P12 122 a steady circular motion, Jim said, "I can't feel anything P12 123 at all. How do I know anything's happening?"

P12 124 Fleur laughed. "Lots of patients say this. I'll prove P12 125 the machine is working after the treatment."

P12 126 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, "I'm going to get some water P12 129 and you'll see how the machine works."

P12 130 With the water from a plastic cup Fleur sprinkled a few drops P12 131 so that they covered the treatment head. "Watch closely P12 132 now," she told Jim.

P12 133 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.

P12 136 "That's amazing!" exclaimed Jim, his eyes P12 137 steadily fixed.

P12 138 As Fleur turned up the intensity the bubbling became more P12 139 agitated. "If I turned it way up the water would P12 140 boil," she told him.

P12 141 "Don't upset your machine," Jim advised. P12 142 "You've proved your point, I'm a believer now."

P12 143 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.

P12 149 Afterwards Jim studied his hand. "I think it feels P12 150 better, even after one session," he said.

P12 151 "Good," Fleur sounded pleased. "You'll have P12 152 twelve treatments, then you'll be reviewed again by Mr P12 153 Buchanan."

P12 154 Pulling on his jacket, Jim said,"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?"

P12 159 "Ah..." Fleur raised her eyebrows, "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."

P12 164 Jim nodded. "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."

P12 167 "I'm glad you think so," smiled Fleur. They P12 168 agreed on the day of the next treatment and Jim left the P12 169 department.

P12 170 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.

P12 174 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.

P12 177 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.

P12 183 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 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.

P12 187 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.

P12 190 If he saw her now he might well take the opportunity to rush P12 191 out and play another retaliation prank.

P12 192 Huh, she wasn't going to fall for any more of his nonsense. If P12 193 she saw him, she'd say "Good evening" politely and P12 194 walk straight past with her head in the air.

P12 195 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.

P12 198 Then to her horror she saw Max lying in an awkward slumped P12 199 position. His head was partly under the hedge.

P12 200 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.

P12 203 She sped towards the crouching figure and skidded to a halt by P12 204 his side. Turning him over quickly, she said urgently, "Max P12 205 darling, it's all right, I'm here. I'll get you to the hospital as P12 206 soon as possible!"

P12 207 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 she was the one in shock.

P12 210 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.

P12 215 She turned a brilliant pink and stuttered, "I... I... P12 216 thought..."

P12 217 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.

P12 220 Between feverish kisses that covered her eyes, her cheeks and P12 221 her mouth, he ground out, "Fleur darling, if you can't wait P12 222 to rip my clothes off, we'll make love right here!"

P12 223 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. "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!"

P12 228 Her cries were useless. He rasped close to her ear, P12 229 "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 "

P12 232 P13 1 <#FLOB:P13\>"What you need is an extra backer," 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.

P13 5 "I wish!" he replied.

P13 6 By Friday, however, some people who owed 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.

P13 11 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.

P13 17 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!

P13 21 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.

P13 24 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?

P13 29 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!

P13 35 "Oh, no!" 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.

P13 42 "Yes?" he enquired crisply, clearly a man who expected P13 43 straight answers.

P13 44 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.

P13 50 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.

P13 55 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 "Going to ruin it, I see, Tremaine!"

P13 59 That she appeared to know his name had no effect on him P13 60 whatsoever, though it was plain that nobody ever gave 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.

P13 64 "We must have met on one of my very rare off - P13 65 nights," he drawled coolly.

P13 66 "We have never met!" Pernelle erupted.

P13 67 "Then who might you be?"he rapped back before P13 68 she could draw breath.

P13 69 "I'm Pernelle Richards!" she snapped furiously, P13 70 but saw at once that her name meant nothing to him. "The P13 71 person you cheated out of Myrtle Cottage!" she was angry P13 72 enough to hurl at him.

P13 73 "Cheated?" he echoed, but by then Pernelle had decided P13 74 it was utterly beneath her to stay and argue with him.

P13 75 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.

P13 82 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.

P13 89 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.

P13 98 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. "I told you I'd let you know if another P13 101 cottage like Myrtle Cottage came on to my books," he began. P13 102 "I've just been out to measure up something that will suit P13 103 you down to the ground."

P13 104 "Oh, yes?" Pernelle enquired carefully, still P13 105 in her heart of hearts wanting Myrtle Cottage and no other.

P13 106 "You'll be thrilled and delighted when you know where P13 107 it is!" he almost chortled in his selling pitch.

P13 108 "Where is it?" she obliged, and at his answer, P13 109 at once felt her pulses start to stir.

P13 110 "Chumleigh Edge."

P13 111 "Chumleigh Edge?" she exclaimed. "Where P13 112 in Chumleigh Edge?"

P13 113 "Do you remember Primrose Cottage? It's right P13 114 next..."

P13 115 "Primrose Cottage? Not the one next door to Myrtle P13 116 Cottage?"

P13 117 "Yes! Now isn't that lucky?" 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. "I'll take you round to view it in your lunch P13 130 hour if you'd like me to," he ended.

P13 131 But Pernelle wasn't so sure, and hesitated. "I've got a P13 132 busy lunch hour today," 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. "I'll be in touch," 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.

P13 139 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.

P13 146 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.

P13 152 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.

P13 157 "Did you go to see it?" was Stella Lewis's P13 158 first excited question.

P13 159 "I did."

P13 160 "And..."

P13 161 "It wants a lot doing to it. Every room wants P13 162 decorating and..."

P13 163 "Did you like it?" was what her mother wanted P13 164 to know. "It's in a fantastic spot."

P13 165 "It's in a gorgeous spot," Pernelle could do no P13 166 other than agree. "And I could - love it there," P13 167 she added honestly. "But..."

P13 168 "But?" her mother queried.

P13 169 Pernelle had told her about her brush with Tremaine, though not P13 170 that she had called him a cheat. "What about P13 171 him?" she asked.

P13 172 "Him?"

P13 173 "My neighbour."

P13 174 "From what you've said, he'll only be there at weekends P13 175 - and only occasionally at that," Stella Lewis pointed P13 176 out. "That's true", Pernelle agreed slowly.

P13 177 "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," Stella added, to cheer Pernelle P13 180 up some more.

P13 181 "That's a point," 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?

P13 184 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.

P13 190 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.

P13 194 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.

P13 200 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.

P13 204 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\>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.

P14 7 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.

P14 11 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.

P14 16 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.

P14 24 "I intended to ask if you missed me," Rayner's P14 25 voice rasped, "but I think I know the answer." And P14 26 folding his arms tighter around her soft body he added, "I P14 27 missed you, Marie."

P14 28 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.

P14 32 "You're trembling. My God, I must be crazy - it's P14 33 almost freezing." And rising to his feet he held out his P14 34 hand to her and pulled her up beside him. "The middle of P14 35 October is no time to be making love outside," Rayner P14 36 chuckled, carefully helping her on with her clothes.

P14 37 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.

P14 40 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.

P14 44 "You're ogling, Marie, and, much as I would like to P14 45 oblige, we do have guests arriving very shortly."

P14 46 "The party!" she exclaimed, her dazed mind P14 47 finally beginning to function. "My hair!" She P14 48 frantically ran her hands through it, dislodging a shower of P14 49 leaves. "What time is it?" she groaned in dismay, P14 50 and to her chagrin Rayner flung his head back and burst out P14 51 laughing. "It's not funny," she muttered, shoving P14 52 her feet into the brown moccasins.

P14 53 "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," he roared.

P14 56 "You're not a picture of sartorial elegance," 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.

P14 61 "You were right, Marie," Rayner mused, his lips P14 62 quirking with humour as he glanced around the familiar glade. P14 63 "One day we will laugh with our grandchildren over this P14 64 place."

P14 65 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...

P14 72 He caught her hand in his and raised it to his lips in an oddly P14 73 gallant gesture. "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?"

P14 76 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.

P14 79 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.

P14 84 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...

P14 87 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.

P14 94 "Enjoying yourself, darling?" 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.

P14 98 "More than I thought possible," she responded, P14 99 luxuriating in the pressure of his hard body firm against her P14 100 back.

P14 101 "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," Rayner's deep voice claimed P14 104 possessively in her ear.

P14 105 Marie chuckled and tilted her head back to look up at him. P14 106 "Does that include you?" she teased.

P14 107 "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." 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.

P14 112 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.

P14 119 "You'r a lucky man, Rayner. Your wife is charming, and P14 120 she laughs at my jokes." The inspector's compliment was P14 121 music to Marie's ears.

P14 122 "I hope you haven't been regaling her with some of your P14 123 more risqu<*_>e - acute<*/> ones," Rayner P14 124 prompted with a grin. "Doris would kill me if I P14 125 did," the inspector responded bluntly.

P14 126 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.

P14 129 "Don't be fooled by her size. Explosives come in little P14 130 packages," he joked, and at that moment his wife joined P14 131 him.

P14 132 "I heard that, Cedric. Talking about me behind my back, P14 133 shame on you," she teased. The turning to Marie she said, P14 134 "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."

P14 143 Marie never knew afterwards how she got through the rest of the P14 144 night...

P14 145 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.

P14 150 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.

P14 156 "Thank you, Doris." 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.

P14 160 "And such a tidy ending, Rayner darling," the P14 161 tall blonde drawled cynically. "They were weeping into P14 162 their champagne at Annabelle's when the news arrived. The silver P14 163 fox finally snared - how droll." She turned feral blue P14 164 eyes on Marie. "But Marie, I wasn't surprised. Under the P14 165 circumstances you were the only woman he needed to P14 166 marry.

P14 167 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.

P14 176 Acting out of her skull, she turned limpid eyes to Rayner. P14 177 "It was Rayner who snared me, and I'm truly grateful he P14 178 did." Now way was she going to let them know how much she P14 179 was hurting.

P14 180 "Yes," he agreed and expanded on his affirmative. P14 181 "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." He squeezed her waist P14 184 affectionately then relaxed his hold to turn to Lisa. "As P14 185 for you, Lisa, I might have known you couldn't resist a P14 186 gossip," he opined, laughing down into the blonde's P14 187 upturned face.

P14 188 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.

P14 193 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.

P14 199 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.

P14 203 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...

P14 210 P15 1 <#FLOB:P15\>Frances gave a rueful laugh. "Not nearly so P15 2 much as when he'll be sitting in on a surgery of mine!"

P15 3 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.

P15 6 "Good morning, June," he said briefly. P15 7 "Is Neville in yet?" When June shook her head, he P15 8 turned to Frances. "Are you going to follow through your P15 9 pyelitis diagnosis and do an X-ray form?"

P15 10 "Oh, yes, of course." She coloured slightly, P15 11 wondering if he had expected her to do it automatically.

P15 12 "If you go out to Reception one of the girls will give P15 13 you a form. Is my post ready yet, June?"

P15 14 "Not yet, Dr Ryan," June replied calmly. P15 15 "I'll bring it through as soon as it's sorted."

P15 16 "Did you want me for anything else?" 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 "In that case, I'll go and get my X-ray request P15 20 form." 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.

P15 28 Glancing at his watch, he said, "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."

P15 31 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.

P15 38 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.

P15 47 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.

P15 52 "Are you familiar with these monsters?" asked P15 53 Dr Ryan, pointing to the terminal as Frances followed him into the P15 54 room.

P15 55 "More or less," she replied cautiously. P15 56 "We had them at the hospital, although I didn't use them P15 57 that often."

P15 58 "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."

P15 62 "What about you?" She threw him a glance and P15 63 saw a frown had creased his forehead.

P15 64 "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."

P15 69 "I'll have to get someone to explain the system to P15 70 me," Frances replied doubtfully.

P15 71 "I'm sure Simon will be only too happy to P15 72 oblige," Dr Ryan observed drily. "Now, let's get P15 73 down to more practical matters." He handed her the records P15 74 of the patient they'd seen that morning. "There are the P15 75 notes for your X-ray request."

P15 76 "Thank you." She placed them on her desk and P15 77 turned back to him. "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?"

P15 80 He nodded, and she was struck by how decisive he seemed. P15 81 "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."

P15 85 "Sandra?"

P15 86 "You haven't met her yet?" When Frances shook P15 87 her head, he continued. "She's the practice nurse. She P15 88 works in the treatment room and has her own appointment P15 89 system." He paused, hesitating for a moment, then P15 90 apparently choosing his words carefully he said, "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?"

P15 94 "I don't think so, thank you, Dr Ryan."

P15 95 He turned to the door, then paused. "Oh, there is just P15 96 one thing - please drop the Dr Ryan and call me Alex."

P15 97 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 "Was there anything else?" she faltered at last.

P15 101 "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."

P15 104 "Oh... oh, yes." She was suddenly confused, all P15 105 the more so by his amusement, which was now only too apparent. P15 106 "Yes." she took a deep breath "...please call me P15 107 Frances."

P15 108 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.

P15 112 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.

P15 119 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.

P15 126 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.

P15 129 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.

P15 133 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 "Now, I think it's time you met Sandra." She looked P15 137 at Lynne. "Is she very busy at the moment?"

P15 138 Lynne glanced at an appointment book on the desk. P15 139 "She's removing stitches," she replied, then looked P15 140 up quickly as a door opposite the desk suddenly opened. P15 141 "Oh, she must have finished, here's the patient P15 142 now."

P15 143 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.

P15 146 "Would you like to sit down for a few minutes?" P15 147 Lynne asked kindly. He nodded and walked across to a row of P15 148 chairs.

P15 149 June nodded at Frances. "I think this might be a good P15 150 time," she said. They walked out from behind the desk and P15 151 crossed to the treatment-room, where June tapped on the door.

P15 152 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.

P15 157 "Whatever did you do to that poor man, Sandra?" P15 158 June asked with a chuckle. "He looked quite ill when he P15 159 came out of here!"

P15 160 "He'd had a hernia operation. I only took his stitches P15 161 out, for heaven's sake. Honestly, men are such babies!" She P15 162 sniffed, then her gaze flickered back to Frances.

P15 163 "Sandra, I'd like you to meet Frances P15 164 Marriott," said June. "You were on holiday when she P15 165 came to see us before. Frances is Dr Ryan's trainee." She P15 166 turned. "Frances, this is Sandra Jones, our practice P15 167 nurse."

P15 168 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.

P15 172 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.

P15 179 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.

P15 184 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.

P15 194 "Frances!" He seemed to have recovered from his P15 195 tiredness and was evidently pleased to see her. "How about P15 196 a quick pie and a pint at the Mucky Duck?"

P15 197 She hesitated but, not giving her a chance to refuse, he took P15 198 her arm. "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."

P15 201 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.

P15 204 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 "Don't forget our meeting, Frances," he said P15 207 briefly.

P15 208 "Don't worry, Ales, I'll get her back," said P15 209 Simon, then with a grin he added, "The poor girl as to eat, P15 210 you know."

P15 211 With a curt nod Alex walked past them and into the house.

P15 212 "My God, you'll have to watch him," Simon P15 213 muttered as he opened the passenger door of his sports car for her. P15 214 "He's a right slave-driver."

P15 215 P16 1 <#FLOB:P16\>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 "Guillam," he said gently, "be a good fellow and P16 4 make yourself scarce." He glared at her. "He's only P16 5 trying to help."

P16 6 "I don't need his help, thank you."

P16 7 "Perhaps not, but I do. I can't be in two places at P16 8 once."

P16 9 "I will not have my performance judged by young Mr P16 10 Pentecost."

P16 11 "He's not making any judgements. He's P16 12 prompting."

P16 13 "He goes or I go, Robby. That's all there is to P16 14 it." 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 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.

P16 19 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.

P16 22 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.

P16 25 Before he could even say, "My dearest love,/ P16 26 Duncan comes here tonight," 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 "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.

P16 34 For a moment, she wondered if the disaster of Romeo and P16 35 Juliet had repeated itself, but Robby rose to his feet a P16 36 little stiffly, and ran his hand over his extremities. P16 37 "Nothing broken," he said. "That's at least P16 38 one piece of good luck."

P16 39 "You might help me up!"

P16 40 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, "Shall we begin again?"

P16 45 It was not until she was back on the battlements, cursing her P16 46 luck, the lights, him, that it dawned on her Robby must think P16 47 she was drunk ...

P16 48 She knew whom she had to thank for that!

P16 49 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.

P16 52 "Is this a dagger which I see before me,

P16 53 The handle toward my hand?"

P16 54 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.

P16 60 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.

P16 64 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.

P16 72 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.

P16 78 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.

P16 85 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 smaller than life. She heard a discreet cough P16 92 beside her, and turned to see Toby Eden, peering over her P16 93 shoulder.

P16 94 "A full house," he whispered. "And P16 95 every one of them awake!"

P16 96 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. "He's very quiet," P16 102 she whispered back.

P16 103 Toby rolled his eyes. "I can hear him perfectly P16 104 well."

P16 105 "That's not what I meant."

P16 106 "He's holding something back? Yes. Good thinking! P16 107 Plenty of big scenes to come for him, what? No point letting P16 108 it all out in Act One, is there?"

P16 109 "I don't think it's just that ..."

P16 110 "Steady start makes for a strong finish. Every jockey P16 111 knows that, Lish."

P16 112 "There's such a thing as being left behind at the P16 113 start, Toby."

P16 114 "He may be thinking about you, the dear chap. Ah, the P16 115 bell! Break a leg, darling."

P16 116 She heard the bell, then the end of Robby's speech.

P16 117 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.

P16 120 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 look P16 128 natural.

P16 129 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.

P16 131 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.

P16 137 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 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.

P16 144 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.

P16 153 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 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 Romeo and Juliet, 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.

P16 161 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:

P16 165 "That which hath made them drunk hath made me P16 166 bold;

P16 167 what hath quenched them hath given me fire ..."

P16 168 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: "Crikey! P16 171 What the hell's got into her?"

P16 172 In his dressing room, Robby fretted. "I can't P16 173 imagine what's got into her."

P16 174 "You should be resting, old boy. Act Five's a P16 175 bugger," Toby said.

P16 176 "I can't rest. I don't feel it's going P16 177 well."

P16 178 "It's going well enough. Felicia's P16 179 splendid!"

P16 180 "You don't think she's carrying things a little far, P16 181 Toby? I mean, Macbeth is not a horror picture ..."

P16 182 "Oh, I don't know, old boy. In its own way, that's P16 183 exactly what it is."

P16 184 "I'm not so sure I didn't like it better when she was P16 185 'kittenish', to tell you the truth, Toby."

P16 186 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.

P16 189 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. "She's got P16 195 a very unhealthy gleam in her eye," he said. "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." He puffed on his P16 198 pipe. "Odd, that."

P16 199 "She's playing against me, Toby. I blame Philip P16 200 for that."

P16 201 "Ah." Eden wreathed himself in clouds of smoke. P16 202 "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."

P16 205 "Philip? Here?"

P16 206 "Fifth row, aisle. Bloody great bandage on his head. P16 207 Looks like a wog. Couldn't miss him."

P16 208 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.

P16 213 P17 1 <#FLOB:P17\>"Well, it hasn't expanded since we last saw P17 2 it," he replied laconically.

P17 3 "Why did you decide to go ahead?"

P17 4 "There is room, I discovered, to add an extension later P17 5 on if need be," he told me, handing me a bunch of keys.

P17 6 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.

P17 10 But it didn't last long.

P17 11 "Well, what are we waiting for?" 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.

P17 14 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.

P17 20 "Theoretically another floor could be added without P17 21 much problem," he said, gazing up at the skylight.

P17 22 "I reckon it's perfect," I said.

P17 23 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.

P17 31 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.

P17 36 21 P17 37 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.

P17 70 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.

P17 91 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.

P17 107 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.

P17 114 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?

P17 143 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. "Table for a P17 159 party of three ..." 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, "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." She paused, and P18 3 recited softly. "And now with all my heart I follow You: I P18 4 fear You and I seek to see Your face."

P18 5 He blew out his breath in a long whistle. "That's P18 6 incredible." she turned to look at him with shining eyes P18 7 and it took him a moment to realise they were full of tears.

P18 8 "I made a promise, and I'm terribly afraid I'm going to P18 9 break it."

P18 10 "You're contemplating divorce, then. You and me P18 11 both." He sat down opposite her on an uncomfortable modern P18 12 stool of steel and canvas. She sniffed and nodded.

P18 13 "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." She brushed P18 17 the back of her hand across her cheek to dry it. "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."

P18 20 "You want me to go."

P18 21 "Yes." No.

P18 22 "All right." Neither moved. He added, so low P18 23 she could hardly catch the words, "Do I hear what you're P18 24 not saying?"

P18 25 "I ... don't know." 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, "I P18 41 never thanked you for helping us last night."

P18 42 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.

P18 57 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.

P18 63 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 "Can I kiss you?"

P18 84 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.

P18 87 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.

P18 101 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, "Butterfly kisses. P18 112 Mmm."

P18 113 "What?" She spluttered with laughter, the release of P18 114 tension.

P18 115 "Your eyelashes. Don't stop." He pulled her P18 116 close again. "More."

P18 117 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.

P18 123 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.

P18 128 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.

P18 139 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.

P18 143 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.

P18 151 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.

P18 159 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.

P18 164 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.

P18 172 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.

P18 192 P19 1 <#FLOB:P19\>Start your week's reading with this touching P19 2 complete Story by Kate Mortimer.

P19 3 Which Way To Happiness?

P19 4 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.

P19 7 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.

P19 10 Sometimes, she felt she knew him so well. And yet...

P19 11 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.

P19 15 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.

P19 18 Until this past week.

P19 19 Until, in fact, he'd had that letter from Joe, his former P19 20 colleague.

P19 21 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.

P19 25 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.

P19 28 "A good day," he said as she put the tray down. P19 29 "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?"

P19 32 "Yes," Judy agreed. "It's great the way we seem P19 33 to attract the locals as well as the tourists." She paused P19 34 and looked at her husband.

P19 35 "Rob," she chided gently, "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?"

P19 39 "No." He straightened up and turned to face her. P19 40 "It's just that..."

P19 41 "Just what?" Judy persisted. She had to know. P19 42 She couldn't - wouldn't - tell him her own news until he told P19 43 her.

P19 44 "Well?" She studied his face earnestly.

P19 45 "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."

P19 49 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.

P19 54 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!

P19 56 Or rather, off a train on the famous Settle to Carlisle P19 57 Railway.

P19 58 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.

P19 61 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.

P19 64 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.

P19 66 "Remember about the step next time," he'd told P19 67 her.

P19 68 "I will, and thanks a million," she'd said, P19 69 before wandering off on her own.

P19 70 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.

P19 73 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.

P19 76 Now, of course, she could see that it had all been P19 77 inevitable.

P19 78 "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."

P19 81 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.

P19 84 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.

P19 89 But of course, Assistant Personnel Managers of large companies P19 90 could hardly go to work in hiking gear. "Or," as Rob had P19 91 told her, "to meet his future in-laws."

P19 92 "I'm still the same underneath," he'd P19 93 teased.

P19 94 Her parents had taken to him at once, as, later, his own folk P19 95 had welcomed her.

P19 96 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.

P19 99 Then the blow struck.

P19 100 She could still hear Rob's cracked voice.

P19 101 "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."

P19 103 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.

P19 106 One day, when their future seemed hopeless, Judy had an P19 107 idea.

P19 108 "Let's go back to the beginning, to where we P19 109 started," she suggested. "Just for a P19 110 weekend."

P19 111 "OK," Rob agreed wearily, "Though I can't see P19 112 how it'll solve anything."

P19 113 But it worked.

P19 114 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.

P19 117 "It has been empty for ages," the postmistress P19 118 told them.

P19 119 "Needs a lot doing to it," she said. P19 120 "That's why it really is going for a song."

P19 121 "Rob, it would make a marvellous restaurant," P19 122 Judy said excitedly. "Maybe in time we could even develop P19 123 and take guests... all my hotel experience would come in useful.

P19 124 "And tourists do come down this road in droves - P19 125 walking, biking, motoring. Of course it's crazy and P19 126 yet..."

P19 127 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.

P19 130 I KNOW what you're doing - taking a trip down Memory P19 131 Lane!"

P19 132 Bob's voice broke into her reverie, for she hadn't heard him P19 133 coming upstairs.

P19 134 "Yes," she said thoughtfully. "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!"

P19 139 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.

P19 141 He took the letter from his pocket and handed it to her.

P19 142 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.

P19 145 It's an office equipment business, he wrote. P19 146 Actually they're a bunch of whizz kids but pleasant with it - P19 147 not like the last lot!

P19 148 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...

P19 152 So he went on, describing everything about the job, until the P19 153 final paragraph.

P19 154 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...

P19 159 "Civilisation," Judy murmured. "All the racket, P19 160 the hassle, the traffic of London is civilisation...?"

P19 161 She stopped. Looking at Rob she suddenly understood, a cold P19 162 dread creeping into her heart.

P19 163 "You are interested?" she whispered. P19 164 "You want to return?"

P19 165 "I... I don't know," he said hesitantly. P19 166 "I've never even thought about it."

P19 167 Suddenly, Judy remembered one of her father's favourite P19 168 quotations, something about 'opposition strengthens that which is P19 169 opposed.'

P19 170 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.

P19 173 She remembered how he had said on their honeymoon, up here in P19 174 the Dales where they'd met, "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."

P19 178 But now - had he really, deep down, been missing the old life P19 179 in a busy office?

P19 180 "If you have the faintest notion you might like P19 181 it," she managed to say steadily, "you should go P19 182 back and give it another go."

P19 183 He smiled faintly.

P19 184 "But you've always said it's a mistake to turn back, P19 185 that we must always go forward."

P19 186 "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."

P19 189 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.

P19 192 No, that must wait.

P19 193 "Apply for it, Rob," she told him. "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!"

P19 198 "All right," he said at last. "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."

P19 201 "Bless you," she said. But only she knew how P19 202 much it had cost her to encourage him.

P19 203 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.

P19 206 Or was it that Joe's letter had awakened something that had P19 207 been there, dormant, all along?

P19 208 Somehow, they both got through the next day, having agreed to P19 209 say no more about it unless Rob heard from the firm.

P19 210 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.

P19 213 "Any time convenient to you," Rob said P19 214 politely. "Whatever's most suitable," he said.

P19 215 "Tomorrow morning at eleven o'clock will suit me P19 216 fine," he added a moment later.

P19 217 Then Rob rang Joe and arranged to meet him for lunch P19 218 afterwards, before catching the train back north.

P19 219 "Couldn't you possibly come with me?" he asked P19 220 Judy.

P19 221 "We have that archaeological group coming," she P19 222 reminded him. Besides, she thought, around the time of your P19 223 appointment I have one, too - with Dr Muir.

P19 224 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.

P19 227 Thank heaven he had made it, Judy thought. I have a very busy P19 228 day ahead of me!

P19 229 Whatever happened, she decided, at least they'd had a go up P19 230 here and succeeded beyond their wildest dreams.

P19 231 It had been a wonderful experience which they'd never P19 232 forget.

P19 233 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.

P19 236 The other people who worked in the restaurant joined in all the P19 237 talk, answering a barrage of questions.

P19 238 P20 1 <#FLOB:P20\>BETTY McINNES continues her superb Story about the P20 2 Kennedy family of Dundee.

P20 3 The River Calls Us Home

P20 4 While other women were fighting for the vote, Chrissie was P20 5 fighting for her family's approval to marry the man she loved...

P20 6 WHEN CHRISTINA KENNEDY promised DANNY MURPHY she would marry P20 7 him, she knew there would be difficulties ahead.

P20 8 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.

P20 14 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.

P20 18 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.

P20 21 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.

P20 24 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.

P20 27 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!

P20 31 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...

P20 35 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.

P20 39 To Chrissie there was no choice. She loved Danny and wanted to P20 40 be his wife.

P20 41 Now all she had to do was tell her father...

P20 42 Harsh Words

P20 43 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!

P20 48 What would happen when the whaling fleet got back - and P20 49 William Kennedy heard what his daughter had done?

P20 50 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.

P20 53 "Aye, the whaling's done for!" one old lad P20 54 grumbled.

P20 55 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.

P20 59 "Och, Captain Kennedy has enough to worry about, P20 60 without a wilful daughter," someone else agreed, puffing P20 61 away on his pipe.

P20 62 Chrissie shed bitter tears in private, but she walked out in P20 63 the September sunshine with her head held high.

P20 64 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.

P20 68 "Good for you, lass! You show 'em!" someone P20 69 shouted.

P20 70 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...

P20 73 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.

P20 76 "How nice to see you, Lizzie!" Chrissie greeted P20 77 her sister-in-law warmly with a dutiful peck on the cheek.

P20 78 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.

P20 80 "Could we go inside please, Christina?"

P20 81 Chrissie's heart sank, but she smiled brightly.

P20 82 "Yes, of course."

P20 83 She led the way, pausing by the kitchen door.

P20 84 "Here's Lizzie come to visit, Bessie. May we have tea P20 85 and a piece of your shortbread, perhaps?"

P20 86 The two young women were no sooner in the parlour, with the P20 87 door closed, than Lizzie rounded on Chrissie.

P20 88 "What's this I hear about your turning down Charles for a P20 89 juteworker?"

P20 90 Chrissie lifted her chin mutinously.

P20 91 "It's true. I don't love Charles Rankine, and I'll not P20 92 marry him. I'm pledged to someone else."

P20 93 Two angry spots of colour appeared on Lizzie's cheeks.

P20 94 "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?"

P20 97 "His name's Daniel Murphy and he works in the High P20 98 mill," Chrissie answered defiantly. "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."

P20 101 "His father's a - a scavenger?" Lizzie's voice P20 102 rose to an outraged squeak.

P20 103 Chrissie was angry. Tutored by Danny, she was fluent in P20 104 Dundee's distinctive dialect, and she slipped into it now.

P20 105 "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!"

P20 108 Lizzie all but wrung her hands.

P20 109 "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."

P20 112 "Danny is hard working and honest and I'll thank you P20 113 not to insult him. Otherwise I shall ask you to leave."

P20 114 Lizzie plumped herself on the couch, glowering.

P20 115 "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!"

P20 119 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.

P20 122 "So! I'm glad you heard that, Bessie McCutcheon, P20 123 because when Captain Kennedy returns I shall insist you are P20 124 dismissed."

P20 125 "Lizzie, no! Chrissie cried in horror.

P20 126 Bessie rose with as much dignity as she could muster.

P20 127 "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."

P20 132 "Aah-hah! The man's your nephew. Now I understand! P20 133 You hope to advance your family!" Lizzie exclaimed P20 134 grimly.

P20 135 "Stop it!" Chrissie cried in dismay.

P20 136 Bessie's dander was up. She glared at Lizzie.

P20 137 "I'll tell you one thing for sure, Mistress P20 138 Lizzie!"

P20 139 "And what's that?"

P20 140 "You're no' getting a single bite of my good P20 141 shortbread!" And with a sniff, she headed for the kitchen, P20 142 slamming the door.

P20 143 Lizzie stared after her angrily.

P20 144 "Well, really! What cheek! Your father will hear this, P20 145 Christina. That woman must go!"

P20 146 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.

P20 149 "Please leave, Lizzie! It's none of your business how I P20 150 live my life."

P20 151 Lizzie gathered up her gloves with dignity.

P20 152 "There's gratitude for you. I only wanted to help. I P20 153 needn't have bothered!" And with that she swept outside.

P20 154 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.

P20 156 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.

P20 159 "Lizzie - I'm so sorry about the baby P20 160 dying..."

P20 161 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.

P20 165 'Votes For Women!'

P20 166 HARRIET BOWERS didn't know what to think when she heard P20 167 Chrissie had turned Charles down.

P20 168 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...

P20 171 She was still determined to be a doctor. She loved Charles, but P20 172 she didn't want to be married - yet.

P20 173 Someday... maybe... she thought as she strolled among the P20 174 roses.

P20 175 "Penny for them, Harriet?"

P20 176 Charles was leaning against the summerhouse in the sunshine. P20 177 Smiling, he held out a penny, which she took gravely.

P20 178 "I was thinking about you and Chrissie,"

P20 179 "Oh! That's something I try 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.

P20 182 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.

P20 185 "Chrissie tells me you want to be a doctor?"

P20 186 "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!"

P20 189 "No, I'm not shocked." He grinned. "A P20 190 liberal dose of Harriet Bowers' commonsense is just what the P20 191 medical profession needs."

P20 192 "You're teasing me!"

P20 193 "No, I'm not!"

P20 194 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...

P20 197 "What about marriage - and children?"

P20 198 Harriet's heart gave a wild leap, but she paused gravely to P20 199 consider the question.

P20 200 "I think it would be a great wrench," she P20 201 answered honestly. "But if I truly loved the man, I would P20 202 do it for him."

P20 203 <*_>four-stars<*/>

P20 204 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.

P20 208 "Don't you want the vote, Chrissie?" Harriet P20 209 had challenged her.

P20 210 "Well, yes, I suppose so, but -"

P20 211 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.

P20 214 "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!" Harriet's eyes glowed with fervour.

P20 218 "The Prime Minister a women? Och, Harriet, what P20 219 nonsense!" Chrissie giggled.

P20 220 "Well, maybe that's going a wee bit far," her P20 221 friend agreed with a grin. "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!"

P20 224 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.

P20 228 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.

P20 232 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!

P20 235 He caught her eye and waved furiously, blowing a kiss.

P20 236 "Look, lads, <}_><-|> There's <+|>there's<}/> P20 237 Chrissie, my bonnie lass. Votes for women, say I!" Danny P20 238 waved his cap, and all the millworkers cheered themselves P20 239 hoarse.

P20 240 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 earn her right to vote.

P20 245 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.

P20 248 P21 1 <#FLOB:P21\>A story by Phoebe Roome

P21 2 Love out of season

P21 3 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

P21 6 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!

P21 14 Kersplatt!

P21 15 One hit him right on his nose.

P21 16 That's when he woke up to find a blizzard blowing through the P21 17 open window on the bed.

P21 18 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.

P21 23 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...

P21 29 Julie's inheritance from a rich relative and the new P21 30 independence it had given her hadn't helped either.

P21 31 It was Sunday and the world outside had been transformed P21 32 <}_><-|>in to<+|>into<}/> a wonderful white-shrouded fairyland.

P21 33 "Good grief!" exclaimed Tom to himself. P21 34 "A blizzard, in April. And a lot of it."

P21 35 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.

P21 41 Trapped, with the incessant chatter of the boys, the telephone P21 42 calls, the complaining demands to "fix that drawer, put the P21 43 plug back on the toaster, fix that bike".

P21 44 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.

P21 50 So, stuffed into his hardiest weatherproofs, Tom made his way P21 51 into the arctic streets to buy precious milk.

P21 52 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.

P21 55 Tom struggled in the direction of the only shop that might P21 56 possibly have opened for business, Patel's.

P21 57 Snow whipped into his face as he struggled through the P21 58 knee-deep drifts.

P21 59 "Damn!" he exclaimed as he blundered into the back of a P21 60 half-buried car.

P21 61 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.

P21 65 "What's wrong?" he mouthed through the P21 66 snow-crusted glass.

P21 67 The girl shook her head, not understanding.

P21 68 Tom scraped away the snow that was blocking the door and the P21 69 girl pushed from inside.

P21 70 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.

P21 73 "Did you get trapped here?" Tom asked, noting P21 74 the devastatingly pretty face.

P21 75 "I came out a couple of hours ago to get some P21 76 milk," the girl said, with a sob in her voice.

P21 77 "Hah," exclaimed Tom. "So did I."

P21 78 "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."

P21 81 "There are no other cars on the road," said P21 82 Tom. "Why not let me see you home? It's the least I can P21 83 do."

P21 84 "No thanks. I'm fine."

P21 85 "You mean you want to stay in this car? What happens if P21 86 you run out of petrol?"

P21 87 "It will stop soon."

P21 88 "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."

P21 91 "Everything's ridiculous."

P21 92 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.

P21 95 "Have a mint," he ordered.

P21 96 The girl took one.

P21 97 "You know people can suffocate in cars. It happens all P21 98 of the time. It can be dangerous."

P21 99 "It's more dangerous in your own kitchen than in your P21 100 car." she returned crisply.

P21 101 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.

P21 106 Tom tilted his head up a little to hide his bald spot.

P21 107 "I'm terribly sorry," the girl said, looking P21 108 full into his face. "I was very rude."

P21 109 "It's OK. I expect you've got a good reason. I'll just P21 110 open this window a bit for safety."

P21 111 He managed to lower the window and cold, fresh air spilled into P21 112 the little car.

P21 113 "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."

P21 116 "I'd be happy to find out," said Tom oafishly, P21 117 blushing like a teenager.

P21 118 "Don't bother to. Everything I touch turns to... P21 119 to..."

P21 120 "Dross?" Tom offered. "I think that's what P21 121 things turn to - or gold, but I don't think that's what you P21 122 mean."

P21 123 "No, dross is the word all right," she said. P21 124 "What do you do?"

P21 125 "I work in the accounts department of the water company P21 126 - not very exciting, I'm afraid."

P21 127 "I like it," she said. "It sounds P21 128 normal."

P21 129 "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."

P21 132 She smiled a glorious smile.

P21 133 "I thought you didn't really look like the P21 134 water-board - or talk like it."

P21 135 Tom glowed with pride but couldn't trust himself to say P21 136 anything.

P21 137 The girl peered through the windscreen at the unceasing snow. P21 138 "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."

P21 141 "I've got a little boy of nine months - and two other P21 142 not so little ones," Tom confessed.

P21 143 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.

P21 147 "How amazingly quiet it is," she said. P21 148 "Have you ever known anything so amazingly P21 149 quiet?"

P21 150 "No, it's wonderful. I live surrounded by noise. This P21 151 is great therapy."

P21 152 "You should stick at those scripts. You sound like a P21 153 natural writer."

P21 154 "Maybe. Maybe a lot of things."

P21 155 "Honestly, I mean it. I know, I was married to one. I P21 156 suppose I still am."

P21 157 "I see," 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.

P21 160 "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."

P21 163 "I take it all back," she said. "You P21 164 talk like a writer but think like the water-board."

P21 165 "What's that supposed to mean?"

P21 166 "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."

P21 169 Tom was thrown by the reply.

P21 170 "Oh, I'm being too emotional and silly," P21 171 continued the beautiful girls. "That's what my husband used P21 172 to say."

P21 173 "This is the weirdest place in the world for the P21 174 beginning of an affair," Tom thought. "Things like P21 175 that only happen in books."

P21 176 "One day," she said, "he packed his P21 177 bags and left and I haven't seen him since."

P21 178 "When was that?"

P21 179 "Oh, six months ago. Half a year - so my mother came P21 180 to live with me."

P21 181 "I'm sorry."

P21 182 "You don' know the first thing about me, why be P21 183 sorry?" she said, changing her tune completely.

P21 184 "Don't let's fight," said Tom. "I'll P21 185 only lose."

P21 186 They both laughed.

P21 187 "I'll say this," she said. "You talk P21 188 like somebody real. He was unreal."

P21 189 "Presumably his great novel didn't pay the rent. What P21 190 did he do for a living?"

P21 191 "Oh, he worked freelance for an advertising agency - P21 192 you know. "Wash away washday blues." That sort of P21 193 thing."

P21 194 "I'm not surprised," said Tom.

P21 195 "What about you?" she said. "I mean P21 196 what about the water company?" Her voice asked one question P21 197 but her lovely green eyes seemed to ask another.

P21 198 Tom croaked out an answer. "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."

P21 202 "Well, I won't say it sounds fascinating," she P21 203 said, her hand brushing his, "but you must be awfully P21 204 clever to get all those computers to do all those bills and get P21 205 them right."

P21 206 Tom laughed. He felt unreasonably happy. She was going to his P21 207 head like wine.

P21 208 "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."

P21 213 She was looking into his eyes.

P21 214 "I mean it's boring me as well. It would bore P21 215 anybody."

P21 216 "Why don't you walk on?"

P21 217 "Walk on?"

P21 218 "Stop what you're doing and move on to something P21 219 else?"

P21 220 "Nobody ever asked me that before."

P21 221 "I asked George."

P21 222 "And?"

P21 223 "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."

P21 227 "Don't knock it. It doesn't sound at all bad to P21 228 me."

P21 229 "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."

P21 237 "And he went?"

P21 238 "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."

P21 242 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.

P21 245 "I'm glad he's gone. He freed us both." P21 246 P22 1 <#FLOB:P22\>"Of course, I knew it would be, P22 2 darling," said my mother.

P22 3 Martha looked at me and raised her eyebrows.

P22 4 "Oh, one's always jittery just before," said my P22 5 mother defensively. "You have to be. If you weren't, you'd P22 6 go on stage flat. It's the life, darling."

P22 7 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.

P22 11 My mother was saying: "Oh, I'm so weary, and 'Can I P22 12 help you, Madam?' keeps going round and round in my P22 13 head."

P22 14 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.

P22 18 I said: "Did you see that girl?"

P22 19 "Which girl?"

P22 20 "The one who was standing over there. She looked as P22 21 though she were watching you."

P22 22 "Came to take a look at Countess Maud, I P22 23 reckon," said Martha.

P22 24 "Yes. But she seemed different somehow."

P22 25 "Another of the stagestruck crowd," said P22 26 Martha. "Thinks she's another D<*_>e-acute<*/>sir<*_>e-acute<*/>, P22 27 I don't doubt. Most of them do."

P22 28 "Come in," said my mother. "I'm half P22 29 asleep, if you're not."

P22 30 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.

P22 42 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.

P22 44 The Accident

P22 45 Countess Maud had settled in - another success for P22 46 D<*_>e-acute<*/>sir<*_>e-acute<*/>.

P22 47 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.

P22 54 As I came out of the house I saw Roderick Claverham coming down P22 55 the street.

P22 56 "Hello," he said, for a few seconds we stood smiling at P22 57 each other.

P22 58 I spoke first. "You are still in London, P22 59 then?"

P22 60 "I have been home and came back again."

P22 61 "How are the remains?"

P22 62 "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."

P22 66 I felt pleased because he had admitted that he was looking for P22 67 me.

P22 68 "Were you going to call on us?" I asked.

P22 69 "I thought in the circumstances that might not be quite P22 70 acceptable, would it?"

P22 71 "Perhaps not."

P22 72 "Whereas meeting by accident..."

P22 73 "Would be quite another matter, of course."

P22 74 "Were you going somewhere?"

P22 75 "Only shopping."

P22 76 "May I come?"

P22 77 "You wouldn't be interested."

P22 78 "I think I should."

P22 79 "It is not necessary shopping. I was really going to P22 80 finish up at the theatre and come home with my mother."

P22 81 "Perhaps I could escort you to the theatre."

P22 82 "It will be two hours before the show P22 83 finishes."

P22 84 "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?"

P22 87 "Quite the contrary."

P22 88 "Then shall we start?"

P22 89 "Of course, you are attracted to the past," I P22 90 said as we walked along. "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."

P22 94 "Perhaps that's because she is with a theatrical P22 95 family."

P22 96 "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."

P22 103 "I should have thought she should have been very proud P22 104 of her present pupil."

P22 105 "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?"

P22 109 "Very likely."

P22 110 "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."

P22 117 "I should have thought your mother was absolutely sure P22 118 of success."

P22 119 "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."

P22 127 As I am doing."

P22 128 "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."

P22 133 "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."

P22 138 "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."

P22 143 "I dare say she is teaching herself as well as P22 144 you."

P22 145 "I am sure she is. We went to libraries and unearthed P22 146 all sorts of information. You will understand how exciting it P22 147 was. You have your Roman relics."

P22 148 "I certainly do. And when you walk these streets you P22 149 picture P22 150 them as they were years ago."

P22 151 "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."

P22 155 "And you do not wish to go on the stage and share in P22 156 the limelight with your mother?"

P22 157 "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."

P22 160 "And, unlike Matty, she does not sigh for the classical P22 161 roles."

P22 162 "Countess Maud and suchlike are good enough P22 163 for her."

P22 164 "And very good she is with them."

P22 165 "I saw you at the play."

P22 166 "Yes, I saw you."

P22 167 "You didn't stay. You must have hurried P22 168 off."

P22 169 "I was unsure. Better to take no action when you are P22 170 wondering which is the right one."

P22 171 "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?"

P22 181 "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."

P22 183 I laughed. "I should not want you to agree with me for P22 184 that reason."

P22 185 "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."

P22 189 "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 The Siege of Rhodes. 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."

P22 198 "Not the first, I believe, to have suffered in that P22 199 way."

P22 200 "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."

P22 203 "Tell me about the virtuous one."

P22 204 "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."

P22 211 "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."

P22 215 "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 is good. I often think P22 218 how lucky I am to be her daughter."

P22 219 He pressed my arm and we were silent for a moment, then he P22 220 said: "What happened to Roxana?"

P22 221 "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."

P22 225 "That must have been the one, unless he made a habit of P22 226 going through mock marriages."

P22 227 "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."

P22 230 "One has to imagine it. I hope Roxana became a great P22 231 actress and nemesis overtook the Earl of Oxford."

P22 232 "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."

P22 235 "What a shame! Look. P22 236 P23 1 <#FLOB:P23\>"They must think I'm on a diet or P23 2 something," he complained, eyeing his tiny portion with P23 3 disfavour. "I could do with a big, juicy burger right now - P23 4 with fries!"

P23 5 "Just the all-American boy," 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. "Do you deliberately cultivate P23 10 your image?"

P23 11 He grinned. "What image is that, Abigail?"

P23 12 "You're so... American."

P23 13 Nick leant forward, suddenly serious. "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 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." He P23 24 shrugged. "The fact that 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!"

P23 28 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. "Would you feel differently about me if I threw P23 32 away all my shirts, Abigail?"

P23 33 "I might if you could learn to call me Abby instead of P23 34 Abigail!" Unreasonably flustered, she tugged her hand P23 35 away.

P23 36 The intent look vanished from his eyes, and he sat back with a P23 37 grin. "Couldn't you at least be like other girls and learn P23 38 to love me for my money?"

P23 39 "That's probably exactly what Peter will P23 40 think."

P23 41 "He ought to know you better than that," 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. "What about something else to P23 46 eat - or would you prefer just coffee?"

P23 47 "I'd like pudding and coffee, please," she P23 48 said with determined brightness. "The chocolate cake sounds P23 49 wonderful!"

P23 50 Nick sounded amused. "Most of the girls I take out just P23 51 want to push a lettuce leaf around their plate."

P23 52 "I wish I had that kind of self-control," 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. "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."

P23 57 "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!"

P23 60 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.

P23 64 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.

P23 73 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.

P23 79 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.

P23 87 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. "Shall we go?"

P23 92 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...

P23 98 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.

P23 101 "That guy who hurt you before - in the States - what P23 102 was his name?"

P23 103 "Stephen." It was easier to talk about him than she had P23 104 thought. "I was very young, very unhappy. My mother had P23 105 just remarried and I was still missing my father." Abby's P23 106 voice was distant as the memories crowded back. "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.

P23 111 "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." 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.

P23 118 "Stephen..." She paused. "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."

P23 123 "What game?" Nick asked.

P23 124 Abby sighed. "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!" Abby's smile was crooked. "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."

P23 135 Didn't you ever see him again?"

P23 136 "Once. Just before -" Abby broke off.

P23 137 "Just before what?" Nick prompted.

P23 138 "It doesn't matter." She stared out through the P23 139 windscreen, but she wasn't seeing the road. "It doesn't P23 140 matter," she said again.

P23 141 "OK." Nick's voice was gentle. "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."

P23 144 Abby turned to look at him, surprised at her own sense of P23 145 relief at having told him. "Actually, I think it helped to P23 146 talk about it. I didn't think it would, but it does."

P23 147 "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 La Traviata came spilling out of P23 151 the speakers and Abby raised her eyebrows.

P23 152 "Opera's not your usual style."

P23 153 "No." He glanced at her and his smile gleamed briefly P23 154 in the reflected lights on the dashboard. "But then, P23 155 neither are a lot of the things I like most."

P23 156 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!

P23 163 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.

P23 167 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.

P23 172 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.

P23 175 Despite herself, Abby tensed.

P23 176 "Relax," he said softly. "I grew out of making P23 177 passes in the front seat years ago."

P23 178 It was easier to deal with the familiar, mocking Nick. Abby P23 179 lifted her chin proudly. "I'm glad to hear it."

P23 180 "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!" He P23 183 opened his door, but forestalled Abby as she reached for her own P23 184 door-handle. "Wait, let me."

P23 185 Moments later he opened her door for her with a flourish. P23 186 "You see, we Americans do have some manners!"

P23 187 Unable to think of a suitable reply, Abby gave a stiff smile. P23 188 "Thank you."

P23 189 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.

P23 193 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, "I thought you'd grown out of kissing girls P23 196 in cars."

P23 197 "I have." Green eyes glinted in the moonlight. P23 198 "But only in the front seat. I didn't say anything about P23 199 kissing them against cars!"

P23 200 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.

P23 204 "Your skin is like silk," 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.

P23 208 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\>CHAPTER SEVEN

P24 2 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.

P24 9 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.

P24 15 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.

P24 20 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!

P24 24 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.

P24 28 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!

P24 33 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!

P24 40 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.

P24 44 You only have one life, Jenny, and you must live it as 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.

P24 50 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.

P24 53 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?

P24 58 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?

P24 62 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.

P24 68 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.

P24 75 "You're off this weekend, aren't you, Leo? What a P24 76 coincidence - so am I!" She rushed on. "I've got P24 77 some tickets for a rock concert in Bath. D'you fancy P24 78 coming?"

P24 79 Leo's expression didn't change, and then he gave India one of P24 80 his lazy smiles. "Have to refuse, India - but thanks, P24 81 anyway." It was so smooth it couldn't possibly have given P24 82 offence.

P24 83 "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.

P24 87 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?

P24 94 Then she started thinking - what if he 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.

P24 97 She began to realise that maybe she 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.

P24 105 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.

P24 111 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.

P24 115 "What's this?"

P24 116 "The milk of human kindness!" she quipped P24 117 without thinking, and his eyes widened.

P24 118 "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," he teased.

P24 121 "Shut up," she replied amiably."And P24 122 don't burn the candle at both ends next time!"

P24 123 He sipped the tea. "It was worth it. Very exciting P24 124 assignation ..."

P24 125 "I don' think -" said Jenny primly, hoping he P24 126 wouldn't notice her fixed smile.

P24 127 "... with my textbook," he finished, P24 128 smiling.

P24 129 "Your textbook?"

P24 130 "I'm taking the second part of my fellowship in three P24 131 weeks' time - didn't you realise?"

P24 132 "No," she answered, a smile so wide that it was P24 133 dazzling. "No, I didn't'." 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.

P24 136 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.

P24 141 The woman in the sports-shop persuaded her to buy a very clingy P24 142 leotard.

P24 143 "Isn't it cut a little high on the leg?" asked P24 144 Jenny doubtfully.

P24 145 "Oh, goodness me, no, dear!" answered the P24 146 woman, smiling. "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!"

P24 149 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.

P24 155 He stopped and shut the car door for her.

P24 156 "Thanks," she said, more breathless than after an P24 157 entire hour's work-out.

P24 158 "Pleasure," he murmured. "You look hot."

P24 159 "I've just been working out," she explained, P24 160 although it struck her that no explanation was necessary.

P24 161 "Have you, now?" he murmured politely, and then P24 162 he nodded in the direction of the pub. "I was just going P24 163 for a drink - pity you're not dressed for it, or you could have P24 164 joined me."

P24 165 "I could ..." 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, and how it had been turned P24 168 down!

P24 169 "Mm?" he queried, raising dark eyebrows.

P24 170 "I could do with an early night, actually", she P24 171 finished lamely, and he nodded.

P24 172 "I expect you could. Well, I'll leave you to your P24 173 beauty sleep. Goodnight, Jenny."

P24 174 "Goodnight, Leo."

P24 175 One day at work, she had him bleeped.

P24 176 "Yes, Jenny?" he answered.

P24 177 "Are you still operating?" she asked.

P24 178 "My assistant is just closing up for me. Why? What's P24 179 the problem?"

P24 180 "I'd just like you to have a look at one of the P24 181 patients - I'm a bit worried."

P24 182 "I'm on my way," he said, and put the phone P24 183 down.

P24 184 He was less than five minutes.

P24 185 "You were quick," she said gratefully.

P24 186 "You don't sound that urgent very often," he P24 187 replied. "Who are you worried about?"

P24 188 "It's Joe Lyons - you did his tib and fib thirty-six P24 189 hours ago."

P24 190 "Yes?"

P24 191 "I'm worried that he has compartmental P24 192 syndrome."

P24 193 "But he was fine when I saw him earlier."

P24 194 "I know," she said "but he's been P24 195 complaining of a loose feeling in his foot all morning, and - P24 196 "

P24 197 "Is he anxious?" he interrupted.

P24 198 "Not unduly. Do you want to do a neurological P24 199 assessment?"

P24 200 He nodded. "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 ..." The eyes which met hers were serious.

P24 203 "Or he loses the limb," she said quietly. Joe P24 204 Lyons was twenty-one years old.

P24 205 He nodded again. "Have you time to help me?"

P24 206 "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."

P24 209 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.

P24 214 "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\>"Not for one moment do I regret marrying P25 2 your father," Amelia hastened to rectify that sigh. P25 3 "He was the dearest and most beloved of God's P25 4 creatures."

P25 5 "Yes, Mother." 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. "Sufficient P25 15 unto the day," 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.

P25 18 "I can smell roast chicken," Grandma P25 19 pronounced, as she stepped into the lobby. "We always have P25 20 roast chicken on Easter Sunday," she told the children. P25 21 "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?" she P25 23 prompted.

P25 24 "Thank you, Grandmama," they chorused.

P25 25 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.

P25 44 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.

P25 52 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.

P25 65 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.

P25 71 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.

P25 100 "Will Vicky's teddybear catch my measles?" Paul P25 101 asked, anxiously, as he cuddled the bear to his spotty chest.

P25 102 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.

P25 109 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. "I 'spected Teddybear and Elephant," P25 112 he sighed.

P25 113 "Never mind, darling. You may keep my teddybear for P25 114 always. I think he loves you best," Vicky told him, P25 115 soothingly.

P25 116 "Thank you." His weak smile could not hide the P25 117 tears of disappointment. And the box of soldiers went into the P25 118 cupboard unopened.

P25 119 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.

P25 122 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. "Perfectly all right. We will make use of P25 136 them," she announced.

P25 137 "How? When?" 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.

P25 140 "Do you remember the bluebell wood?" Jane asked P25 141 her sister.

P25 142 Ellen nodded.

P25 143 "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." 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.

P25 157 "It will be fun," Vicky told her little cousin P25 158 as Ellen pulled an extra jersey over his head.

P25 159 "Will it?" Paul was a little doubtful. He had P25 160 never been transported by bicycle, and had never seen a P25 161 bluebell.

P25 162 "You will en-j-joy it, old chap," said Uncle P25 163 Edward, encouragingly, and went off to hire the bicycle.

P25 164 Grandmama thought it was a most unsuitable expedition for P25 165 children only recently recovered from measles."

P25 166 "Nonsense, Mother. It is just what they need," P25 167 Jane retorted. An independent married woman for a number of years, P25 168 Jane was no longer under her mother's thumb.

P25 169 "Can I take Teddybear?" Paul was asking Nan at P25 170 the last moment.

P25 171 "Of course you may. He can sit in my basket with the P25 172 thermos flasks," she told him kindly.

P25 173 "I'll fetch him." Vicky raced upstairs. Paul P25 174 smiled his thanks, then they were off.

P25 175 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.

P25 178 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?

P25 182 "What can you do with bluebells?" she had asked P25 183 Vicky.

P25 184 "I don't know. I think they would look pretty in a blue P25 185 jug," 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.

P25 189 "You be careful now. Mind you 'ang on tight," P25 190 she admonished her little favourite. Then she closed the gate and P25 191 went back to her scrubbing.

P25 192 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.

P25 199 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.

P25 202 "We came here on just such a day in April, my darling, P25 203 and you had my engagement ring in your pocket." P25 204 P26 1 <#FLOB:P26\>Chapter 10

P26 2 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.

P26 11 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.

P26 21 She was able to look genuinely at ease as she replied to her P26 22 companion's question. "Damion was never my Monsieur P26 23 Berg<*_>e-acute<*/>, never the business brains behind my artistic P26 24 abilities," she said firmly.

P26 25 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. "Perhaps he was more P26 28 your Mademoiselle de la Falaise, your right hand, your P26 29 inspiration?"

P26 30 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.

P26 33 "It's as well I know all about the Yves Saint Laurent P26 34 legend," 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.

P26 37 "I think you probably know more about him than I P26 38 do," Marie said. She indicated the splendour of the room P26 39 around them, the highly organized bustle of the Riverside P26 40 Restaurant. "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."

P26 46 "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." He tipped the last of the P26 51 champagne into his own glass. "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."

P26 54 "You mean the Paris show?"

P26 55 Berry caught the eye of a passing waiter and ordered more P26 56 champagne.

P26 57 Marie paused until she had Berry's attention again and then P26 58 continued, "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."

P26 62 "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."

P26 68 "How nice of you to be thinking of me in P26 69 Paris." Marie laughed. "I would have thought you P26 70 had someone with you to take your mind off business."

P26 71 "Yes, I had someone with me." Berry suddenly P26 72 looked serious. He reached over the table and laid his hand gently P26 73 over Marie's. "But that didn't take my mind off P26 74 you."

P26 75 "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. "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."

P26 82 "That's easy." Berry laughed although his eyes P26 83 had become cold. "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?"

P26 87 Marie shook her head. "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,"

P26 90 "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." 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. "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."

P26 99 "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." His grip tightened. "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."

P26 108 "I'm not an asset." Marie pulled her hand free. P26 109 She felt choked by her anger. "You can't strip me like some P26 110 company you've taken over."

P26 111 The smile touched Berry's mouth but not his eyes. "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."

P26 114 "I'm so pleased to hear it." Marie stood P26 115 abruptly. "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." She left Berry P26 124 sitting at the table.

P26 125 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.

P26 134 "Give us a smile, luv. Go on, show us some P26 135 teeth," the photographer shouted.

P26 136 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.

P26 144 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.

P26 149 "Over here, Marie, over here," they were all P26 150 calling to her, each wanting an exclusive, special shot.

P26 151 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

P26 157 "Three more minutes," Sarah called out from her P26 158 position by the stone wall that kept pedestrians from falling in P26 159 the river.

P26 160 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.

P26 165 Nice smile, please," he asked, and received P26 166 just what he wanted. "Nice. Now just tip your head down a P26 167 bit, chin in. Nice." He wound on and took a couple more P26 168 shots then politely thanked Marie.

P26 169 "You can get down now," Sarah called.

P26 170 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 Sun journalist surreptitiously reloaded his Nikon.

P26 175 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:

P26 181 "My boss ain't gonna like it if you muck up the P26 182 wipers."

P26 183 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.

P26 187 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.

P26 192 "Here." The young man who'd asked so nicely for his P26 193 photo came forward, holding his hands up. "Hang on to P26 194 me."

P26 195 Marie reached towards him. Her legs were trembling in earnest P26 196 now. The 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.

P26 203 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\>A SHORT STORY BY RACHEL MURRAY

P27 2 Thomas and Sophie

P27 3 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...

P27 6 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.

P27 10 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.

P27 19 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.

P27 26 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 "Ah, Thomas. Where are Sebastian and Angelique?"

P27 29 Thomas raised vivid blue eyes with blood-shot whites. P27 30 "They're both out on their new sausage-meat P27 31 campaign," he muttered. "You know - 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." "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."

P27 37 In his haste to reach Tasty-Bite's, Thomas slipped on a dropped P27 38 ice lolly and fractured his thigh. "Typical!" said the boss P27 39 when he heard the news. "I said he was getting past it."

P27 40 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.

P27 45 "Now Mr Thomson," said Sister firmly, P27 46 "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."

P27 49 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.

P27 54 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. "But, Mrs Thomson," protested her P27 58 assistant one day, "do you really think these woolly P27 59 dressing gowns show our usual - er - flair?"

P27 60 "What?" asked Sophie vaguely. "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." 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 A pie without meat keeps you neat but replete. He P27 67 hummed as he drew.

P27 68 Sophie sat by his bed, munching the chicken sandwich she'd P27 69 brought him. "But, darling," she protested, P27 70 "must you work quite so hard? After all, Sebastian and P27 71 Angelique have landed the account, haven't they?"

P27 72 "Not yet," Thomas rasped. "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."

P27 76 Sophie's eyes filled with tears. "Oh, Thomas, you are P27 77 so thoughtful." Her voice rose to a wail. "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."

P27 81 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 "Of course I want to get home, but I'm still in plaster. P27 85 Have patience!"

P27 86 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.

P27 91 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.

P27 96 "Well, Mr Thomson," said Sister smugly, P27 97 "you look like a new man."

P27 98 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. "Thomas!" P27 101 she said tearfully. "You look awful! So thin - so P27 102 undernourished!"

P27 103 "But you look marvellous," he beamed. P27 104 "Just like the girl I married."

P27 105 The boss called round that evening and eyed Thomas enviously. P27 106 "I say, hospital life certainly suits you! No P27 107 offence," he added hastily, casting an apologetic look at P27 108 Sophie. "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 ..."

P27 111 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.

P27 116 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.

P27 121 A SHORT STORY BY MOIRA ILES

P27 122 The outing

P27 123 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

P27 127 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.

P27 133 "The what?" enquired Mrs Perkins.

P27 134 "It's a hundred years since they started building the P27 135 chapel," said her husband.

P27 136 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.

P27 140 "How do they know for certain?" Mrs Perkins P27 141 asked suspiciously. "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."

P27 144 "They've got the actual deeds," 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. "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."

P27 152 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.

P27 158 Mrs Perkins was also aware of the situation and had mentioned P27 159 it to her husband.

P27 160 "They won't want him marrying our Ann," he P27 161 said. "They'll want someone who'll bring a bit of land with P27 162 her."

P27 163 "They've got plenty of land, but I daresay they could P27 164 do with a bit of happiness."

P27 165 Mrs Saunders said much the same to her husband, so that he P27 166 shouldn't be overtaken by events.

P27 167 "Oh well", he said, "Jacob won't take P27 168 any notice of me so it's no good saying anything."

P27 169 "Well," his wife said comfortingly, "she's a P27 170 nice enough girl and she does make a good seed cake."

P27 171 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.

P27 174 I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills from whence cometh P27 175 my help, 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.

P27 178 "I thought," said Mr Pilton, "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."

P27 181 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.

P27 192 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.

P27 200 "Well," said Mr Grange, "I think that people P27 201 are very happy with the present arrangements."

P27 202 "I don't think," said Mr Pilton, "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."

P27 207 "Oh, come," protested Mr Grange. "I P27 208 have never seen any indecorous behaviour."

P27 209 "It occurs." Mr Pilton lowered his voice. P27 210 "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!"

P27 213 Mr Grange sighed - possibly for the young couple or possibly P27 214 for Mr Pilton. "As for calling at the Dog and P27 215 Drake," he said, "I have never seen any one having P27 216 anything other than lemonade or ginger beer."

P27 217 "But the temptation is there," 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\>6 P28 2 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.

P28 9 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.

P28 17 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.

P28 23 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.

P28 33 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.

P28 43 "A fine horse you got there, sir! Nae mistake about P28 44 that!" But her compliment went unacknowledged by haughty P28 45 milords who had no time for peasant girls.

P28 46 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.

P28 54 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.

P28 64 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.

P28 71 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.

P28 79 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.

P28 82 "Here," he said kindly, offering a square of cambric, P28 83 "use my handkerchief, else you will only make the damage P28 84 worse."

P28 85 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.

P28 88 "'Tis a pretty trifle indeed for wiping clarts but I'll P28 89 take it nonetheless and thank thee for thy kindness."

P28 90 "How didst come to be in such a plight?" He was P28 91 looking at her soiled white stockings."Didst have a fall P28 92 from thy horse?"

P28 93 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.

P28 97 "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." She turned P28 101 her scrubbed face towards the young man for his approval. P28 102 "Is my face clean enough?!

P28 103 "Good as new," he assured her and would not P28 104 take the wet kerchief back. "A keepsake of your ride to P28 105 Belford."

P28 106 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.

P28 112 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.

P28 117 "Why, that's the man! That's the scoundrel who almost P28 118 ran me off the road!"

P28 119 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.

P28 122 "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."

P28 126 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.

P28 128 "Darest laugh at me after putting me in such a P28 129 plight!"

P28 130 "Oh, aye," he grinned, "thou'rt a sight P28 131 indeed. Be off with you ere I call the watch." 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. "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."

P28 136 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.

P28 140 "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."

P28 144 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.

P28 151 Good riddance to bad rubbish!" Hannah yelled P28 152 after him and, with some reluctance, dropped the stone from her P28 153 hand. "You should ha let me hoy this at him," she P28 154 chided. "'Twas only fair."

P28 155 The youth shook his head with a smile. "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."

P28 160 Hannah looked at him curiously. "That's an odd thing P28 161 for a man to say. But I'm not weak!" she added. "I P28 162 could outrun that pig's bladder any day. Yet I should thank thee P28 163 for speaking on my account," she said, on reflection. P28 164 "A whole coachload of trouble might have undone P28 165 me," she burst out laughing, "though, in truth, it P28 166 would have made good sport to try!"

P28 167 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. "What is thy name? Mine is P28 170 Hannah."

P28 171 "Well, Hannah," he said seriously, "I P28 172 admire your spirit if not your diplomacy. Wait on -," his P28 173 eye alighted on a rider who was entering the square at that P28 174 moment.

P28 175 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.

P28 179 "I must leave you now." The young man spoke P28 180 softly. "The man I seek a rendezvous with has P28 181 arrived." With that, Hannah's new friend followed the P28 182 postman into the dark interior of the inn.

P28 183 "And he never told me his name," 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.

P28 191 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?

P28 195 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\>SHIRLEY WORRALL writes this romantic complete P29 2 Story.

P29 3 At The Moment Of Parting

P29 4 SHIRLEY WORRALL

P29 5 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.

P29 10 She was about to dash off and share her exciting news with Andy P29 11 when he burst into the living-room.

P29 12 "Caro, you have to help me. Something awful has P29 13 happened."

P29 14 Fifty possible disasters raced through her mind.

P29 15 "Whatever's wrong?" she asked.

P29 16 Andy threw himself down in a chair, looking as if the end of P29 17 the world had been prophesied.

P29 18 "I rang Maria and invited her round this P29 19 evening," he explained. "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."

P29 22 Caroline laughed with relief.

P29 23 "Is that all?" 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. "I'm sure that your little P29 26 black book will jump to the rescue, Andy," she added.

P29 27 Andy didn't share her amusement.

P29 28 "That's the problem. I then called Sally, who was P29 29 delighted to accept." With a groan, Andy ran his fingers P29 30 through his hair. "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."

P29 33 "Oh dear." So Andy had a double date. P29 34 "Can't you telephone one of them?"

P29 35 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."

P29 38 Caroline burst out laughing again.

P29 39 "It looks as if the three of you will have a very cosy P29 40 evening. Think about it logically," she went on, trying to P29 41 be serious. "Which of them do you like best?"

P29 42 "I like them both," Andy replied. "It's P29 43 not serious with either of them."

P29 44 "Let me put it another way," Caroline grinned. P29 45 "Is either of them trained in martial arts?"

P29 46 "Very funny, Caro."

P29 47 "Sorry, Andy, but you're in big trouble and it serves P29 48 you right. You're so - fickle."

P29 49 "It's you women, changing your minds at the drop of a P29 50 hat." He stood up and gave Caroline his most appealing P29 51 smile. "Caro, if I took the first one away, you could P29 52 answer the door to the second one and -"

P29 53 "Oh, no!"

P29 54 "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."

P29 58 "Andy! Women are not things to 'get rid P29 59 of'."

P29 60 "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."

P29 62 "And I can't entertain one of your girlfriends for a P29 63 couple of hours, Andy. Be sensible."

P29 64 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.

P29 67 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.

P29 70 Andy, a wise nine-year-old, had explained. "Brothers P29 71 and sisters have to have the same mums and dads."

P29 72 "But we do. Don't we?"

P29 73 Andy raised his eyes heavenwards.

P29 74 "Of course not. Your mum just works for my P29 75 dad." He was thoughtful for a moment. "If they got P29 76 married, then I suppose you'd be my sister."

P29 77 "Do you want a sister?" Caroline asked, P29 78 thinking she could persuade her mother to marry Andy's father, P29 79 Ben.

P29 80 "Yuk!" was Andy's quick response. "No, I P29 81 don't."

P29 82 "I don't want a brother then," Caroline P29 83 retaliated.

P29 84 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.

P29 88 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.

P29 91 Sally turned up twenty minutes later. An apologetic Caroline P29 92 took her into the sitting-room and explained Andy's absence.

P29 93 "He took off in such a rush that I don't know where he P29 94 was going," Caroline said, fingers crossed. "I know P29 95 it was an emergency though. Perhaps it would be better if he rang P29 96 you tomorrow."

P29 97 "It's OK," Sally said. "I can P29 98 wait."

P29 99 Caroline hated the deception.

P29 100 "He might be very late."

P29 101 "I've got all night."

P29 102 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.

P29 106 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.

P29 110 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.

P29 113 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.

P29 119 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.

P29 124 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.

P29 128 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?

P29 133 DID I hear a car?" 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.

P29 136 "My mother going out," 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.

P29 140 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.

P29 145 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.

P29 150 "What would I do without you, Caro?"

P29 151 "Get yourself into even more trouble," she P29 152 said, smiling reluctantly.

P29 153 "I owe you one. How about we try 'Pierre's' tomorrow P29 154 night? My treat."

P29 155 Caroline's smile broadened to a grin. "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.

P29 158 "I'll keep you to that. Will it be just the two of us, P29 159 or will your harem be coming along?"

P29 160 "Just the two of us. I'm off women - for life." P29 161 At Caroline's glare, he laughed and ruffled her hair. P29 162 "You're different, Caro."

P29 163 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?

P29 166 She didn't know what was wrong with her. She wasn't usually so P29 167 tetchy.

P29 168 "Andy!" she exclaimed. "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."

P29 172 Andy stared back at her as if she'd spoken in a foreign P29 173 language.

P29 174 "You're going? But you only said you were thinking P29 175 about it. You didn't say anything about actually going."

P29 176 "Didn't I? Well, I am going."

P29 177 When he finally spoke, he seemed angry.

P29 178 "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."

P29 181 "It's not half-baked." His reaction hurt. P29 182 "I've been thinking about it for ages. I told you about P29 183 it." She paused before asking quietly, "Aren't you P29 184 pleased for me?"

P29 185 Andy considered the question but didn't answer it.

P29 186 "When will you be back?" he asked finally.

P29 187 "In a year." Caroline was unnerved by the way P29 188 he was looking at her. He seemed so serious. "So if you get P29 189 yourself in a mess like tonight's," she tried to smile, P29 190 "you'll have to sort it out on your own."

P29 191 The attempted joke didn't receive a smile.

P29 192 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.

P29 196 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.

P29 200 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.

P29 204 As they waited for her flight to be called, Caroline tried to P29 205 behave as if everything was normal.

P29 206 "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."

P29 209 "As many as that?" Andy tried to smile but he P29 210 failed.

P29 211 Caroline didn't feel like smiling either.

P29 212 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.

P29 215 In a moment of panic Caroline whispered, "Andy, I'm P29 216 going to miss you so much."

P29 217 He gazed back at her. "Me too. I'll write."

P29 218 She gave him a watery smile. No, you won't."

P29 219 The flight was called again and Caroline reached up to kiss P29 220 him. "Take care, Andy."

P29 221 "And you."

P29 222 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.

P29 225 "Watch out for the lions, Caro."

P29 226 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.

P29 230 <*_>four-stars<*/>

P29 231 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.

P29 235 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.

P29 238 She kept every one of his letters, reading them over and over P29 239 until she knew them by heart.

P29 240 P29 241