P01   1 **[463 TEXT P01**]
P01   2 *<*2CHAPTER *=29*>
P01   3    |^THE BLACK CANDLE *0Saturday night cellar party was on. ^The time
P01   4 was approaching midnight. ^Margot and Jasmine had left together
P01   5 shortly after ten. ^Before doing so at \0Mr. Copthorne's invitation
P01   6 they had spent a pleasant half hour with Con O'Shea, \0Mr. Butler and
P01   7 \0Mr. Narain Khuma at a table for four. ^At another table nearby \0Mr.
P01   8 Smith and two of his officers in plain clothes were quietly chatting
P01   9 together.
P01  10    |^Ordinary members had quitted the club premises which appeared to
P01  11 be closed and only Percy, weary and fed up was compelled to stay in
P01  12 his ill-lit little cubby hole still on duty after hours until \0Mr.
P01  13 Herman gave him permission to depart.
P01  14    |^Saturnalia was about to proceed within that profane cellar. ^A
P01  15 black cock and a white hen had passed through the flames and to quench
P01  16 the unpleasant stink of burnt carcases and feathers, \0Mr. Copthorne
P01  17 in his purple and scarlet Bardic robes and peculiar turbanned
P01  18 headdress, had been swinging about an incense censer. ^The air was
P01  19 heavy and thick with the combined smells.
P01  20    |^\0Mr. Herman, who had been absent for a short while, entered very
P01  21 hurriedly by the back stairway leading from the kitchen premises. ^His
P01  22 face was as white as the damask deeply lace-edged cloth spread over
P01  23 the refectory table on which stood the golden chalice from which all
P01  24 had drunk and drained. ^He whispered hurriedly to his chief.
P01  25    |^*"We're cornered. ^Not a hope unless we can get them all away by
P01  26 the side entrance.**"
P01  27    |^\0Mr. Copthorne turned grey.
P01  28    |^Without any waiting, panic-stricken and regardless of the rest,
P01  29 he made a scuttling exit through the cloak-room door leading out on to
P01  30 the side entrance.
P01  31    |^\0Mr. Herman took over with one word.
P01  32    |^*"Scram!**"
P01  33    |^Fright and alarm spread amongst the party guests and in the
P01  34 sudden confusion to press through the narrow doorway a paraffin
P01  35 radiator just under the purple and scarlet muslin draped platform was
P01  36 upset followed by an explosion and a burst of flame, instantly
P01  37 igniting the draperies and matching curtains at the sides. ^Seizing a
P01  38 piece of carpeting \0Mr. Herman attempted to smother and quench them.
P01  39 ^There was a fire extinguisher, but that was kept in the club itself
P01  40 for handy use. ^The flames spread and mounted. ^He staggered up the
P01  41 back stairway into his office and dialled 999.
P01  42    |^As he came out of it, \0Mr. Smith and his two companions came
P01  43 round the side of the rostrum where they had been concealing
P01  44 themselves, and stood in the way.
P01  45    |^\0Mr. Herman faced them. ^He had been trembling and shaking. ^He
P01  46 ceased to tremble. ^He stood rigid and straight. ^He was on the stage
P01  47 once again and it was the first night of a new play in which he had
P01  48 been cast for the minor role of an evil man's dupe and confederate.
P01  49 ^Could he have cast himself in the part of \0Mr. Copthorne, the
P01  50 villain and apostate, he would not have attempted to run away from his
P01  51 captors. ^He would have made his appearance. ^The Show must go on.
P01  52    |^His first night nerves on this that was also his last night
P01  53 dropped away from him. ^He had lines to speak.
P01  54    |^\0Mr. Smith gave him his cue.
P01  55    |^*"Now then, Herman!**"
P01  56    |^\0Mr. Herman's faintly mask-like smile was almost pathetic.
P01  57    |^*"Gentlemen, of course, I am at your service, but listen to me,
P01  58 please.**"
P01  59    |^*"Don't take too long then,**" said \0Mr. Smith.
P01  60    |^*"I will be brief. ^Can you not smell smoke? ^Turn your noses to
P01  61 the kitchen.**" ^The men sniffed and coughed.
P01  62    |^*"Is that your trick?**" snapped \0Mr. Smith. ^*"Trying to smoke
P01  63 us out, eh? ^Been burning something? ^You'll have to think of
P01  64 something better than that. ^Show us the way below.**"
P01  65    |^*"Impossible. ^No doing of mine. ^A pure accident. ^One of these
P01  66 paraffin lamps has been upset. ^The premises are on fire. ^I have just
P01  67 phoned for the brigade. ^Arrest me. ^Whatever information you wish me
P01  68 to give you later I am willing to provide. ^I am a knave and a low
P01  69 fellow, a spreader of iniquity. ^I have no intention of scarpering
P01  70 even if I had the chance. ^I have had enough to last me.**"
P01  71    |^*"Tail it off, Herman!**" ^\0Mr. Smith and his men were now
P01  72 uncomfortably aware that \0Mr. Herman was speaking the truth and that
P01  73 the club was on fire. ^*"Where's Copthorne?**"
P01  74    |^*"My leader in this fiendish racket, my dear sir, is not in the
P01  75 house. ^He is well on his way by now to where I do not know, but even
P01  76 if I did know for certain and told you, I doubt if you would be able
P01  77 to catch up with his Rover 90 as he has had a good start. ^It might
P01  78 conceivably be down to Sussex or to the nearest airport. ^You will be
P01  79 much better advised to take me into custody forthwith and lock me up
P01  80 once more in the all too familiar confines of a prison cell.**"
P01  81    |^*"You are under arrest.**" ^\0Mr. Smith coughed as a swirl of
P01  82 acrid smoke drifted past him and his officers.
P01  83    |^\0Mr. Herman held out his hands.
P01  84    |^*"Put on the bangles. ^The fire brigade has arrived. ^Hear it?
P01  85 ^Regis Road pavements will soon be crowded with late-homers **[SIC**]
P01  86 gathering to witness a fire in full bloom. ^Standing room only for
P01  87 nothing to pay. ^I pray you let me continue to speak the tag. ^I
P01  88 played Hamlet once and how I gloried in that role although the
P01  89 performance only took place in a country public hall*-**"
P01  90    |^*"That's enough, Herman.**"
P01  91    |^The firemen were in, Percy, Con O'Shea and \0Mr. Butler were all
P01  92 upon the scene.
P01  93    |^\0Mr. Herman raised his voice above the hubbub and roar of smoke
P01  94 and flames. ^Infinite pathos, regret and sadness was in it.
P01  95    |^*"How weary, stale, flat and unprofitable seem all the uses of
P01  96 this world! ^It is an unweeded garden that grows to seed. ^Things rank
P01  97 and gross in nature possess it*-**"
P01  98    |^*"Pipe down!**" ^The two police officers hustled him forward
P01  99 towards the entrance.
P01 100    |^Con suddenly brushed past them.
P01 101    |^*"The cat, the white cat!**"
P01 102    |^Percy tried to hold him back. ^So did \0Mr. Butler.
P01 103    |^*"The cat will have got itself out through the coal-shoot. ^Bound
P01 104 to*-**"
P01 105    |^*"It hasn't. ^I heard it mewing. ^I am sure and certain it was
P01 106 the cat*- let go of me, George!**"
P01 107    |^*"Don't be a fool, Con!**"
P01 108    |^*"Get outside, all of you, unless you want to be smothered, and
P01 109 wait for me. ^I'll be joining you in a minute or two with the little
P01 110 white cat in \2me arms!**" ^Con pushed himself free and dashed
P01 111 forward.
P01 112 *<*2CHAPTER *=30*>
P01 113    |^THE SPEED *0dash into Sussex was near to its end. ^The titled
P01 114 displaced person chauffeur who was at the wheel, intent on the wheel
P01 115 and covering distance, had not spoken a word. ^Nearing the village he
P01 116 turned to look for \0Mr. Copthorne in the back of the car. ^He was not
P01 117 on the seat. ^He was cowering on the floor.
P01 118    |^*"Stop!**"
P01 119    |^*"Do you not wish to be driven home?**"
P01 120    |^*"No. ^Put me down at the church.**"
P01 121    |^*"Very good.**" ^The chauffeur did not *'Sir**' his employer.
P01 122    |^He halted the car by the Lych Gate.
P01 123    |^*"Thank you.**" ^\0Mr. Copthorne almost fell out of it, his
P01 124 Bardic robes impeding him. ^*"I will see you in the morning.**"
P01 125    |^*"Perhaps.**"
P01 126    |^*"Perhaps. ^But*- but you are not going to leave me, Count? ^You
P01 127 know how I rely on your services.**"
P01 128    |^The chauffeur did not deign to answer. ^He was self-possessed and
P01 129 silent as always.
P01 130    |^He opened the Lych Gate for \0Mr. Copthorne, closed it after him
P01 131 and drove away.
P01 132    |^\0Mr. Copthorne stumbled towards the church door and tried to
P01 133 turn the heavy handle. ^It was locked. ^The verger would be there to
P01 134 open it first thing in the morning. ^The rector liked to leave the
P01 135 church open all day until the evening. ^He was very proud of the
P01 136 venerable old edifice with its Norman tower. ^It would be made good
P01 137 and sound, the restoration of its stone and wood that would ensure its
P01 138 preservation for many many years to come, by means of the generous
P01 139 purse of \0Mr. Copthorne, squire, and lord of the manor.
P01 140    |^\0Mr. Copthorne knew a way round by the side of the church where
P01 141 there was a small open outbuilding where the grave digger kept his
P01 142 spades and forks and tidying up implements. ^It might be open. ^It
P01 143 was. ^He entered, and seated himself in a huddle upon an upturned
P01 144 wheelbarrow. ^His curious headgear fell off.
P01 145    |^Strange things were going on in his bewildered brain. ^When a man
P01 146 was drowning and towards his last gasp it was scientifically supposed
P01 147 his whole life came up before him in some cinematic kind of sequence.
P01 148 ^\0Mr. Copthorne was on dry land in a church outbuilding, but this was
P01 149 happening to him now. ^He saw himself as a sulky, ugly, malformed,
P01 150 repressed boy, then a young youth. ^He saw himself refusing baptism
P01 151 according to the sect his parents belonged to. ^Walking out of the
P01 152 chapel later on. ^Continuing on, his leaping mind flashed pictures of
P01 153 chicanery and corruption, the growth of the deadly decadence and
P01 154 absorption in debasement and Satanic debauchery. ^He saw himself as he
P01 155 was and as he had become, a misbegotten, infamous, recidivist, past
P01 156 praying for.
P01 157    |^The church clock was striking seven. ^He had slipped on to the
P01 158 stone floor. ^He gathered himself, swaying and uncertain and stumbled
P01 159 round to the front door of the church again. ^The door was open. ^The
P01 160 verger had just unlocked it and was about to depart when he saw \0Mr.
P01 161 Copthorne entering in his very strange purple and scarlet robes
P01 162 get-up. ^He didn't know what to make of it, but it was \0Mr. Copthorne
P01 163 all right. ^Perhaps he had been attending some kind of fancy dress do
P01 164 in London. ^Very strange his eyes looked. ^Mad, hunted eyes, as if the
P01 165 poor fellow had rocks in his head, so the verger described afterwards.
P01 166    |^*"You're very early about, sir,**" he said, trying to speak
P01 167 normally.
P01 168    |^*"Yes. ^I travelled down from London as the dawn was breaking,
P01 169 and the thought came to me I'd like to take a look at the church.
P01 170 ^I've never been inside. ^Very remiss of me,**" said \0Mr. Copthorne.
P01 171    |^The verger led the way in.
P01 172    |^*"The stained glass windows, sir, they date back to the
P01 173 fourteenth century.**"
P01 174    |^\0Mr. Copthorne looked and saw the light stealing through upon
P01 175 the illuminated figures of Saints and a central figure upon a Cross.
P01 176    |^*"Ah!**" he said. ^*"That figure*- that Man wasn't afraid to die,
P01 177 was he?**"
P01 178    |^The verger was simple in his nature.
P01 179    |^*"No, sir. ^He died for all.**"
P01 180    |^*"And Christianity goes on!**"
P01 181    |^*"Yes, sir, and always will.**"
P01 182    |^\0Mr. Copthorne's breathing was deep and laboured. ^He seemed to
P01 183 be sighing.
P01 184    |^*"I'd like to go up to the belfry. ^Don't come with me. ^I'd like
P01 185 to go myself.**" ^The verger waited for him by the Lych Gate.
P01 186    |^\0Mr. Copthorne ascended into the belfry. ^The verger could see
P01 187 him standing there on the very edge. ^A bit risky. ^The next moment he
P01 188 had either cast himself down or stumbled and fallen.
P01 189    |^There he lay stretched out, his fat figure in a crude
P01 190 spread-eagle, face forward.
P01 191    |^The verger ran towards him. ^He tried to shift the unwieldy
P01 192 figure and raise him.
P01 193    |^\0Mr. Copthorne's head fell sideways. ^Very faintly, in a bare
P01 194 murmur, the verger caught the last words he uttered:
P01 195    |^*"I am still baffled.**"
P01 196 *<*2CHAPTER *=31*>
P01 197    |^ON SUNDAY *0afternoon a telephone message was conveyed to Margot
P01 198 by Miss Maclaren, very quietly, on the fourth floor landing. ^Her
P01 199 father was having his Sunday afternoon nap and the considerate little
P01 200 woman did not wish to disturb him.
P01 201    |^*"A gentleman whose name is \0Mr. Butler, has just rung up to say
P01 202 he has some urgent news for you and Jasmine, and he is coming round
P01 203 now in his car with a friend to tell you. ^His voice sounded very
P01 204 grave, dear, and he stressed that as it was on a subject that might
P01 205 upset your father, it would be best to say nothing to him yet awhile.
P01 206 ^Jasmine is getting herself ready now.
P01 207 **[MIDDLE OF QUOTE**]
P01 208 *# 2005
P02   1 **[464 TEXT P02**]
P02   2    |^*0There were few passengers on the plane and Gavin was quickly
P02   3 through the customs. ^*"Gay!**"
P02   4    |^*"Gavin!**"
P02   5    |^The girl and her luggage had disappeared and they were alone
P02   6 together. ^The porter brought Gavin's bag out to the taxi. ^*"Just a
P02   7 moment, darling,**" Gavin pressed her hand and smiled. ^*"I want to
P02   8 check up on the flights back.**"
P02   9    |^Gay went out to the waiting taxi, and then found that in the
P02  10 excitement of meeting Gavin she had left her sun-glasses on the
P02  11 veranda. ^She went quickly back to fetch them. ^Gavin and the girl who
P02  12 had got off the plane with him were talking. ^He was writing something
P02  13 in his pocket-book, with a sick feeling of despair Gay knew that of
P02  14 course it was her address.
P02  15    |^Gavin joined her and at once dispelled her fears.
P02  16    |^*"That little bit you saw me talking to, her father is a big land
P02  17 agent, she says that he sometimes has farms for lease ... you know
P02  18 that's what I want, Gay, a farm and you!**"
P02  19    |
P02  20    |^*"Shall we go over to the little cafe*?2 opposite after
P02  21 dinner?**" ^Gay, sitting opposite Gavin on the terrace could hardly
P02  22 believe that she was the same girl, miserable, shy, who had sat at the
P02  23 little table for the first time a few days ago.
P02  24    |^Gavin raised his glass to her and smiled and Gay's heart turned
P02  25 over. ^*"I'd like to do that.**" ^Gavin drained his glass and refilled
P02  26 it. ^*"And then we'll go for a stroll along the beach. ^A moon like
P02  27 this mustn't be wasted.**" ^He gestured towards the bay where the full
P02  28 moon was just rising over the rocks, then laid his hand on hers.
P02  29    |^Gay smiled at him again, happy beyond belief, knowing that now
P02  30 Gavin was in love with her and her only, yet remembering for a second
P02  31 the kisses she had seen him giving Elaine. ^All that was part of the
P02  32 past, she would put it behind her. ^She would never be jealous again,
P02  33 would even take Larry's advice and look the other way if need be.
P02  34    |^*"I say!**" ^Gavin was looking over her shoulder. ^*"That's a
P02  35 pretty girl!**"
P02  36    |^Gay glanced behind her, ^*"Isn't she lovely, she's French, a very
P02  37 well known model I believe. ^She only arrived today. ^That is her
P02  38 father's yacht in the bay. ^The people she is with are the Belgians I
P02  39 told you about who have been so nice to me.**"
P02  40    |^*"Does everyone go to the cafe*?2 opposite after dinner?**" Gavin
P02  41 enquired casually.
P02  42    |^*"No, the older people usually stay here and have coffee and some
P02  43 go to the night club up the road.**"
P02  44    |^Bernice came over and was introduced. ^Gay felt happy and proud
P02  45 as she made the introduction. ^*"We are going to the night club,**"
P02  46 Bernice said, *"are you coming?**"
P02  47    |^*"No, we thought that we'd go opposite.**" ^Gay didn't want to do
P02  48 anything other than be alone with Gavin and later under the light of
P02  49 the glorious moon hear his explanation of everything and in shared
P02  50 kisses put it all behind her.
P02  51    |^They came out of dinner and Gay went upstairs to get her stole,
P02  52 the night was warm, the sky cloudless, but it might be cooler later on
P02  53 the beach.
P02  54    |^She looked at herself in the mirror, wanting so much to look
P02  55 lovely for Gavin. ^She lightly powdered her face, drew a pale lipstick
P02  56 across her mouth, picked up her stole and ran down the stairs to where
P02  57 she had left him.
P02  58    |^The hall was empty, and she looked round thinking that perhaps
P02  59 Gavin had gone outside when Larry came through, tall and elegant in
P02  60 his white dinner jacket.
P02  61    |^*"Hullo, you're looking very lovely.**"
P02  62    |^*"Thank you, Larry, I'm feeling very happy.**"
P02  63    |^*"You are? ^Good girl. ^Everything all right now?**"
P02  64    |^*"Oh yes, thanks a lot for your advice. ^Gavin is here! and
P02  65 before I had time to write!**"
P02  66    |^*"Here? ^You mean the man you were dining with is Gavin?**" Larry
P02  67 asked, looking surprised.
P02  68    |^*"Yes, isn't it wonderful? ^He flew over from Barcelona and is
P02  69 going to stay two days. ^I can't think where he is, he said he would
P02  70 wait here.**" ^She looked around.
P02  71    |^*"He's in the bar ...**" ^Larry looked at her a little strangely,
P02  72 paused as if he were going to say something, then with a wave of his
P02  73 hand walked off to join a smart looking woman.
P02  74    |^Gay, a little puzzled, went through to the bar. ^Doc and Lilyan
P02  75 were sitting just inside having coffee. ^*"Come and join us and bring
P02  76 your boy friend,**" Doc called.
P02  77    |^*"No, Doc!**" Lilyan remonstrated. ^*"They want to be alone.**"
P02  78    |^*"I've booked a table at the cafe*?2,**" Doc said, *"they are
P02  79 packed tonight so come and join us if you can't find a table for
P02  80 two.**"
P02  81    |^Gay thanked him and walked out on to the terrace thinking that
P02  82 perhaps Gavin had bought a drink and taken it outside.
P02  83    |^She looked round scanning the tables, then caught her breath, a
P02  84 cold hand seeming to clutch her heart.
P02  85    |^Gavin was seated at a small table in a shadowy corner talking
P02  86 animatedly to Simone. ^As Gay watched he offered the girl a cigarette
P02  87 and lit it, his hands cupping hers in an intimate way.
P02  88    |^Gay stood irresolute for a moment, half decided to go back and
P02  89 join Lilyan and Doc, while she wanted to do no more than run upstairs
P02  90 to her room, knowing that Gavin although he had told her that he loved
P02  91 her, was already flirting with a girl that he had only met a few
P02  92 minutes before. ^Larry's advice flashed through her mind, but she
P02  93 turned away, giving a little gesture of hopelessness, knowing that her
P02  94 pride would never allow her to look the other way and aware too, that
P02  95 her love for Gavin had already lessened, although she was suffering
P02  96 the pangs of jealousy.
P02  97    |^*"Gay!**" Gavin came up behind her and took her arm, *"where have
P02  98 you been?**" ^Simone stood behind him, cool and poised.
P02  99    |^*"Come along,**" he took them both by the arm, *"now show me
P02 100 where this cafe*?2 is.**"
P02 101    |^Gay withdrew her arm on the pretext of adjusting her stole,
P02 102 almost shuddering at Gavin's touch.
P02 103    |^The cafe*?2 was crowded as Doc had predicted and Gay led them
P02 104 over to his table, glad that she was not to be alone with Gavin. ^The
P02 105 others were all dancing and as Gay drew out a chair and sat down
P02 106 Gavin, without a word, swept Simone on to the floor.
P02 107    |^*"It doesn't mean anything,**" Gay told herself desperately,
P02 108 trying to understand Gavin's point of view and remembering the advice
P02 109 that Larry had given her, while she felt wretched beyond words. ^She
P02 110 shivered a little despite the warmth of the night and turning round,
P02 111 reached for her stole which was on the back of the chair. ^Without
P02 112 meaning to spy she caught sight of Gavin and Simone. ^They were
P02 113 dancing very closely and she saw Gavin lay his cheek against the
P02 114 French girl's and whisper something in her ear. ^Simone looked up at
P02 115 him smiling and nodded.
P02 116    |^Feeling sick with unhappiness, Gay drank her coffee, aware now as
P02 117 she had really known before that there was no hope of happiness in the
P02 118 future for her and Gavin. ^If he could come all the way to Marjorca to
P02 119 see her and then immediately start flirting with the first pretty girl
P02 120 that he met, and in front of her, it showed only too plainly that his
P02 121 affection for her had no depths at all. ^His behaviour was not only
P02 122 boorish and in the worst of taste but it was unkind beyond words. ^She
P02 123 fumbled with the cigarette packet which lay on the table not wanting
P02 124 to smoke but needing some action to help her control her feelings.
P02 125    |^*"Come and dance,**" Doc's cheery voice came as a lifeline and
P02 126 Gay got up quickly, managing a smile.
P02 127    |^As he swung her on to the floor Gay saw Gavin and Simone go
P02 128 through the doorway that led down to the beach. ^Gay closed her eyes
P02 129 for a moment in disgust. ^She was fully aware that Gavin would make
P02 130 love to the French girl on the sands, and no doubt he would come back
P02 131 soon and after Simone had left expect her to accept his kisses on the
P02 132 way back to the hotel.
P02 133    |^*"And that's the man whom you have been eating your heart out
P02 134 over?**" ^Doc nodded towards the door. ^*"You may consider him a man,
P02 135 I would say he was a mentally adolescent cad.**"
P02 136    |^*"Oh, Doc ...**" Gay protested weakly, *"you don't know Gavin.**"
P02 137    |^*"I've only met him today but I think I can safely say that I
P02 138 know him a great deal better than you do.**" ^Doc gave her hand a
P02 139 shake. ^*"Wake up Gay, and don't even contemplate throwing yourself
P02 140 away on a chap like that. ^You're a fine girl, intelligent, and
P02 141 pretty, and I had thought you were sensible too. ^Don't make a fool of
P02 142 yourself over someone who doesn't care two jots for your feelings. ^If
P02 143 he behaves like this now what is your married life going to be like?
P02 144 ^Hell.**" ^Doc answered for her. ^*"Just Hell. ^Never able to trust
P02 145 him out of your sight and having to put on a brave face and pretend
P02 146 that you don't mind whenever he flirts with another woman. ^He will
P02 147 you know, always, and you aren't the type who is tough enough to
P02 148 change him.**"
P02 149    |^Gay nodded. ^*"I know that you're right Doc, I think now that I
P02 150 do realise that, and in any case,**" she added a little sadly, *"if I
P02 151 did change Gavin, he wouldn't be the same, if you know what I mean.**"
P02 152    |^*"You sound like Alice in Wonderland,**" Doc gently mocked her,
P02 153 *"and I'm glad you're beginning to see that you're wasting your time
P02 154 on that chap. ^Now let him go and you won't have to wait long for the
P02 155 right man for you to come along. ^If I was thirty years younger and
P02 156 weren't married to the sweetest wife in the world I'd marry you
P02 157 myself.**" ^Gay laughed, Doc was so kind and nice and she hoped that
P02 158 one day she would be able to see the situation as it obviously
P02 159 appeared to everyone else.
P02 160    |^Doc asked Lilyan to dance and once again Gay found herself alone
P02 161 at the table feeling self-conscious and awkward, sure that people were
P02 162 talking about the way Gavin was behaving since they had seen them
P02 163 dining together. ^She opened her bag to get out her compact and saw
P02 164 Grace's letter. ^She drew it out and opened it, glad to be able to
P02 165 occupy herself.
P02 166    |^*"So glad that you are having such a lovely time, dearie,**" it
P02 167 ran. ^*"Your cards are lovely. ^I rang up Miss Harland and have been
P02 168 over to sit with her father and do what I can for him so that she can
P02 169 get out to do her shopping. ^He's getting on well but is pretty
P02 170 helpless still with his broken arm. ^No other news except that Elaine
P02 171 is engaged and going to marry a foreigner ...**"
P02 172    |^Gay read the rest of the letter then put it back in her bag.
P02 173 ^Elaine was engaged, to the man she had spent so much time with at her
P02 174 party. ^That was why Gavin had come back to her. ^Everything was quite
P02 175 clear now, and to her own surprise Gay felt no heartbreak, rather a
P02 176 sense of relief now that she knew why Gavin had come to see her.
P02 177 ^Because she was second best.
P02 178    |^The others came back to the table, all of them making a fuss of
P02 179 her and at once she felt happier. ^Gay loved them for their warm
P02 180 sympathy, knowing that they were real friends, even if they were new
P02 181 ones.
P02 182    |^*"That is a pretty dress,**" Lilyan commented, obviously sensing
P02 183 Gay's distress and in a way that Doc, as a man, could not understand,
P02 184 knowing that Gay was as much ashamed for Gavin at the way he was
P02 185 behaving as she was hurt for herself.
P02 186    |^*"I made it myself,**" Gay tried to speak normally.
P02 187 *# 2000
P03   1 **[465 TEXT P03**]
P03   2 *<*2CHAPTER ONE*>
P03   3    |^THE *0hospital was literally sited at the cross-roads, though set
P03   4 back from the street by a drive of about a hundred and fifty yards and
P03   5 cushioned by rounded shrubs and a belt of trees which helped to absorb
P03   6 the noise of the traffic.
P03   7    |^There was a large new roundabout and a sign which gave the
P03   8 distances to both Edinburgh and London, Great Yarmouth and Liverpool,
P03   9 for besides being at the cross-roads, \0St. John's was also sited
P03  10 roughly at the heart of England, the highways resembling vast arteries
P03  11 pouring the flood tide of commerce and private pleasure in four
P03  12 entirely different directions.
P03  13    |^Diana Wills often sat on the brand new seat outside the hospital
P03  14 gates and thought vagrant thoughts. ^At one time she had watched the
P03  15 workmen constructing the roundabout, which was to put \0St. John's
P03  16 Casualty Department out of operation*- in theory, at least. ^She would
P03  17 think of herself as a stranger in these parts studying these
P03  18 cross-roads.
P03  19    |^Which one to take?
P03  20    |^*"If I were a tramp I would simply blow a feather,**" she
P03  21 decided, rather envying the gentleman of the road his freedom of
P03  22 decision, and wishing life would sometimes allow serious-minded women
P03  23 doctors to blow a feather and follow its airy directions accordingly.
P03  24    |^*"If I were needing a job I'd go to London, of course,**" she
P03  25 went on. ^*"There are all sorts of wonderful jobs in London and I
P03  26 could take my pick, whereas in Yarmouth one has to know something
P03  27 about fishing and in Liverpool they'd want sea-farers. ^I don't think
P03  28 I'd go to Edinburgh unless I was a Scot and wanting to get home, or
P03  29 perhaps a student studying to be a doctor, and I already know all
P03  30 about *1that.*0**"
P03  31    |^Being at a cross-roads was unsettling, she also decided. ^One
P03  32 felt as though one hadn't arrived anywhere. ^True, \0St. John's was on
P03  33 the outskirts of Farlingham, a small, prosperous North Midlands town,
P03  34 but apart from the inhabitants everybody else regarded Farlingham as a
P03  35 spot where one could fill up the car, have a cup of tea and go on to
P03  36 somewhere else with vastly more to offer in the way of opportunity and
P03  37 entertainment.
P03  38    |^It was getting too cool for sitting on the seat by early October,
P03  39 Di decided, as she collected her various items of shopping*- she never
P03  40 carried a basket*- and prepared to go inside for tea. ^She felt
P03  41 chilled to the bone and somewhat depressed. ^Normally she looked
P03  42 forward to her days off, an expedition into town, a visit either to
P03  43 her hairdresser or the cinema and Nigel dashing out to join her for
P03  44 either luncheon or tea in his screaming red {0M.G.}
P03  45    |^She was engaged to Nigel, had been for two years. ^Sometimes they
P03  46 talked on the theme of *"when we get married**", and then all was
P03  47 wonderful, and perhaps it had only been a slip of the tongue when
P03  48 Nigel had said, only last evening, ^*"If we get married, old girl,
P03  49 you'll have to stop that lark, I can tell you!**"
P03  50    |^She couldn't remember what they had been talking about or which
P03  51 *'lark**' she would have to stop, only that significant tiny word
P03  52 shouted into her very soul a horn of warning, and with it was coupled
P03  53 a disembodied fragment of information, which now took on an ominous
P03  54 significance: Nigel had been seen in Farlingham on an occasion he had
P03  55 sworn he had been standing in for Luke Parsons at his surgery in
P03  56 Little Phelpham.
P03  57    |^Now Nigel had every right to go where he liked during his
P03  58 off-duty periods when she was not free; this much they had conceded
P03  59 one to the other. ^They rarely found they were off duty together, and
P03  60 the situation would have been intolerable had there not been some give
P03  61 and take about their relationship.
P03  62    |^So when Nigel had told her about taking Luke's evening surgery
P03  63 she had said, ^*"Bless you! ^I hope Luke is suitably grateful,
P03  64 darling.**"
P03  65    |^*"Oh, well,**" he shrugged diffidently, *"I like the work. ^One
P03  66 gets plenty of variety and it's a change.**"
P03  67    |^Nigel was the hospital's Junior Medical Officer.
P03  68    |^*"You won't be free about nine, I suppose, to meet me for supper
P03  69 somewhere?**" she had asked hopefully.
P03  70    |^*"Hardly likely, my sweet. ^Luke's surgery goes on for hours. ^If
P03  71 they get in before eight-thirty, even though they're standing on one
P03  72 another's toes, I've got to see 'em. ^If I *1am *0free, though, I'll
P03  73 give you a ring, {0O.K.}?**"
P03  74    |^{0O.K.},**" she had replied readily.
P03  75    |^So how could Nigel have been at the Load of Trouble roadhouse,
P03  76 dancing with a blonde at eight-thirty that very evening?
P03  77    |^*"No,**" she told Phil Gubbins, a junior houseman, *"it wasn't
P03  78 Nigel you saw, my lad.**"
P03  79    |^*"It was Nigel's car, anyway. ^NUF 121.**"
P03  80    |^*"He probably loaned his car to somebody, Phil. ^He's always
P03  81 doing that.**"
P03  82    |^Young Gubbins shrugged.
P03  83    |^*"I didn't see his face, Di, but it certainly looked like Nigel
P03  84 from the back. ^{0D.j.} and all. ^Of course such as I couldn't afford
P03  85 to go into the Load of Trouble.**"
P03  86    |^*"Neither can Nigel,**" smiled Diana. ^*"He's saving up to get
P03  87 married. ^Remember?**"
P03  88    |^*"I remember,**" quipped the houseman, meaning no offence, *"but
P03  89 does he? ^That blonde was something.**"
P03  90    |^*"Anybody *1I *0know?**" she smiled.
P03  91    |^*"I think so. ^I got a good look at *1her. ^*0But if Nigel wasn't
P03  92 there it isn't important, is it?**"
P03  93    |^*"No,**" Di said immediately. ^*"It isn't at all important.**"
P03  94    |^But after that slight slip of the tongue on Nigel's part she had
P03  95 realised it was important enough for her to have remembered, and it
P03  96 was as though a red mist veiled her usually clear sight and made her
P03  97 think there was an abyss immediately ahead.
P03  98    |^*"Nigel,**" she had besought him, *"you know that evening you
P03  99 took Luke Parson's **[SIC**] surgery and there was a woman with a cyst
P03 100 on her ear ... ?**"
P03 101    |^*"{5Ye-es}?**" he lowered his eyes and kissed her on the mouth,
P03 102 an act of devotion he didn't over-indulge. ^*"What about it, my
P03 103 sweet?**"
P03 104    |^*"Well,**" she laughed suddenly in an upsurging of relief, *"that
P03 105 stupid Gubbins boy thought he saw you at the Load of Trouble. ^With a
P03 106 blonde, too. ^Imagine!**"
P03 107    |^Nigel was frowning. ^He looked distinguished when he frowned;
P03 108 boyishly handsome at other times.
P03 109    |^*"Gubbins? ^Gubbins?**" he fretted. ^*"Who's he?**"
P03 110    |^Though Diana knew the name of every member of the staff,
P03 111 distinguished or not, Nigel often had to think hard to sort them out.
P03 112    |^*"He's the carrotty **[SIC**] lad, isn't he?**" he now demanded.
P03 113    |^*"What was he doing at the Load of Trouble?**"
P03 114    |^*"Oh, he wasn't. ^His motor-bike had broken down outside and he
P03 115 noticed your car and then you dancing with this blonde.**"
P03 116    |^*"Really?**" Nigel cocked one eyebrow. ^*"Actually she was
P03 117 brunette at the roots and I had a redhead on the other arm. ^He would
P03 118 have told you this, too?**"
P03 119    |^*"No,**" she laughed. ^*"He didn't actually *1see *0you. ^Because
P03 120 it was your car I suppose he presumed it was you, all dressed up in
P03 121 your dinner suit.**"
P03 122    |^*"My white or my black?**" Nigel enquired. ^*"Now I wonder which
P03 123 I wore at that particular surgery?**"
P03 124    |^*"You *1are *0a fool, darling,**" Di said happily. ^*"I shall
P03 125 take great pleasure in telling that young man exactly what you *1were
P03 126 *0doing that evening.**"
P03 127    |^*"No, don't,**" he said, after kissing her again. ^*"I rather
P03 128 like to have the housemen think of me as a two-timing Don Juan. ^I'm
P03 129 such a dull fellow, really.**"
P03 130    |^*"Dull?**" ^She couldn't believe it. ^Self-deprecation was not
P03 131 one of Nigel's usual attributes. ^*"You *1need *0your holiday,
P03 132 darling. ^I only wish I could go with you!**"
P03 133    |^*"Doctor Wills, if you're making improper suggestions ...?**"
P03 134    |^*"It would make me more interesting, I suppose?**" she enquired
P03 135 archly.
P03 136    |^*"No, it wouldn't!**" he almost snapped, surprising her.
P03 137    |^*"You sounded like somebody else for a moment there. ^It doesn't
P03 138 become you to behave like a*- a tart, Di.**"
P03 139    |^*"Nigel*- !**" she gasped. ^*"I didn't mean to behave like
P03 140 anything of the kind. ^I was only joking.**"
P03 141    |^*"Well, don't. ^It's miserable enough my having to take my leave
P03 142 in the autumn without you trying to be bright and gay about it. ^I'm
P03 143 going with a shooting party. ^What else can I do at this time of year?
P03 144 ^I can't ask you up because it's a strictly stag affair.**"
P03 145    |^*"I know. ^I didn't expect ...**"
P03 146    |^*"Well, don't keep hinting, then. ^You wish you could come with
P03 147 me; you hope I'll miss you; you can't imagine the hospital without me
P03 148 for three weeks, etcetera, etcetera!**"
P03 149    |^Diana's face was drained of colour. ^She was almost angry for a
P03 150 moment.
P03 151    |^*"Am I expected not to mind your going away for three weeks?**"
P03 152 she asked simply.
P03 153    |^He looked at her, noting, as for the first time, the pansy blue
P03 154 of the eyes that were his fiance*?2e's best feature. ^Her hair was of
P03 155 a chestnut brown shade, which glinted with gold in the evenings, he
P03 156 had noticed. ^Her figure was small and exquisite, like a schoolgirl's
P03 157 still, and he admired her legs, which the male sex were inclined to
P03 158 regard first.
P03 159    |^*"*1I *0would mind if you didn't**" he told her grimly, and
P03 160 tugged her fiercely into his arms. ^*"You're right, pet. ^I *1do
P03 161 *0need this leave. ^I'm bad-tempered and broody and going out with
P03 162 brash blondes. ^I don't deserve you.**"
P03 163    |^*"Darling!**" her voiced caressed him. ^*"Moments like this make
P03 164 all the waiting worth while. ^When we're married we won't have these
P03 165 explosions of emotion, will we?**"
P03 166    |^*"No,**" he eyed her strangely. ^*"I wish we were married, Di.
P03 167 ^Like a patient wishes his operation was over.**"
P03 168    |^Again her laughter trilled.
P03 169    |^*"Marriage isn't as bad as an operation, Nigel!**"
P03 170    |^*"Isn't it?**" he rose and smoothed himself down. ^*"Ask any
P03 171 bridegroom-to-be. ^Anyhow, *1that *0particular problem isn't looming
P03 172 at the moment, thank God!**"
P03 173    |^Problem ... ? looming ... ?
P03 174    |^*"Are we discussing a marriage or a burial?**" she asked, hardly
P03 175 believing he could be serious. ^*"Surely marrying me isn't going to be
P03 176 all that bad? ^If it is*-**" she laughed uncertainly*- *"you can have
P03 177 your ring back.**"
P03 178    |^She loosened the half-hoop of diamonds on her left hand third
P03 179 finger and held it out to him, still playfully. ^Without a glimmer of
P03 180 amusement in his own eyes, however, he took it, looking moodily beyond
P03 181 her.
P03 182    |^*"Perhaps it's as well if you don't wear it for a bit, Di,**" he
P03 183 told her.
P03 184    |^*"But I want it!**" she protested. ^*"It's my ring.**"
P03 185    |^*"You just gave it back to me.**"
P03 186    |^*"I didn't! ^I was joking. ^You know I was joking, Nigel.**"
P03 187    |^*"You shouldn't joke about serious things like engagements.**"
P03 188    |^*"Don't be such a baby!**"
P03 189    |^They were going to have an open quarrel any minute, and she knew
P03 190 it. ^Almost in desperation she appealed, ^*"Will you meet me at the
P03 191 gate, four o'clock tomorrow?**"
P03 192    |^*"Why?**" he enquired, combing his thick, tawny hair.
P03 193    |^*"To bring me up for tea, of course. ^I just thought.**"
P03 194    |^*"I'll see,**" he told her, and suddenly seized her in an embrace
P03 195 which really hurt. ^*"Without your ring it's just like kissing
P03 196 somebody else's girl,**" he decided wickedly, and kissed her again,
P03 197 somewhat startled to receive a sharp slap for his pains.
P03 198    |^*"If I were somebody else's girl that's what you'd get,**" she
P03 199 flashed at him, and so had left him, on her dignity and not seeing the
P03 200 look of admiration and revelation which had followed her slim young
P03 201 figure out of his sight.
P03 202    |^*"Mine,**" Nigel Lester had decided with a sigh of satisfaction,
P03 203 and then regarded the ring which he retrieved from his pocket. ^*"At a
P03 204 price,**" he concluded, with some bitterness.
P03 205    |
P03 206    |^Thus had they parted the previous evening and now Diana was
P03 207 trailing up the gravelled drive to the hospital alone. ^Of course one
P03 208 couldn't say for certain when a doctor would be free during the day;
P03 209 tea was served from four until five-thirty in the residents'
P03 210 common-room, which proved the elasticity of medical commitments.
P03 211 ^Something had cropped up which required Nigel's attention, she was
P03 212 convinced, or he would have granted her small request to be met at the
P03 213 gates. ^They often had such a rendezvous, for there was just time to
P03 214 smoke a cigarette, if one walked slowly, between road and hospital.
P03 215 *# 2006
P04   1 **[466 TEXT P04**]
P04   2    |^*0Carol waited until after the child had gone, then she sprang
P04   3 out of bed and started quickly to dress. ^She would waken Jacques and
P04   4 get him to drive her into Nice to Jimmy's hotel and together they
P04   5 would go to the police with the diamond and emerald clip.
P04   6    |^She didn't want to bring Ray into this. ^He had sentimental
P04   7 loyalties towards Grant. ^He might still give him the chance to
P04   8 escape, and if Grant did escape all hope of proving Ray's innocence
P04   9 would be gone. ^But she knew she had to act*- and to act quickly. ^She
P04  10 had already aroused Grant's suspicions by her questions.
P04  11    |^She went quietly down the staircase. ^There was only a short
P04  12 distance through the foyer before she reached the front door. ^But
P04  13 when she tried to close it after her a foot was forced in the open
P04  14 doorway. ^Her shoulder was seized, and before she could scream a pad
P04  15 was thrust into her mouth. ^She felt something shoved into her ribs,
P04  16 and turning slightly sideways she saw it was the nozzle of a revolver.
P04  17    |^*"Keep going,**" Grant said in a low harsh voice. ^*"One false
P04  18 movement and you're as good as dead. ^Don't kid yourself I'll be timid
P04  19 about using this revolver; it's my life or yours.**"
P04  20    |^She couldn't scream because of the gag in her mouth and he held
P04  21 both her hands tightly behind her back. ^He made her walk round to the
P04  22 garage and once there he bound both her arms and her legs tightly.
P04  23 ^Then he bundled her into the back of his car, laying her on the
P04  24 floor.
P04  25    |^It had all happened so quickly she felt completely numb. ^And
P04  26 anyhow she had had no chance; he had taken her completely unawares.
P04  27 ^She hadn't even time to think where he might be taking her or what he
P04  28 intended to do with her. ^He threw a rug over her and shortly
P04  29 afterwards she heard him start up the car.
P04  30    |^Jacques slept above the garage, but he was used to Grant taking
P04  31 his car out at night. ^Ray and Sarah were also accustomed to it. ^Even
P04  32 if they were still awake they would suspect nothing. ^It was no
P04  33 consolation to know that Jimmy and she had been right, that Grant
P04  34 obviously had not only been the notorious jewel thief but had also
P04  35 murdered Greta. ^It seemed reasonable to suppose he had murdered her
P04  36 because she had come upon him in the act of stealing her jewellery.
P04  37 ^For once his timing had been wrong. ^He wouldn't have made the
P04  38 attempt if he hadn't thought she would be out and he had undoubtedly
P04  39 known that the few servants, who slept in another wing, were asleep
P04  40 and would hear nothing. ^Probably he had had inside knowledge from one
P04  41 of them. ^It had obviously been the same with the other robberies he
P04  42 had pulled off.
P04  43    |^But the knowledge that she and Jimmy had been right didn't help
P04  44 her now. ^She didn't think that Grant would show her any more mercy
P04  45 than he had shown Greta. ^She blinked up at the stars and occasionally
P04  46 she saw lights and heard traffic as though they were passing through
P04  47 villages or towns.
P04  48    |^But presently they began to climb up a twisting road. ^They
P04  49 climbed higher and higher. ^The thought flashed through her mind, this
P04  50 is the Grande Corniche, the scenic highway road which links Nice and
P04  51 Monte Carlo. ^Very few people drove the Grande Corniche at night; they
P04  52 either drove round the Moyenne Corniche or the road that skirted the
P04  53 Mediterranean.
P04  54    |^Her heart sank. ^What hope would she have of rescue in this
P04  55 desolate region? ^Jimmy had warned her that questioning Grant might be
P04  56 dangerous. ^But what had finally prompted him to abduct her in this
P04  57 way with the obvious purpose of killing her? ^Did he know that she had
P04  58 Greta's clip? ^He might easily have been listening outside the door.
P04  59 ^But if he had been, Sarah was equally in danger; it was she who had
P04  60 found the clip in his car.
P04  61    |^She felt icy cold and completely desperate. ^He would have no
P04  62 hesitation about getting rid of the child as well as her in case she
P04  63 babbled something about the clip. ^Or would he be afraid to kill
P04  64 Sarah? ^He had done his best to put the blame for Greta's death on
P04  65 Ray; but surely the police would never suspect that Ray had murdered
P04  66 his own daughter? ^The thought gave her hope, though her own
P04  67 predicament was still as desperate.
P04  68    |^Grant was driving the car carefully. ^Obviously he didn't wish to
P04  69 be stopped for speeding. ^But finally after a terrific climb he drew
P04  70 the car to a standstill.
P04  71    |^Carol had managed to twist the rug off her head. ^She saw that it
P04  72 was a beautiful Mediterranean night with a full moon, a blue-black
P04  73 sky, and the stars were shining brightly. ^What a night on which to
P04  74 die, she thought, trying to feel amused. ^But it was impossible to
P04  75 feel amused for the cord with which he had bound her cut into her
P04  76 wrists and ankles; the gag hurt her mouth. ^How would he kill her? ^A
P04  77 shot would be the most merciful end and she knew he had a revolver
P04  78 with him.
P04  79    |^He came round and opened the back door of the car. ^*"Had a nice
P04  80 ride?**" he asked in a hoarse, cynical voice.
P04  81    |^He removed the gag and untied her legs. ^The sudden sensation of
P04  82 freedom from her cramped position was almost exhilarating.
P04  83    |^*"Few people pass here at night,**" he said, *"and I still have
P04  84 my gun. ^So you won't dare scream. ^I heard you and Sarah talking so I
P04  85 crept to your door and listened. ^I've been worried about that damned
P04  86 clip ever since I lost it. ^You're not a fool. ^I know you've put two
P04  87 and two together ever since the child told you about the clip. ^But
P04  88 you suspected me before that, didn't you? ^I knew by those questions
P04  89 you asked me the other night.**"
P04  90    |^She raised herself to a sitting position. ^*"Yes, I suspected
P04  91 you, but Jimmy Mattson also suspects you. ^He contacted the firm of
P04  92 Brevet & Rene*?2 in Marseilles. ^You haven't been trying to buy the
P04  93 lease of any luxury hotel. ^We also know there's no Hotel Imperial in
P04  94 Marseilles where you could have stayed that night. ^If you kill me, as
P04  95 far as Jimmy is concerned it will be a definite proof of your
P04  96 guilt.**"
P04  97    |^He asked almost wildly, ^*"But how can I let you live, knowing
P04  98 that you know the truth? ^You might propose a bargain*- your life for
P04  99 your silence. ^But how could I ever trust you?**"
P04 100    |^*"What are you going to do about Sarah?**" she asked. ^And
P04 101 despite her own danger that was the thought uppermost in her mind.
P04 102    |^*"An accident,**" he said. ^*"Probably while she is swimming with
P04 103 the dog.**"
P04 104    |^Carol shuddered, remembering the dream Sarah had had. ^All the
P04 105 same her voice was very calm as she asked, ^*"What are you going to do
P04 106 with me?**"
P04 107    |^*"You're going over the edge,**" he said. ^*"This is the highest
P04 108 point on the Grande Corniche. ^It's doubtful if they'll find your body
P04 109 for many days*- even weeks. ^And in the meanwhile I'll be clear of the
P04 110 country. ^Your friend Jimmy Mattson may have his suspicions, but he
P04 111 won't have any proof. ^Ray won't have any proof either. ^Besides, Ray
P04 112 doesn't suspect me of having had any connection with the recent jewel
P04 113 robberies or with Greta's death. ^He doesn't know that I have been
P04 114 bribing the household staffs of his friends for information about
P04 115 their employers' habits and where they kept their jewellery, or that I
P04 116 was responsible for those friends who called upon the Baroness
P04 117 Beaufort the night her jewellery was stolen; their presence gave me
P04 118 the chance to do what I wanted to do.**"
P04 119    |^*"Why did you kill the Countess Doriana?**" Carol asked.
P04 120    |^*"She came home early from the party and found me at the job. ^I
P04 121 had to strangle her to silence her. ^I don't feel any sense of guilt.
P04 122 ^She had always been a no-good woman. ^I'm sorry about you, Carol;
P04 123 you're not a bad sort. ^It's a pity you took it upon yourself to
P04 124 interfere with my affairs.**"
P04 125    |^*"Why wouldn't I?**" she threw back at him. ^*"You left Ray's
P04 126 cigarette lighter beside his dead wife's body; you did your best to
P04 127 implicate him.**"
P04 128    |^*"I happened to have the lighter in my pocket. ^I borrowed it
P04 129 ages ago when my own lighter ran out of fuel. ^I had to protect
P04 130 myself, and Ray was the obvious suspect. ^I'm going to give you a
P04 131 drink and then I'll take that clip from your handbag. ^There'll be
P04 132 something pretty potent in that drink; you won't feel any shock or
P04 133 pain. ^You'll be unconscious by the time you go over.**"
P04 134    |^He took a flask from his pocket and got a glass out of the glove
P04 135 compartment of the car.
P04 136    |^She set her lips firmly. ^*"I won't drink it.**"
P04 137    |^He shrugged. ^*"Please yourself. ^But you're a fool if you don't.
P04 138 ^The sensation of falling from a great height can't be over
P04 139 pleasant.**"
P04 140    |^*"I'd rather risk it,**" she said. ^*"You'll have to shoot me
P04 141 before I'll jump. ^And when my body is found the bullet will be traced
P04 142 back to your gun.**"
P04 143    |^He gave a low laugh. ^*"It happens to be Ray's gun. ^I took it
P04 144 from his bedside table while he was sleeping. ^The police will
P04 145 undoubtedly think that you stumbled upon some fresh evidence which
P04 146 made it certain that Ray had murdered his ex-wife. ^The only thing he
P04 147 could do was to get rid of you. ^I'll unbind your arms and then you
P04 148 drink this down. ^That's the last thing you will remember.**"
P04 149    |^He unbound her arms and then he tried to force the glass between
P04 150 her lips.
P04 151    |^*"No,**" she shrieked and pushed the glass away from her.
P04 152    |^He hit her hard across the face, but in her present state of
P04 153 nervous tension she scarcely felt it.
P04 154    |^*"If you won't drink it, I don't care,**" he said presently.
P04 155 ^*"You're going over the edge anyhow.**"
P04 156    |^She screamed again as he dragged her from the back of the car.
P04 157 ^Her legs collapsed under her. ^She fell sprawling at his feet. ^And
P04 158 then suddenly it happened. ^A shot rang out. ^He lurched and gave a
P04 159 cry and dropped beside her.
P04 160    |^It could not have been more than a few minutes later that she
P04 161 felt a man's arms about her; arms which were familiar and very dear to
P04 162 her. ^She opened her eyes and in the white moonlight she saw Ray's
P04 163 face bending over her.
P04 164    |^*"Darling, darling Carol,**" he cried. ^*"Are you all right?**"
P04 165    |^*"Ray,**" she whispered.
P04 166    |^She must have passed out for the next thing she knew he was
P04 167 shaking her.
P04 168    |^*"My darling! ^My darling! ^Say something to me.**"
P04 169    |^*"I'm all right, Ray,**" she murmured. ^*"How did you find where
P04 170 he had taken me?**"
P04 171    |^*"Sarah hadn't gone to sleep. ^She saw him grasp hold of you and
P04 172 gag you and take you out of the house. ^She rushed in and told me. ^I
P04 173 jumped out of bed and was dressed in a jiffy. ^While I dressed she
P04 174 told me about finding her mother's clip in Grant's car. ^I wasn't so
P04 175 long after you. ^During a hold-up in the Nice traffic I was able to
P04 176 pick up his car. ^But when he started up the Grande Corniche I lost
P04 177 him temporarily. ^I was too intent on catching up with him to be aware
P04 178 that another car was following me. ^I had him in sight until he
P04 179 disappeared down the side road. ^I turned off the engine of the car
P04 180 and listened, and then the other car drew alongside me. ^It was a
P04 181 police car. ^They had been detailed to watch the villa and follow me
P04 182 if I tried to escape. ^Thank heavens they did follow me and that you
P04 183 screamed. ^I had no gun and Grant was armed. ^I shouldn't have had a
P04 184 chance if they hadn't seen what was happening and shot him down.
P04 185 **[MIDDLE OF QUOTE**]
P04 186 *# 2010
P05   1 **[467 TEXT P05**]
P05   2 **[MIDDLE OF QUOTE**]
P05   3 ^*0But I should be back in an hour or so.**"
P05   4    |^*"Oh, at the hospital, I suppose!**" ^Lorraine did not wait for
P05   5 her mother to confirm or deny this, but turned back to Noreen.
P05   6    |^With a smile and a sigh*- for it was obvious that the twins were
P05   7 too taken up with their own affairs to enquire or sympathize*- she
P05   8 went out.
P05   9    |^*"\0Mr. Delorme was thrilled!**" Joanna went on breathlessly.
P05  10 ^*"He's suggested we should go to town as soon as it can be arranged,
P05  11 and, when we're settled, he's going to put us on at the Lys \d'Or,
P05  12 which is a very exclusive night club.**"
P05  13    |^Noreen looked doubtful. ^*"But is that what you wanted? ^I
P05  14 thought you hoped to get on the stage or television? ^A night club
P05  15 sounds rather a come-down. ^I don't want to sound discouraging, but
P05  16 aren't some of them pretty low dives?**"
P05  17    |^Lorraine, who had been lounging on the cushioned window-seat,
P05  18 straightened up and leant forward eagerly.
P05  19    |^*"Don't be so nai"ve and stupid, Norrie! ^There are night clubs
P05  20 *1and *0night clubs, as you'd know, if you weren't such an ignoramus!
P05  21 ^This is one of the top places, frightfully swell. ^We'll get a
P05  22 wonderful salary if we deliver the goods, and get to know a lot of
P05  23 useful people.**"
P05  24    |^*"Oliver knows \0Mr. Delorme quite well,**" Joanna put in, not
P05  25 noticing how Noreen's eyebrows went up at her unthinking use of his
P05  26 first name. ^*"And if *1he *0backs anybody, that's surely good
P05  27 enough!**"
P05  28    |^There was such warmth of partisanship in her tone that Noreen was
P05  29 astonished. ^She said impulsively: ^*"But you hardly know him, Jo!
P05  30 ^\0Mr. Randall, I mean. ^How can you be so sure that he's on the
P05  31 level?**"
P05  32    |^Joanna stubbed out her cigarette with unnecessary fierceness.
P05  33 ^Her lovely eyes were defiant above cheeks whose colour had deepened
P05  34 at Noreen's remark.
P05  35    |^*"There are some people you don't have to know for years before
P05  36 you can trust them. ^And Oliver Randall's one of them. ^He's
P05  37 absolutely wonderful! ^He's promised to find us a flat*-**"
P05  38    |^Over Joanna's coppery head, Lorraine's eyes met Noreen's
P05  39 enquiring gaze. ^She laughed mischievously, and without envy.
P05  40    |^*"As you may have gathered, Norrie, Jo's fallen for the man,
P05  41 hook, line and sinker! ^And I'd say he'd be equally enthusiastic, if
P05  42 it wasn't for his wife's restraining influence. ^I've warned Jo
P05  43 already that she must walk warily when that lady's around.**"
P05  44    |^Joanna sprang suddenly to her feet. ^*"Don't talk rubbish,
P05  45 Lorraine! ^I *1do *0like Oliver, and he's been perfectly sweet to us
P05  46 both*- you must admit that! ^Not only to me, as you seem to imply.
P05  47 ^There's no need to put ridiculous ideas into Norrie's head. ^By the
P05  48 way!**" ^She turned to Noreen. ^*"I suppose you realize that we want
P05  49 you to come with us when we go back to town? ^We explained to \0Mr.
P05  50 Delorme that we must have you as our accompanist.**"
P05  51    |^*"Me?**" ^Noreen was taken aback. ^Somehow, she had quite
P05  52 overlooked this possibility, and though, at one time, she had been
P05  53 hurt by her sisters' apparent disregard of her, she was now aware that
P05  54 the prospect of leaving Dorlcombe was oddly unwelcome. ^*"Mummy won't
P05  55 like it if we all go off and leave her.**"
P05  56    |^Joanna shrugged impatiently. ^*"If you prefer to stick here in
P05  57 this dreary place*- and you know just how dull and forsaken it is
P05  58 after the season's over*- that's your look-out. ^But I must say I
P05  59 think it's rather mean of you, especially after we insisted to \0Mr.
P05  60 Delorme that we must have you, as well. ^Let me talk to Mummy! ^I
P05  61 don't suppose she'll raise any objection.**"
P05  62    |^Noreen said no more. ^She felt that the twins would not
P05  63 understand if she attempted to make them see her point of view. ^Their
P05  64 trip to town, she thought, seemed to have changed them in some
P05  65 inexplicable way. ^She knew that they had always been ambitious, eager
P05  66 to try their wings in a wider sphere, but, now the chance had come,
P05  67 they seemed to be thinking of nothing and no one save themselves. ^Yet
P05  68 their mother, as Noreen knew, had done everything in her power to make
P05  69 them happy. ^Surely she would feel very lost and lonely if all her
P05  70 children deserted her?
P05  71    |^When \0Mrs. Sangster returned, they could hear her talking to
P05  72 someone as she came up the stairs. ^Joanna and Lorraine looked at each
P05  73 other in bewilderment, but Noreen, recognizing Stephen's quiet,
P05  74 pleasant voice, went out to meet them. ^She guessed, even before she
P05  75 saw the eager look on his face, that he had come with the express
P05  76 purpose of seeing Joanna, and her heart sank at the thought of his
P05  77 probable reception.
P05  78    |^*"\0Mr. Redfern very kindly brought me home in his car,**" \0Mrs.
P05  79 Sangster explained as they came into the room. ^Lorraine greeted him
P05  80 pleasantly enough, but Joanna's greeting was barely polite. ^After a
P05  81 few moments of general conversation, \0Mrs. Sangster said: ^*"Well,
P05  82 I'm going to see about some supper. ^You'll stay and have some with
P05  83 us, won't you, \0Mr. Redfern? ^Lorraine dear, do come down with me and
P05  84 tell me all your news. ^I'm longing to hear how you got on in town.
P05  85 ^And, Noreen, did you remember to feed the chickens?**"
P05  86    |^The two girls followed their mother downstairs, Noreen carefully
P05  87 shutting the door behind them, and deliberately ignoring Joanna's
P05  88 murmur of protest.
P05  89    |^After they had gone, there was an awkward little silence, then
P05  90 Stephen said gently: ^*"I hope everything went as well as you
P05  91 expected, Jo?**"
P05  92    |^*"Oh yes! ^Better, really. ^We shall be going to London at the
P05  93 end of this month.**" ^She jumped up and began straightening some
P05  94 magazines on the table. ^*"We've been offered a very good engagement,
P05  95 you see.**"
P05  96    |^He rose and came over, standing just behind her. ^A tiny shiver
P05  97 went down Joanna's spine, but he did not touch her.
P05  98    |^*"Well, that's grand! ^Just what you hoped for, isn't it? ^As a
P05  99 matter of fact, I've got some news for you, too. ^Though I'm afraid it
P05 100 won't seem very exciting to you*- now.**"
P05 101    |^She swung round to face him, arms folded, clear eyes wide. ^She
P05 102 had changed from the suit she had worn for the journey, and was now
P05 103 wearing her favourite attire*- a thin, woollen jersey and slacks. ^His
P05 104 hands clenched involuntarily as he looked at her*- so lovely with that
P05 105 glow of colour in her cheeks, her hair a bright halo about her
P05 106 upthrown head.
P05 107    |^*"Why not, Steve? ^Always glad to hear of a friend's good
P05 108 fortune!**" ^Her tone was deliberately casual and gay, and nothing in
P05 109 her manner betrayed the way in which her heart was racing.
P05 110    |^*"Have you gone and got yourself engaged or something?**"
P05 111    |^He faced her steadily, no answering gaiety in his eyes.
P05 112    |^*"You can't really think that, Jo. ^When you know there's only
P05 113 one girl I'd ever want to be engaged to. ^No, I've come into some
P05 114 money*- not a vast fortune, by any means, but enough to make me feel,
P05 115 at least, that I have something to offer you.**"
P05 116    |^*"But I*-**" Joanna began. ^She stepped quickly aside, and would
P05 117 have moved away from him, but he laid a restraining hand on her arm.
P05 118 ^Gentle though it was, there was the suggestion of power behind that
P05 119 touch, and involuntarily she stood still.
P05 120    |^*"I've never told you in so many words,**" he went on, his voice
P05 121 as quiet and controlled as ever, *"but you must have guessed that I
P05 122 care for you*- very deeply. ^I've loved you ever since you were a
P05 123 schoolgirl, Jo, but I didn't think I stood a chance compared with all
P05 124 your other admirers. ^You wanted gaiety and fun; I was hard up and had
P05 125 to put my studies first. ^My parents sacrificed a lot to pay for my
P05 126 training, and it wouldn't have been right to let them down. ^But now
P05 127 I'm really established, and with this unexpected legacy coming
P05 128 along*-**"
P05 129    |^With an impatient movement, she pulled free from him and turned
P05 130 quickly away towards the window, speaking with her back to him.
P05 131    |^*"Don't go on, Steve! ^Oh, don't think I don't like you, and I
P05 132 suppose I should say thank you for*- for wanting to marry me. ^But
P05 133 it's quite impossible*- it always will be impossible! ^Don't you
P05 134 understand, the sort of life you're offering me*- just living in
P05 135 Quaystone and keeping house and all that*- it's so deadly dull! ^I
P05 136 want something different*- all the things that I've now got the chance
P05 137 of enjoying. ^Even if I loved you, I'm afraid I wouldn't say yes!**"
P05 138    |^There was silence. ^Wondering, expecting a protest, she half
P05 139 turned and looked at him. ^He was standing motionless, a queer
P05 140 suggestion of defeat, of hopelessness, about the powerful shoulders,
P05 141 the bent head where the fair hair was so smoothly brushed, save for
P05 142 the unruly drake's-tail on the crown. ^Joanna's eyes suddenly
P05 143 softened, and a reluctant feeling of compassion swept over her. ^But,
P05 144 before she could speak, he had recovered his normal self-control.
P05 145    |^*"If you loved me, as you say,*- well, it might not seem so
P05 146 *'deadly dull.**' ^But you don't, and that's that!**" ^He smiled, and
P05 147 held out his hand. ^*"Let's part good friends, Jo dear. ^If you're
P05 148 going to get your heart's desire, that's all that really matters to
P05 149 me. ^Will you apologize to your mother for me, and tell her I'm sorry
P05 150 I can't stay to supper, after all?**"
P05 151    |^As the outer door shut behind him, Noreen put her head round the
P05 152 kitchen door and said doubtfully:
P05 153    |^*"Did I hear somebody?**"
P05 154    |^*"Steve's gone. ^He couldn't stay, after all,**" Joanna said.
P05 155 ^She went quickly along the landing to her room and shut the door
P05 156 behind her. ^There she sat down on the edge of the bed, dabbing at her
P05 157 wet eyes, and telling herself not to be such a sentimental idiot.
P05 158    |^Silly to be shedding tears because you had turned down a man who
P05 159 didn't really matter a button to you. ^Oh, he's nice enough! Joanna
P05 160 admitted. ^But there's nothing thrilling about poor old Steve.
P05 161 ^Nothing to make one's nerves tingle and one's heart race*- as it had
P05 162 done only this morning. ^A dreamy smile spread over her face as her
P05 163 mind went back to those heavenly moments. ^Leaving Lorraine to finish
P05 164 their packing, she had gone out to buy some cigarettes, and, just
P05 165 outside the hotel, had almost run into Oliver.
P05 166    |^*"I wanted to come and see you off,**" he had told her, with that
P05 167 softening of his expression which always made her feel oddly
P05 168 breathless. ^*"But my wife reminded me that I have an appointment at
P05 169 just about the time your train leaves, so I decided to nip along in
P05 170 the hope of seeing you before you left the hotel. ^It's going to seem
P05 171 a long time until the end of this month, Jo my dear, but when you come
P05 172 back ...**" his hand had closed over hers warmly *"... we'll make up
P05 173 for all the empty days. ^Will they seem empty to you too, do you
P05 174 think?**"
P05 175    |^She had nodded, unable to find words that would tell him her
P05 176 feelings.
P05 177    |^*"Well, it must be {6*1Au revoir}, *0then.**" ^He had put his
P05 178 hands on her shoulders and smiled down into her eyes. ^*"Wish this
P05 179 wasn't such a damned public place, or I'd say good-bye to you
P05 180 properly*- you sweet thing!**" ^His voice fell to so soft a tone that
P05 181 she barely caught the last three words. ^And with that, before she
P05 182 could take a breath, he was gone, leaving her caught up to a pitch of
P05 183 excitement and ecstasy that was yet perilously near to tears.
P05 184    |^All the way home that parting speech had sung itself, over and
P05 185 over, in her mind. ^*1*"You sweet thing.**" ^*0Did that mean*- no, it
P05 186 couldn't mean that Oliver was in love with her? ^But she reminded
P05 187 herself, he doesn't say things like that to Lorraine! ^He *1must
P05 188 *0like me better! ^And then, following hard on that delicious
P05 189 knowledge would come the inevitable thought, But he's married! ^It
P05 190 can't mean anything*- except that he's taken a fancy to me.
P05 191 *# 2001
P06   1 **[468 TEXT P06**]
P06   2 **[MIDDLE OF QUOTE**]
P06   3 ^*0Why *1you *0took the case, when you never touch anything of the
P06   4 sort.**'
P06   5    |^For a second his grim, menacing anger frightened her as he half
P06   6 shouted: ^*'Are you trying to suggest that I was her *1lover?
P06   7 ^*0Responsible for*-**' ^He stopped. ^Conflict tortured him. ^Here was
P06   8 his supreme revenge: to tell her the truth; shatter her faith in
P06   9 Philip... Beryl was dead... ^He shivered. ^*1Taking with her the only
P06  10 proof he had to discount this accusation.
P06  11    |^*0Sandra prayed, despite her vituperation, that he would have
P06  12 some defence, give her some denial, but all he said was: ^*'If you
P06  13 believe me capable of that, we have nothing more to say to each
P06  14 other*- *1nothing.**'
P06  15    |^*0The hurt in him was like a wound*- stinging, aching. ^Was this
P06  16 Philip's work? ^And even if it were, it came back to one man's word
P06  17 against another and... she loved Philip. ^Until then the exactitudes
P06  18 of his profession had demanded his silence, and now he was absolved
P06  19 from that promise, he found himself bound by his own love for her, his
P06  20 desire for her happiness. ^Far better that she should believe *1him
P06  21 *0to be a cad than the man she was going to marry and obviously loved
P06  22 so deeply. ^He doubted that Philip would betray her after all that had
P06  23 happened. ^Fear would be a deterrent.
P06  24    |^Sandra flung her arms out in a gesture of despair. ^*'Do you
P06  25 leave me anything else *1to *0believe? ^Or is your silence the
P06  26 cowardly way out?**' ^She hated the words, but they leapt from the
P06  27 torment of loving him; from the tension, the weariness that made even
P06  28 breathing an effort.
P06  29    |^*'Is this what has been in your mind all the time?**' ^He spoke
P06  30 with greater passion. ^*'Was this why you wanted to leave the job just
P06  31 before Philip was taken ill?**' ^His mouth hardened, his eyes became
P06  32 steely. ^*'I see.**' ^Scorn lashed his words. ^*'I wonder you dared
P06  33 trust him to *1my *0care.**'
P06  34    |^*'Nicholas*-**'
P06  35    |^*'Well! ^At least I know the truth. ^*1Truth!**' ^*0His gaze held
P06  36 hers masterfully. ^*'You wanted it so badly*- at any price. ^I hope
P06  37 you are satisfied.**' ^And as he spoke, the thought of Philip lying in
P06  38 the other room filled him with a revulsion that was homicidal. ^Even
P06  39 in that, his hands were tied. ^He dare not precipitate what might well
P06  40 be another coronary. ^And in that second he put back his professional
P06  41 mantle, and said with such icy politeness, such withdrawn bitterness,
P06  42 that Sandra withered before it: ^*'I will leave you the necessary
P06  43 prescription for the sedatives. ^You will contact your new doctor when
P06  44 you reach your parents' house.**' ^She watched him flick his
P06  45 fountain-pen from his waistcoat pocket, take out his prescription pad,
P06  46 and scribble on it. ^Then, with a gesture she knew so well, he tore
P06  47 off the leaflet and handed it to her. ^*'Good-bye, Sandra,**' he said
P06  48 with a deadly finality. ^Watching him go, unable to speak, she felt
P06  49 that part of her was leaving with him. ^She couldn't hate him... ^If
P06  50 only he would have confided in her, given some explanation. ^Now there
P06  51 was nothing*- not even friendship.
P06  52    |^She went back to Philip. ^But all she could hear were Nicholas's
P06  53 words: ^*'I love you*- oh, you know that well enough.**' ^*1Love.
P06  54 ^*0She revolted against the word. ^Nicholas, Philip... where was
P06  55 happiness, or peace of mind?
P06  56    |^Philip put out a hand and grasped hers. ^He needed her. ^She
P06  57 would find solace in that fact at least. ^And she hadn't to doubt his
P06  58 sincerity any more... ^She *1had *0her truth. ^How much had built up
P06  59 from that first ideal, and how little joy, or satisfaction, it had
P06  60 given her. ^*'I'm sorry, darling.**' ^He looked nervous. ^It had been
P06  61 hell lying there, knowing she was talking to Nicholas and wondering
P06  62 what they were saying.
P06  63    |^Sandra said instinctively: ^*'I told him I knew he was
P06  64 responsible for Beryl's death.**' ^She rushed on: ^*'His attitude...
P06  65 ^I don't know*- something snapped. ^I couldn't stand it... ^Why do you
P06  66 look at me like that?**'
P06  67    |^*'I asked you not to mention it.**' ^Philip felt that he was
P06  68 running a high temperature as fear swirled back. ^What had Nicholas
P06  69 said?
P06  70    |^*'I would never have done so while Beryl was alive. ^He hadn't
P06  71 any answer*- except to suggest that if I believed him capable of
P06  72 *1that*-**' ^*0Her eyes darkened in torment. ^*'Are you *1sure *0that
P06  73 she was telling the truth?**'
P06  74    |^*'Good heavens, darling, why on earth should she lie? ^Besides,
P06  75 it wasn't just her word. ^There was enough evidence, no matter how one
P06  76 might want to disbelieve the facts.**' ^Elation touched him after the
P06  77 cold wind of suspense. ^*'It will be interesting to see what comes out
P06  78 at the inquest. ^What his story will be. ^I reckon he'll confine
P06  79 himself to the nervous origin of her recent illness. ^His notes will
P06  80 be truthful, but what he leaves out will matter most.**' ^Strange how
P06  81 just then Philip was so certain that Nicholas would never betray
P06  82 *1him. ^*0He loved Sandra too deeply to ruin her future happiness.
P06  83 ^Had ever circumstances conspired so cunningly? ^Philip's spirits
P06  84 soared. ^He was better; he had made a miraculous recovery and Sandra
P06  85 would soon be his wife. ^The Devil, he thought, certainly looked after
P06  86 his own. ^Something in Sandra's attitude struck him suddenly, making
P06  87 him say: ^*'You can't forgive him for this*- can you?**'
P06  88    |^*'Forgive is an unctuous, patronizing word,**' she replied. ^*'I
P06  89 despise the deceit. ^The lies.**'
P06  90    |^Philip couldn't keep the words back. ^*'Suppose you had loved him
P06  91 and all this came out. ^What then?**'
P06  92    |^*1Suppose you had loved him...
P06  93    |^*0Sandra realized with a bitter futility that now it was *1her
P06  94 *0silence that was the lie. ^And Nicholas's words re-echoed mockingly:
P06  95 ^*1*'No human being could live with absolute truth.**'
P06  96    |^*0*'I couldn't live without faith, Philip. ^Or with pretence.**'
P06  97 ^She shivered. ^She was going to pretend for the rest of her life.
P06  98 ^Pretend to be in love with Philip even though she knew she would try
P06  99 never to utter those words. ^How honourable was that? ^She looked at
P06 100 him, and his need of her, his dependence upon her, created a climate
P06 101 where self-delusion masqueraded as the right thing to do. ^How easy it
P06 102 would have been to cling to Nicholas, tell him that she could hardly
P06 103 bear life without him, no matter what he had done to make her despise
P06 104 him... ^But to walk out on Philip, break her promise and end their
P06 105 relationship, for no better reason than what appeared as innate
P06 106 self-preservation. ^That was impossible. ^He had been honest with her
P06 107 and didn't deserve to be let down. ^She said suddenly, irrelevantly:
P06 108 ^*'Beryl's life recently*- the whole thing*- was very strange when you
P06 109 think of it.**'
P06 110    |^*'How?**' ^Philip looked startled.
P06 111    |^*'Would she have married Nicholas in any case, since she loved
P06 112 you?**'
P06 113    |^Philip felt a stab of jealousy. ^*'Are you trying to make his
P06 114 case good?**'
P06 115    |^*'No; to be fair. ^He seemed so amazed when I suggested marriage
P06 116 to her. ^I've only thought of your illness lately*- never studied all
P06 117 this beyond the angle of Beryl's unhappiness and Nicholas being
P06 118 involved. ^I didn't tell you, but she called here two days ago.**'
P06 119    |^*'What?**' ^Philip felt that he had been swirled down a bumpy
P06 120 lift. ^*'But*- why?**' ^He hastened. ^*'Why should she call?**'
P06 121    |^*'Oh, just to thank me and to inquire about you. ^Looking back,
P06 122 her attitude was strange. ^She seemed afraid*-**'
P06 123    |^*'Of Nicholas,**' Philip said insinuatingly.
P06 124    |^Sandra couldn't deny that, and the more she dwelt on it all, the
P06 125 more curious it became. ^*'She spoke about wondering if she ought to
P06 126 tell me*-**' ^Sandra began to shiver.
P06 127    |^Philip managed to keep his voice steady. ^*'I can imagine
P06 128 Nicholas putting the fear of God into her. ^The last person he would
P06 129 want told was you.**'
P06 130    |^It added up, and Sandra nodded. ^*'But it is still like looking
P06 131 at a picture in shadow.**'
P06 132    |^*'I told you that*- soon after the cottage episode. ^What was she
P06 133 keeping back... ^We certainly shall not discover now. ^One thing I am
P06 134 convinced about. ^Her death links up with her miscarriage. ^She told
P06 135 me once he was determined she should not go through with the
P06 136 pregnancy.**'
P06 137    |^Sandra gave a pained cry.
P06 138    |^*'Darling, I hinted that, too, you remember. ^I didn't want to
P06 139 sound too dramatic, or*- well*-**'
P06 140    |^*'I know.**' ^She felt very sick as she sat there, desolate. ^It
P06 141 was all so ugly.
P06 142    |^Philip wanted to settle the problem*- leave no loopholes.
P06 143    |^*'She lost either way, really. ^He wouldn't marry her, and he
P06 144 dare not risk the threat of the child. ^Obviously it would have been a
P06 145 handicap to her, too, and in her saner moments she must have been
P06 146 thankful to get out of the mess... ^But she *1was *0neurotic. ^It's my
P06 147 guess that the cottage episode was the beginning of the end for
P06 148 her.**'
P06 149    |^Sandra pressed the point. ^*'Meaning that Nicholas deliberately
P06 150 got rid of the child?**'
P06 151    |^Philip was far too deep in the lies to retreat from that direct
P06 152 question.
P06 153    |^*'Yes. ^Her fear of him was pretty obvious. ^He had to take care
P06 154 of her professionally, but he certainly didn't want you to know the
P06 155 facts. ^*1She *0probably *1did. ^*0Beryl was a lonely person and had
P06 156 very few friends.**'
P06 157    |^Sandra nodded. ^*'Let's not talk of it again,**' she said dully.
P06 158 ^*'I can't bear it... ^Everything's ready.**' ^She looked around her.
P06 159 ^Part of her life was ending; a part she had loved. ^Leaving the flat
P06 160 and staying at Monk's Toft would be an ordeal, despite the rest from
P06 161 perpetual work.
P06 162    |^Philip relaxed again. ^Now there was only the inquest, and he had
P06 163 nothing whatsoever to fear from that. ^It was far too late for
P06 164 Nicholas to make any accusations.
P06 165 *<*2EIGHTEEN*>
P06 166    |^THE *0inquest offered no surprise. ^Nicholas's evidence conformed
P06 167 strictly to the law and ethics. ^Miss Graham had been in his care.
P06 168 ^She had been in a highly nervous state. ^A verdict of suicide while
P06 169 the balance of her mind was disturbed, was returned. ^Philip put down
P06 170 the evening newspaper, looked at Gordon Neal, and said: ^*'Very sad.
P06 171 ^Nicholas's testimony said everything and nothing. ^One never knows
P06 172 the truth of these cases.**'
P06 173    |^Sandra didn't speak. ^She felt that some part of her had
P06 174 petrified, leaving only a shell. ^She lived mechanically, and while
P06 175 physically rested, even as the days became a week and then two, she
P06 176 found it impossible to overcome the desolation building up around her.
P06 177 ^Philip was amazingly better and already busy on a new play. ^He
P06 178 worked in bed, using a portable typewriter, and was completely
P06 179 absorbed in his task. ^Sandra was *1there*- *0to attend to all his
P06 180 needs. ^His world was whole again and he, to himself, its hub. ^With
P06 181 illness had come an intense instinct for self-preservation, a
P06 182 concentration upon his desires. ^What was good for him; what was not.
P06 183 ^Not overdoing it. ^The doctor recommended by Nicholas called each
P06 184 week and then suggested that no further calls were necessary. ^Philip
P06 185 felt like the child no longer centre stage.
P06 186    |^It was Beatrice who said one evening after dinner, ^*'Hadn't we
P06 187 better make some plans for the wedding? ^Quiet, of course.**'
P06 188    |^Philip smiled smugly. ^*'They are made. ^I've a special licence
P06 189 and notification has been given to the vicar. ^The best of having a
P06 190 secretary,**' he added, talking of one he had acquired since leaving
P06 191 London. ^*'Brandon's good. ^It only needs Sandra to name the day.**'
P06 192    |^Gordon said curtly, ^*'It is usual for the bride's parents to
P06 193 have some hand in all this, you know, Philip.**'
P06 194    |^Philip bristled. ^*'It was never our intention to have one of
P06 195 those carnival affairs,**' he retorted and in that second, he became
P06 196 the man of success exerting authority.
P06 197    |^Sandra watched her father's face pale. ^Philip, she knew, got on
P06 198 his nerves, but everything had gone over her head. ^It didn't really
P06 199 matter what was being said because she was no longer a part of it.
P06 200 ^The thought of Nicholas haunted her, the sense of loss crucifying.
P06 201 ^Her father's comment roused her as he said, ^*'I was not talking of a
P06 202 carnival. ^But I presume we shall be allowed to have one or two of our
P06 203 friends at the ceremony.**'
P06 204 *# 2016
P07   1 **[469 TEXT P07**]
P07   2    |^*0*"Yes, we were,**" she stammered out and hated herself for a
P07   3 nervous stammer.
P07   4    |^*"Won't you two ladies both join me in a little drink then we can
P07   5 all go into the dance room together.**"
P07   6    |^Vera looked at Caroline. ^*"We shall be pleased to, \0Mr.
P07   7 Carson,**" said Caroline.
P07   8    |^David found them a small table pulled up three chairs waited
P07   9 until the two were seated, then he said:
P07  10    |^*"I think this calls for a celebration. ^It is not often I have
P07  11 the luck to be entertaining two such charming ladies. ^Excuse me a
P07  12 moment.**"
P07  13    |^As he strode off towards the bar, Vera said:
P07  14    |^*"Isn't he delightful?**"
P07  15    |^*"He seems nice. ^Perhaps he has taken a fancy to you, Vera.**"
P07  16    |^*"Not he. ^I told him on our first meeting that I was engaged to
P07  17 a very nice young man.**"
P07  18    |^At the bar David ordered a bottle of champagne and three glasses
P07  19 to be sent over to his table. ^He thought that perhaps a glass or two
P07  20 of champagne might get Miss Dodd into a friendly mood. ^He returned to
P07  21 the table, sat down and offered them both a cigarette from his gold
P07  22 case. ^They both took one, he flicked on his lighter and held it for
P07  23 them then lit his own. ^A waiter came along with the glasses and the
P07  24 champagne, he started to open the bottle.
P07  25    |^Vera said:
P07  26    |^*"Champagne! ^This is certainly a celebration.**"
P07  27    |^Later after they had finished the bottle of champagne and David
P07  28 had taken care to see Caroline had had her glass filled three times
P07  29 they adjourned to the dance room to dance. ^Vera immediately excused
P07  30 herself to go off and dance with a man she knew.
P07  31    |^David said:
P07  32    |^*"Shall we dance?**"
P07  33    |^*"I should love to.**"
P07  34    |^The band had just started to play a waltz. ^David was a very good
P07  35 dancer, rather to his surprise he found Caroline was also. ^Their
P07  36 steps fitted excellently together. ^A waltz is one of the dances which
P07  37 enables a man to get close to the woman. ^The moment he found she
P07  38 danced as well as he did he drew her closer to him, she gave
P07  39 willingly. ^When the dance came to a finish, he said:
P07  40    |^*"It is awfully hot in here. ^What about coming into the lounge
P07  41 and having a cool drink?**"
P07  42    |^Now while they had been dancing Caroline had not failed to notice
P07  43 the eyes of quite a number of women were eyeing her with envy. ^She
P07  44 thought it would be rather fun to walk off with this nice-looking man
P07  45 into the lounge and leave them all annoyed.
P07  46    |^*"I think a nice cool drink would be nice. ^As you say it is very
P07  47 hot in here.**"
P07  48    |^Taking her by the arm David led her from the room into the
P07  49 lounge. ^He beckoned over a waiter.
P07  50    |^*"What would you like to drink?**" he asked.
P07  51    |^*"A lemon squash with ice.**"
P07  52    |^David ordered it, and a whisky and soda for himself. ^After they
P07  53 had been served he said:
P07  54    |^*"I was taking a stroll the other morning and happened to pass by
P07  55 your house. ^From the glance I obtained of the ground through the
P07  56 gates you must have quite a wonderful garden.**"
P07  57    |^*"We have. ^I say we because it does not all belong to me, my
P07  58 sister and I share the place between us.**"
P07  59    |^Pretending he was unaware the sister was away he said:
P07  60    |^*"Doesn't your sister ever come here to dance?**"
P07  61    |^*"Often when she is at home. ^At the moment she is staying with
P07  62 friends in Eastbourne.**"
P07  63    |^*"So you are all alone for the time?**"
P07  64    |^*"Not quite alone. ^I have the servants and lots of friends. ^Are
P07  65 you staying long here?**"
P07  66    |^*"I wouldn't know. ^Depends on whether I get bored or not. ^When
P07  67 I get bored I move on.**'
P07  68    |^*"Not bored yet I hope?**"
P07  69    |^*"I should never be bored in such charming company as yours.**"
P07  70    |^In spite of herself Caroline felt herself flush.
P07  71    |^*"You must come and take a look round the grounds of the Manor
P07  72 House one day, that is if you would care to do so.**"
P07  73    |^*"Nothing would give me greater pleasure. ^Can we make a definite
P07  74 date?**"
P07  75    |^*"Come and have tea with me tomorrow afternoon at four o'clock.
P07  76 ^After tea I will show you round the house and grounds.**"
P07  77    |^*"I shall be delighted to. ^Most kind of you to ask me.**"
P07  78    |^Caroline was thinking, that will make some of the women in the
P07  79 other room jealous when they hear I have landed this man to tea with
P07  80 me.
P07  81    |^David was thinking, I believe if I play my cards rightly I shall
P07  82 land this woman in my arms in time. ^How wonderful it would be to
P07  83 marry a quarter of a million pounds. ^He felt she had been on the
P07  84 shelf for so long, if she really fell for him, once they were married,
P07  85 he would have no difficulty in getting her to settle a nice sum on
P07  86 him. ^Feeling it would not be wise to rush matters so soon he finished
P07  87 his drink and suggested they returned to the dance room. ^Caroline
P07  88 could do nothing but agree although she would have liked to stay and
P07  89 continue talking with him.
P07  90    |^Back in the dance room David found her a seat and went and asked
P07  91 Vera to dance.
P07  92    |^*"Well, how do you like my friend Carrie?**" asked Vera as they
P07  93 took the floor.
P07  94    |^*"I like her very much. ^She dances well and seems quite a
P07  95 charming young woman.**"
P07  96    |^*"Carrie is a darling really. ^Just unfortunate for her she does
P07  97 not possess the lovely looks of her sister. ^Every man in Gallows
P07  98 Corner is mad on Susie.**"
P07  99    |^*"That I suppose leaves Miss Caroline rather out in the cold?**"
P07 100    |^*"Yes. ^They are both terribly wealthy. ^I have never been able
P07 101 to understand why some man has not tried to snap up Carrie. ^She is
P07 102 the sort who would make a good wife for a man.**"
P07 103    |^*"You don't think the sister would, is that it?**"
P07 104    |^*"No, that is not it. ^It is Susie, although she has heaps of
P07 105 admirers she never seems to bother much about them. ^When at home she
P07 106 is always too busy with her horses, riding to the hounds and taking
P07 107 part in ladies' point-to-point races. ^Susie is a wonderful
P07 108 horsewoman.**"
P07 109    |^David had one more dance with Caroline later that evening then he
P07 110 excused himself with the excuse he was feeling tired and thought he
P07 111 would turn in. ^Saying he would be sure to be with her at four o'clock
P07 112 the next afternoon, he said good night and left her.
P07 113    |^David could see she was longing for him to stay and dance once
P07 114 again with her. ^He knew he was doing the right thing in not doing so.
P07 115 ^That would make her look forward all the more to the next day. ^He
P07 116 went to bed feeling most satisfied with the evening.
P07 117 *<*6CHAPTER FOUR*>
P07 118    |^*2EVERYONE *0in Gallows Corner spoke of it as a whirlwind
P07 119 engagement when it was announced two weeks later that Caroline Dodd
P07 120 had become engaged to David Carson.
P07 121    |^David had hurried his love-making up for the very good reason his
P07 122 capital was fast disappearing and he was wise enough to know it would
P07 123 never do to ask Caroline to lend him any money, after they were once
P07 124 married he would see to it she made a settlement on him.
P07 125    |^Caroline had never been made love to by such an experienced man
P07 126 as David Carson, he literally swept her off her feet. ^She felt sure
P07 127 she had at last found a man who would make her happy for life.
P07 128    |^The moment the engagement was announced congratulations from most
P07 129 of the women in Gallows Corner poured in to Caroline. ^The men had
P07 130 varied opinions, the single ones began to feel annoyed they had not
P07 131 tried to snap up such a wealthy woman in spite of her plain looks
P07 132 before this Carson appeared, the married men told their wives Caroline
P07 133 was a fool that they were sure Carson was merely wishing to marry her
P07 134 for her money. ^Most of the wives argued the point, they, like their
P07 135 single sisters, felt Caroline was lucky to have managed to get one of
P07 136 the best-looking men they had ever seen.
P07 137    |^David, who sensed the various opinions and felt some pressure
P07 138 might eventually be brought to bear on Caroline to think again,
P07 139 pleaded for an early marriage. ^She was not adverse to the suggestion,
P07 140 but he had to use a deal of pressure before she would agree to a quick
P07 141 marriage at a registry in Starminster. ^She wished for a marriage in a
P07 142 church with bridesmaids. ^It was only when David said he was a Roman
P07 143 Catholic, and unless he agreed to embrace her religion, it would not
P07 144 be possible for him to marry her in the Church of England, that she at
P07 145 last agreed to a registry marriage. ^Perhaps what finally decided her
P07 146 was a letter she received from her sister, Susie, telling her not to
P07 147 think of getting married until they had found out more about this
P07 148 David Carson, than she had been able to tell her in her letter. ^Susie
P07 149 said she would be returning to Gallows Corner the following week and
P07 150 would like to meet this man and decide what she thought of him.
P07 151 ^Knowing what a lovely girl her sister was, Caroline felt by doing so
P07 152 she could be running the risk that David, once he set his eyes on
P07 153 Susie, might change his mind about her so she told David to go into
P07 154 Starminster and arrange the wedding as quickly as possible.
P07 155    |^That fitted in well with David's plans. ^In Starminster he
P07 156 arranged for them to be married in three days' time. ^It was only on
P07 157 the morning before they were to get married that he arrived at the
P07 158 Manor House pretending to look a very harassed man.
P07 159    |^*"Darling,**" he burst out with, *"I fear we shall have to
P07 160 postpone our marriage for a few days.**"
P07 161    |^*"Why, David, why?**" cried Caroline, feeling alarmed he had
P07 162 changed his mind.
P07 163    |^*"Well, dearest one, it is like this, when I left my apartment in
P07 164 London for a short holiday I only drew from my bank enough cash to
P07 165 last me about three weeks. ^The trouble now is, I left my cheque book
P07 166 in my rooms and only recalled that I had done so about half an hour
P07 167 ago. ^I must go back to London to get some more money, we cannot start
P07 168 off on a honeymoon on the small amount I have left, and I've got to
P07 169 pay my hotel bill in the morning. ^That is why I said we must postpone
P07 170 our wedding until I get back.**"
P07 171    |^David Carson had no apartment in London, he had no cheque book.
P07 172 ^He had carefully thought out the lie he had just told hoping the
P07 173 reaction to it would be Caroline would refuse to have her wedding
P07 174 postponed and offer to lend him money enough to last until they
P07 175 returned from their honeymoon. ^If her reaction was not like that and
P07 176 she just said, very well, go to London and get back as quickly as
P07 177 possible, he would then just have to disappear from Gallows Corner for
P07 178 ever leaving his hotel bill unpaid. ^Luckily her reaction was what he
P07 179 had hoped it would be.
P07 180    |^*"David, I simply won't agree to any postponement of our wedding
P07 181 tomorrow. ^You are a silly to look so worried about the matter. ^I can
P07 182 lend you whatever money you require until we return then you can pay
P07 183 me back.**"
P07 184    |^*"That is sweet of you to say that, sweetheart, but I hardly like
P07 185 to borrow from you the large amount I shall require for our
P07 186 honeymoon.**"
P07 187    |^David was continuing to play it up well.
P07 188    |^*"Don't be absurd, darling, I can advance you any amount you ask
P07 189 for,**" said Caroline. ^*"Don't you know I am a very wealthy woman?**"
P07 190    |^David pretended astonishment at this announcement.
P07 191    |^*"Heavens! ^Carrie, I had no idea you were a wealthy woman.
P07 192 ^Naturally I thought you must have some money to be able to pay your
P07 193 share of the keep up of the Manor House.
P07 194 **[MIDDLE OF QUOTE**]
P07 195 *# 2013
P08   1 **[470 TEXT P08**]
P08   2 **[MIDDLE OF QUOTE**]
P08   3 ^*0I shall serve them with tomatoes and olives, which I hope you will
P08   4 enjoy.**"
P08   5    |^*"I'm sure I shall. ^Your cooking's wonderful.**"
P08   6    |^Julia lingered on in the room for another few minutes, then she
P08   7 ventured cautiously downstairs again. ^Adrian was now sitting with the
P08   8 Portuguese engineer and his silent wife, and another man, discussing
P08   9 seafaring matters in English. ^Julia attached herself to Lieutenant
P08  10 Robson, reminding him he had promised to play dominoes with her again.
P08  11 ^Their game lasted till nearly ten o'clock when Sen*?4ora Gonzalez
P08  12 commanded everybody inside for dinner. ^Adrian excused himself, said
P08  13 *"goodnight**" with a meaningful glance which Julia chose to ignore,
P08  14 and drove off in the jeep.
P08  15    |^Julia felt depressed and a trifle sad as Luis conveyed her to Don
P08  16 Felipe's house on Saturday morning. ^Just before she left the Tafira,
P08  17 a message had been delivered from the shipping company, instructing
P08  18 her to be at their offices on the quay at seven o'clock on Monday
P08  19 morning ready to embark in the *1Juno *0for Southampton, sailing
P08  20 punctually at ten. ^As she looked out at the white sunlit streets, and
P08  21 the palms and the flowers, with glimpses of the blue sea and the
P08  22 golden beaches between the buildings, Julia knew she did not want to
P08  23 leave all this so soon. ^Yet in another forty-eight hours her holiday
P08  24 would be over, and she would be on her way back to the grey English
P08  25 winter and all the worries of finding a new job and a roof over her
P08  26 head. ^She sighed, thinking how unkind fate could be at times.
P08  27    |^The morning began just the same as the others. ^The old
P08  28 flower-woman sat in her usual place, and as Julia mounted the steps to
P08  29 the house, Alvaro opened the door and made his bow to her. ^Pepita was
P08  30 wheeling a little wicker cart round the pool today, the white cat
P08  31 sitting inside on a cushion. ^She rushed to meet her friend eagerly.
P08  32 ^*"Yoo-li-ah! ^Yoo-li-ah!**"
P08  33    |^When she had swept her curtsey, and held out the lace-trimmed
P08  34 flounce of her frock for admiration, Pepita led Julia off to help her
P08  35 push the cart. ^Soon they were chattering away gaily. ^*"{*1El
P08  36 helado},*0**" gurgled Pepita as the maid brought out two glass
P08  37 dishes. ^*"Ice-cream,**" Julia insisted. ^They both thought it quite
P08  38 funny when they discovered chocolate was the same in both languages.
P08  39 ^Suddenly Julia realised she was going to miss this little Spanish
P08  40 child, so full of affection and the simple joy of life. ^It was
P08  41 impossible to feel dull when Pepita was there.
P08  42    |^Julia said as much to Don Felipe when he came home.
P08  43    |^*"I haven't the heart to say goodbye,**" she remarked as they
P08  44 watched the maid pick up the little girl ready to carry her off to the
P08  45 nursery. ^*"I've enjoyed Pepita so much.**"
P08  46    |^*"Ah, yes. ^You propose to sail home in the *1Juno, *0do you
P08  47 not?**"
P08  48    |^*"That's right, alas. ^And you won't want me here tomorrow, as
P08  49 it's Sunday, of course.**"
P08  50    |^*"I must tell Pepita then,**" he said firmly. ^*"You cannot be
P08  51 allowed to part without exchanging your farewells. ^It would not be
P08  52 courteous.**"
P08  53    |^He spoke rapidly in Spanish and the result was extraordinary.
P08  54 ^Hastily the maid set the child down again and retreated into the
P08  55 background. ^Pepita stood there staring at Julia with all the
P08  56 happiness draining out of her pretty little face. ^Her black eyes
P08  57 filled with anguish, the tears brimming over and coursing down her
P08  58 cheeks. ^Without speaking a word, she flung herself upon Julia,
P08  59 seizing the girl round the knees. ^When Julia bent to try and comfort
P08  60 her, Pepita uttered a heartrending wail and then broke into a torrent
P08  61 of excited Spanish punctuated by screams and sobs.
P08  62    |^*"Pepita does not wish you to leave her,**" Don Felipe said
P08  63 quietly. ^*"She is desolate, as indeed I am myself.**"
P08  64    |^*"This is awful,**" Julia exclaimed in consternation. ^*"Do
P08  65 please tell her to stop crying, Don Felipe. ^I can't bear it. ^If you
P08  66 could explain it isn't that I really want to go home. I just have
P08  67 to.**"
P08  68    |^Her father spoke to the child, but she went on weeping.
P08  69    |^*"Yoo-li-ah! ^Yoo-li-ah!**" she moaned beseechingly, still
P08  70 clinging to the girl's knees and refusing to be lifted up.
P08  71    |^*"Oh, dear!**" Julia exclaimed. ^*"Whatever can I do?**"
P08  72    |^*"You could remain in Las Palmas,**" Don Felipe pointed out.
P08  73 ^*"That would make my Pepita so happy again. ^It is rarely she finds a
P08  74 companion who is as congenial to her as you obviously are.**"
P08  75    |^*"But how *1can *0I stay?**" Julia began. ^*"I only wish I
P08  76 could.**"
P08  77    |^*"I should be only too delighted to engage you as governess for
P08  78 Pepita,**" he answered. ^*"You would soon acquire sufficient Spanish
P08  79 to be able to help her with her first lessons. ^You could read to her,
P08  80 and sing with her and so on. ^Enlarge her knowledge of English still
P08  81 more. ^It would not be arduous, and naturally I would pay you an ample
P08  82 salary. ^So will you not agree to spend the winter in Las Palmas, Miss
P08  83 Barclay, and dry Pepita's tears?**"
P08  84    |^Julia hesitated. ^It was certainly an exciting offer, far more
P08  85 attractive than going back to London. ^She might continue to live at
P08  86 the Hotel Tafira for the next few months, enjoying the climate and the
P08  87 friendly beach and cafe*?2 life. ^And there was Don Felipe himself,
P08  88 the handsome man watching her now with an unaccustomed trace of
P08  89 anxiety in his eyes. ^Feminine intuition told Julia he wanted her to
P08  90 stay on for his own sake as well as Pepita's. ^It was flattering to
P08  91 know a man like this one considered you important to him.
P08  92    |^She realised she was weakening, but then all at once she
P08  93 remembered what she had heard the previous evening. ^Yet it was
P08  94 probably no more than gossip that \0Mrs Henderson had repeated, and
P08  95 what Sen*?4ora Gonzalez had told her cast no reflection on Don Felipe
P08  96 either. ^He could not be blamed for his father's state of mind.
P08  97 ^Adrian had said she might be running into danger with him, but Adrian
P08  98 could be wrong, and anyway it was no business of his what Julia
P08  99 Barclay did. ^He had no right to dictate to her, behaving in that
P08 100 high-handed fashion. ^She felt herself stiffening again as she
P08 101 remembered his voice and manner. ^She would show Adrian he was
P08 102 completely wrong, and stupidly old-fashioned at that. ^She found Don
P08 103 Felipe fascinating from every aspect. ^She lifted her eyes to smile at
P08 104 him now.
P08 105    |^*"You make it sound too tempting,**" she surrendered. ^*"Very
P08 106 well, then, if you do really think I'm capable of being Pepita's
P08 107 teacher. ^I've never done anything of that sort before, you know.**"
P08 108    |^*"I am quite satisfied,**" he replied. ^*"So you will stay, Miss
P08 109 Barclay?**"
P08 110    |^*"Yes, I will. ^And thank you ... ^Do please tell Pepita. ^I
P08 111 can't bear to see her like this.**"
P08 112    |^She watched the child's expression change as her father spoke to
P08 113 her. ^She ceased to sob and the light stole back into her face again.
P08 114 ^For a few moments she gazed up at Julia doubtfully, incredulously.
P08 115 ^Then gradually the dark eyes grew bright once more, and even began to
P08 116 sparkle as was their wont. ^Julia lifted her up, and she immediately
P08 117 wound her small arms round the girl's neck, nuzzling her cheek,
P08 118 snuggling against her hair. ^Don Felipe smiled as he watched them.
P08 119    |^*"Pepita is restored,**" he said. ^*"We are both most grateful to
P08 120 you.**"
P08 121    |^There was a rustling sound behind them, and Julia half-turned to
P08 122 see Don*?4a Beatriz standing on the tiles. ^It was the first time
P08 123 Julia had ever met the older woman outside the dining-room. ^One
P08 124 moment Don*?4a Beatriz was in her vision, a tall black figure staring
P08 125 at the little scene. ^The next she was gone again. ^Julia was almost
P08 126 convinced her eyes must have deceived her. ^Pepita was finally carried
P08 127 off to the nursery, and as Don Felipe led the way indoors to luncheon,
P08 128 Don*?4a Beatriz was already there, sitting in her accustomed chair at
P08 129 the foot of the long table. ^She bowed gravely to Julia, acknowledging
P08 130 the girl's greeting, and began to serve in her usual silence. ^Julia
P08 131 had already realised there was something quite off-beat about Don*?4a
P08 132 Beatriz, so she was careful to address only Don Felipe at her side
P08 133 throughout the meal.
P08 134    |^They discussed the fiesta, which he waved aside as a trifling
P08 135 celebration in Las Palmas.
P08 136    |^*"In the country it is much more important,**" he said.
P08 137 ^*"Harvest is something for which we offer gratitude indeed there. ^I
P08 138 shall be out at my own estate in the morning, marking the day with my
P08 139 workpeople. ^My land is around the village of San Bernardo, a
P08 140 beautiful valley with many foothills. ^I have a large house there
P08 141 beside the river. ^You must see it one day.**"
P08 142    |^*"Yes, I should like to.**"
P08 143    |^*"You have not penetrated the interior of the island yet? ^No?
P08 144 ^It will surprise you. ^The mountains are so majestic they take the
P08 145 breath away when they are viewed for the first time.**"
P08 146    |^*"You've another house at Tojeda, haven't you?**" Julia
P08 147 remembered. ^*"On the cliffs*- somebody was telling me*-**" ^Then she
P08 148 stopped abruptly, realising what she was saying.
P08 149    |^Don Felipe had begun to peel himself a peach. ^He completed the
P08 150 delicate operation before he answered. ^Then he laid down his silver
P08 151 knife and looked at Julia directly as he spoke.
P08 152    |^*"So. ^People have talked about me. ^I wonder what else they said
P08 153 about Tojeda. ^No, do not trouble to tell me, Miss Barclay. ^I can
P08 154 guess. ^I know what scandal is tossed about in the cafe*?2s and
P08 155 hotels.**"
P08 156    |^Julia felt a trifle uncomfortable.
P08 157    |^*"I didn't really pay great attention,**" she began, but
P08 158 imperiously he cut her short.
P08 159    |^*"We will discuss this matter later,**" he said, *"when we may be
P08 160 private. ^Now tell me, have you been to the aquariums yet? ...**"
P08 161    |^As soon as the meal ended, Don*?4a Beatriz slipped away as usual
P08 162 and Don Felipe indicated that Julia was to follow him.
P08 163    |^*"We will go to my study,**" he decided. ^*"I have to speak to
P08 164 you about Pepita's education among other things.**"
P08 165    |^He led Julia to a wing of the house she had not seen before.
P08 166 ^Like all the rest, this room was richly furnished, with handsome red
P08 167 brocade curtains, and a carved mahogany desk and chairs. ^Don Felipe
P08 168 unlocked a drawer and handed Julia an envelope.
P08 169    |^*"Your salary to date,**" he explained. ^*"On Monday we begin our
P08 170 new arrangement, of course. ^I had thought ...**" ^He named a figure
P08 171 which Julia knew was generous in the extreme. ^*"So you will be here
P08 172 at the same time then. ^The car will call for you as usual.**"
P08 173    |^*"Thank you very much, Don Felipe. ^I'll do my best.**"
P08 174    |^She waited, thinking he was going to talk to her about his
P08 175 daughter, and what he wanted a governess to do, but Don Felipe made no
P08 176 mention of Pepita now. ^Instead he frowned to himself for a moment, as
P08 177 though lost in thought. ^Then he lifted his head and asked quietly:
P08 178    |^*"I wonder what tales you have heard about me, Miss Barclay.
P08 179 ^Could you not repeat them to me?**"
P08 180    |^*"Well, I don't quite know*-**" Julia hesitated.
P08 181    |^Don Felipe twisted his lips into a wry smile.
P08 182    |^*"It was obviously unflattering to me,**" he remarked.
P08 183    |^*"But there is no need to be embarrassed, Miss Barclay. ^I know
P08 184 what is said on the island. ^Loose tongues wag here just as they do
P08 185 everywhere else. ^Gran Canaria is certainly a paradise, but it has its
P08 186 serpents too.**"
P08 187    |^He paused to consider her. ^Julia returned his glance
P08 188 sympathetically, appreciating that it was not easy for this man to
P08 189 bare his innermost feelings. ^Don Felipe continued:
P08 190    |^*"You have plainly heard uncharitable comments about me, so you
P08 191 must permit me to tell you the facts myself. ^Seven years ago I
P08 192 married the daughter of one of my fellow landowners, Don Miguel \de
P08 193 Francia. ^We were deeply in love and very happy. ^After Pepita's
P08 194 birth, the doctors informed my wife that she could bear no more
P08 195 children. ^Naturally it was a tremendous grief. ^We had hoped for sons
P08 196 to carry on our name.
P08 197 **[MIDDLE OF QUOTE**]
P08 198 *# 2006
P09   1 **[471 TEXT P09**]
P09   2 **[MIDDLE OF QUOTE**]
P09   3 ^*0The best thing we can do seems to be to concentrate on work,
P09   4 doesn't it?**"
P09   5    |^*"Under Rufus Horgan!**" he said.
P09   6    |^Andrea flinched. ^For a moment she had forgotten that, and now
P09   7 the sting in his voice made her think he was trying to hurt her. ^Not
P09   8 that she could have blamed him. ^Then she remembered how he had been
P09   9 passed over, and realised how he must feel. ^And on top of that to
P09  10 have almost won her, only to see for himself how the idea suddenly
P09  11 revolted her. ^No, she couldn't blame him for wanting to hurt her!
P09  12    |^*"Under him, as you say,**" she agreed dully. ^*"It's life, I
P09  13 suppose. ^And now*- goodbye.**"
P09  14    |^*"Will you be here or at the house tomorrow?**"
P09  15    |^*"Here*- to begin with. ^Goodbye.**"
P09  16    |^On the second attempt, she got away. ^She could not bear to let
P09  17 him know Mark had not made any definite arrangements about her going
P09  18 to his home again.
P09  19    |^Perhaps never, she thought, when at last she was in her own room,
P09  20 staring at her white face in the mirror. ^Perhaps she had given
P09  21 herself away too blatantly, and he would keep clear of her. ^He had
P09  22 Pauline to interpret his wants, so perhaps any typist would do*-
P09  23    |^Next day, a sickening desert of hours in the office, it seemed
P09  24 she was right. ^There was no phone call for her. ^Normally she could
P09  25 have telephoned the house to ask how he was, but now she was too
P09  26 ashamed. ^Then, late in the afternoon, when she had ceased hoping to
P09  27 hear his voice every time her telephone rang, Gus answered a call.
P09  28 ^She stiffened, listening.
P09  29    |^*"Oh, it's you, Mark?**" she heard him say. ^*"Still making-out?
P09  30 ^Fine! ^Something you want us to do here?**"
P09  31    |^Andrea trembled. ^She kept her pencil moving and her head bent,
P09  32 but she was straining to hear every word.
P09  33    |^*"Oh, hell!**" was all Gus said at first. ^The receiver crackled
P09  34 for a while, and then: ^*"Well, we'll go through with it. ^You know
P09  35 you can trust Andrea and me. ^The guy needn't know we hate his guts
P09  36 for coming here instead of you. ^You want me in on your first
P09  37 conference? ^{0O.K.} ^Thanks a lot*-**"
P09  38    |^Mark must have said goodbye then, for the American put down the
P09  39 receiver. ^She felt him looking across at her, but would not look up
P09  40 until he said:
P09  41    |^*"Horgan's coming tomorrow. ^I guess I'd better go and break it
P09  42 to the boys in the lab.**"
P09  43    |^He eased himself up and ambled off. ^By the time he came back,
P09  44 she had taken a grip on her whirling emotions, managed to sound cool
P09  45 when she spoke.
P09  46    |^*"Gus,**" she said, *"what about that leakage business? ^Does
P09  47 \0Dr. Horgan have to know?**"
P09  48    |^*"He'll have to know I suppose. ^It'll all come out in the
P09  49 handover. ^Now, if I could just trip over one of my own feet, or
P09  50 something, and didn't have to meet him tomorrow over at Mark's
P09  51 place*-**"
P09  52    |^*"Don't be absurd. ^You have to keep your job.**"
P09  53    |^*"And I have to bring him back and induct him here, and the
P09  54 scientist in me sure hates it. ^Understand?**"
P09  55    |^*"Yes. ^And I'm sure Mark does, too. ^I'm sure everyone feels the
P09  56 same.**"
P09  57    |^*"They're taking it badly in the lab. ^You know, I think Mark's
P09  58 latest theory about the leakage*- that it was just coincidence*- was
P09  59 right. ^I can't see any of those boys letting out a word of what
P09  60 passes here, even if they know*- which, thanks to the system, none of
P09  61 us really does.**"
P09  62    |^*"I think it's all over, anyway. ^Any instructions for me
P09  63 tomorrow, while you're away?**"
P09  64    |^*"Just see the place is all spruced up and no dust on the
P09  65 files,**" he said with an attempt at an understanding grin. ^*"And
P09  66 have one of the girls from the typing school warned she may be needed.
P09  67 ^Mark will want you with him and Horgan quite a bit. ^I've to run the
P09  68 show here until he has everything sewn up. ^Though how I shall do it,
P09  69 I just don't know.**"
P09  70    |^*"You'll manage perfectly,**" she said automatically.
P09  71    |^He said nothing more. ^Next morning she was in charge of the
P09  72 office; Gus didn't come back for lunch, which she had a vision of
P09  73 Pauline serving to the three scientists.
P09  74    |^Andrea ate in the canteen hastily, but forcing herself to mix
P09  75 with the other girls as though today was just like any other day*- as
P09  76 it was to them. ^The shock and sensation of Mark's blindness was over,
P09  77 and unless his successor turned out to be young and attractive they
P09  78 were barely interested.
P09  79    |^The moment she glimpsed \0Dr. Horgan through the office window,
P09  80 getting out of Gus' car, she knew he was no heart-throb. ^He wore
P09  81 rimless glasses, was short, conventionally dressed and
P09  82 dedicated-looking. ^Mark, without his height and personal magnetism,
P09  83 she supposed bitterly.
P09  84    |^Then the two men came into the office, and Gus was introducing
P09  85 her. ^\0Dr. Horgan's eyes behind his spectacles were friendly and his
P09  86 smile kind.
P09  87    |^*"\0Dr. Pentland told me about you, Miss Holme,**" he said,
P09  88 shaking hands. ^*"I'm sure we shall work well as a team*- and I'm to
P09  89 have the benefit of sitting-in on your work with him for a time. ^The
P09  90 idea is that we meet and work at his home in the mornings and I remain
P09  91 behind for fuller discussion in the afternoon. ^Today I'm simply
P09  92 looking round*-**"
P09  93    |^Gus led the way, showing him what had been Mark's desk and his
P09  94 small inner office which he had used for highly secret work. ^Then
P09  95 they went off to the lab and the other departments, and Andrea could
P09  96 drop the forced smile from her lips and stare into space.
P09  97    |^It sounded as though she might never again be alone with Mark.
P09  98    |^Why should she want to be? she asked herself furiously. ^Why
P09  99 offer herself again and again for punishment?
P09 100    |^The door opened and Gus came back.
P09 101    |^*"Leaving him to get acquainted,**" he explained.
P09 102    |^*"Did you see Pauline?**"
P09 103    |^He blinked, looking at her vaguely. ^*"Did I? ^Sure. ^She served
P09 104 us a pretty good lunch.
P09 105    |^*"She's certainly settled down. ^Old Mark seems to rely on her
P09 106 quite a bit.**"
P09 107    |^Even if the words were not meant as a barb they drove deep into
P09 108 Andrea's heart.
P09 109 *<*3CHAPTER *014*>
P09 110 *<*4Talk Of Pity*>
P09 111    |^F*2OR *0Andrea the next few days were terrible. ^Not only for
P09 112 herself, but in knowing Mark's agony in gradually transferring his
P09 113 affairs, including his confidential secretary, to the older man.
P09 114 ^Particularly the agony of those talks from which even she was
P09 115 excluded, when he confided the highly secret details of his
P09 116 discoveries.
P09 117    |^The only way she could get through the days was by turning
P09 118 herself into a sort of robot and trying not to think*- not to feel
P09 119 when she saw from Mark's expression that his head was aching with
P09 120 strain. ^Not to care that behind the very dark glasses, that gave him
P09 121 such a distinguished look, were eyes that could not see.
P09 122    |^It was about ten days before \0Dr. Horgan worked in the factory
P09 123 office, when he dictated a few letters after returning from Mark's
P09 124 home. ^And then one afternoon Horgan came soon after lunch. ^Andrea
P09 125 saw him drive up and get out briskly.
P09 126    |^*"\0Dr. Pentland has some jobs for you, Miss Holme,**" he said,
P09 127 striding in. ^*"Call in a typist for me and go over to him, will you?
P09 128 ^I may not get back there today*- it depends on the work here.**"
P09 129    |^Andrea telephoned the typing pool. ^As she did so, she met Gus'
P09 130 eyes. ^This is the take-over, they said, as plainly as speech, and she
P09 131 knew that it was true. ^This might be the very last time she would go
P09 132 to the Pentlands' home to work for Mark...
P09 133    |^It was a lovely afternoon, mockingly lovely. ^Once the
P09 134 rectangular steel-and-glass blocks of the factory were behind her and
P09 135 she was cycling along the short-cut, she might have been in the heart
P09 136 of unspoilt country.
P09 137    |^There was a drone of bees in the roses over the porch of the
P09 138 house, and a great bowl of half-opened roses on the old chest in the
P09 139 hall. ^Pauline, Andrea thought, as she turned into Mark's office*- and
P09 140 then the flicker of jealousy roared up into a great burning flame.
P09 141 ^For Pauline was in the office with Mark*- very close to him. ^Andrea
P09 142 had a horrible impression that they sprang apart as she entered.
P09 143    |^*"Oh*-**" the blonde exclaimed, turning. ^*"I didn't hear you.**"
P09 144    |^For a moment Andrea thought she was going to burst into tears so
P09 145 overwhelming was the certainty that all her vague feelings about
P09 146 Pauline and Mark had been only too well founded.
P09 147    |^And then her throbbing pulses steadied, for she saw there were
P09 148 books scattered over the carpet between them, and an overturned bowl
P09 149 of roses. ^Pink, cream and scarlet, they were lying everywhere.
P09 150    |^*"\0Dr. Horgan said you wanted me*-**" she got out.
P09 151    |^*"I do.**" ^Mark turned his head in her direction, while his
P09 152 hands groped for the back of a nearby chair. ^*"But I've just been
P09 153 extremely clumsy, trying to find my way around. ^Knocked something
P09 154 over and turned the whole room into a shambles, apparently!**"
P09 155    |^*"Oh, no*- it's not so bad as that.**" ^Pauline stooped and began
P09 156 dabbing at the water on the carpet with a scarf she had pulled from
P09 157 her neck. ^*"It's just a good thing I hadn't left to do your mother's
P09 158 shopping before you shouted for me.**"
P09 159    |^*"Don't worry. ^Andrea could have cleared up.**"
P09 160    |^*"Why yes, of course. ^But I didn't know she was coming. ^It's
P09 161 all my fault, Mark, not warning you where the flowers were.**"
P09 162    |^*"Well, leave it, now, or you'll miss your bus.**"
P09 163    |^*"Yes. ^I'd better get another pair of gloves*-**"
P09 164    |^The girl was wearing her outdoor coat*- fabric gloves, and big
P09 165 china earrings that, as usual, warred with the rest of her outfit.
P09 166 ^She was strangely breathless. ^As for Mark, unless it was a trick of
P09 167 the light, he looked very white.
P09 168    |^Was it true that Pauline had dashed in in response to a shout
P09 169 from him when everything cascaded down off the top of the bookcase?
P09 170 ^Or had there been a love scene, when some clumsy movement of Mark's
P09 171 might have caused the accident? ^There was certainly a strange tension
P09 172 in the air.
P09 173    |^*"You don't mind fetching a cloth from the kitchen?**" Pauline
P09 174 asked. ^*"I simply must run!**"
P09 175    |^*"I'll see to it. ^Don't worry.**"
P09 176    |^Andrea wheeled and went off, leaving them to say what they liked
P09 177 to each other. ^But Pauline came out at once. ^Andrea heard her go
P09 178 racing upstairs, then the rapid opening and shutting of a drawer and
P09 179 her footsteps coming down again.
P09 180    |^*"So sorry to trouble you!**" she called, turning her fair head
P09 181 to flash the other girl a smile as they passed in the hall.
P09 182    |^As Pauline ran out and down the drive, Andrea braced herself and
P09 183 walked back into the office. ^Mark was still standing where she had
P09 184 left him*- she had to go down almost at his feet, to mop up the water.
P09 185    |^*"I'll rearrange the flowers and I'd better get a towel to dry
P09 186 the books,**" she said, trying to sound casual and failing. ^There
P09 187 *1was *0something in the atmosphere! ^It could only mean she had
P09 188 blundered in on a love scene, however unpremeditated and brief it
P09 189 might have been.
P09 190    |^*"Do, please,**" Mark said curtly.
P09 191    |^It seemed to take hours of coming and going, and all the time he
P09 192 stood there, until he must have known by her silence that it was all
P09 193 cleared up.
P09 194    |^*"Have you finished?**" he asked. ^*"Sorry to be such a clumsy
P09 195 oaf. ^Better get down to work now, hadn't we? ^It's really only a few
P09 196 personal letters.**"
P09 197    |^*"I'm ready. ^Aren't you going to sit down?**"
P09 198    |^*"Thanks, I'd rather stand*-**"
P09 199    |^He paced up and down, feeling his way by the chairs that were
P09 200 always strategically placed for him. ^His mind was obviously
P09 201 distracted*- these letters to people who had written sympathetically
P09 202 about his tragedy seemed to give him more trouble than the most
P09 203 intricate scientific calculations.
P09 204 *# 2000
P10   1 **[472 TEXT P10**]
P10   2    |^*0Gaby touched his wrist. ^*"Now that we are in my country, will
P10   3 you allow me to choose for you a really French meal?**"
P10   4    |^*"Of course.**"
P10   5    |^As she gave the order to the waiter, using her hands so
P10   6 expressively it was difficult for Rob to imagine why she had singled
P10   7 him out. ^She could surely have had any man she wished. ^She was
P10   8 looking very young tonight, and, as usual, indescribably beautiful, in
P10   9 a simple strapless dress of a green and white silky cotton. ^Her
P10  10 shoulders and face were still tanned, and in this light the shade of
P10  11 her hair had deepened to a burnt honey.
P10  12    |^She met his gaze. ^*"You are looking at me again, Rob.**"
P10  13    |^*"I was just thinking how lovely you are. ^You make me say all
P10  14 the things I never thought I could say aloud.**"
P10  15    |^*"Not even to Diana?**" ^There was a glint in her eye.
P10  16    |^*"We won't mention Diana tonight,**" he said abruptly. ^*"I don't
P10  17 want to make comparisons.**" ^He sounded pompous, but he did not want
P10  18 to be made to feel guilty this evening, of all times.
P10  19    |^*"No, of course not.**" ^She was silent while the first course of
P10  20 steaming artichokes, soaked in a buttery sauce, was served.
P10  21    |^Then her smile dazzled him. ^*"I hope you have a good appetite
P10  22 tonight, Rob. ^I have ordered a lot of things.**"
P10  23    |^*"I'll eat them somehow, then we'll walk it off afterwards.**"
P10  24    |^There was blue trout next, then a young chicken that had been
P10  25 cooked in wine and herbs, finally a platter of cheese and fruit.
P10  26    |^Rob took a deep breath. ^*"I think that was the best meal I've
P10  27 ever eaten. ^I think of beans on toast in Birmingham and shudder. ^Or
P10  28 spaghetti. ^I won't like going to Italy!**"
P10  29    |^*"Will you ever go back, Rob?**" she asked, skinning a peach with
P10  30 absorbed skill.
P10  31    |^*"Not if I can help it. ^That phase of my life is over.**"
P10  32    |^*"And the future, Rob, what do you look for in the future?**"
P10  33    |^*"Whatever comes,**" he said lightly. ^*"This is a see-saw
P10  34 business. ^I'll stay at the top just as long as I can, then try to
P10  35 accept defeat as gracefully as I can.**"
P10  36    |^*"You'll stay at the top for years, Rob. ^We both will. ^I know
P10  37 that,**" she said vehemently. ^*"Before we are finished, everyone in
P10  38 Paris, Rome and New York will have heard all about Rob Martin, the
P10  39 famous British singer.**" ^She leaned across the table so that the
P10  40 perfume of her hair drifted up to him. ^*"With the two of us in
P10  41 partnership, we can go a long way. ^You do believe that?**"
P10  42    |^The expression in her eyes was hidden from the lamplight. ^He
P10  43 looked at her for a long time. ^Then he said slowly, ^*"Yes, I believe
P10  44 that. ^I believe that, with you, I could do just about anything anyone
P10  45 asked me.**"
P10  46    |^She sat back smiling triumphantly. ^*"We shall sing our way round
P10  47 the world, Rob. ^Perhaps we shall be invited to those cities we have
P10  48 only read about. ^People will talk of us as they did of Nelson Eddy
P10  49 and Jeannette Macdonald. ^That was a long time ago, I know, but no
P10  50 singing partnership achieved quite the fame they did. ^But we will,
P10  51 Rob, we will,**" she ended fiercely, and she gripped his hand as
P10  52 though she would never let it go.
P10  53    |^Abruptly he said, ^*"I'll pay the bill and we'll walk down to the
P10  54 sea. ^I want to see if it's as clear as they say it is.**"
P10  55    |^They took off their shoes, and the sand was soft and smooth
P10  56 beneath their feet. ^By the time they came to the sea the lights of
P10  57 the terrace looked a long way off. ^Rob bent and put his hand in the
P10  58 water. ^It was warm and still.
P10  59    |^Gaby said impishly, ^*"Let's paddle. ^No one can see us from
P10  60 there.**"
P10  61    |^Rob tucked up his trousers and she kicked her nylons towards the
P10  62 high, white sandals. ^They waded into the shallow water.
P10  63    |^*"Look across there.**" ^He pointed the way they had driven
P10  64 earlier. ^The whole coast was like a strip of twinkling stars. ^*"We
P10  65 could be on an island, cut off from all those people there. ^In fact,
P10  66 I wish we were. ^I don't want to go back.**"
P10  67    |^*"Neither do I, Rob. ^If you are going to stay, then I shall stay
P10  68 with you.**"
P10  69    |^He turned towards her. ^Her face looked very pale in the
P10  70 darkness. ^A strange, burning feeling was creeping over his body. ^He
P10  71 felt as though he were poised on the brink of some new, wonderful
P10  72 experience.
P10  73    |^*"Gaby...**"
P10  74    |^*"Yes, Rob?**"
P10  75    |^*"Oh, Gaby, *1Gaby!**"
P10  76    |^*0Her lips were cool and smooth under his, and her cheeks were
P10  77 like silk. ^He held her, wanting to retain this moment all his life,
P10  78 the two of them in the warm, shimmering darkness, rocking gently to
P10  79 and fro in the rustling water.
P10  80    |^When at last he released her, he was still feeling dizzy from the
P10  81 impact. ^Without speaking they gripped each other's hands, and walked
P10  82 back to the dry sand and sat down.
P10  83    |^Gaby started to rub at her feet with a wisp of a handkerchief.
P10  84 ^She had amazingly small feet. ^But everything about her was petite.
P10  85    |^She said at last, ^*"I've been waiting a long time for you to do
P10  86 that, Rob.**"
P10  87    |^*"You have?**" ^He was amazed. ^Then his arm came round her bare
P10  88 shoulders. ^*"I suppose I've wanted it too, but I've been afraid.**"
P10  89    |^*"Afraid?**"
P10  90    |^*"Yes. ^Afraid that you would push me away, and then everything
P10  91 would have been over before it started. ^I couldn't have stood that.
P10  92 ^I think I felt this way about you the moment I saw you at the Savoy
P10  93 party. ^People laugh about love at first sight, but sometimes it's
P10  94 true*- only you don't see it at the time.**"
P10  95    |^*"Then you do love me?**" she said slowly.
P10  96    |^*"Oh, yes. ^You've hit me like... like a boomerang.**"
P10  97    |^*"And what about...?**"
P10  98    |*"... ^Diana? ^Yes, I know.**" ^Was it only this morning that he
P10  99 had told Diana he loved her? ^He had believed it then, and in an odd
P10 100 sort of way it was still true. ^He did love Diana, but it was nothing
P10 101 like this flame that blazed within him when he was with Gaby. ^The man
P10 102 who first said there were many faces of love was right. ^He went on
P10 103 slowly, ^*"I don't know what to say about her. ^I can't let her down
P10 104 just like that, yet one day it will have to come. ^I can see that
P10 105 now.**"
P10 106    |^*"Rob.**" ^She rested her head against his shoulder. ^Her perfume
P10 107 had none of the gentle scent of Diana's. ^It was some excitingly
P10 108 subtle blend that tore at his senses. ^*"We have our careers to think
P10 109 of first of all. ^I think it would be best to go for a little while as
P10 110 we were, seeing more of each other perhaps, getting to know each
P10 111 other, but doing nothing definite. ^A romance can do no harm to our
P10 112 publicity at the moment, but marriage must wait. ^Don't you agree?**"
P10 113    |^*"I suppose so. ^But it's you I want above everything.**" ^He was
P10 114 startled that she put their publicity so firmly before their private
P10 115 life, but she was probably right; there was still time to get to know
P10 116 more about each other. ^Aloud he said, ^*"I never imagined anything
P10 117 like this would happen when we both were invited to Monte Carlo.**"
P10 118    |^*"And would you still have come if you had guessed, Rob?**" she
P10 119 asked quietly.
P10 120    |^He smiled into the darkness. ^*"Yes, I would. ^Of course I would,
P10 121 that's the glorious part of it. ^Oh, Gaby!**" ^He turned and kissed
P10 122 her again, running his hand through her hair. ^*"I think I must be the
P10 123 luckiest man in the world.**"
P10 124    |^They lay on the sand a little longer, talking, listening to the
P10 125 sound of the sea, and the breeze rustling through the pine trees
P10 126 behind them, and just dreaming. ^Then Gaby said, ^*"Rob, if you want
P10 127 to stop for a few moments at Cannes, perhaps we had better go.
P10 128 ^Tomorrow night will be exhausting. ^I shall never be able to face
P10 129 it.**"
P10 130    |^He jumped up. ^*"I had forgotten all about tomorrow. ^How selfish
P10 131 of me. ^It doesn't seem quite real somehow, after this.**"
P10 132    |^He drove along the coast in high spirits, their voices joining in
P10 133 the liquid melody of their new song. ^At Cannes he parked near the
P10 134 harbour, and they found a pavement cafe*?2 and sat for a while,
P10 135 watching the boats and drinking black coffee.
P10 136    |^*"Funny,**" he mused. ^*"This is what I always imagined myself
P10 137 doing in the South of France, sitting idly, drinking coffee, watching
P10 138 the people and the boats. ^And aren't some of the boats fabulous?**"
P10 139    |^They lit up the harbour, some miniature liners, launches, speed
P10 140 boats and small, colourful sailing dinghies. ^They seemed joined in a
P10 141 community of their own.
P10 142    |^He and Gaby watched in silence, holding hands. ^For the moment
P10 143 everything had been said. ^They were content merely to be together.
P10 144 ^Reluctantly then, they went back to the car and to the hotel.
P10 145    |^Outside Gaby's room he said, ^*"I wonder what time band call will
P10 146 be?**"
P10 147    |^*"I've heard in the morning, but I'm not sure.**"
P10 148    |^*"Then we'll have time for a swim in the afternoon. ^Is that a
P10 149 date?**"
P10 150    |^*"It's a date. ^Goodnight, Rob, and thank you.**" ^She put up her
P10 151 face for his kiss. ^*"Sweet dreams.**"
P10 152    |^*"They'll be sweet all right. ^I shall be dreaming of you.**"
P10 153    |^He drew back the curtains and let the sea breeze in before he got
P10 154 into bed. ^He lay awake for a long time, thinking about the evening
P10 155 and the whole day that lay ahead. ^It was all too short, but he
P10 156 intended to hold on to it tightly with both hands.
P10 157    |^He breakfasted alone, learning with disappointment that Gaby was
P10 158 having hers in her room. ^He had been particularly looking forward to
P10 159 this, breakfast in the cool of the morning on the broad terrace,
P10 160 looking straight out to sea. ^There would have been something
P10 161 particularly intimate about it. ^He toyed with the warm rolls and
P10 162 cherry jam, but drank two large cups of coffee.
P10 163    |^Their call came about eleven o'clock. ^He went up and knocked on
P10 164 Gaby's door.
P10 165    |^*"I missed you this morning,**" he said, when they drew apart.
P10 166    |^*"You'll have to get used to my bad morning habits,**" she teased
P10 167 him. ^*"I never get up unless I have to. ^Even for someone like
P10 168 you.**"
P10 169    |^*"I'll try to remember. ^Shall we go now?**" ^He reached for her
P10 170 hand. ^She looked this morning as though she had stepped straight out
P10 171 of the sunshine. ^She wore a full white skirt of some silky material
P10 172 and a yellow top. ^She looked slim and tiny and he badly wanted to
P10 173 protect her.
P10 174    |^They worked hard for the rest of the morning. ^The producer
P10 175 wanted nothing less than perfection. ^Again and again the same acts
P10 176 were called for a repeat. ^Rob watched, amazed, as many more
P10 177 professional stars than himself were made to run through their words
P10 178 or their music five or six times.
P10 179    |^It was a cosmopolitan gathering of stars. ^There were English,
P10 180 American, French, Italian, and a couple from Brazil. ^Rob began by
P10 181 feeling overawed before realizing that most of them had probably come
P10 182 up the same way as he had.
P10 183    |^The rehearsal finished at last and they all trooped in to lunch,
P10 184 arguing good-humouredly about how the evening's performance should be
P10 185 staged. ^Rob did not have a chance to be alone with Gaby until after
P10 186 three o'clock when most of the others had gone to their rooms to rest.
P10 187    |^*"Still game for a swim?**" he asked.
P10 188    |^*"I'll fetch my things and be with you in five minutes.**"
P10 189    |^For half an hour they splashed about in the water, more clear and
P10 190 blue than Rob had believed possible. ^Then they lay in long
P10 191 deck-chairs, dozing under their striped umbrellas.
P10 192    |^Rob reached for Gaby's hand after a few minutes, but she was
P10 193 asleep, looking as deeply at peace as a young child.
P10 194    |^He lay back in his chair.
P10 195 *# 2004
P11   1 **[473 TEXT P11**]
P11   2 *<*2CHAPTER ONE*>
P11   3 *<*1Southern Ireland August, 1940*>
P11   4    |^*2DUSK WAS *0softening the coastline of County Kerry as Diana
P11   5 West turned reluctantly from her window to go downstairs.
P11   6    |^She hesitated on the landing, remembering that Gregory disliked
P11   7 cre*?3pe-soled **[SIC**] brogues and tweeds, and knowing that he would
P11   8 make some barbed remark about her wearing her
P11   9 *"Lady-Bountiful-uniform**" in the gracious drawing-room of Rosebrae.
P11  10 ^Six months of being \0Mrs. Gregory West had taught Diana that the
P11  11 only thing to do was to grow a protective shell and to let her
P11  12 husband's arrowed words glance off unnoticed. ^Not that they hurt any
P11  13 the less for being ignored; sometimes the ache and the bewilderment
P11  14 and the disillusion was so fierce that the future became a burden to
P11  15 be endured and never never a happiness to be anticipated.
P11  16    |^Now, her young mouth set and a bleak expression in her dark brown
P11  17 eyes, she went down to where an elderly manservant was beckoning to
P11  18 her from the hall.
P11  19    |^*"You're late,**" he reproved. ^*"I was nearly coming to fetch
P11  20 you. ^Come in here a minute, Miss Diana, there's a thing I have to
P11  21 show you before you go in there.**"
P11  22    |^He nodded towards the drawing-room and then steered her into the
P11  23 unlit butler's pantry next door.
P11  24    |^*"But, Fergus*-**"
P11  25    |^*"\2Wheesht! ^Stay here*- I'll be right back.**"
P11  26    |^With a faint smile Diana leaned on the table in front of her and
P11  27 prepared to wait as Fergus had ordered. ^He had been her father's
P11  28 batman in the First World War and for twenty years after that he had
P11  29 bullied and served and adored the whole family, with the exception of
P11  30 his master's sister Miss Charlotte Cavendish. ^*"A poor fool woman,**"
P11  31 was the kindest thing he had ever said of her, and angry tears stood
P11  32 in his eyes when his master's will was read and he heard that his
P11  33 beloved and orphaned Diana was left in the care of Miss Charlotte.
P11  34 ^His dislike and distrust were returned in full measure by that lady
P11  35 and by Gregory West, but he was Diana's man and she would as soon do
P11  36 without an arm as do without her oldest friend, Fergus Burke.
P11  37    |^A moment after Fergus left the pantry Diana became aware of a bar
P11  38 of light in the dimness, and moving along a bit she saw that the
P11  39 serving hatch was slightly open at one side giving a narrow view of
P11  40 the drawing-room. ^Without curiosity because it was such a familiar
P11  41 scene, Diana watched her aunt presiding behind the tea-tray.
P11  42 ^Firelight gleamed on silver and fine china, and lamplight flattered
P11  43 the smooth skin and fading fair hair of Miss Charlotte.
P11  44    |^*"Diana's late again,**" she said, passing a plate of hot
P11  45 buttered scones to Gregory. ^*"Really, we don't see much of her at all
P11  46 these days.**"
P11  47    |^He shrugged. ^*"She's probably taking soup or whatever it is to
P11  48 her ghastly villagers. ^Beats me how she can bear to enter their
P11  49 hovels!**"
P11  50    |^*"Do try not to be any more ignorant than you already are!**"
P11  51 Miss Charlotte snapped. ^*"You seem to have taken all your ideas about
P11  52 what you call *'the landed gentry**' from Victorian novels. ^Diana has
P11  53 lots of responsibilities here and you ought to help her out with some
P11  54 of them instead of sitting around here like an ornament. ^And you
P11  55 needn't glare at me like that! ^We know each other too well for either
P11  56 of us to put on an act when we're alone, and if I hadn't had a soft
P11  57 spot for your father long ago I would have left you to go to the devil
P11  58 in your own way!**"
P11  59    |^Diana drew back from the hatch, her mind a riot of emotions as
P11  60 she realised that she was deliberately eavesdropping and that her aunt
P11  61 and Gregory weren't strangers as they had led everyone to believe.
P11  62    |^Fergus gripped her arm and she jumped. ^*"This is no time for
P11  63 party manners!**" he hissed. ^*"Many a choice bit I've heard here and
P11  64 I thought it was time you heard it too. ^They're in a \2girning mood
P11  65 today and that's why I wanted you down earlier, so keep your ears
P11  66 \2skint!**"
P11  67    |^Without a scuffle Diana couldn't get away from the determined
P11  68 Fergus, and almost against her will she looked once more into the
P11  69 drawing-room.
P11  70    |^*"And another thing,**" Miss Charlotte was saying, *"we didn't
P11  71 finish what we were talking about when tea was brought in. ^Diana will
P11  72 soon be twenty-one and I have no intention of being done out of my
P11  73 share of our bargain just because you can't hold her.**"
P11  74    |^Gregory laughed softly and smoothed his brown wavy hair. ^*"I can
P11  75 get any woman, *1and *0keep her. ^Every woman needs to be shown who's
P11  76 master and in the end they love it, and Diana's no different.**"
P11  77    |^*"Oh yes she is. ^You can't class girls like Diana with the
P11  78 *'women**' you've known. ^She was fresh home from finishing school*-
P11  79 and heaven knows it might as well have been an enclosed convent for
P11  80 all she knew of life*- you swept her off her feet, and she was all
P11  81 prepared to love you for ever. ^But what happens? ^You seem to have
P11  82 frightened her to death, because she's just a shadow of the girl she
P11  83 was six months ago. ^I'm warning you, Gregory, when a Cavendish digs
P11  84 her toes in neither you nor any man living will move her.**"
P11  85    |^*"You're just getting anxious about your twenty thousand quid,**"
P11  86 Gregory muttered, but some of the assurance had gone from his voice.
P11  87 ^*"Oh all right, just to please you I'll start being the niminy-piminy
P11  88 lover she seems to expect, but honestly, Charlotte, she's such an
P11  89 innocent and she always looks so*- so untouched that any man would
P11  90 lose patience and want to bring her down to earth.**"
P11  91    |^*"Not *1any *0man,**" Miss Charlotte said coldly, and anger
P11  92 glinted in her pale eyes. ^*"Your father may have been a bit of a
P11  93 rogue but he was also a gentleman, and that you will never be. ^He
P11  94 would have kept his sights fixed on the Cavendish wealth and he would
P11  95 have had Diana eating out of his hand until she would have begged him
P11  96 to take over the management of her money when she was twenty-one. ^I
P11  97 begin to regret that I groomed you for this part for which you have
P11  98 turned out to be so manifestly unsuited, but if you don't hand over to
P11  99 me that twenty thousand pounds within a month or two after Diana's
P11 100 birthday be very sure that all the regrets will be yours.**"
P11 101    |^A wave of nausea hit Diana and she bent over to rest her clammy
P11 102 forehead on her hands. ^Beside her, Fergus muttered black oaths and
P11 103 heaped imprecations on the two conspirators, his hand resting gently
P11 104 on her bowed head. ^Then the bell tinkled above their heads and he
P11 105 smoothed his jacket before going into the drawing-room.
P11 106    |^*"I'll say you're not home yet,**" he whispered. ^*"You'll need
P11 107 time to think. ^But \2lassie, I had to do it, I just had to do it.**"
P11 108    |^Left alone, Diana straightened and looked dully at the hatch. ^No
P11 109 one ever remembered that it was there as it was never used. ^On the
P11 110 other side it looked like part of the white panelling, as did the one
P11 111 on the opposite wall of the pantry which led to the dining-room and
P11 112 which was used every day. ^Neither Miss Charlotte nor Gregory were
P11 113 welcome in Fergus's domain, and it was unlikely that either of them
P11 114 had ever been inside his pantry.
P11 115    |^Knowing that she didn't want to talk to anyone, not even to
P11 116 Fergus, Diana ran quietly across the hall to the garden-room and
P11 117 taking the first coat she could find she left the house by the side
P11 118 door. ^Clouds obscured what little light there was in the sky, but
P11 119 Diana knew every path in this part of Kerry and almost blindly she
P11 120 made her way to the hill above Whitewater Bay. ^The bay was a quiet
P11 121 anchorage on a rocky part of coast, but privacy was jealously guarded
P11 122 by Captain James Wallace who owned the biggest estate in the area, and
P11 123 no villager from Morne ever went near the little beach.
P11 124    |^Diana didn't know*- and at the moment she didn't care*- if
P11 125 Captain Wallace had ever seen her on the hillside or not, but she
P11 126 never did any harm just by sitting on the sheltered side of the big
P11 127 grey rock below the skyline. ^The slope in front of her was steep but
P11 128 it wasn't very far down to the beach where the waves swished gently on
P11 129 the shingle.
P11 130    |^How long she sat there she never knew, thoughts chasing endlessly
P11 131 through her mind.
P11 132    |^*"Sold,**" she whispered once. ^*"Sold like a sheep at a Kerry
P11 133 Fair. ^But it wasn't my fault*- I've never come up against people like
P11 134 my aunt and Gregory*- oh, *1of course *0it was my own fault, dreaming
P11 135 of a knight in shining armour and thinking I'd found him in Gregory*-
P11 136 how funny that is*- Gregory! a new-style Sir Lancelot!*- it's really
P11 137 terribly funny when you think about it*-**"
P11 138    |^And suddenly the laughter which shook her turned to tears and she
P11 139 rested her cheek against the cold grey rock and cried as she hadn't
P11 140 done since the death of her father ten years before.
P11 141    |^It was the memory of her father which calmed her at last, and she
P11 142 sat motionless as she recalled his unfailing light-heartedness even
P11 143 when the pain of an old war wound racked him; his deep love for her,
P11 144 and his sorrow that she had never known the mother who had died when
P11 145 she was an infant; his affection for his wife's beautiful home in
P11 146 Kerry and for the people of Morne whom he viewed with tolerant and
P11 147 amused English eyes.
P11 148    |^I'm English really, Diana thought, and it's in England I should
P11 149 be now and not skulking over here in a neutral country when my own
P11 150 people are at war with Germany. ^Or I could go over the border to
P11 151 Ulster and try to do something useful for a change instead of running
P11 152 an estate on more money than I'll ever know what to do with.
P11 153    |^Money. ^Her expression hardened as she thought of the two who
P11 154 were haggling so shabbily in the Rosebrae drawing-room. ^Well, they
P11 155 were going to be disappointed this time. ^There would be no control of
P11 156 her inheritance by Gregory, and no twenty thousand pounds for Aunt
P11 157 Charlotte who no doubt felt she had earned it by introducing the son
P11 158 of an old love to her niece.
P11 159    |^Diana tensed suddenly as a low murmur of voices reached her and
P11 160 then she heard the crunch of heavy boots on the stones of the pathway
P11 161 just above her head. ^She kept very still as two men passed by, aware
P11 162 that Miss Diana of Rosebrae*- few people had ever called her \0Mrs.
P11 163 West*- would look rather silly if she were found on the Captain's land
P11 164 with her eyes red and her face all streaked with tears. ^Gregory
P11 165 hadn't gone down well with the locals but there was no need to
P11 166 proclaim her own misery in front of them even if they had proved to be
P11 167 better judges of a man than she had been.
P11 168    |^She looked cautiously round the edge of the rock beside her and
P11 169 saw that against the lightening sky the two men stood out fairly
P11 170 clearly and that they both carried rifles in the crooks of their arms
P11 171 as they patrolled the little headland.
P11 172    |^Diana frowned. ^The voices had had a clipped intonation unlike
P11 173 the soft speech of Kerry, but of course Captain Wallace was a law unto
P11 174 himself and there was no one to say him nay if he wished to employ
P11 175 non-local gamekeepers and to have them patrol his bounds after dark.
P11 176 ^But such doings were alien to a simple place like Morne, and without
P11 177 knowing why, Diana was glad that her coat was one she had bought and
P11 178 worn at school in Paris, a soft grey wool which blended with the rock
P11 179 against which she was leaning.
P11 180 *# 2001
P12   1 **[474 TEXT P12**]
P12   2 ^*0He realised that she was also wiping her eyes. ^He hated having to
P12   3 hurt her, but he had known ever since he had announced his engagement
P12   4 to Hyacinth, that he would have to talk seriously to his ex-wife. ^He
P12   5 had suspected her of wanting to renew their relationship before she
P12   6 accepted Charles Rawlings, but afterwards he had believed that she had
P12   7 found happiness with the bluff sailor and he'd been genuinely glad*-
P12   8 until this holiday in Singapore. ^Then it had occurred to him that she
P12   9 had not got over their disastrous marriage.
P12  10    |^*"I'll*- try and make Charles a good wife,**" she said when she
P12  11 had controlled herself and turned to face him. ^*"He is*- devoted to
P12  12 me, and I know he will make an excellent husband. ^I have already told
P12  13 him about you, and*- and he is prepared to forget it. ^He believes
P12  14 that it is possible for two people situated as we are to have a
P12  15 platonic friendship.**"
P12  16    |^*"And you know that's true, Biddy.**"
P12  17    |^She shook her head.
P12  18    |^*"I don't think that a man and woman who have lived together can
P12  19 ever be *1friends; *0sex is bound to enter into their relationship....
P12  20 ^Perhaps you are right.**" ^She made a determined effort to speak
P12  21 naturally. ^*"It would have been a bad mistake to try and pick up the
P12  22 threads again. ^You always were a devil, Nick, and I'm sorry for the
P12  23 girl you marry, whether she is Hyacinth or*- someone else.**"
P12  24    |^*"If it is not Hyacinth it will be no one,**" he assured her.
P12  25 ^*"But meanwhile, I must find her. ^If only I had a clue where to look
P12  26 for her.**"
P12  27    |^*"Has it occurred to you that when you told her about*- us it was
P12  28 such a shock to her that she has run away.**"
P12  29    |^*"If that had been the case she would have left a letter or a
P12  30 message, surely?**" he protested.
P12  31    |^*"She might have wanted to punish you; to make you half frantic
P12  32 on her account, and if so, she has succeeded admirably.**"
P12  33    |^*"I am sure Hyacinth would not be so childish,**" he retorted.
P12  34    |^*"It's just possible that she *1did *0leave a letter and it
P12  35 hasn't been delivered yet,**" said Bridget. ^*"What about Tu Kota*-
P12  36 perhaps he knows what has happened to her?**"
P12  37    |^*"As soon as Charles comes back I'll send for him.**"
P12  38    |^The Vice-Admiral returned a few minutes later, his face very
P12  39 grave.
P12  40    |^*"Miss Chalmers did leave the hotel last night,**" he said.
P12  41 ^*"She was seen going down the servants' staircase. ^Those on duty
P12  42 took her to be a Eurasian sewing maid; she went out very quickly and
P12  43 spoke to no one. ^One of the boys who was just going off at the time
P12  44 saw her walking to the corner of Empress Place, where she got into a
P12  45 ricksha.**"
P12  46    |^*"Did he notice the number of the ricksha?**" asked Nick eagerly.
P12  47    |^*"He says not.**"
P12  48    |^*"Then*- he probably recognised the coolie who drew it? ^These
P12  49 boys know the ricksha coolies by sight. ^Once we can find the fellow
P12  50 we shall also find where Hyacinth went. ^There's no time to be
P12  51 lost.**"
P12  52    |^*"The boy says that the coolie was a stranger to him; he had
P12  53 never seen him before. ^I think he was speaking the truth; there was
P12  54 no reason for him to lie.**"
P12  55    |^*"Damn!**" ^Nick pounded his clenched fist on the table. ^*"If
P12  56 only he had kept his eyes open! ^In which direction did the ricksha
P12  57 go?**"
P12  58    |^*"He didn't wait to see; there was a great crowd in the streets
P12  59 last night, owing to the Chinese festival, and it was easy enough to
P12  60 lose sight of a ricksha. ^I am afraid, Nick, old fellow, that we shall
P12  61 have to ask the police to help us, for there has been a very sinister
P12  62 development.**"
P12  63    |^*"You*- mean...?**"
P12  64    |^*"That Malay boy, Tu Kota, is missing; he, too, didn't sleep in
P12  65 the hotel last night; he has not been seen since just before midnight,
P12  66 and he told no one where he was going.**"
P12  67 *<*=2*>
P12  68    |^*"There you are!**" exclaimed Bridget. ^*"Hyacinth was *1not
P12  69 *0alone; granted she's run away, but she took Tu Kota with her; and I
P12  70 can assure you that she'll be quite safe with him. ^Don't look at me
P12  71 like that, Charles, I'd trust that boy anywhere. ^He is perfectly
P12  72 reliable. ^I wouldn't be at all surprised if Hyacinth has returned to
P12  73 Lipur.**"
P12  74    |^*"But she wouldn't do that. ^How could she, when your brother is
P12  75 there alone!**"
P12  76    |^*"Perhaps that's why,**" said Bridget, then as both men looked
P12  77 blank, she cried. ^*"Oh, how stupid you two are! ^Didn't Edward
P12  78 propose to her? ^She may have decided to accept him after all, and
P12  79 he'll lose no time in marrying her; he won't give her a chance to slip
P12  80 through his fingers again.**"
P12  81    |^*"We must get in touch with Lipur at once!**" cried Nick.
P12  82 *<*=3*>
P12  83    |^But it was not so easy to get in touch with Lipur; there had been
P12  84 a heavy storm twenty-four hours previously, and telephonic
P12  85 communications with the district had been cut, and with Pekama. ^Nick
P12  86 managed to get on to the nearest estate and they promised to send a
P12  87 runner to Lipur with a message for Edward Grampian, and when they
P12  88 received his reply, telephone it at once to Singapore. ^Meanwhile,
P12  89 Charles Rawlings systematically called on all the people Hyacinth had
P12  90 known, and questioned the officers who had dined with them the
P12  91 previous night, but none of them had seen Hyacinth, nor could give any
P12  92 clue to account for her disappearance. ^It was a complete mystery.
P12  93    |^When the following day had dawned and she had still not returned
P12  94 and there was no news of her, both the men realised that they must
P12  95 approach the police. ^Nick had not slept all night and looked haggard;
P12  96 he was so restless that he couldn't bear to sit still. ^Even Bridget
P12  97 was no longer suggesting that the girl had been caught out in an
P12  98 escapade; if she had been she'd have been back long ago.
P12  99    |^*"But there's still a chance that she went to Lipur,**" she
P12 100 insisted. ^*"And you mustn't worry too much, Nick. ^If Tu Kota is with
P12 101 her; he'll look after her.**"
P12 102    |^*"The boy who saw her get into the ricksha said she was alone.**"
P12 103    |^*"It may not have been Hyacinth; he couldn't swear to it. ^It may
P12 104 really have been one of the Eurasian sewing maids.**"
P12 105    |^*"He said she was wearing a light coat and a gauzy scarf round
P12 106 her head, and those are two of the articles missing from Hyacinth's
P12 107 wardrobe.**"
P12 108    |^*"It may be just a coincidence,**" said Bridget. ^*"I shouldn't
P12 109 pin too much faith on that. ^Wait until we have heard from Lipur.**"
P12 110    |^But Charles Rawlings agreed with Nick that they could not afford
P12 111 to wait, and he offered to go to the police. ^He knew them and could
P12 112 impress upon them the need for as little publicity as possible,
P12 113 though, of course, if publicity would help to find the girl, then they
P12 114 must employ it.
P12 115    |^The girls and Nick should have returned to the country today, but
P12 116 with Hyacinth missing, it was unthinkable that they should leave
P12 117 Singapore. ^Nick had done everything possible to discover her
P12 118 whereabouts, but from the moment she had stepped into the ricksha it
P12 119 was as if the earth had opened and swallowed her.
P12 120    |^He decided to go and make some tactful enquiries in the Chinese
P12 121 quarter; not that he expected to find Hyacinth there, but someone
P12 122 might have seen her. ^Nick himself had many acquaintances in the
P12 123 Chinese quarter, friends from the war days, and he knew he could rely
P12 124 on them to do everything possible to help him.
P12 125    |^He was just about to leave the hotel on his quest when one of the
P12 126 clerks in the reception desk*- a young educated Malay*- came up to
P12 127 him.
P12 128    |^*"\0Mr. Trelawney, sir ... about the young lady....**"
P12 129    |^*"Yes,**" replied Nick, suppressing his eagerness with an effort.
P12 130    |^*"I have made a discovery, sir. ^It may be of no account, but I
P12 131 think that you will find it*- interesting. ^If we could go up to your
P12 132 room, sir....**"
P12 133    |^Nick wondered if he was about to be touched by a blackmailer, but
P12 134 the young man sounded genuine enough.
P12 135    |^*"Very well,**" he said. ^*"Come with me now.**"
P12 136    |^Once in his room he closed and locked the door, then faced the
P12 137 Malay.
P12 138    |^*"What is it?**" he asked. ^*"If it's information which will lead
P12 139 to the finding of Miss Chalmers I'll make it well worth your
P12 140 while....**"
P12 141    |^*"As I said, sir, it may be of no value, but briefly, I have some
P12 142 scraps of paper which the boy who cleans her room found in her waste
P12 143 paper basket. ^I thought they might be a clue.**" ^He took an envelope
P12 144 out of his pocket, and emptied a number of twisted scraps of paper on
P12 145 to the desk in the window. ^Nick saw that they contained words printed
P12 146 in block letters, and that some of them had been part of an envelope.
P12 147    |^*"When were these found?**" he asked.
P12 148    |^*"Yesterday morning, sir. ^I was passing when I saw the boy
P12 149 emptying the waste paper basket, and I gave him a coin to let me have
P12 150 the contents and not say a word about it to anyone.**"
P12 151    |^Nick was already sorting the scraps of paper.
P12 152    |^*"Have you put them together?**" he asked.
P12 153    |^*"No sir.**" ^But Nick guessed that the Malay was lying; he *1had
P12 154 *0put them together and then crumpled them up again. ^He thrust his
P12 155 hand into his pocket and handed a note to the man.
P12 156    |^*"Keep your mouth shut, do you understand?**"
P12 157    |^Nick gave up all thought of going to the Chinese quarter; he had
P12 158 glimpsed one significant word, and he was determined to piece the
P12 159 whole of the scraps together, no matter how long it took him.
P12 160    |^It was over two hours before he had finished, and then he had the
P12 161 entire message and the envelope.
P12 162 **[BEGIN INDENTATION**]
P12 163 **[BEGIN QUOTE**]
P12 164    |^*1If Missie Chalmers wishes to know about \0Mr. Trelawney's
P12 165 business in Singapore, a ricksha will be waiting at the corner of
P12 166 Empress Place tonight at midnight, to take her to the lady known as
P12 167 Chinese Lily. ^Come veiled and say nothing of this. ^It concerns
P12 168 Missie's happiness.
P12 169 **[END QUOTE**]
P12 170 **[END INDENTATION**]
P12 171    |^*0So that was it! ^Someone was anxious to break his engagement to
P12 172 Hyacinth, and had sent her this damnable note which she ought to have
P12 173 brought straight to him. ^But she had not done so and had undoubtedly
P12 174 gone off in the ricksha which had been sent for her; the boy who had
P12 175 seen her get in it had told the truth. ^But where had she been taken?
P12 176 ^And why hadn't she returned? ^Who was at the back of all this?
P12 177 ^Chinese Lily? ^He could not think so. ^He had always regarded her as
P12 178 his very good friend, though one could never be quite sure when
P12 179 dealing with an Oriental. ^It might be that the announcement of his
P12 180 engagement had roused some dormant demon in her and she'd had Hyacinth
P12 181 kidnapped. ^But she had congratulated him and told him she was very
P12 182 happy for him when he had spoken of his fiance*?2e the other night.
P12 183    |^Who else could be at the bottom of this attempt to get hold of
P12 184 Hyacinth? ^Attempt, he thought angrily. ^It was no attempt; it was an
P12 185 accomplished fact. ^If the person had just wanted to put her against
P12 186 him she would have been back by now; the fact that she was missing
P12 187 assumed a very sinister aspect.
P12 188    |^Chinese Lily was quite capable of having a European girl
P12 189 kidnapped if she wanted to do so. ^She was utterly fearless, and had
P12 190 been too long associated with the underworld not to know exactly how
P12 191 to set about it. ^He knew that certain girls who had been in her
P12 192 employ during the war and had chatted too much to the Japanese had
P12 193 simply disappeared, and as one girl was as good as another to the
P12 194 occupying troops*- and if any special man was interested in the girls
P12 195 in question, Chinese Lily always saw that there were others, even more
P12 196 attractive*- no awkward questions were asked.
P12 197 *# 2006
P13   1 **[475 TEXT P13**]
P13   2 ^*0This might account for much that puzzled her.
P13   3    |^*"Mollie, there's no sense in stalling when we both know our own
P13   4 minds. ^I've had girls before but never the real thing until now.
P13   5 ^I've been waiting for you darling. ^Thank God I found you in
P13   6 time...**"
P13   7    |^Again the premonition shook her. ^What did he mean?
P13   8    |^*"I've been waiting for you too,**" she said shyly. ^*"It's so
P13   9 simple really, isn't it?**"
P13  10    |^Either you were one of the lucky ones and met your fate, or you
P13  11 weren't*- and didn't. ^The world was a different place because she and
P13  12 Nigel had met. ^She drew a steadying breath, realising how near they
P13  13 had come to missing each other. ^If he'd gone to America they might
P13  14 never have met. ^Somewhere across the world he would have roamed about
P13  15 seeking her*- while she would have stayed home, doing the job nearest
P13  16 to her, but empty and unhappy. ^The thought brought the misty feeling
P13  17 back to her eyes. ^They were lucky.
P13  18    |^*"You feel as I do, so it couldn't be better,**" he whispered.
P13  19 ^*"Let's get out of here when I can do more than talk.**"
P13  20    |^Mollie followed him, bemused with happiness. ^She moved on a
P13  21 cloud, floating effortlessly out to the car. ^They got in without a
P13  22 word, and he drove on, careless of direction, intent only on getting
P13  23 her alone.
P13  24    |^*"Now.**" ^He slammed on the brake, drew into a lay-by.
P13  25 ^*"Darling girl...**"
P13  26    |^They were in a leafy lane, hedges high about them, the evening
P13  27 closing in slowly. ^It had not rained after all. ^She turned to him,
P13  28 her face showing her love and understanding.
P13  29    |^*"Nigel*- I love you.**"
P13  30    |^*"I know. ^I feel it here.**" ^He touched his broad chest, before
P13  31 drawing her into his arms. ^She trembled at his touch, realising his
P13  32 complete domination over her will. ^She had read of such things
P13  33 happening to others, but this was her first experience and she was
P13  34 unafraid. ^His cheek rested against hers, he held her close, and for
P13  35 the moment was content.
P13  36    |^*"I love you. ^Thank God I found you in time.**"
P13  37    |^She touched his face gently with her lips. ^*"It's wonderful. ^I
P13  38 didn't know it would be like this.**"
P13  39    |^*"I did*- with the right girl. ^We must be married at once,
P13  40 Mollie. ^I can't stand anything else. ^You must agree.**"
P13  41    |^Could any promise made before this moment really count? ^She
P13  42 subdued the rising uneasiness, wanting to promise Nigel anything he
P13  43 demanded.
P13  44    |^As if he read her thoughts he said: ^*"Your guardians haven't a
P13  45 hope of holding you to a promise made before we met. ^I'll talk them
P13  46 round. ^They can't withhold permission once we're determined.**"
P13  47    |^She laughed softly against his ear. ^*"It's remotely possible
P13  48 that they won't be swept off their feet as I have been...**"
P13  49    |^*"You'll make a fight for it, won't you?**" ^The words were an
P13  50 intimate whisper, and seemed to carry them forward more than anything
P13  51 yet.
P13  52    |^*"Yes. ^Oh, I will. ^I will.**"
P13  53    |^*"I want us to belong from the first possible moment.**"
P13  54    |^*"So do I.**" ^She wondered at herself, but no other *1answer
P13  55 *0was possible. ^*"I'm spineless*- I'd no idea it took one this
P13  56 way.**" ^Perhaps it wasn't always so. ^Perhaps other men were not as
P13  57 fascinating as Nigel, with his Viking appeal. ^She studied him
P13  58 quietly, seeing the strength in his face, that backed his
P13  59 handsomeness.
P13  60    |^He began to kiss her mouth, deliberately trying to rouse her,
P13  61 experiencing the first thrill of her being as she responded. ^He was
P13  62 quick to follow this with a more intimate embrace.
P13  63    |^*"I'm the first,**" he mused against her soft lips. ^*"The very
P13  64 first. ^I can tell*- and I'm glad. ^I wanted to be first*- with the
P13  65 one woman. ^You've never been kissed before.**"
P13  66    |^*"Not this way. ^Just cousins and things.**"
P13  67    |^*"Things?**" ^He pretended a brief jealousy.
P13  68    |^*"Games*- relatives*- and things...**"
P13  69    |^*"Not one of them kissed you so*- and so*- and so...**"
P13  70    |^*"No.**" ^She breathed lightly, because it seemed impossible to
P13  71 draw a long breath. ^*"Oh, please, Nigel...**" ^His increasing passion
P13  72 was almost more than she could bear just then, yet she wanted to
P13  73 respond, to be to him what he obviously wanted her to be. ^In the
P13  74 confines of the little car it was difficult to cast off a feeling of
P13  75 apprehension. ^She grew tense, wishing she had more experience. ^When
P13  76 was it time to call a halt? ^Perhaps it was all new to him, also, so
P13  77 she must go carefully. ^Her last wish was to hurt him, or to harm this
P13  78 wonderful feeling they shared. ^*"You*- you are going too fast for me,
P13  79 Nigel.**"
P13  80    |^*"Don't you like me to hold you?**"
P13  81    |^*"Yes, but...**"
P13  82    |^*"You'll get used to it, adorable baby. ^I'm glad you're not
P13  83 ready with all the answers. ^I always hoped for a girl like you. ^Most
P13  84 of them drive a chap too far.**"
P13  85    |^She realised that in spite of his words, he did place a brake on
P13  86 himself in some way and she felt considerably relieved. ^He leaned
P13  87 away, considering her, his eyes teasing. ^She felt shy again, gauche
P13  88 and young.
P13  89    |^*"You'll have to make an honest man of me soon, darling. ^Let's
P13  90 make plans. ^Definitely *1before *0I go to America! ^We both want
P13  91 that.**"
P13  92    |^*"I may not be able to travel with you.**"
P13  93    |^*"I can scarcely bear to leave you behind even for a few
P13  94 weeks.**"
P13  95    |^*"You're too impatient. ^Let's just be engaged for a few
P13  96 months.**" ^It would be so pleasant knowing that he loved her and was
P13  97 waiting for her, and they would have time to make a proper start to
P13  98 their life together.
P13  99    |^*"No. ^That's not enough. ^You know it too, but I forgive you
P13 100 because you don't realise what it means to me. ^We must be married,
P13 101 Mollie.**"
P13 102    |^*"Well*- won't it be worse if we're married*- and then I can't
P13 103 get out to you for months? ^There is all the business of the passport,
P13 104 and visa, you know what it's like.**"
P13 105    |^*"I could fly back every weekend.**"
P13 106    |^She laughed shakenly. ^*"You're in love.**"
P13 107    |^*"Yes, I am in love; be gentle with me, sweet Mollie.**"
P13 108    |^The appeal touched her heart. ^He drew her back into his embrace.
P13 109 ^She knew then that he was too big a man to conceal his feelings from
P13 110 her. ^His simplicity sprang from his strength of character, and was
P13 111 not weakness as she had first thought.
P13 112    |^*"You will come to see the family at the weekend. ^I'll make all
P13 113 necessary plans. ^They'll know I mean to marry you.**"
P13 114    |^*"They may feel that I'm unsuitable.**"
P13 115    |^*"It doesn't matter. ^It's what I want that counts now. ^I'm not
P13 116 a boy.**"
P13 117    |^*"You must meet my guardians too,**" she whispered.
P13 118    |^*"If that's what you want me to do, but it doesn't make any
P13 119 difference. ^I'll raise heaven and earth to get you. ^We've time if I
P13 120 start moving tomorrow. ^We'll treat the trip to America as a
P13 121 honeymoon.**"
P13 122    |^*"I should have thought that in this scientific age you'd be
P13 123 flying to America?**"
P13 124    |^*"No. ^My chief is doing so, but I'm taking out some special gear
P13 125 that we'll need over there. ^I must see to the loading and unloading,
P13 126 for some of the instruments are fantastically sensitive. ^Whether we
P13 127 reach the moon or not depends entirely on my efforts*- alone and
P13 128 unaided!**" ^He laughed at her crestfallen expression. ^*"I love to
P13 129 tease you darling. ^Actually I'll manage so much better with you
P13 130 along.**"
P13 131    |^*"I hope it's the right thing to do. ^Could it be a stumbling
P13 132 block in your career later on?**"
P13 133    |^*"Our marriage? ^No... but *1you *0may rue the day you ever met
P13 134 me.**"
P13 135    |^She put both hands to his face. ^*"I'll never do that, Nigel.
P13 136 ^I'll always understand. ^Men have jobs that take them out of a
P13 137 woman's sphere sometimes. ^I'll not be jealous of your work. ^At least
P13 138 I hope I won't.**"
P13 139    |^They sat for an hour, bemused by their happiness, feeling that
P13 140 all things were possible. ^The tremendous difficulties ahead began to
P13 141 dissolve beneath their sanguine hopes. ^Night was closing in when
P13 142 Nigel thrust both hands through his thick hair and sat erect. ^He
P13 143 pressed the self-starter grimly.
P13 144    |^*"We'll call it a day. ^I must see Terence tonight and tell him
P13 145 our news. ^I must also be in London before breakfast. ^Don't forget
P13 146 your promise to spend next weekend with me at home.**"
P13 147    |^She sat back, knowing that he was leading and she must follow.
P13 148 ^She felt depressed when she remembered the promise made to her
P13 149 guardians. ^Would they understand that this feeling for Nigel was
P13 150 something she had not foreseen?
P13 151    |^*"Are you regretting anything?**" Nigel said, as he drew up in
P13 152 front of the stone steps leading to the main hall of the college.
P13 153 ^*"Wait*- we didn't say goodbye.**" ^It was a stormy, protracted
P13 154 farewell, which bewildered her. ^Nothing could possibly be as
P13 155 important as this. ^He opened the car door for her, following quickly
P13 156 on to the steps. ^*"I'll see you in, darling.**"
P13 157    |^*"It really isn't necessary...**" ^Yet it was comforting to know
P13 158 herself protected. ^She went up the steps ahead of him. ^The door
P13 159 opened before they reached it.
P13 160    |^Terence stood looking down at them. ^His expression was cold,
P13 161 utterly unreadable. ^He was not in the least like Nigel then. ^He was
P13 162 wearing a navy double-breasted suit and looked formal and stiff to
P13 163 her. ^Some of the stiffness was in his bearing, and she realised in
P13 164 surprise that he was angry*- very angry. ^For an instant she
P13 165 hesitated. ^She felt that Nigel was momentarily startled too. ^They'd
P13 166 both forgotten about Terence.
P13 167    |^*"So there you are.**" ^Terence spoke first, through set lips.
P13 168 ^*"I might have known you'd be together. ^You could have given me a
P13 169 hint, Nigel.**"
P13 170    |^*"None of your business*- was it?**" Nigel said.
P13 171    |^Mollie glanced from one to the other in keen dismay. ^It was to
P13 172 Terence that she made her appeal. ^Why was he so angry? ^*"Please,
P13 173 Terence...**"
P13 174    |^His cold smile did not reach his eyes. ^*"All right.**"
P13 175    |^She looked back at Nigel, seeing his mocking smile as if he
P13 176 appreciated Terence's temper. ^There was a tiny silence, which she did
P13 177 not try to break.
P13 178    |^*"Now you're here you can give me a lift back, Nigel.**" ^Terence
P13 179 was trying to recover lost ground, but finding it difficult.
P13 180    |^Mollie was so unprepared for this open antagonism between the two
P13 181 men that she did not know how to cope. ^Dismay held her silent and
P13 182 uncomfortable. ^Had they quarrelled earlier in the day? ^She thought
P13 183 Terence looked white and wondered why he was there, as if awaiting
P13 184 them.
P13 185    |^*"Don't be in such a hurry to push me off,**" Nigel drawled as if
P13 186 amused. ^*"It may interest you to know that Mollie and I are engaged*-
P13 187 we'll make it official as from next weekend. ^We are to be married as
P13 188 soon after that as I can manage it*- any objections, old man?**"
P13 189    |^The silence was quite terrifying to Mollie as she looked up at
P13 190 Terence. ^What was wrong? ^She had not known either of them long
P13 191 enough to guess at the source of the trouble, and she had certainly
P13 192 not been guilty of flirting with either of them.
P13 193    |^Terence made an effort to answer the challenge. ^He was a more
P13 194 slender man than Nigel, but still stood about six feet tall. ^He felt
P13 195 mechanically in his pocket for a cigarette, and they waited as he
P13 196 lighted it.
P13 197    |^*"Congratulations,**" he said, puffing out a cloud of smoke.
P13 198    |^Nigel grinned and waved a hand in an airy salute, evidently
P13 199 knowing that he could not at that moment expect more from his brother.
P13 200 ^*"Thank you.**"
P13 201    |^Had Terence expected this would happen, and had tried to save his
P13 202 brother from committing himself? ^Nigel had hinted that she was not
P13 203 the first girl in his life, and she realised with a fresh pang that he
P13 204 had seemed thoroughly experienced in the way he'd tried to rouse her.
P13 205    |^*"Aren't you going to kiss your future sister-in-law?**" Nigel
P13 206 said.
P13 207    |^*"I'll claim that privilege on the wedding day.**" ^Terence
P13 208 turned away.
P13 209    |^Nigel stared hard at him, not too pleased, but for once bereft of
P13 210 words.
P13 211 *# 2003
P14   1 **[476 TEXT P14**]
P14   2    |^*0Lois did so, deftly removed her scarf and gloves and followed
P14   3 her friend into the house. ^Bertie and Robert were in the living-room
P14   4 which, despite the bright fire, had a cold, unused appearance, natural
P14   5 enough considering that Bertie preferred the kitchen and Joan was
P14   6 always too busy to sit down anywhere.
P14   7    |^Lois's arrival seemed to warm and enliven the atmosphere, and, as
P14   8 Joan had predicted, there were no gaps in the conversation. ^She was
P14   9 not in the least self-conscious and so obviously bubbling over with
P14  10 youthful high spirits that the two men could be almost *1seen *0to
P14  11 thaw in her presence. ^Before she came, there had been a slight
P14  12 stiffness, due chiefly to the fact that they were practically
P14  13 strangers with little in common.
P14  14    |^Joan brought in tea, tiny, diamond-shaped sandwiches and cake.
P14  15 ^Waiting on the others, she was a little hurt by their attitude.
P14  16 ^Bertie, as usual, expected to have everything done for him and
P14  17 Robert's attention was given to Lois. ^Every now and then he would
P14  18 turn to Joan, including her in the conversation, but she could not
P14  19 help feeling that he regarded her as a mere child, the little girl who
P14  20 had been the Rose Queen*- even though he had forgotten her! ^Whereas,
P14  21 he treated Lois in a subtly different manner. ^More like a woman,
P14  22 thought Joan, though she was three years younger than herself. ^It
P14  23 must always be like that, she supposed. ^The pretty ones got
P14  24 everything! ^And Lois was essentially feminine, although it would have
P14  25 been unfair to dismiss her as a mere flirt. ^She was interested in
P14  26 men, her looks and manner aroused their interest. ^*'And I,**' thought
P14  27 Joan, *'am interested only in Robert. ^As for my looks, they don't
P14  28 amount to a row of pins in contrast with what Lois has to offer.**'
P14  29    |^After tea, they sat round the fire. ^When Bertie had visualised
P14  30 Joan taking Robert on a tour of the property, he had forgotten how
P14  31 short the afternoons were. ^Darkness was already gathering, and when
P14  32 it became necessary for Joan to excuse herself in order to feed the
P14  33 hens, there was still no chance for him to be alone with Lois. ^Robert
P14  34 was left to play third whether he liked it or not. ^Apparently he did.
P14  35 ^He and Lois were getting on splendidly together.
P14  36    |^*"I thought you were a hermit, \0Mr. Hepworth. ^Joan says you've
P14  37 been away, but I pictured you shut up at Silverstone, the windows
P14  38 shuttered, the tradesmen leaving just enough food outside the back
P14  39 door.**"
P14  40    |^Robert looked at her with amusement. ^*"Are you disappointed?**"
P14  41    |^*"Quite the reverse, but I do wish you were married.**"
P14  42    |^Robert laughed outright. ^*"You're a bit young to be a
P14  43 match-maker. ^It's a favourite hobby of those who can't*- well, match
P14  44 themselves!**"
P14  45    |^*"Oh, I don't bother about most people, but if *1you *0had a
P14  46 wife, it would be such fun. ^She would be living in the largest house
P14  47 for miles, and she'd give lovely parties and everything would be gay.
P14  48 ^Larchwood is a bit flat, you know. ^My stepmother plays bridge and
P14  49 that's awful. ^You should see their faces, as solemn as if they were
P14  50 at a funeral and if you dare interrupt they chop your head off. ^There
P14  51 are the church bazaars, too, and outings and amateur theatricals and
P14  52 the Women's Institute, but nothing can be compared to the parties your
P14  53 wife would give.**"
P14  54    |^Bertie was frowning at her, afraid that Robert would imagine she
P14  55 was giving him too broad a hint. ^It was a bit *1much *0the way she
P14  56 was carrying on, he reflected. ^Of course, she was so sweet and
P14  57 innocent she didn't realise she might be giving a false impression.
P14  58    |^*"Lois works at \0Mrs. Harris's Dress Shop in Waverley,**" he
P14  59 told Robert. ^*"I expect she's thinking how good it would be for trade
P14  60 if there was a touch more social life here. ^She's gifted at her
P14  61 job.**"
P14  62    |^He glanced at her with pride, glad to show her in a different
P14  63 light from the one produced by her own scatter-brained chatter.
P14  64    |^Lois threw up her pretty little soft hands in a gesture of
P14  65 protest.
P14  66    |^*"You ought to hear \0Mrs. Harris's opinion of me! ^The things I
P14  67 forget! ^The things I don't do! ^She'd have fired me long ago if it
P14  68 wasn't for my figure. ^I can model clothes, you see. ^She has to admit
P14  69 they look better on me than on any of the other girls, and that makes
P14  70 the customers more inclined to give an order.**"
P14  71    |^Feeling a trifle out of his depth, Robert said: ^*"Do you like
P14  72 your job, Miss Wade?**"
P14  73    |^*"I would if the clothes were real.**"
P14  74    |^Robert floundered deeper than ever, and, seeing his expression of
P14  75 bewilderment, she added: ^*"\0Mrs. Harris has to please her customers
P14  76 and they're mostly farmers' wives or just the locals. ^Not that she
P14  77 could fly higher. ^She hasn't got it in her. ^But, if I never marry, I
P14  78 shall try to get a job in London, modelling. ^I get fed up with
P14  79 ordinary clothes, *1garments. ^*0I'd like a real creation.**"
P14  80    |^Her eyes were large and dreamy as if gazing upon some celestial
P14  81 vision. ^How odd women were, thought Robert, amazed at her reverence
P14  82 for what he considered so trivial. ^Bertie, however, pounced on one
P14  83 sentence of hers.
P14  84    |^*"How d'you mean *1if *0you never marry? ^Of course you'll marry.
P14  85 ^There isn't any never about it.**"
P14  86    |^At this moment, Joan re-entered the room. ^Tom had managed to
P14  87 escape having to accompany his wife to evening service, and, in what
P14  88 Joan considered a most touching way, had insisted on finishing all the
P14  89 final chores.
P14  90    |^*"You run along and enjoy yourself with your friends, Miss
P14  91 Sutton. ^It's not often you get the chance of wearing a nice red dress
P14  92 instead of your old blue trousers. ^Apron over it's all right with
P14  93 chicken, but, with the old sow there's bound to be trouble. ^Rub
P14  94 herself against you as likely as not, and then where will you be?**"
P14  95    |^*"Rolling in the mud, I expect, Tom,**" she responded,
P14  96 laughingly.
P14  97    |^*"That's \5egg-zactly what I meant. ^You go indoors and keep
P14  98 yourself nice and clean for once.**"
P14  99    |^Obeying him thankfully, Joan slung her apron on to a peg, shed
P14 100 her rubber boots in favour of high-heeled black shoes and combed her
P14 101 hair in front of the small mirror in the kitchen.
P14 102    |^A nice red dress, Tom had said. ^Probably that was how it looked
P14 103 in his eyes, and she had herself chosen to wear it in preference to
P14 104 her blue woollen or the tweeds, believing, hoping*- even though rather
P14 105 shamefacedly*- that Robert would notice her and think she was pretty.
P14 106 ^The blue suited her better, bringing out the colour of her eyes, but
P14 107 she knew she must do something to distinguish herself if possible.
P14 108 ^Lois was so fascinating that whether she wished it or not she was
P14 109 always a powerful rival. ^The deep red colour of this dress would
P14 110 surely procure its wearer a little attention.
P14 111    |^During tea, however, Joan realised that she might just as well
P14 112 have worn her ancient corduroy trousers, or swathed herself in a red
P14 113 blanket! ^There wasn't a man in the world who would have given her a
P14 114 second glance while Lois was in the room. ^She heaved a sigh, then
P14 115 laughed at herself for being so silly and self-pitying. ^It was her
P14 116 own fault for inviting Robert on a day when Lois would be there, and,
P14 117 instead of standing about, feeling sorry for herself, she ought to be
P14 118 doing something to help poor Bertie. ^He must be itching to get rid of
P14 119 the other man.
P14 120    |^Entering the living-room, Joan put forward the first excuse she
P14 121 could think of to ensure that her brother might have his coveted few
P14 122 minutes alone with the girl he loved.
P14 123    |^*"\0Mr. Hepworth*- I mean Robert*- I wonder if you'd mind coming
P14 124 upstairs to look at a damp patch we've got. ^I thought*- while you're
P14 125 here...**"
P14 126    |^He rose at once, but she saw the surprise he could not altogether
P14 127 hide. ^Although technically the owner, his father's old bailiff
P14 128 performed all that was necessary from a landlord.
P14 129    |^He followed Joan up to the next floor, without comment.
P14 130 ^Meanwhile, she was racking her brains for a means of delaying him,
P14 131 and, at the same time, was wondering where to take him. ^There were
P14 132 three bedrooms, Bertie's, the one where she slept and which had
P14 133 formerly belonged to Uncle Greg, and a tiny spare room, kept sacred
P14 134 for the infrequent visitor. ^Avoiding all these, she led him up the
P14 135 remaining few stairs to the loft, flicking on lights as she went.
P14 136    |^*"I'm sorry to take you away from the fire.**"
P14 137    |^*"I'm not a hot-house plant, I shan't wither. ^Where's the damp
P14 138 you mentioned?**"
P14 139    |^Joan glanced wildly about her. ^There was an old couch whose
P14 140 upholstery needed repairing, two tin trunks, a large lithograph of
P14 141 Canterbury Cathedral in a hideous frame and some cardboard boxes. ^The
P14 142 walls were white-washed and the ceiling innocent of any stain.
P14 143    |^Blushing scarlet, she stammered: ^*"There isn't any \5d-damp.**"
P14 144    |^*"Then why the blazes did you say there was?**"
P14 145    |^*"I*- I just wanted*- people sometimes like to be alone
P14 146 together*- please try to understand.**"
P14 147    |^Raising her eyes to his, she saw that he was looking at her with
P14 148 an expression of contempt.
P14 149    |^*"I believe I do understand,**" he said. ^*"Well, if you really
P14 150 want it, you can have it.**"
P14 151    |^Before she realised what he meant, he caught her by the
P14 152 shoulders, drawing her towards him. ^She had an instant's glimpse of
P14 153 grey eyes, hard as steel, then his lips were on hers.
P14 154    |^For one fleeting second, her senses reeled and a sweet thrill ran
P14 155 through every nerve. ^Then she had wrenched herself free, her cheeks
P14 156 burning, her eyes bright with unshed angry tears.
P14 157    |^*"How dare you!**" she gasped.
P14 158    |^*"Very easily. ^You've never taken your eyes off me the whole
P14 159 afternoon, yesterday you managed to fling yourself into my arms*- I
P14 160 thought it was an accident at the time, I admit, but in face of this,
P14 161 I'm not so sure.**"
P14 162    |^*"You conceited idiot!**" exclaimed Joan, furiously.
P14 163    |^*"No, I don't flatter myself it's my superior charms which turned
P14 164 your head. ^I can imagine how bored you must get here, but you
P14 165 shouldn't play with fire, you might get the wrong man.**"
P14 166    |^*"I have,**" she retorted. ^*"I don't know anyone who could have
P14 167 behaved so abominably. ^It *1was *0an accident yesterday, I fell over
P14 168 my shopping bag.**"
P14 169    |^*"At the very moment when I happened to be there to catch you. ^I
P14 170 suppose you'll tell me next that staring at me all afternoon was
P14 171 merely the natural anxiety of a hostess waiting to pour out the second
P14 172 cup of tea.**" ^Robert was speaking as unkindly as he could, driven to
P14 173 it by a frightful suspicion that he had made an unforgivable mistake.
P14 174 ^*"If you're so innocent,**" he went on, *"show me the damp patch on
P14 175 the wall*- or would you prefer me to search the ceiling?**"
P14 176    |^Joan positively stamped her foot with rage. ^*"There isn't a damp
P14 177 patch. ^It was an excuse to get you out of the room.**"
P14 178    |^*"Ah, now we're getting at the truth,**" he interposed,
P14 179 sarcastically.
P14 180    |^*"*1Will *0you listen to me and stop interrupting! ^The reason
P14 181 why I wanted to take you away from the others is that my brother's in
P14 182 love with Lois. ^He never gets a chance of being alone with her and I
P14 183 thought*- oh, never mind, you'd never understand. ^Think what you like
P14 184 of me. ^Why should I care? ^You're only a stranger. ^Besides, I've
P14 185 done what I wanted to. ^They *1are *0alone together.**"
P14 186    |^She spoke with an air of triumph which had very little to do with
P14 187 her true feelings. ^For one dreadful moment she had longed to slap his
P14 188 face, just as hard as she possibly could. ^Now, all she wanted was to
P14 189 drop on to the beastly old broken couch in the corner and sob her
P14 190 heart out.
P14 191    |^Robert spoke apologetically.
P14 192    |^*"I'm sorry. ^I've made an appalling mistake, I see that now.**"
P14 193    |^*"Sorry!**" she repeated, derisively.
P14 194 *# 2001
P15   1 **[477 TEXT P15**]
P15   2    |^*0We were on a stretch of straight road, climbing up towards the
P15   3 Heights, and he risked taking his eyes from the road for a second to
P15   4 look fully at me. ^I couldn't read anything from his face. ^Apart from
P15   5 a certain gravity there was nothing in it but the impersonal scrutiny
P15   6 that belonged to his vocation. ^He let another car overtake him before
P15   7 he spoke.
P15   8    |^*"Still speaking from a professional point of view,**" he said,
P15   9 *"I would strongly advise you to pay a visit to your doctor in the
P15  10 very near future.**"
P15  11    |^I didn't answer him until we had reached the row of cottages that
P15  12 nestled in a hollow underneath the final ascent to the Heights. ^He
P15  13 drew the car to a stop on the green in front of the last one in the
P15  14 row and was in the act of getting out when I said quietly, ^*"You're a
P15  15 doctor.**"
P15  16    |^He reached over into the back and lifted out his bag.
P15  17    |^*"But not yours, \0Mrs. Landry. ^I attend only to the lower
P15  18 members of your household.**"
P15  19    |^He said it quite without rancour, and I was positive none was
P15  20 intended. ^*"But you could be mine,**" I insisted.
P15  21    |^He inclined his head. ^*"I could, yes. ^But I would advise you to
P15  22 see your own man, one who knows and understands you.**" ^He shut the
P15  23 door and leaned down through the window to ask, ^*"Are you coming in,
P15  24 \0Mrs. Landry?**"
P15  25    |^*"No.**" ^I shook my head. ^*"No*- I'd rather not.**"
P15  26    |^*"As you wish. ^I may be a little while in here. ^You've time to
P15  27 climb up to the Heights if you feel like it. ^The view is well worth
P15  28 the scramble if you haven't seen it before.**"
P15  29    |^I waited until he had disappeared into the cottage before I got
P15  30 out and started up the path that wound its way up behind the row of
P15  31 houses. ^I had been there before and I wasn't particularly interested
P15  32 in the view. ^It was the old restlessness that drove me on once I
P15  33 found myself alone, away from the calming influence of his presence.
P15  34    |^I was panting by the time I got to the top and sank on to a small
P15  35 outcrop of rock. ^I got my cigarette case out with a certain amount of
P15  36 defiance and watched the blue smoke drift lazily away on the still
P15  37 air.
P15  38    |^The view was a magnificent one even in the distant haze of the
P15  39 November morning. ^The sun caught and sparkled on the river as it
P15  40 wound its leisurely way far below. ^Bare of leaves, the wooded
P15  41 hillside had a stark beauty, and the fields still held practically the
P15  42 fresh greenness of midsummer.
P15  43    |^I was sitting there, lost to time, when I heard the foot-steps
P15  44 behind me and turned to see \0Dr. Broderick clambering over the uneven
P15  45 ground. ^I jumped up in quick remorse.
P15  46    |^*"Oh, I'm sorry*- I've kept you waiting,**" I said hurriedly, but
P15  47 he waved me back on to my rock.
P15  48    |^*"There's no hurry,**" he said. ^*"I guessed you'd be up here. ^I
P15  49 often come up myself when I'm out this way.**"
P15  50    |^He sank on to the rock next to me. ^I noticed that he was not in
P15  51 the least exerted by the rather stiff climb. ^His breath came evenly.
P15  52    |^And, strangely, I felt a return of that calmness. ^I sat there
P15  53 quietly with him, waiting. ^I had the feeling that he was waiting,
P15  54 too*- serenely patient.
P15  55    |^But it was a long time before I spoke. ^He hadn't invited my
P15  56 confidence*- rather he seemed to have gone out of his way, a little
P15  57 earlier, to reject it. ^He might not like me but I felt that he would
P15  58 listen, and that he would have an understanding I could never expect
P15  59 from Charles.
P15  60    |^And so I said at last, ^*"I think I'm losing my reason, \0Dr.
P15  61 Broderick.**"
P15  62    |^He gave me no more than a casual glance.
P15  63    |^*"And what makes you think that?**" he asked calmly. ^*"As a
P15  64 rule, a person who is becoming mentally unhinged is the very last to
P15  65 suspect anything is wrong.**"
P15  66    |^*"But I can't remember who I am,**" I said, wretchedly. ^*"I know
P15  67 that I must be Lisa Landry, and that Charles is my husband and Joanna
P15  68 my daughter*- but I don't know them. ^I don't know anyone with whom I
P15  69 come in contact*- the servants, our neighbours*- I didn't know *1you
P15  70 *0the other day*-**"
P15  71    |^*"Just a minute, \0Mrs. Landry,**" he broke in gently. ^*"Loss of
P15  72 memory is a very common occurrence. ^There are many factors that can
P15  73 contribute to its cause. ^You mustn't worry that you're losing your
P15  74 reason because you're suffering from a temporary amnesia*-**"
P15  75    |^*"But it's more than that. ^Don't you see? ^I *1have *0a memory*-
P15  76 but it isn't the right one.**"
P15  77    |^*"What do you mean by that?**"
P15  78    |^I asked him then the question I had wanted to ask the vicar, that
P15  79 man of God. ^The question I had been too afraid to ask myself in the
P15  80 darkness of the unsleeping night.
P15  81    |^I asked it unflinchingly, out of the stillness which had
P15  82 descended suddenly upon us.
P15  83    |^*"Do you believe, \0Dr. Broderick, that the soul of a girl who
P15  84 has been dead nearly sixteen years could inhabit and take possession
P15  85 of a complete stranger?**"
P15  86 *<*67*>
P15  87    |^*2THERE *0was a bird singing in a tree near at hand. ^I couldn't
P15  88 see it but the high, sweet notes of its song held a plaintive,
P15  89 appealing sadness. ^The faint whirring of some distant machinery
P15  90 reached us clearly, a dull monotonous sound. ^When \0Dr. Broderick
P15  91 moved his foot suddenly I jumped nervously.
P15  92    |^He had sat quietly, not looking at me, his face quite inscrutable
P15  93 so that I had no means of knowing what he was thinking. ^When he spoke
P15  94 at last he sounded oddly helpless in his hesitation.
P15  95    |^*"My dear girl*- I don't profess to know anything about the
P15  96 spiritual body*- only the physical one. ^A clergyman would be better
P15  97 equipped than I am to answer such a question. ^But tell me why you ask
P15  98 it?**"
P15  99    |^I took a deep breath and faced him fully.
P15 100    |^*"Because that's what I think has happened to me. ^If it hasn't*-
P15 101 then I know I am mad.**" ^I gave a little mirthless laugh. ^*"Take
P15 102 your choice, \0Dr. Broderick, which would you rather be if you were
P15 103 me*- possessed or insane?**"
P15 104    |^*"What makes you think you are either?**"
P15 105    |^*"There's nothing else I can think*- when the only life I know is
P15 106 that of a girl who has been dead more than fifteen years.**"
P15 107    |^I took the cigarette he offered, drawing at it raggedly. ^I gave
P15 108 him a quick, nervous glance but he wasn't looking at me. ^He was
P15 109 gazing out across the wooded stretch beneath us. ^I knew that he was
P15 110 waiting for me to go on but wouldn't hurry me, that his calmness
P15 111 didn't mean that he was disinterested.
P15 112    |^I started to tell him about Dorcas Mallory. ^I began with abrupt,
P15 113 sometimes not quite coherent sentences, but presently beneath the
P15 114 soothing influence of his quiet attention I went on more fluently.
P15 115    |^I told him about her adoption when she was a child*- no more than
P15 116 three years old*- so that there was no memory of a previous life
P15 117 before that with the Mallorys. ^There was only a vague recollection,
P15 118 too, of the new mother who had died not much more than a year later.
P15 119 ^But the memory of the life with Adrian Mallory was clear. ^I told him
P15 120 of her childhood in the house, High Towers*- a lonely childhood,
P15 121 perhaps, but a happy one, with dear old Henrietta and the kindly
P15 122 \0Mrs. Bakewell. ^I told him of small, uninteresting incidents that
P15 123 only Dorcas Mallory could have known; those trivial, everyday
P15 124 occurrences that mean nothing to anyone other than the person they
P15 125 happened to. ^I evoked memories of old Henrietta who probably hadn't
P15 126 been as old as she seemed at that time to the young Dorcas*- of her
P15 127 warm motherliness and her fragrance of lavender; of Adrian Mallory,
P15 128 his shyness and his gentle kindness, and as I talked about him I think
P15 129 I realized for the first time that I would never see him again*- that
P15 130 perhaps I had never known him, for how could I have done so? ^I know
P15 131 that I talked of him with a sadness that went deep inside me.
P15 132    |^I recalled Dorcas Mallory's schooldays*- rather lonely schooldays
P15 133 with not many close friends because the reserve that was in Adrian
P15 134 Mallory was in Dorcas, too. ^But she had not particularly felt the
P15 135 loneliness and the holidays had been happy ones*- spent mostly at
P15 136 home, at first because of her father's reluctance to travel and then
P15 137 because the war made travelling impracticable.
P15 138    |^When I told him about Russ I found it difficult to speak
P15 139 impersonally. ^There was so much that I couldn't put into words, not
P15 140 even to someone as understanding as \0Dr. Broderick. ^How could I
P15 141 possibly describe to anyone the love between Russell Winslow and
P15 142 Dorcas Mallory? ^My voice broke when I finally told him of the wedding
P15 143 that never took place, of the journey to London of Dorcas and Adrian
P15 144 Mallory, of the happiness of that girl on the eve of her marriage.
P15 145    |^I sat silent at last, my head bent, watching the slight breeze
P15 146 lazily stirring a curled brown leaf at my feet. ^It rustled faintly as
P15 147 it moved, and then a sharper breath of wind caught it and hurried it
P15 148 away.
P15 149    |^\0Dr. Broderick said gently, ^*"What then?**"
P15 150    |^I looked up, somehow startled that he had been unable to follow
P15 151 the wistful trend of my mind. ^*"What then?**" I repeated, and then,
P15 152 keeping my voice as steady and expressionless as I could, ^*"Dorcas
P15 153 and her father were killed in an air raid. ^There was no wedding.
P15 154 ^They both died that night.**"
P15 155    |^*"This girl you have been telling me about*- she is the
P15 156 one...?**" ^He paused uncertainly. ^I think his logical mind found it
P15 157 difficult to put my fantastic supposition into words. ^I waited to see
P15 158 if he would continue.
P15 159    |^When he didn't, I said, ^*"I woke up on the day of Joanna's
P15 160 wedding thinking that it was *1my *0wedding day. ^I didn't know where
P15 161 I was, or why, but the events I have been telling you about*- that
P15 162 evening in London*- were so clear to me that I thought it was still
P15 163 April, 1944. ^I took up Dorcas Mallory's life exactly at the point
P15 164 where she died.**" ^He stirred slightly as though he would have
P15 165 interrupted but I went on, ^*"I can't tell you a single thing about
P15 166 Lisa Landry's life prior to that morning in August, but I can tell you
P15 167 all about Dorcas Mallory. ^I can tell you of these things that no
P15 168 one*- not even Charles*- could have told me. ^I am Lisa Landry*- but
P15 169 my mind is Dorcas Mallory.**"
P15 170    |^He said, ^*"Charles*- your husband?**"
P15 171    |^*"Yes.**"
P15 172    |^*"Why do you say*- that even Charles could not have told you?
P15 173 ^How could he know anything at all*-**"
P15 174    |^*"Charles and Adrian Mallory were stepbrothers,**" I said. ^*"I*-
P15 175 Dorcas never saw him until a few weeks before*- before she died. ^He
P15 176 spent most of his time in Canada.**"
P15 177    |^*"Did *1you *0know this girl?**"
P15 178    |^*"No.**"
P15 179    |^*"But you probably heard your husband talk about her?**"
P15 180    |^*"He never really knew her.**" ^I said it defensively, but
P15 181 against what I wasn't quite sure. ^*"I told you*- Dorcas never met him
P15 182 until a few weeks before she was killed. ^And then she barely knew
P15 183 him*- they only met a very few times. ^Charles couldn't possibly know
P15 184 all the things I have told you about her.**"
P15 185    |^*"He could know a good deal of it,**" he said gently. ^*"And some
P15 186 of the things... ^Are you quite sure that you *1know *0these things,
P15 187 or could you have imagined them?**"
P15 188    |^*"No!**" ^I said it with a sense of outrage. ^*"No one could
P15 189 possibly *1imagine *0everything I know about Dorcas Mallory*- every
P15 190 detail of her life*- every incident, day by day. ^And Russ...**"
P15 191    |^*"The man Dorcas was to marry?**"
P15 192    |^*"Yes*- I knew him immediately I saw him. ^How could I have
P15 193 recognized a man *1I *0have never met?**"
P15 194 *# 2009
P16   1 **[478 TEXT P16**]
P16   2 ^*0Yes, he would see Mackinnon and see if he could get anything out of
P16   3 him. ^For Jane's sake he would have to know. ^So that this could be
P16   4 stopped before it was too late*- if it was not too late already. ^To
P16   5 his surprise he found himself hoping that there was nothing dreadful
P16   6 to discover. ^For Jane's sake, of course. ^She would be hurt. ^And he
P16   7 did not want her hurt. ^And young Grant*- damn it, he had almost liked
P16   8 him the other night. ^And he could not help admiring him, for his guts
P16   9 in tackling the job he was tackling.
P16  10    |^But Alison, who, after all had brought up four daughters, seemed
P16  11 to think it would all fade out. ^And Elizabeth had some plans...
P16  12    |^*"You'll be starting counting days to your holiday soon, Jane,**"
P16  13 he said cheerfully.
P16  14    |^Jane smiled but did not answer. ^If she counted days it would be
P16  15 for a reason contrary to what the General thought. ^She gave him half
P16  16 her attention as he went on talking about what Elizabeth had said in
P16  17 her last letter, conjecturing about when they would see Susan again.
P16  18 ^She was thinking of how she would tell Neil what her father had said
P16  19 about his parents, seeing the look of relief which would come into his
P16  20 dark eyes when he knew his aunt's disparaging remarks had had no
P16  21 foundation in fact. ^How glad she was that Neil could now look back to
P16  22 his young parents with affection, untouched by fear. ^How glad she was
P16  23 that they had decided to recreate that flower garden which Angus
P16  24 seemed to think had been created by Neil's mother.
P16  25    |^*"Father, I'm going to ask you for a heap of cuttings in the
P16  26 autumn. ^There's a wide strip of land at Dalnadoire which Angus says
P16  27 was once a garden. ^So we*-**" she coloured and changed it, *"so Neil
P16  28 is going to start it again. ^I've said we'd give him lots of
P16  29 plants.**"
P16  30    |^*"Plants! ^Plenty of those, Jane.**" ^Here the General was in his
P16  31 element. ^*"Come out when you've finished, and we'll mark what you
P16  32 want. ^Best to do that when they're flowering.**" ^He got up stiffly
P16  33 out of his chair. ^*"There's that new delphinium I put in last autumn.
P16  34 ^Coming out now. ^Grand colour. ^You'd like it in the background,
P16  35 Jane. ^And it's growing so well that it will split. ^Come out and look
P16  36 at it?**"
P16  37    |^*"Yes. ^I'll just get rid of these.**" ^She got up from the
P16  38 table, stacking dishes, and smiled to herself as she ran between the
P16  39 dining-room and the kitchen. ^Once they got to know Neil they would be
P16  40 sure to like him. ^She would just need to have patience.
P16  41    |^The next three weeks went by with what seemed to be an
P16  42 astonishing rapidity. ^Jane had had little enthusiasm for her holiday
P16  43 at the beginning, but now she had even less. ^To have to exchange,
P16  44 even for a fortnight, the warm happiness of being with Neil, of
P16  45 sharing with him their growing love, of watching how everything was
P16  46 progressing at the farm she was coming to love as much as he did, for
P16  47 Elizabeth and her lectures, for spells of baby-sitting, and keeping at
P16  48 arm's length the rather callow young men whom Elizabeth seemed to
P16  49 know, was far from pleasing. ^But she could see no way to get out of
P16  50 it. ^Her mother was constantly talking of it, enlarging on the
P16  51 supposed pleasures in store, expecting from her an enthusiasm which
P16  52 Jane could not produce.
P16  53    |^That Lady Rose was thinking more of getting Jane away from
P16  54 Drumlairig than of her having an enjoyable holiday, Jane was well
P16  55 aware. ^General Rose might be starting to think more kindly of Neil,
P16  56 be beginning to take an interest in him and his doings, to see in him
P16  57 something to admire, but her mother was not. ^To her Neil Grant was
P16  58 still someone of so little account that he could be completely
P16  59 ignored. ^It almost seemed that she was completely unaware of her
P16  60 daughter's friendship with him.
P16  61    |^But, despite that, for Jane those weeks were happy ones. ^Neil
P16  62 was still working hard, indeed seemed to be working even harder.
P16  63 ^There was so much to be done and everything had to be done in a
P16  64 manner conforming to the high standard he had set himself. ^Dalnadoire
P16  65 was beginning to look like a well-kept, prosperous farm, the old house
P16  66 was being gradually cleaned and painted.
P16  67    |^Jane watched progress with eager, loving eyes, was there to give
P16  68 praise and encouragement.
P16  69    |^The weather was fine, the days were hot, but one morning Jane,
P16  70 rising early as usual, looked out of her window to see that the trees
P16  71 and the chimneys were almost blotted out by mist. ^There was not a
P16  72 mountain to be seen and there was a stillness over everything. ^Was
P16  73 this the first sign that autumn was coming? ^Surely it was still too
P16  74 early in the year for that, but everything was early this year. ^But
P16  75 whatever it was it was a disagreeable morning, and she would need to
P16  76 get away quickly for it would take her much longer to walk that mile
P16  77 to the station with visibility a mere ten yards.
P16  78    |^Shrouded in a mackintosh, shivering a little in the damp still
P16  79 air, she hurried down the drive. ^It felt as if she were alone in the
P16  80 world. ^Apart from the never ceasing swishing and pounding of the
P16  81 river, there was not a movement, not a sound. ^And then a dog barked,
P16  82 another joined in excitedly, and two small forms ran eagerly towards
P16  83 her.
P16  84    |^*"Why Rory! ^Gill! ^What are you doing here?**" she exclaimed and
P16  85 looked beyond them, as a man's figure loomed out of the mist.
P16  86    |^*"Morning, Jane,**" Neil was greeting her cheerfully. ^*"Want a
P16  87 lift?**" ^He put an arm about her shoulders, smiling at her surprised
P16  88 face. ^*"Not the sort of morning for a walk. ^Here's the car.**"
P16  89    |^*"Why, Neil! ^I never expected to see you. ^Are you going to the
P16  90 station?**"
P16  91    |^*"Yes.**" ^He had the door of the car opened. ^*"In you get.**"
P16  92    |^She got in, the puppies scrambled in after her and she let them
P16  93 jump eagerly on to her lap as Neil went round to the driver's seat.
P16  94    |^*"Have you something to collect, Neil?**"
P16  95    |^He shook his head as he started the engine and they moved off.
P16  96 ^*"I want to see you get safely there,**" he said quietly.
P16  97    |^*"You mean*- you've come especially to take me?**"
P16  98    |^He smiled. ^*"You don't think I was going to have you walking
P16  99 that lonely road on a morning like this?**"
P16 100    |^*"Oh, Neil!**" she murmured and felt wonderful. ^And when in a
P16 101 few minutes they reached the station, she leaned over, put her hands
P16 102 on his shoulders and kissed him on the mouth, not caring at all that a
P16 103 smiling Willie MacIntyre was an interested spectator.
P16 104    |^There were many other small incidents to show Jane what she was
P16 105 to Neil, to make her feel warm and rich and essential. ^On the
P16 106 Tuesdays when she met him in Inverness for lunch, they usually managed
P16 107 to have a little time left after their meal was over. ^At first they
P16 108 had walked along the river to the islands, or climbed the hill to the
P16 109 castle, looking at the statue of Flora MacDonald, at the view westward
P16 110 at which she gazed. ^But latterly they had spent their time among the
P16 111 shops. ^Window shopping, Jane said. ^Nor did they restrict their
P16 112 window gazing to the books which delighted them both.
P16 113    |^It was the week before Jane was due to go on holiday that they
P16 114 saw the chest of drawers. ^It was small, in a beautifully veined
P16 115 walnut, and its bow front gave it an elegance which pleased them both.
P16 116 ^They agreed that it was the sort of thing they liked, they looked at
P16 117 it from all angles, discovered its price and then Neil said quietly,
P16 118 ^*"Shall we buy it, Jane?**"
P16 119    |^*"Buy it?**" ^She looked at him quickly, her colour heightened.
P16 120    |^He was not looking at her and there was some colour too in his
P16 121 tanned face. ^*"I mean, when we see it*- Dalnadoire needs a lot of
P16 122 furniture and*- later we might not see one we like as well as this
P16 123 one.**"
P16 124    |^Jane smiled. ^*"Could we, Neil?**" she asked.
P16 125    |^*"Yes.**"
P16 126    |^*"Let's buy it then,**" she said in a matter-of-fact tone. ^*"I
P16 127 can just see it against that short wall beyond the window, in what
P16 128 will be the lounge.**"
P16 129    |^He turned to her, smiling now. ^*"Have you time, Jane?**"
P16 130    |^*"Oh yes,**" Jane said happily.
P16 131    |^So on the Sunday Jane found a new task. ^With a soft duster she
P16 132 had to carefully polish the lovely walnut chest. ^Neil watched her
P16 133 young, earnest face lovingly, but with the shadow in his dark eyes
P16 134 which was often there when his face was in repose and when he was
P16 135 watching Jane. ^Later he took her off for a walk on to the moors.
P16 136    |^The day was hot and in the early morning there had been a
P16 137 suspicion of thunder, but the clouds had passed, although there was
P16 138 still a heaviness in the air.
P16 139    |^When they reached the second stile, Jane perched on the top of
P16 140 it, and they looked back down the slope.
P16 141    |^*"A storm, if it isn't too wild, wouldn't do any harm,**" Neil
P16 142 commented. ^*"The river is running much slower than usual.**"
P16 143    |^*"Yes. ^Did you bathe in that pool above the falls when you were
P16 144 a boy, Neil?**" she asked.
P16 145    |^He grinned as he turned to look at her, leaning against her
P16 146 knees. ^*"I did. ^Every morning before anyone else was astir I'd run
P16 147 out and have ten glorious, splashing minutes, before I dashed back
P16 148 again, pretending I'd never left the house.**"
P16 149    |^*"Did \0Mrs. Cummings object to you bathing?**"
P16 150    |^*"I don't know about the bathing, but she didn't want her house
P16 151 messed up. ^Though one morning she did catch me, and I was the usual
P16 152 lazy ingrate and so on and so on. ^I decided then, Jane,**" there was
P16 153 a twinkle in his eyes as he went on, *"that my family*- for some
P16 154 unknown reason I seemed to think I was going to have several children
P16 155 and that we'd be living at Dalnadoire*- would be allowed to play in
P16 156 that pool whenever they liked.**"
P16 157    |^There was an answering twinkle in her blue eyes. ^*"Are you still
P16 158 of the same opinion, Neil?**"
P16 159    |^His smile widened. ^*"I am. ^But their mother would have to
P16 160 approve. ^She mightn't think it a good idea.**"
P16 161    |^*"I'm sure,**" Jane said carefully, *"that any girl you'd made
P16 162 the mother of your children, would be quite sensible about that sort
P16 163 of thing. ^She'd want them to have fun.**"
P16 164    |^Neil laid his cheek against the back of her hand, which she had
P16 165 resting lightly on his shoulder, for a moment. ^*"I think Dalnadoire
P16 166 is a house which needs a family of children,**" he said quietly.
P16 167    |^*"It does,**" Jane agreed. ^*"It should be filled with fun and
P16 168 laughter. ^Neil,**" she went on seriously, *"you never told me what
P16 169 made you run away just at that time, after all those miserable years.
P16 170 ^Was it because you were unhappy, a sort of cumulative unhappiness?**"
P16 171    |^*"Well,**" he answered slowly, *"I didn't run*- I walked. ^All
P16 172 the way from here to Aberdeen. ^Unhappy? ^I suppose that came into it.
P16 173 ^But the main, the overwhelming reason, was pride.**"
P16 174    |^*"Pride?**" Jane repeated in surprise.
P16 175    |^*"Pride,**" he said again. ^*"To be told, day after day for all
P16 176 those years, that you were living on charity, that there was no reason
P16 177 why they should have to work their fingers to the bone to keep an
P16 178 ungrateful cur like you were*- I was determined that as soon as I
P16 179 could I was going to go somewhere where she hadn't to keep me. ^And
P16 180 what was more I was going to repay her all she'd had to spend on
P16 181 me.**"
P16 182    |^*"But, Neil,**" Jane was red with indignation, *"you weren't
P16 183 living on charity. ^It was yours.**"
P16 184    |^*"I didn't know. ^And she said I was. ^I planned it carefully,
P16 185 Jane.
P16 186 **[MIDDLE OF QUOTE**]
P16 187 *# 2001
P17   1 **[479 TEXT P17**]
P17   2    |^*"*0June, do you mean that?**" he exclaimed.
P17   3    |^*"Yes,**" she returned and her steady gaze conveyed as much as
P17   4 the brief reply.
P17   5    |^He caught his breath and swung back to his own seat. ^He started
P17   6 the car, and sped on at a speed that gradually filled her with alarm.
P17   7    |^*"Where are we going? ^You must turn back!**" she cried, as a
P17   8 milestone flashed by.
P17   9    |^*"We'll go where there can be no turning back,**" he replied.
P17  10 ^*"We'll drive till midnight, and stay at the first place we come to.
P17  11 ^Then neither of us can ever go back, and the matter will be
P17  12 settled.**"
P17  13    |^*"Eustace!**" ^She caught hold of his arm. ^*"You're mad! ^Turn
P17  14 back!**"
P17  15    |^*"No,**" he muttered. ^*"Other people give up everything for
P17  16 love, and why not we? ^Love may not be all, but at least it's more
P17  17 than all the rest. ^I can't give you up, June. ^I won't.**"
P17  18    |^That his reckless impulse was due as much to pride and anger, the
P17  19 chagrin of an imperious man thwarted, as to any warmer passion, made
P17  20 it easier for her to recall him, his own natural good sense and
P17  21 worship of the conventions coming to her aid, but June had her hands
P17  22 over his, trying to force him to turn the car, which performed some
P17  23 queer antics during the brief struggle, and she was imploring him,
P17  24 half sobbing, before she succeeded in persuading him to bring the car
P17  25 to a standstill.
P17  26    |^*"Oh, turn round and drive back at once,**" she cried, sobbing
P17  27 openly now the danger was past. ^*"How could you be so mad?**"
P17  28    |^He allowed her to shed agitated tears for some moments, without
P17  29 offering a word of apology, his mouth compressed, his features cruel
P17  30 in their clear-cut rigidity.
P17  31    |^*"I'm sorry,**" he said then. ^*"And nothing will make you alter
P17  32 your decision?**"
P17  33    |^*"Please don't talk about it any more. ^Drive home.**"
P17  34    |^*"You think you'll make him happy by marrying him out of pity?**"
P17  35 he asked.
P17  36    |^*"It isn't pity. ^I'm fond of him. ^I was glad when he asked me
P17  37 to be his wife, and if*- if meeting you earlier might have made a
P17  38 difference, it can't do now. ^It would be mean to throw him aside,
P17  39 just to suit my convenience.**"
P17  40    |^*"If he were well*-**" began Hilton.
P17  41    |^*"I'd act exactly the same,**" she broke in. ^*"Please drive
P17  42 back. ^It's quite dark.**"
P17  43    |^Hilton gave a sigh of fierce protest, and in another minute they
P17  44 were rushing back along the way they had come.
P17  45    |
P17  46    |^*6A*2FTER *0a temporary improvement, Frank Elvington's health
P17  47 ceased to show any advance. ^Even his own optimism became slightly
P17  48 dimmed. ^Whilst still confident of his recovery, he did not talk of it
P17  49 and his marriage with such eagerness as before, obviously regarding
P17  50 both as some distance away.
P17  51    |^June watched him with an ache in her heart. ^She seldom saw
P17  52 Hilton, both she and he avoiding each other as much as possible, and
P17  53 she devoted herself to Frank, trying to put Hilton out of her mind.
P17  54    |^One day, when she found Frank preoccupied, he confessed that he
P17  55 had been strongly advised to leave England, and had refused, at any
P17  56 rate, for the present.
P17  57    |^*"But why not go, dear?**" she urged. ^*"You must do anything to
P17  58 get better.**"
P17  59    |^*"Because I don't want to leave you,**" he confessed.
P17  60    |^*"You mustn't hesitate to go anywhere where there's the least
P17  61 chance of hastening your recovery.**"
P17  62    |^*"Oh*- well,**" he said reluctantly. ^*"I've promised to think of
P17  63 it.**"
P17  64    |^Whilst he hesitated, June met \0Dr. Rother, who told her that
P17  65 Frank's only chance of life was to sail immediately for South Africa.
P17  66 ^He and \0Dr. Hilton, he added, had done wonders in keeping him alive
P17  67 as long as they had done, but nothing more could be done for him in
P17  68 England. ^The warm climate of South Africa was his last and only
P17  69 chance.
P17  70    |^June had not thought his danger so great, and hearing that \0Dr.
P17  71 Hilton was still with him, she hastened to Cliff Top, and was in time
P17  72 to stop Hilton as he crossed the wide entrance-hall to the door.
P17  73    |^He was passing her with an inclination of his head.
P17  74    |^*"No,**" she said, unsteadily. ^*"I must speak to you, please!**"
P17  75    |^He followed her into the room near by.
P17  76    |^*"\0Dr. Rother says that Frank must go away at once,**" she said.
P17  77    |^*"He has just consented to do so,**" replied Hilton.
P17  78    |^*"But is it true that this is his last chance?**" she asked, and
P17  79 when he averted his head, not answering, ^*"Doctor Rother says it's
P17  80 his only chance,**" she added distressfully.
P17  81    |^He turned his head sharply looking down at her with a ruthless
P17  82 directness, and his words fell with icy distinctness.
P17  83    |^*"It is not his only chance,**" he said. ^*"It is no chance at
P17  84 all.**"
P17  85    |^June turned white, her lips falling apart, speechless.
P17  86    |^*"He may never come back,**" announced Hilton deliberately.
P17  87    |^She was horrified. ^For all her fears, it came as a shock to hear
P17  88 Frank's doom pronounced in so many words. ^She looked out of the
P17  89 window to where the leaves were already turning to pale yellow and
P17  90 deep copper, a mellow sky above them and she thought of all the
P17  91 beautiful things awaiting his enjoyment, of all the many years of life
P17  92 he was to miss.
P17  93    |^*"Are you sure?**" she whispered.
P17  94    |^*"Yes.**"
P17  95    |^*"He doesn't know?**" she faltered, and professional instinct
P17  96 brought his brows together.
P17  97    |^*"No,**" he said, *"and you must not allow him to guess. ^I have
P17  98 told you he may never come back, but that must not be repeated to him.
P17  99 ^A patient's optimism has performed miracles before now.**"
P17 100    |^*"Of course, he must not be robbed of hope. ^But you don't expect
P17 101 any miracle to happen?**"
P17 102    |^*"No.**"
P17 103    |^There was a little pause, whilst June mourned. ^Remembering
P17 104 Frank's unwillingness to be separated from her*-
P17 105    |^*"Then is it any use sending him away to*- to die among
P17 106 strangers?**" she asked. ^*"He doesn't want to go.**"
P17 107    |^*"He must go,**" replied Hilton. ^*"However useless, we must
P17 108 insist upon everything being done which possibly can be done.**"
P17 109    |^*"Yes, of course,**" she assented, sadly.
P17 110    |^*"You see, June,**" said Hilton, softly, *"you cannot put another
P17 111 man in my place even if you wish.**"
P17 112    |^*"Don't talk of that,**" she begged. ^*"How long*- how long do
P17 113 you expect?**"
P17 114    |^*"It may be as long as seven or eight months, but you'll be
P17 115 married to me before that, June.**"
P17 116    |^*"Oh, no!**" ^Even his attraction was powerless to affect her at
P17 117 that moment. ^*"How can you mention such a thing?**"
P17 118    |^*"Our marriage won't hasten his end by so much as a second, for
P17 119 he need not know of it,**" remarked Hilton, *"and I cannot pretend to
P17 120 love you less, now I know you're going to be mine.**"
P17 121    |^He stepped to the door and opened it for her to pass out. ^She
P17 122 could not answer. ^She knew it was only natural that he should not be
P17 123 deeply affected by Frank's death, and equally natural that he should
P17 124 be pleased at the possibility of making her his wife, yet there seemed
P17 125 something callous about his calmness.
P17 126    |^She braced herself up to face Frank, but the ordeal was far worse
P17 127 than she had expected, for she found him in quite good spirits,
P17 128 waiting eagerly to tell her the news.
P17 129    |^*"June, darling, I'm going to South Africa,**" he announced.
P17 130 ^*"I've just promised Hilton. ^He says I haven't a chance here, but
P17 131 he's certain that a year out there will make me as well as ever I've
P17 132 been. ^He's told me of another case similar to mine, which he sent out
P17 133 there with excellent results. ^I didn't tell you, darling, but I
P17 134 hadn't much faith in the idea before. ^I thought I'd perhaps go away
P17 135 from you and*- all to no purpose, and if I wasn't going to get better
P17 136 I wanted to stay with you. ^But now I feel satisfied it's just a
P17 137 year's absence and then*- oh, June!*- health and you! ^No price is too
P17 138 great for that!**"
P17 139    |^It took all her courage and self-control to hide her tragic
P17 140 knowledge from him and to respond to his cheerful talk. ^She tried to
P17 141 remember what Hilton had said of the miracles performed by optimism
P17 142 and the desire for life, and to will passionately that Frank's belief
P17 143 in his recovery would add another miracle to the annals of the sick.
P17 144    |^*"But oh, June, to leave you all that time!**" he exclaimed.
P17 145 ^*"Eight or nine months at the very least, he said, and most probably
P17 146 a year. ^Will you forget me in all that time?**"
P17 147    |^*"No, Frank, I'll be marking the days off on the calendar and
P17 148 waiting for your return,**" she said, though she choked over the
P17 149 words.
P17 150    |^He pressed her fingers to his lips, afterwards holding her hand
P17 151 close against his cheek.
P17 152    |^*"I'd rather stay here and die, with you beside me to the end,**"
P17 153 he whispered, *"than go away for all that long dreary time and then
P17 154 not return to you after all. ^Supposing something happens to part us,
P17 155 June?**"
P17 156    |^*"Nothing will,**" she declared, with the tears running down her
P17 157 cheeks, her hands holding him protectingly. ^*"Because do you know
P17 158 why, Frank? ^Because we're not going to be parted.**"
P17 159    |^She spoke vehemently in the impulse that had come to her, the
P17 160 passionate desire to comfort and serve, to sweeten his tragedy.
P17 161    |^*"I'm going with you,**" she announced, firmly.
P17 162    |^*"June, darling!**" ^He raised himself, his face irradiated.
P17 163 ^*"Do you really mean you'll marry me before I go?**"
P17 164    |^She nodded, a smile quivering under her tears, and as he clasped
P17 165 her to him, kissing and thanking her, she had no regret for her
P17 166 impulse of pity, only a great thankfulness that she could at least
P17 167 make his last months happy.
P17 168    |^*"Sweetheart, I'll ask so little of you,**" he whispered, when
P17 169 his first rush of gratitude was over. ^*"I only want to have you with
P17 170 me. ^You're not going to marry a miserable invalid. ^We'll have a real
P17 171 honeymoon when I'm well. ^It will be something to get well for. ^Until
P17 172 that time you'll be \0Mrs. Elvington only to other people. ^To me
P17 173 you'll still be my beautiful sweetheart who's waiting for me. ^And oh,
P17 174 darling, you won't have to wait long! ^I'll make such haste to get
P17 175 well.**"
P17 176    |^Every moment she remained with him increased her satisfaction
P17 177 with the step she had taken, and when she left him she felt more at
P17 178 peace than she had done since Eustace Hilton had come into her life.
P17 179    |^She had undertaken a definite service, one that both her head and
P17 180 her heart approved, and which left no room for personal
P17 181 considerations.
P17 182    |^Thus it was that when Hilton called that evening, she was beyond
P17 183 his power to influence.
P17 184    |^She was in her room, making out a list of the many things she
P17 185 required to take with her out of England, when his car stopped at the
P17 186 gate. ^Thinking it must be Frank who had sent for her, she leaned out
P17 187 of the window, alarmed when she recognised the car, fearing he had
P17 188 brought her ill news of Frank.
P17 189    |^She did not imagine that he would pay her a visit except in
P17 190 Frank's interest, and when she hurried into the room where her mother
P17 191 was trying in vain to learn the reason of his visit, her first words
P17 192 were of her fiancee **[SIC**].
P17 193    |^*"No,**" he replied, *"there is nothing to be anxious about, but
P17 194 I shall be obliged if you can give me a few moments alone.**"
P17 195    |^\0Mrs. Arnage rose somewhat haughtily, taking her departure with
P17 196 distinct displeasure. ^She might have borne much for \0Dr. Hilton
P17 197 once, but as mother of the so soon-to-be \0Mrs. Frank Elvington, of
P17 198 Cliff Top, she resented his cool dismissal.
P17 199    |^*"What is it?**" asked June, when she was alone with Hilton. ^She
P17 200 could not think what had brought him.
P17 201    |^*"Elvington telephoned me to announce your immediate marriage,**"
P17 202 he replied, through his teeth, it seemed, his tightened lips moved so
P17 203 little.
P17 204    |^*"Oh!**"
P17 205    |^June was simultaneously relieved and troubled. ^Relieved that his
P17 206 call meant no fresh ill to Frank, distressed and perturbed that he
P17 207 should be going to reopen personal matters which now more than ever
P17 208 should be buried and forgotten.
P17 209 *# 2014
P18   1 **[480 TEXT P18**]
P18   2 *<*5The Birds*>
P18   3 *<A short story by Barbara Comyns*>
P18   4    |^*1Little Hal was like a boy made of butter*- *0yellow complexion
P18   5 and yellow hair. ^After his mother's death, his thin little face
P18   6 contorted into sudden grimaces. ^His younger brother Charlie held up
P18   7 his chubby arms with love towards Cousin Nelly, who kept house for
P18   8 their father now he no longer had a wife; but Hal would sit behind the
P18   9 shed door, grimacing under his large straw hat, his long yellow
P18  10 fingers twisting the tags at the back of his boots.
P18  11    |^*'That boy's highly strung,**' Nelly would say to his father.
P18  12 ^*'He don't seem natural. ^Why don't you get him a pet, Bert*- a
P18  13 kitten or a dog?**'
P18  14    |^*'He'll be all right when he goes to school,**' Bert would
P18  15 answer, and he would give the robust Charlie a poke with his
P18  16 earth-grimed forefinger, which caused the little boy to roll about
P18  17 with laughter, then disappear under the green serge tablecloth until
P18  18 Bert prodded him again and there would be more laughter.
P18  19    |^*'There's a boy for you,**' Bert would proclaim with pride, and
P18  20 Hal's unnatural behaviour would be forgotten.
P18  21    |
P18  22    |^*1Hal was not all right when he went to school. ^*0He was afraid
P18  23 of the other children and was sick in the Plasticine box on the first
P18  24 day. ^He refused to speak a word, and kept leaving his desk to stand
P18  25 by the door and make faces. ^The following day he behaved in the same
P18  26 way, except that he wasn't sick. ^As he stood by the door, a sinister
P18  27 wet patch appeared round his feet and the children shouted, ^*'Please,
P18  28 teacher, that there Hal has wet himself.**' ^The teacher, very red in
P18  29 the face, gave Hal a smack on the hand with a ruler, and put some of
P18  30 the sawdust that the chalks had been packed in on the wet patch. ^Hal
P18  31 did not cry, but the rims of his eyes became red as though he had, and
P18  32 he sat quite still for the rest of the morning just watching the door.
P18  33    |^When Nelly came to fetch him home the teacher said, ^*'That Hal
P18  34 of yours lives in a world of his own. ^He doesn't seem to be all
P18  35 there.**' ^Nelly looked rather put out and replied that he was quite
P18  36 all right, only the poor little chap was highly strung. ^*'His dad's
P18  37 going to get him a pet. ^He'll be all right then, you'll see.**'
P18  38    |^When Bert came home for his dinner she said, ^*'What about that
P18  39 little cat or dog you were going to bring home for Hal, to give him an
P18  40 interest in things. ^The boy wet himself at school today. ^It don't
P18  41 seem natural at his age.**'
P18  42    |^Hal's eyes became red rimmed again, but he did not speak. ^He
P18  43 seldom did. ^His father said, ^*'Well, I've got him a little bird, but
P18  44 I must buy a cage first. ^You'd like a nice green bird, wouldn't you,
P18  45 Hal?**' ^The boy just nodded his head, but Charlie said, ^*'Charlie
P18  46 wants a green bird too. ^Will it lay green eggs?**' and Nelly picked
P18  47 him up and, hugging him, said he was a caution.
P18  48    |
P18  49    |^*1The next day, when Hal returned from school, *0there was the
P18  50 bird in a wooden cage with bars in front. ^His father showed him how
P18  51 the cage should be cleaned and the seed and water containers filled;
P18  52 and he told him that the bird could be taught to talk *'if you speak
P18  53 to it nice and quiet.**'
P18  54    |^Hal put the cage on the table and gazed at the bird, fascinated.
P18  55 ^He put his face close and whispered something very softly, then put
P18  56 his ear close, hoping for a reply. ^At that moment, Charlie came
P18  57 running up and put his fingers between the bars, shouting ~*'Hallo,
P18  58 green bird,**' and the terrified bird fluttered into a corner of its
P18  59 cage. ^Hal turned to his brother and slapped his laughing, pink face.
P18  60 ^Nelly jumped to her feet, yelling ^*'You've no call to do that.**'
P18  61 ^Hal, afraid that his new treasure would be taken away from him,
P18  62 picked up the cage and dashed from the house to the garden shed, where
P18  63 he spent the afternoon softly talking to the bird and watching it.
P18  64    |^He became devoted to the bird. ^He was allowed to keep it in his
P18  65 bedroom under the eaves, where it was safe from Charlie. ^Usually,
P18  66 when he came home from school, he would free the bird from its cage,
P18  67 and it would fly around the room, picking up little things with its
P18  68 beak and sometimes settling on Hal's head or hand. ^He talked to it
P18  69 and he said it talked to him, but no one knew if this were true
P18  70 because it flew back to the safety of its cage as soon as anyone else
P18  71 entered the room.
P18  72    |^The teacher said Hal was doing better at school*- not that he
P18  73 learnt anything, exactly, but he did sit still and behave better, and
P18  74 sometimes drew birds in his copy-book. ^Perhaps he would get around to
P18  75 letters later, she added.
P18  76    |
P18  77    |^*1Then, one afternoon, a fearful thing happened. ^*0He was up in
P18  78 that little room of his, with the bird sitting on his shoulder. ^He
P18  79 was talking to it very quietly, and perhaps the bird was talking
P18  80 back*- no one knew for sure. ^Outside the door, Charlie was listening
P18  81 hard because he wanted to hear the bird talk too. ^Suddenly he burst
P18  82 the door open and cried, ^*'I heard it, I did.**'
P18  83    |^The bird left Hal's shoulder and, afraid, flew across the room,
P18  84 searching for its cage. ^Not knowing about reflections, it first flew
P18  85 straight into the old brown-framed mirror on Hal's chest-of-drawers
P18  86 and then, in panic, out of the open window and away. ^Hal knew at once
P18  87 that his bird had gone and would never come back.
P18  88    |^It was after the bird's disappearance that Hal had his first sort
P18  89 of fit. ^He never mentioned the bird again. ^Perhaps he had even
P18  90 forgotten all about it, but as he almost never spoke now no one really
P18  91 knew what he was thinking about. ^He had taken to sitting behind the
P18  92 shed door again, and sometimes he could be heard talking to himself.
P18  93    |^It was in September that Bert brought home the two cockerels, one
P18  94 white, one black. ^They were leggy young birds, just growing their
P18  95 wing feathers. ^The father said to his boys, ^*'There's a bird apiece
P18  96 for you. ^I want you to fatten them up, and when they are fit for
P18  97 eating we'll have a great party and Nelly will become your mother.
P18  98 ^Now see which of you can make his bird grow the biggest.**'
P18  99    |^Charlie chose the white bird and Hal had to have the black. ^It
P18 100 was slightly on the small side, but the difference in size soon
P18 101 changed and Hal's bird grew and grew. ^On the way home from school he
P18 102 gathered corn from the sides of the fields and stuffed it in his
P18 103 pockets, and as soon as he came in by the gate the cockerel used to
P18 104 run to meet him. ^Nelly said, ^*'Well, Hal, I must say your cock is
P18 105 growing into a fine bird. ^Little Charlie's can't hold a candle to
P18 106 it.**' ^Hal gave one of his rare smiles and looked at his bird with
P18 107 pride. ^It certainly was almost twice the size of Charlie's.
P18 108    |^The cockerels grew very large, and early in December Bert said,
P18 109 ^*'Nelly, those birds are ready. ^We must see about the banns.**'
P18 110 ^When Hal heard his father say this he knew that one day when he came
P18 111 home from school his cockerel would not be there to meet him. ^It
P18 112 would have to be sacrificed if there was to be a party and Nelly was
P18 113 to become his mother. ^He could imagine everyone's surprise when Nelly
P18 114 began to change. ^He wondered if she would be wearing mama's blue
P18 115 dress with the lace on the collar. ^Perhaps, as it was winter, it
P18 116 would be the brown one trimmed with braid, in patterns he thought
P18 117 resembled snail shells.
P18 118    |
P18 119    |^*1The days passed and still the glossy black cock *0waited by the
P18 120 garden gate for Hal's return from school. ^Some days he felt he could
P18 121 not bear it any longer, and he would plan to ask his father to cancel
P18 122 the party so that his bird would be saved; but this would mean that
P18 123 Nelly would not turn into his mother, and that would be terrible. ^The
P18 124 black cock would have to die. ^He almost wished it would peck him so
P18 125 that he need not love it so much. ^Charlie had given up feeding his
P18 126 because it had pecked him right across the nose. ^Nelly had thrown a
P18 127 stone at it and shouted, ^*'Your days are numbered, you bad old
P18 128 bird.**'
P18 129    |^Then, one afternoon when Hal came home, there was no cock waiting
P18 130 by the gate, and the knob on the kitchen door had blood and feathers
P18 131 stuck to it. ^He went to the back of the shed and was sick. ^When he
P18 132 saw Nelly he asked her when it was she was going to turn into his
P18 133 mama.
P18 134    |^*'Why, fancy you remembering that, you clever boy! ^In two days I
P18 135 will be your mama and cousin too.**'
P18 136    |^Hal sat on his stool by the fire and tried to work this out in
P18 137 his mind. ^Later, he asked, ~*'Will you have two heads?**' and Nelly
P18 138 said, ^*'Bless the boy. ^Whatever is he thinking about now?**'
P18 139    |
P18 140    |^*1The day of the wedding came. ^Hal and Charlie *0had new blue
P18 141 shirts and new belts with buckles to fasten them, shaped like snakes.
P18 142 ^Nelly had a green velvet dress and a hat with pansies on it. ^When
P18 143 Hal asked her why she wasn't wearing his mother's brown dress, she
P18 144 replied, ^*'Oh, that old thing! ^Why the moths had it months ago.**'
P18 145    |^The cottage became filled with people, and there was a lot of
P18 146 noisy talk and laughter. ^Then it was time for the party, and they all
P18 147 sat down to devour Hal's and Charlie's birds. ^When Hal could bring
P18 148 himself to look at the steaming brown carcasses he could see how much
P18 149 larger his bird was than his brother's, and although he felt a great
P18 150 sadness there was a feeling of pride as well.
P18 151    |^A man with a large waxed moustache and a mop of curly damp hair,
P18 152 whom Hal thought might be his uncle Fred, said, ^*'That's a fine bird
P18 153 you're carving, Bert.**' ^Hal waited, breathless, to hear his father
P18 154 tell everyone that it was his bird that was so large, but Bert was too
P18 155 preoccupied with carving to answer. ^Sweat was pouring down his face,
P18 156 and he did not like to take his jacket off in company. ^Later, he
P18 157 turned to Hal and said, ~*'You'd like a little of the breast and
P18 158 perhaps some stuffing, Hal?**' and the boy replied that he would like
P18 159 to eat some of the smaller bird, please. ^He could not eat his own; it
P18 160 was dreadful to see it there all cut about.
P18 161    |^Every now and then he'd look down the table at Nelly, who was
P18 162 sitting there looking flushed and very pretty, but not in the least
P18 163 like his mama. ^The cocks had been killed and were almost eaten now
P18 164 and the party had been going on a long time, but there was no sign of
P18 165 his mother's return. ^Perhaps there was some mistake. ^The last knife
P18 166 and fork had ceased to rattle against the plate, and the bottle of
P18 167 port had been opened. ^For a moment there was silence; then Hal braced
P18 168 himself to ask, ^*'Dad, whose bird was the largest, Charlie's or
P18 169 mine?**' ^Everyone turned towards him in surprise and, with half a
P18 170 smile on his face, he waited for them to know whose had been that
P18 171 splendid bird.
P18 172    |^Bert considered for a moment. ^Then, remembering that Hal had
P18 173 asked for a slice from the little bird, he answered, ^*'They were both
P18 174 real fine birds. ^I was proud to carve them. ^Yours was very tender
P18 175 but I think Charlie's was the largest.**'
P18 176 *# 2001
P19   1 **[481 TEXT P19**]
P19   2    |^*5It was one of the strangest courtships I'd ever known*- it held
P19   3 society gossips by the ears all that Season
P19   4 *<*4A pretty case for Freud*>
P19   5 *<*6BY ALEC WAUGH*>
P19   6 *<*3ILLUSTRATED BY BOB PEAKE*>
P19   7    |^*4I *2NOTICED *0him in the first place because he was the only
P19   8 other person in the pavilion wearing a silk hat. ^I had the excuse of
P19   9 having come on there from a wedding. ^But I should have gone back and
P19  10 changed had I known how conspicuous I should be.
P19  11    |^It was ten years since I had been to the Varsity Match at Lord's.
P19  12 ^And I was astonished by the change; by the empty stands, the absence
P19  13 of smart frocks, the lounge-suited atmosphere of the enclosures. ^A
P19  14 social occasion, for whose sake in remote rectories mothballs had been
P19  15 once shaken out of braided coats and wide-brimmed *"toppers**"
P19  16 stripped of their tissue wrappings, was now a very ordinary cricket
P19  17 match in which the general public took little interest.
P19  18    |^As I walked in my sponge-bag trousers and shining hat through the
P19  19 long, high, many-windowed morning room, I felt as antediluvian as the
P19  20 curved bats and pastoral portraits that adorn its walls: so
P19  21 antediluvian that as I took my seat beside the one other Edwardian
P19  22 survival, a hackneyed Latin tag*- the tongue that it is a solecism now
P19  23 to quote*- actually seemed appropriate to the occasion.
P19  24    |^I thought of Lord's as the pre-war pages of *1Punch *0presented
P19  25 it; of Lord's as I had known it in the early 'twenties; the
P19  26 tight-packed mounds; the coaches by the tavern; the parade of parasols
P19  27 between the innings; colour, excitement, glamour; and now this:
P19  28 Homburgs and bowler hats in the pavilion, long terraces of white
P19  29 beside the screen... ^{*1Nos duo turba sumus}, *0I thought, as I
P19  30 leant sideways towards my fellow relic.
P19  31    |^*"I wonder,**" I asked, *"if I might see your scorecard?**"
P19  32    |
P19  33    |^*4H*2E *0turned; and I immediately forgot that it was a need for
P19  34 sartorial kinship that had decided my choice of seat.
P19  35    |^He was one of the most striking-looking men that I have ever
P19  36 seen.
P19  37    |^He was young: in the latish twenties; and handsome in a
P19  38 clear-skinned way. ^But it was not merely his good looks that startled
P19  39 me. ^The impression that he made is not to be explained by any
P19  40 cataloguing of separate features; high forehead, grey-blue eyes, full
P19  41 mouth, long pointed nose. ^I was no more conscious of those separate
P19  42 features than one is of the pattern on a transparent lampshade. ^Just
P19  43 as there are two kinds of lampshade, the one whose object it is to
P19  44 retransmit a softened light and the other that is a decoration,
P19  45 simply; so are there certain types of face, the one in which the
P19  46 personality is subservient to the featured mask of lip, brow, cheek,
P19  47 to which it gives mobility and meaning, the other in which you are so
P19  48 exclusively conscious of the personality behind that mask that you
P19  49 sometimes find yourself unable to describe the physical appearance of
P19  50 someone with the very texture of whose thought you are familiar.
P19  51    |^It was like that now. ^I was conscious not of a handsome face,
P19  52 but of a new person; of someone who was masterful but unworldly;
P19  53 practical but inexperienced; masculine but with that look of
P19  54 anticipation, of waiting to be fulfilled that you expect to find in a
P19  55 young girl; a combination of characteristics so self-contradictory
P19  56 that the obvious corollary to their catalogue would be: ^*"What a mass
P19  57 of complexes. ^A pretty case for Freud.**" ^That was what you would
P19  58 have expected.
P19  59    |^He wasn't, though. ^He was of a piece, without
P19  60 self-consciousness; the kind of man who does not know what the word
P19  61 shyness means.
P19  62    |^I was curious, alert, excited. ^I've got to find out who you are,
P19  63 I thought.
P19  64    |^In the lazy atmosphere of a cricket match it is easy to start a
P19  65 conversation. ^The cricket was slow, desultory, undramatic. ^In a
P19  66 little while we were more interested in our talk than in the match.
P19  67 ^At any rate, I was.
P19  68    |^His talk had the same contradictory characteristics as his
P19  69 appearance. ^It was boyishly eager, yet at the same time
P19  70 authoritative. ^It was the talk of one who stood on the brink of
P19  71 experience, yet was accustomed to the exercise of authority. ^More
P19  72 baffling still, though his voice had a slightly mannered intonation,
P19  73 it had no trace of the drawl that you would expect to find in a
P19  74 fashionably-dressed young man. ^He was a puzzle, right enough.
P19  75    |
P19  76    |^*4T*2HE *0hands of the turret clock pointed to five o'clock.
P19  77 ^Stumps would not be drawn till half past six. ^In an hour and a half
P19  78 I ought to be able to find out something about him.
P19  79    |^Luck came my way.
P19  80    |^An exchange of ideas became an argument, a point which could only
P19  81 be settled by the consultation of a particular book of reference. ^I
P19  82 had fancied the book was in the pavilion library. ^It did not prove to
P19  83 be; or anyhow, we could not find it. ^I happened to have a copy at my
P19  84 flat.
P19  85    |^*"It's not five minutes' walk away,**" I said. ^*"Let's go back
P19  86 there afterwards and have a sherry.**"
P19  87    |^*"Let's go back now. ^This cricket bores me.**"
P19  88    |^An answer that combined his boyishness and his authority; his
P19  89 readiness to accept new suggestions with his assumption that no wish
P19  90 of his would be contradicted. ^It did not occur to him that I might
P19  91 want to stay on and watch the cricket. ^Like a schoolboy on his way to
P19  92 a party he chattered without stopping till we reached the large,
P19  93 barrack-shaped apartment-house on whose highest floor I had a one-room
P19  94 flat where I keep clothes and papers, that I use as a kind of office
P19  95 {6*1pied-a*?3-terre} *0when I am in London.
P19  96    |^*"Is this where you live?**" he asked.
P19  97    |^I nodded.
P19  98    |
P19  99    |^*4H*2E *0looked up inquisitively at its straight sheer surface,
P19 100 as though he were seeing this particular kind of building for the
P19 101 first time; as though he were a foreigner obtaining the material for a
P19 102 monograph *"How London Lives**".
P19 103    |^As I opened the cocktail cabinet and set about the preparation of
P19 104 an *"old-fashioned**", he deployed none of the diplomatically assumed
P19 105 indifference with which it is customary to take stock of a new room
P19 106 without letting it appear that you are conscious of being in one.
P19 107    |^With an unabashed curiosity he took a mental inventory of the
P19 108 room: its lighting, its shelves, its chairs, its pictures, the jumble
P19 109 of knick-knacks along the mantelpiece; then started on a tour of
P19 110 investigation, taking up a book, peering into an etching, lifting a
P19 111 cigarette-box; without comment, as though he were visiting an
P19 112 exhibition, till suddenly, with a note of real interest in his voice,
P19 113 ~*"What's that doing here?**" he asked.
P19 114    |^He was pointing to the framed original of a jacket design for one
P19 115 of my novels.
P19 116    |^*"That? ^Oh, I'm responsible for that.**"
P19 117    |^*"You drew the picture?**"
P19 118    |^*"No*- wrote the book.**"
P19 119    |^*"What, you, the author!**"
P19 120    |^There was a surprised excitement in his voice that I should have
P19 121 found extremely flattering had not experience counselled me against a
P19 122 readiness to believe that here, at last, I was about to meet the
P19 123 perfect, that dream reader whom every novelist is convinced must exist
P19 124 somewhere, the one reader who has not only read everything that he has
P19 125 written, but read between the lines.
P19 126    |^On those rare occasions I really am the target at which
P19 127 enthusiasm is directed, it is usually to receive some such testimonial
P19 128 as ^*"I've been wanting to meet you for so long. ^There's a mistake in
P19 129 that last book but one of yours that I've been longing to point out.
P19 130 ^On page thirty-seven you talk about Mildred's gas fire, and in the
P19 131 last chapter you have coals falling through a grate. ^Now I wonder if
P19 132 anyone else has spotted that?**"
P19 133    |^Previous experience did not encourage me to expect from my
P19 134 guest's excitement a long, sympathetic, interpretive analysis of my
P19 135 short stories. ^I should have been disappointed if I had.
P19 136    |^*"There's something I've always wanted to ask you. ^Was Julia
P19 137 Thirleigh really the model for your heroine?**"
P19 138    |^*"Well...**"
P19 139    |^It is the kind of question that usually a novelist resents;
P19 140 resents because it is impossible to reply honestly. ^The answer is
P19 141 always ^*"Yes and No**". ^No full-length character is ever a direct
P19 142 portrait; yet no character that is alive has not been drawn in part
P19 143 from life. ^A trick of speech has been borrowed here, a gesture there.
P19 144 ^The process of creation must start somewhere; must have some solid
P19 145 foundation in experience. ^But by the time the story is quarter
P19 146 finished, the novelist has forgotten his model altogether; his
P19 147 character has developed a temperament and destiny of its own.
P19 148    |
P19 149    |^*4U*2SUALLY, *0at least, that is the way it happens. ^In the case
P19 150 of Julia Thirleigh it had been rather different; possibly because I
P19 151 have *"put**" her into the kind of novel that is less a story than an
P19 152 argument, that requires distinct types to contrast different points of
P19 153 view. ^I needed a character to typify the debutante of the late
P19 154 nineteen-twenties, the second edition of the Bright Young People, the
P19 155 London of the slump. ^And it was just because Julia is herself less a
P19 156 person than a type that, when I had finished the book, I was
P19 157 astonished to find how closely my finished character resembled the
P19 158 model which i had meant to employ merely as a first sketch: so closely
P19 159 that I did not see how a great many people could fail to recognise
P19 160 her.
P19 161    |^Through a decade when young women not only claimed, but asserted,
P19 162 their right to the same independence as their brothers, Julia was the
P19 163 most discussed of those Londoners whose activities are photographed
P19 164 week by week in *1The Tatler and Bystander *0and *1Sketch.
P19 165    |^*0She was not so much famous as notorious. ^She had avoided, it
P19 166 is true, any open scandal. ^She had not shot an unfaithful suitor,
P19 167 been convicted as a drug addict or cited in the divorce courts. ^To
P19 168 that extent she had been discreet.
P19 169    |^At the same time she had been subpoenaed in a slander suit that
P19 170 had been heard {6*1in camera}. ^*0It was at one of her
P19 171 bottle-parties in a top-storey studio that a free fight with
P19 172 gate-crashers had ended in a crumpled figure on the pavement and a
P19 173 comment from the coroner that only her most loyal friends held to be
P19 174 unjustified. ^There had been no open scandal.
P19 175    |^But the clothes she had worn, the company she had kept, her
P19 176 manner, her habits, her whole way of living had given her the kind of
P19 177 label that made her current coin in any argument.
P19 178    |^*"Well now, take somebody like Julia...**" and when people said
P19 179 that, no one had any doubt of what was meant.
P19 180    |
P19 181    |^*4P*2RUDENCE *0as well as friendship counselled me to show my
P19 182 manuscript to Julia before I delivered it to my publisher.
P19 183    |^She returned it with a very typical remark.
P19 184    |^*"I don't use Blue-grass.**"
P19 185    |^*"Is that your only comment?**"
P19 186    |^*"My only criticism.**"
P19 187    |^*"There's nothing there that you object to?**" I asked her.
P19 188    |^*"Why should there be?**"
P19 189    |^*"Well...**"
P19 190    |^She smiled.
P19 191    |^*"Is there anything in your book that people haven't said about
P19 192 me and believed about me?**"
P19 193    |^*"There's a difference between gossip and a thing said in
P19 194 print.**"
P19 195    |^*"If your publishers are afraid of libel I'll write them a letter
P19 196 of absolution.**"
P19 197    |^I could scarcely deny, in the face of that, that I had used Julia
P19 198 as a model, yet I was reluctant to admit that my character was a
P19 199 photograph.
P19 200    |^*"In a kind of way,**" I said.
P19 201    |^*"You did? ^I'd always heard you did, but I wasn't certain. ^You
P19 202 must know her, then?**"
P19 203    |^*"I was lunching with her yesterday.**"
P19 204    |^*"Yesterday!**"
P19 205    |^He regarded me with a strange veneration, as though I were haloed
P19 206 in such a light as had transfigured Moses on his descent from Sinai.
P19 207    |
P19 208    |^*"*4Y*2ESTERDAY! ^*0I can hardly believe it. ^I've heard so much
P19 209 about her, read so much about her. ^It's strange to be meeting
P19 210 somebody who really knows her. ^Is she as beautiful as her
P19 211 photographs? ^They are all so different.
P19 212 **[MIDDLE OF QUOTE**]
P19 213 *# 2004
P20   1 **[482 TEXT P20**]
P20   2 *<*2COMPLETE STORY *0by *5May Somerset*>
P20   3 *<So she invented George*>
P20   4    |^*4To be young*- and alone*- in Paris... ^What else could either
P20   5 of them do but pretend they were in love?
P20   6    |
P20   7    |^*5J*2UDY *0stuck it for two days. ^Then she revolted. ^And, being
P20   8 Judy, she decided she must do something about it.
P20   9    |^Coming to Paris had been the biggest thrill in all the twenty
P20  10 years of her life. ^She had got the chance when \0Mr. Cartwright's
P20  11 personal assistant had fallen ill at the last moment.
P20  12    |^Judy, who had worked under her, knew more about what this Paris
P20  13 conference was about than anyone else in the office*- apart from \0Mr.
P20  14 Cartwright, of course.
P20  15    |^So, at two days' notice, she was off to Paris.
P20  16    |^Paris in the spring! ^With mist rising from the Seine in the
P20  17 early morning and the cafes gaily spilling out across the pavements in
P20  18 the midday sunshine.
P20  19    |^She could see Notre Dame from her hotel window and the Arc \de
P20  20 Triomphe from the window of the office where the conference was being
P20  21 held.
P20  22    |^It was all fabulous. ^Walking to work, she wanted to sing. ^At
P20  23 lunch time she was torn between the desire to window shop and just sit
P20  24 at a cafe table and watch the world go by.
P20  25    |^It was the evenings that were the trouble.
P20  26    |^Strolling along the streets, exploring Montmartre or the Isle \de
P20  27 Cite was possible only if she had company. ^Alone, it was apt to give
P20  28 the wrong impression. ^As Judy had found out.
P20  29    |^Another girl would have done; or an aunt or uncle, father or
P20  30 mother. ^It didn't have to be a young man; though, naturally, that
P20  31 would have been better still.
P20  32    |^Judy knew no one in Paris, except \0Mr. Cartwright, who was
P20  33 engaged every evening, and who was, anyway, at least sixty.
P20  34    |^But she certainly was not going to spend ten glorious evenings
P20  35 sitting in her hotel.
P20  36    |^So, something had to be done. ^And there was something she could
P20  37 do. ^At least, there was the possibility of something. ^Being Judy,
P20  38 that was enough.
P20  39    |^One other person shared the room she had been given to work in,
P20  40 when she was not actually in the conference chamber taking notes. ^He
P20  41 was the personal assistant to the leader of the other English
P20  42 delegation.
P20  43    |^His name, she knew, was Charles Hanson. ^He was tall and lean and
P20  44 quite heart-stoppingly handsome, or would have been if he hadn't
P20  45 looked so solemn all the time.
P20  46    |^He sat across the room from her and concentrated on his work.
P20  47    |^Obviously he was immune to females or, at any rate, he was intent
P20  48 on giving that impression.
P20  49    |^But he was the only possibility. ^On the third afternoon of her
P20  50 stay Judy was desperate at the thought of another wasted evening in
P20  51 front of her.
P20  52    |^She didn't want to scare the poor man across the room. ^Neither
P20  53 did she want to give him the impression that she was *"that**" type of
P20  54 girl.
P20  55    |^All she wanted was a companion so that she could move freely in
P20  56 the evenings.
P20  57    |^She'd make quite, quite sure there wouldn't be any
P20  58 misunderstanding about it.
P20  59    |^So she invented George. ^Well, perhaps not quite invented.
P20  60 ^Because there was a George at home in England and he was apt to
P20  61 proudly announce he was *"her fellow,**" and there was no need to
P20  62 explain that he was five years old and her nephew into the bargain.
P20  63    |
P20  64    |^*5C*2OMING *0back to the office after lunch, Judy stood at the
P20  65 big window for a moment before she went to her desk.
P20  66    |^Below, in the Champs Elysees, the cars glittered in the sun and
P20  67 the pedestrians were dappled by leaf shadows.
P20  68    |^Then, abruptly, she turned round.
P20  69    |^*"Oh, I wish George was here.**"
P20  70    |^*"Eh?**" ^Charles Hanson was already at his desk. ^He raised his
P20  71 head, looking a trifle startled.
P20  72    |^Judy crossed to her own desk. ^*"I said I wished George was
P20  73 here,**" she repeated. ^*"He*- he's someone I go about with a lot in
P20  74 London. ^It would be so heavenly to have him to go about with here.
P20  75 ^What do you do with your evenings here?**"
P20  76    |^*"Er*- so far I've gone for walks.**"
P20  77    |^*"Are you going for one tonight?**"
P20  78    |^*"I*- yes, I thought of doing that.**"
P20  79    |^*"By yourself?**"
P20  80    |^He straightened a little. ^*"Certainly by myself. ^I don't know
P20  81 anyone in Paris.**"
P20  82    |^*"Neither do I. ^That's the trouble.**"
P20  83    |^She launched herself into her plan. ^*"You see, it's all very
P20  84 well for you; you can go for walks by yourself, explore anywhere you
P20  85 like. ^But I can't; not alone. ^People seem to*- to get the idea that
P20  86 I don't really want to be alone.
P20  87    |^*"I'll go crazy if I have to spend every single evening that I'm
P20  88 in Paris just sitting in the hotel. ^Why, I may never get the chance
P20  89 to come here again.
P20  90    |^*"It would be all right if*- George was here. ^But he isn't. ^So
P20  91 please, when you go for your walk, may I come with you?**"
P20  92    |^*"Good heavens! ^Do you know, I never thought of that. ^I
P20  93 imagined you'd have lots of friends; be out every night.**"
P20  94    |^*"I haven't and I'm not,**" she retorted. ^*"I came at two days'
P20  95 notice, so there wasn't even time to find out if anyone I knew had
P20  96 friends in Paris. ^I know George hasn't.**" ^She had to keep him in
P20  97 the foreground. ^*"He's never been to Paris.**" ^That was true,
P20  98 anyhow.
P20  99    |^*"Wouldn't George mind if you came out with me?**"
P20 100    |^Judy felt her colour rising. ^Thank goodness he had no means of
P20 101 knowing she always did blush furiously if she had told even the
P20 102 tiniest and whitest of lies!
P20 103    |^*"Well, he does rather like me to himself.**" ^That, too, was
P20 104 true.
P20 105    |^*"But I can't waste all my evenings here. ^I want to see so much.
P20 106 ^I want to go on buses and the Metro, up to Montmartre and along the
P20 107 Left Bank. ^I want to go on a river trip.**"
P20 108    |^Then a thought struck her. ^She had invented George, but, after
P20 109 all, Charles Hanson might have someone who would prefer that he did
P20 110 spend his evenings in Paris in lonely solitude.
P20 111    |^*"Of course, if you've got someone who might not like it...**"
P20 112    |^*"Well, I don't think Peggy would take to the idea, but she isn't
P20 113 here, is she?**"
P20 114    |^Suddenly he grinned. ^*"If you'll risk George finding out, I'll
P20 115 do the same with Peggy. ^After all, as you obviously can't go around
P20 116 by yourself I'd be a boor to condemn you to your hotel for the rest of
P20 117 your evenings in Paris.
P20 118    |^*"So, shall we say six o'clock, providing this afternoon's
P20 119 conference doesn't run late. ^Still, as we'll both be there...**"
P20 120    |^They met at six, by the elevators on the ground floor.
P20 121    |^Charles grinned again as she came towards him and Judy found
P20 122 herself thinking that this Peggy was pretty lucky.
P20 123    |^Plainly, Charles was shy at first, but when his smile was so wide
P20 124 and friendly you just had to like him.
P20 125    |^As far as the evening was concerned, her plan couldn't have
P20 126 worked better. ^She'd been right in thinking that Paris in the
P20 127 evening, with a companion, would be a simply wonderful place.
P20 128    |^They ate in the Place \de Republique and then went up to
P20 129 Montmartre and found a fair going on in the streets.
P20 130    |^They talked and laughed with all sorts of people. ^They had
P20 131 coffee at several different cafes. ^They looked down on the twinkling
P20 132 lights of Paris. ^And then they walked down the steep streets and back
P20 133 to her hotel.
P20 134    |^*"It was marvellous!**" ^There were stars in Judy's eyes. ^*"It's
P20 135 exactly as I thought it would be.**"
P20 136    |^He looked down at her. ^*"You must bring George here, one day,
P20 137 and show it to him. ^Is he fun to be with?**"
P20 138    |^Because she felt such a stab of guilt she said quickly: ^*"He's
P20 139 the greatest fun in the world. ^And I will bring him one day.**"
P20 140    |^She'd be grey-haired by the time he was old enough and probably
P20 141 still a spinster.
P20 142    |^*"Will you bring Peggy, too?**" she asked.
P20 143    |^He hesitated, then he shook his head. ^*"I don't think so. ^She
P20 144 finds going abroad too complicated. ^She's content with Britain.**"
P20 145    |^So Paris could stay *"theirs.**"
P20 146    |^Judy couldn't help her heart giving a little leap. ^Neither could
P20 147 she help the malicious little thought that Peggy sounded both drab and
P20 148 dreary.
P20 149    |^Charles was certainly neither.
P20 150    |
P20 151    |^*5S*2HE *0took herself to task several times during the next few
P20 152 days, however. ^After all, she had thrust herself on to Charles when,
P20 153 quite obviously, he'd had every intention of staying solitarily true
P20 154 to Peggy.
P20 155    |^To do anything unfair to Peggy would be mean and despicable.
P20 156    |^But it was a little difficult to remember that when they were
P20 157 seated, shoulder to shoulder, on a boat on the Seine and there was a
P20 158 moon overhead.
P20 159    |^Neither was it easy when they walked back to her hotel and their
P20 160 hands touched and linked for a moment before she pulled hers away.
P20 161    |^*"George?**" he asked.
P20 162    |^*"And Peggy,**" she retorted, almost sharply.
P20 163    |^He moved a little away from her.
P20 164    |^*"You're right, of course. ^But it's been a good evening, hasn't
P20 165 it?**"
P20 166    |^*"Wonderful.**" ^It was extraordinary how it could hurt to say
P20 167 just one word.
P20 168    |^It would have been silly*- and it would have admitted things she
P20 169 didn't want to admit if she had refused to go out with him any more.
P20 170    |^So at the week-end they explored further. ^They went to \0St
P20 171 Cloud and, of course, Versailles.
P20 172    |^The sun continued to shine and Judy wore the summer dresses she
P20 173 had packed with so much excitement.
P20 174    |^But at night, back in her hotel room, she took to standing at her
P20 175 window for a long time, leaning on the window sill and looking out at
P20 176 Paris as it slept.
P20 177    |^She was storing it all up in her heart. ^Though now, she knew, it
P20 178 would hurt unbearably every time she remembered it, and she would go
P20 179 on remembering it all her life.
P20 180    |^Perhaps Charles would remember, too, even if he did have his
P20 181 Peggy who never wanted to leave England. ^She certainly couldn't know
P20 182 what she was missing.
P20 183    |^Charles was lucky; this could fade to a dream for him. ^He had
P20 184 someone to put in its place.
P20 185    |^But she*- well, George, at five years old, didn't promise to be
P20 186 much help, even though she did love him so much.
P20 187    |^Rather ostentatiously she bought postcards for George everywhere
P20 188 they went. ^If Charles didn't like it, well, he could buy them for
P20 189 Peggy, couldn't he?
P20 190    |^Inevitably their last day came, their last evening.
P20 191    |^*"We're doing a show tonight,**" Charles informed her
P20 192 masterfully. ^*"And a night club afterwards. ^You're not going back to
P20 193 George without sampling that side of Paris night life.**"
P20 194    |
P20 195    |^*5A*2CTUALLY *0Judy didn't enjoy it very much. ^She kept
P20 196 remembering that tomorrow night she'd be back home, and there would be
P20 197 no Charles.
P20 198    |^It was her own fault, of course. ^She had started it all, and if
P20 199 she'd got hurt there was no one else to blame.
P20 200    |^But it was going to be lonely after tonight. ^And the loneliness
P20 201 seemed to have crept into her heart already.
P20 202    |^After they had been at the night club for some time they fell
P20 203 silent.
P20 204    |^Judy watched the dancers firmly. ^She mustn't blink or the tears
P20 205 in her eyes might spill over, and she knew that Charles was looking at
P20 206 her averted face.
P20 207    |^*"Ready to go?**" He said suddenly.
P20 208    |^*"Quite ready.**" ^She rose at once.
P20 209    |^But when they were outside neither of them made any attempt to
P20 210 turn in the direction of her hotel.
P20 211    |^The night club was in Montmartre and, wordlessly, they walked up
P20 212 towards the Sacre Coeur, and then, in the shadow of the great church,
P20 213 they turned and looked down over Paris.
P20 214    |^The moon was paling; it was almost dawn.
P20 215    |^Charles said softly: ^*"Shall we see the sunrise? ^Everyone
P20 216 should do that once.**"
P20 217    |^So they waited, and gradually the sky turned to a pale green and
P20 218 then to pink and then to misty gold which seemed to envelop
P20 219 everything.
P20 220    |^Judy knew that if she made the slightest move towards Charles she
P20 221 would be in his arms.
P20 222 *# 2011
P21   1 **[483 TEXT P21**]
P21   2    |^*0*"Tell me, how did you come? ^Did Weir bring you?**"
P21   3    |^Before Linda could make any reply Ralph Batley's voice cut in
P21   4 sharply from behind her, saying:
P21   5    |^*"This is my uncle, \0Mr. MacNally, and this**"*- the hand came
P21   6 past her and rested on the boy's head*- *"this is my nephew,
P21   7 Michael.**" ^Before she could acknowledge the introductions he went
P21   8 on: ^*"Take Miss Metcalfe up to the house, Uncle Shane.**"
P21   9    |^*"\2Aye, Ralph. ^Yes, I'll do that. ^Will you come along now?**"
P21  10 ^The old man backed away from her, one arm extended in a courtly
P21  11 gesture. ^She felt inclined to laugh. ^From first impressions she
P21  12 didn't think she would get many laughs from her employer, but this old
P21  13 man seemed to be bubbling with a peculiar sense of joy.
P21  14    |^In the yard the wind tore at them, and as the old man steadied
P21  15 her with his hand on her elbow he yelled: ^*"Have you long come? ^I've
P21  16 been away up in the top field, the fence is flat.**"
P21  17    |^*"No, I've just arrived.**"
P21  18    |^*"Then you haven't been in the house at all?**" ^His voice was
P21  19 high with surprise.
P21  20    |^*"No.**"
P21  21    |^She could feel his bewilderment. ^*"I wondered about your case
P21  22 there.**" ^He put out his hand for it, and she let him take it from
P21  23 her.
P21  24    |^*"Did Weir bring you up? ^You didn't say.**"
P21  25    |^*"No, \0Mr. Weir was out.**"
P21  26    |^*"You couldn't have got here \2afore dark then?**"
P21  27    |^*"No, I lost my way and I arrived at another farm. ^The name**"*-
P21  28 she paused, then went on*- *"the name was Cadwell.**"
P21  29    |
P21  30    |^*4T*2HE *0old man came to an abrupt stop and his hand came off
P21  31 her arm. ^He turned to the boy and said: ^*"Michael. ^Here, take hold
P21  32 of this case and go on up.**" ^He pushed the case and the lamp into
P21  33 the boy's hands, then added: ^*"Away with you now.**" ^It wasn't until
P21  34 the child had moved off that he said quickly: ^*"Don't tell me that a
P21  35 Cadwell brought you up here, then?**"
P21  36    |^*"Yes, the young man. ^Rouse, I think his name was.**"
P21  37    |^*"You didn't tell him*- Ralph back there?**"
P21  38    |^*"Yes, I'm afraid I did, I didn't see any reason not to. ^What
P21  39 have I done wrong?**" ^There was a tremor of apprehension in her
P21  40 voice. ^*"I didn't know that \0Mr. Cadwell and \0Mr. Batley were at
P21  41 loggerheads. ^I'm terribly sorry if I've caused*-**"
P21  42    |^*"That's all right, you weren't to know, girl, but I don't know
P21  43 how Maggie will take this. ^Come,**" and he took hold of her arm
P21  44 again.
P21  45    |^They were walking along a broad flagged terrace now and the wind
P21  46 was meeting them head-on, and when they reached the porch they both
P21  47 stood panting for a moment, before the old man said: ^*"I'll take off
P21  48 \2me boots. ^Maggie would brain me if I went in with \2me boots on.**"
P21  49 ^Then bending towards Linda he whispered: ^*"Wipe your feet*-**"
P21  50    |^Feeling very like a child, Linda did as she was requested, while
P21  51 she watched him hop from one stockinged foot to the other over the
P21  52 cold stone flags to the door. ^When he opened the door the reason was
P21  53 made plain, for the floor on to which she stepped was polished as she
P21  54 had never before seen a floor polished.
P21  55    |^But her attention was lifted from the floor to the hall which
P21  56 opened out before her, for in size and shape it was an exact replica
P21  57 of the hall of the Cadwells' house. ^There was the same large open
P21  58 fireplace. ^There was the same winding staircase going off to the left
P21  59 with the balcony running from it along the entire length of the far
P21  60 wall; yet for all the similarity this hall had nothing of the other's
P21  61 charm.
P21  62    |^A long black oak refectory table ran lengthways down the hall.
P21  63 ^Standing with her back to it was a woman. ^She was of medium height
P21  64 with greying hair and had two patches of red high on her cheek bones.
P21  65 ^Her expression checked Linda's progress.
P21  66    |
P21  67    |^*4T*2HE *0Cadwells had looked at her each in their own way.
P21  68 ^Ralph Batley's appraisal had shown his surprise. ^The old man had
P21  69 greeted her gleefully, the boy with wonder; but this woman's look was
P21  70 so different. ^It seemed as if she was being called upon to make a
P21  71 quick decision and was finding the process difficult.
P21  72    |^The woman was now coming towards Linda.
P21  73    |^*"I'm sorry you've had to find your own way. ^When you didn't
P21  74 come at two he thought maybe... anyway he couldn't leave the
P21  75 calving.**" ^The woman's voice was soft and thick and pleasant, but
P21  76 before Linda could say anything she had turned on the old man, crying:
P21  77 ^*"It's your fault. ^Where d'you think you've been?**"
P21  78    |^*"Now Maggie, \2whisht a while, I was up in the top field with
P21  79 the railings as flat as a pancake. ^You wouldn't have me let the
P21  80 cattle get through, now would you?**"
P21  81    |^*"Oh.**" ^She moved her head impatiently then turned to Linda
P21  82 saying: ^*"Well, come in, come in. ^Here, let me have your coat.
P21  83 ^You'll be frozen.**"
P21  84    |^As Linda took off her coat Shane, tripping towards the fire-place
P21  85 like an aged gnome, said gaily: ^*"She's got her hand in already,
P21  86 Maggie, she's been helping with the calving.**"
P21  87    |^*"Helping with the calving?**" ^The woman looked up at her
P21  88 incredulously.
P21  89    |^Linda, going hot with what she knew was to come, said hesitantly:
P21  90 ^*"Apparently I came in the back way. ^I saw the light in the byre.**"
P21  91    |^*"You came in the back way? ^From the main road?**"
P21  92    |^*"Yes.**"
P21  93    |^*"Oh.**" ^She nodded at Linda, a smile now softening her face.
P21  94 ^*"\0Mr. Weir brought you?**"
P21  95    |^*"No.**"
P21  96    |^*"No. ^Weir didn't bring her.**" ^They all turned their eyes
P21  97 towards the door under the balcony through which Ralph Batley was
P21  98 entering the room. ^As he came slowly across the hall he said to no
P21  99 one in particular: ^*"She took the wrong road.**"
P21 100    |^She watched him reach up to the high mantelshelf and take a pipe
P21 101 from out of a wooden rack, then he turned to his mother. ^But his eyes
P21 102 remained on the pipe as he said heavily: ^*"She forked right at the
P21 103 cliff end.**"
P21 104    |^\0Mrs. Batley's brown eyes were wide and, unmistakably, there was
P21 105 fear in them.
P21 106    |^Ralph Batley turned from his mother's gaze to the fire now and
P21 107 lifting his foot he thrust it into the heart of the blazing logs. ^A
P21 108 shower of sparks sprayed around the chimney. ^Then taking a home-made
P21 109 spill from out of a bunch and putting it towards the blaze, he said
P21 110 coldly: ^*"Our neighbours were kind enough to bring her to the top
P21 111 gate.**"
P21 112    |^He was attempting to light an empty pipe. ^Realising this he
P21 113 threw the spill into the fire and, as if to cover up his mistake, said
P21 114 with a poor attempt at lightness: ^*"I'm forgetting, you haven't met
P21 115 my mother.**"
P21 116    |^\0Mrs. Batley's response to this was to say quietly: ^*"You'll be
P21 117 wanting a wash, will you come up?**" ^She turned about and walked
P21 118 across the hall. ^Linda, picking up her case, followed her up the
P21 119 stairs, along the balcony to the far end. ^There \0Mrs. Batley opened
P21 120 a door, saying over her shoulder: ^*"I hope you'll be quite
P21 121 comfortable.**"
P21 122    |^Linda moved into the room. ^Then turning quickly about she looked
P21 123 at the older woman appealingly and said under her breath: ^*"\0Mrs.
P21 124 Batley, I seem to have done something wrong. ^I'm sorry.**"
P21 125    |^\0Mrs. Batley stared at her for a moment, then stepping into the
P21 126 bedroom and closing the door behind her, said: ^*"I'm sorry too, my
P21 127 dear. ^I'm sorry you had to start like this. ^One thing I'll ask of
P21 128 you, keep away from the**"*- she paused here, then brought out*- *"the
P21 129 Cadwells. ^If you want to work here and in peace, don't even mention
P21 130 their name. ^And another thing I would ask you, do your best for him,
P21 131 will you? ^You see he never wanted a woman on the place. ^But I was
P21 132 for it, and you're not quite what I expected.**" ^She held up her
P21 133 hand. ^*"No offence meant, but you don't look exactly cut out for this
P21 134 life. ^Still, time will tell. ^Come down when you're ready.**"
P21 135    |^She went quickly out of the room leaving Linda staring at the
P21 136 closed door in bewilderment.
P21 137    |^Slowly she turned and looked about her, and what she saw held
P21 138 some comfort, for there was a wood fire burning in the grate, the
P21 139 furniture was old-fashioned but solid and shining. ^The floor was bare
P21 140 wood and again highly polished, and before the hearth and by the side
P21 141 of the bed were two clippie rugs. ^In the corner stood her trunk and
P21 142 two cases. ^This then was her room. ^It was comfortable and homely,
P21 143 but all she wanted to do was sit down and cry.
P21 144    |
P21 145    |^*4L*2INDA *0did not unpack but washed herself and combed her
P21 146 hair. ^Yet fifteen minutes later when she went quietly down the
P21 147 stairs, she could have been dressed for a ball, the way their eyes
P21 148 turned and watched her approach.
P21 149    |^The table was set now with a white cloth and was laden with food
P21 150 and she said apologetically: ^*"I hope I haven't kept you all
P21 151 waiting.**"
P21 152    |^*"No, no, we're just going to start. ^Come and sit down.**"
P21 153 ^\0Mrs. Batley took her seat at one end of the table and indicated a
P21 154 chair to the right of her.
P21 155    |^Linda had always considered that she had a good appetite although
P21 156 she may not have shown it in her figure, but she could not attempt to
P21 157 eat half of the dishes that were offered to her. ^There was little
P21 158 talking during the meal except at one stage when \0Mrs. Batley asked:
P21 159 ^*"Are your parents in farming?**"
P21 160    |^*"No, but my uncle, my mother's brother, manages a farm.**"
P21 161    |^No one made any comment on this and \0Mrs. Batley put in quickly:
P21 162 ^*"Well if you've all had sufficient you can make a move to the
P21 163 fire.**"
P21 164    |^Linda's help was accepted by \0Mrs. Batley without comment.
P21 165    |^When some time later she was standing at the sink drying the
P21 166 dishes that \0Mrs. Batley had washed and was searching in her mind for
P21 167 something to say to break the awkward silence, \0Mrs. Batley said very
P21 168 softly: ^*"Were you inside the house?**"
P21 169    |^*"You mean the Cadwells?**" ^Linda's voice, too, was quiet.
P21 170    |^\0Mrs. Batley nodded.
P21 171    |^*"Yes, I was in the hall.**"
P21 172    |^The older woman flicked her hands downwards into the sink with a
P21 173 violent movement, and with a harsh bitterness but still under her
P21 174 breath she said: ^*"I suppose you're comparing it with ours? ^We
P21 175 haven't got a hundred-pound carpet nor all the fal-dals **[SIC**].**"
P21 176    |^Linda looked at \0Mrs. Batley who was now thrusting the china
P21 177 noisily into the cupboard. ^She found herself pitying this woman, and
P21 178 she lied as she said softly: ^*"I didn't notice how the place was
P21 179 furnished. ^All that I can really remember is that the hall is similar
P21 180 in shape to yours. ^But one thing I did notice, the floor and
P21 181 furniture didn't gleam nearly so much as yours do.**"
P21 182    |^Even if it had not been true she would have been bound to say it,
P21 183 for there was a loneliness emanating from the other woman that touched
P21 184 Linda.
P21 185    |^As she spoke Ralph Batley came into the kitchen. ^He looked
P21 186 neither at his mother nor at Linda but went straight to the back door
P21 187 and was on his way out when his mother said: ^*"Will she do?**"
P21 188    |^For a moment Linda had the awful sensation that the question
P21 189 referred to herself, but when the reply came: ^*"She'll do all
P21 190 right,**" she was forced to smile. ^It was the calf they were speaking
P21 191 about.
P21 192    |
P21 193    |^*4I*2N *0the living-room Shane was sitting with his feet
P21 194 stretched out to the blaze but he heaved himself up on her arrival,
P21 195 saying: ^*"Sit yourself here.**"
P21 196    |^*"No, no, I'll sit here.**"
P21 197    |^*"Do what he says, he's getting selfish enough.**"
P21 198    |^\0Mrs. Batley was busy now setting up a framework to the side of
P21 199 the fireplace and Linda saw it was a half-finished rug. ^She watched
P21 200 her drop a carrier bag on Shane's knee, saying: ^*"Get yourself busy,
P21 201 that'll keep you out of mischief.
P21 202 **[MIDDLE OF QUOTE**]
P21 203 *# 2004
P22   1 **[484 TEXT P22**]
P22   2    |^*0Then he lazed back, laughing by her side, motionless in the
P22   3 sun.
P22   4    |^He used to drink the cheap, warm wine straight from the bottle.
P22   5    |^*'You first,**' he told her, ^*'I want the bottle neck to be
P22   6 smothered in your kisses.**'
P22   7    |^He made her laugh so much that, sometimes, she spilt it down her
P22   8 dress and left a purple stain on the pique*?2 collar.
P22   9    |^*'When I'm rich,**' he cried, *'I'll buy you champagne, nothing
P22  10 but champagne. ^You can bath in it, drink it, spill it down your dress
P22  11 and it won't even leave a mark.**'
P22  12    |^With these words he sprang to his feet and cried into the
P22  13 swirling blue, ~*'I love her, I love her, I love her... ~It's you I
P22  14 love, you silly girl... Anna and Hugo... Anna and Hugo...**' until
P22  15 their names echoed and trembled to the distant hills.
P22  16    |^He chased her barefoot over the scented grass and thistledown
P22  17 until they fell panting into each others **[SIC**] arms on the ground.
P22  18 ^Then he gasped for breath, his body humped and contorted as he
P22  19 clutched at his own throat in convulsive agony and desperation.
P22  20 ^Between the coughing and the retching, he begged her: ~*'Don't look,
P22  21 Anna, please don't look at me,**' and she would slump to the grass
P22  22 until it was over. ^Sometimes, there was blood even on the flowers, on
P22  23 the daises which had, already, pink-tipped petals.
P22  24    |^The days, the weeks, the months rushed by, express train-like but
P22  25 with no destination, no beginning and no end. ^He used to walk to the
P22  26 studio where he was learning to paint.
P22  27    |^*'To save money,**' he told her, *'so I can buy you presents.**'
P22  28    |^He bought her books, flowers, bits of cracked and broken junk
P22  29 which he thought pretty, and sometimes clothes. ^The mackintosh was
P22  30 the last thing he ever gave her.
P22  31    |^*'For once I'm being practical,**' he said. ^*'After all, it's
P22  32 meant to rain in England.**'
P22  33    |^He walked everywhere and the endless exercise made him hungry.
P22  34 ^She spent twice as much as he saved to appease the hunger and they
P22  35 both laughed when the false economy dawned on them. ^She bought him
P22  36 fruit, meat, cheese and eggs and together they strived to cook them
P22  37 over the gas-ring in her bedroom with the help of a French cookery
P22  38 book. ^Their faces were smudged, their foreheads sweaty, their hands
P22  39 garnished with garlic and, laughing, they would decide to cook the
P22  40 English way and fall back on fish and chips.
P22  41    |^In the winter, the snow helped to hide the barrack grimness of
P22  42 their surroundings. ^It lay like petals on the deserted garden patch
P22  43 and even transfigured the limp lines of washing into dazzling
P22  44 obelisks.
P22  45    |^Hugo's cough seemed better in the snow. ^He would gather handfuls
P22  46 off the trees, kiss it, eat it and chase her laughing and crying down
P22  47 the street, hurling it into her streaming hair.
P22  48    |^He painted her room for her as *'white as the snow**' he said.
P22  49 ^He stripped off the sad wallpaper, almost angrily, and in its place
P22  50 put up fresh and merry whiteness. ^She made him hang his paintings on
P22  51 the walls and could scarcely believe the brilliant transformation.
P22  52    |^*'This is the first time I've ever hung a painting,**' he told
P22  53 her smiling, *'and probably the last.**'
P22  54    |^She liked best the pictures of Provence, the fishermen with black
P22  55 nets drying on platinum sand, the baskets of rainbow fish which still
P22  56 seemed to squirm in the sun-glitter. ^She liked the lonely stretches
P22  57 of Camargue wasteland, wild, melancholy and mysterious; she liked the
P22  58 vastness of the rice-fields, once mistral-torn and mosquito-ridden.
P22  59 ^She loved the pictures of housewives, brawny and good-humoured,
P22  60 haggling with their Midi accent over the monk fish, the grey mullet,
P22  61 the tiny squid and the lobsters while the naked starfish sprawled dead
P22  62 in the sun. ^Even dead, the colours were dazzling*- silver sea bream;
P22  63 slithery, bright pink demoiselles; the angler with mad antennae-like
P22  64 hooks sprouting from its huge head; the gigantic turbot and the sleek,
P22  65 black dogfish with its greyhound head.
P22  66    |^When she looked at his paintings, she could hear the auction bids
P22  67 and smell the fish and pebbles, she could feel the sticky salt in the
P22  68 women's hair and the tired sweat on the men's faces.
P22  69    |^Over and over again, he tried to paint a picture of Anna. ^He
P22  70 couldn't. ^*'I love you too much,**' he explained. ^*'Anyway, I can
P22  71 only paint fish and peasants.**'
P22  72    |^He made her look sad, he made her look happy but somehow he never
P22  73 captured the startling strangeness which was Anna. ^In the winter
P22  74 evenings, she sat for him hour after hour but, in the end, he hurled
P22  75 the canvas from the easel, cursing himself and his lack of talent.
P22  76 ^She reassured him, told him the light was wrong, that he was tired or
P22  77 hungry, that she loved the picture and it was more real than she was
P22  78 herself. ^Then he burst into laughter and asked: ^*'Do you mind if I
P22  79 turn you into a fish?**'
P22  80    |^And, in half the time, he blotted out her likeness and brought
P22  81 fiercely to life, the sea-glimmer, sunlight, fishwives and the sparkle
P22  82 of salt water on sealy skin and delicate fins. ^His excuse was always
P22  83 the same.
P22  84    |^*'You see I love you too much, I can't paint the woman I love,
P22  85 the only woman I've ever loved.**'
P22  86    |^*'The only one?**' she asked him.
P22  87    |^He looked at her through flickering lashes, half smiling.
P22  88    |^*'The only one,**' he repeated. ^*'The others were just games.**'
P22  89    |^*'What do you call games, Hugo?**'
P22  90    |^Then he looked guilty like a child caught stealing an apple.
P22  91    |^*'Well,**' he said kissing her cheek, *'I knew them in the
P22  92 biblical sense. ^They were nothing to me, just nothing.**'
P22  93    |^Biblical sense or no, she felt sad and jealous and questioned him
P22  94 closely as to their names and faces. ^Whereupon he swept her into his
P22  95 arms and carried her struggling to the bed.
P22  96    |^*'There,**' he said as he knelt on the floor by her side, *'on
P22  97 bended knee I swear it. ^The only one, it's you.**'
P22  98    |^He lay his cheek upon hers, silent for a while, then he whispered
P22  99 in her hair: ^*'Anna, make love with me, real love... please do.**'
P22 100    |^Before she could think or answer him, he was a tangled heap on
P22 101 the floor, a spitting, gasping heap, half-sobbing, half-human.
P22 102    |^She ran out to get some water and, when she came back, she found
P22 103 him lying on her bed, laughing.
P22 104    |^*'So I have to make do with this, do I?**' ^He held up her
P22 105 portrait still wet and sticky. ^*'It's prettier than you, you brutal
P22 106 angel.**'
P22 107    |^*'There's not so much of it though,**' she answered truthfully.
P22 108    |^Thereupon he jumped up and said that he was hungry.
P22 109    |^*'And all because of you,**' he told her as he kissed her, clung
P22 110 to her and led her away. ^She was glad it hadn't happened. ^She didn't
P22 111 want to be a game, not even in the biblical sense. ^Anyway, he was too
P22 112 ill and she loved him too much.
P22 113    |^Her mother enjoyed having Hugo in the house, her father resented
P22 114 him. ^He didn't like to see other people happy around him. ^It wasn't
P22 115 his Methodist upbringing, it was just his nature. ^He was like a damp
P22 116 cartridge; however much force or pressure was brought to bear, nothing
P22 117 happened. ^He never exploded, either joyfully or angrily. ^He was
P22 118 simply an unfriendly maggot that you might find under a stone. ^She
P22 119 and Hugo had a secret language which they spoke with their eyes and
P22 120 their hands, and many was the mad, snuffed-out laughter conversation
P22 121 they carried on behind her father's disapproving newspaper. ^He was
P22 122 only concerned that Hugo should pay his rent, not put French coins in
P22 123 the gas-meter slot and not seduce his daughter. ^The third condition
P22 124 was the least important of the three.
P22 125    |^Sometimes Anna wondered if he knew that she wasn't his daughter.
P22 126 ^But of course he knew and that made it worse. ^He didn't mind, he
P22 127 didn't want children of his own or despise his wife's illegitimate
P22 128 one. ^It was this complete indifference to everything, whether mental
P22 129 or physical, that astonished and terrified Anna. ^On both counts he
P22 130 was a miser. ^He gave nothing, he took nothing but he resented
P22 131 everything.
P22 132    |^She could recall Hugo's farewell so clearly. ^It was so vivid
P22 133 that she often wondered if it had not occurred the day before and
P22 134 whether it were not just another good-night with another greeting in
P22 135 the morning. ^It had been July, almost three years to a day since he
P22 136 first appeared in their lives.
P22 137    |^*'We must pretend it's for a day,**' he said, *'because we know
P22 138 it's only a month and then we'll be together for the rest of our
P22 139 lives.**'
P22 140    |^*'A day,**' she repeated slowly, *'but even a day without you is
P22 141 a lifetime.**'
P22 142    |^*'While I'm away ,**' he said, *'you must write to me every
P22 143 single day and I'll write to you. ^You know I can't live without you
P22 144 so promise me you will.**'
P22 145    |^She didn't even bother to promise*- it was so unnecessary.
P22 146    |^*'Don't come to the station,**' he begged her, *'I'll burst into
P22 147 tears and make a fool of myself.**'
P22 148    |^Nevertheless, she had gone and each tormented minute had been a
P22 149 tiny stretch of happiness. ^He leaned from the carriage window and
P22 150 clung to her, unaware of the selfish noise and activity of a
P22 151 boat-train crowd and they*- unaware of him. ^He begged her, made her
P22 152 swear to go on loving him for ever and never to see, touch or talk to
P22 153 another man. ^The whistle went and she brushed the tears from his eyes
P22 154 with her hand.
P22 155    |^*'Keep one,**' he said smiling.
P22 156    |^*'I have my own,**' she replied.
P22 157    |^The train shuddered, gathered speed and was gone.
P22 158    |^The blurred heads of holiday-makers leaned out, waving and
P22 159 kissing to the platform of spectators, to the litter of squash
P22 160 cartons, ice-cream wrappers and separation. ^She walked away as in a
P22 161 trance, walking always forward but always left behind. ^No one noticed
P22 162 her. ^On a boat-train station, people look sad or happy*- there is no
P22 163 in between. ^She went home and looked at her face in the glass. ^It
P22 164 was like a mask of granite which cannot melt, break or be crushed. ^It
P22 165 seemed to have no reason for being there at all*- simply a memento of
P22 166 the past. ^She assured herself that in a month everything would begin
P22 167 again as sweetly and smoothly as winding a clock. ^She wrote to him
P22 168 every day for a week and every single day she waited for his answer.
P22 169 ^There was no question of his letters becoming colder, wearier or less
P22 170 affectionate. ^There were no letters*- it was as simple as that. ^The
P22 171 postman came to know her face quite well*- it was white and drawn and
P22 172 seemed scarcely to exist. ^He gave her gas bills, butcher bills and
P22 173 canvassing pamphlets but her fingers sorted through them hungrily and
P22 174 she closed the door and thanked him.
P22 175    |^She made the lodgers' beds, went to work and returned at night to
P22 176 wait for the morning. ^After a week, she stopped writing letters
P22 177 altogether and after a month she sobbed herself to sticky sleep each
P22 178 night and woke to the swollen-eyed dawn. ^From that time forth, she
P22 179 lived in the past and three years' recollection offers a sort of
P22 180 companionship although it has no future. ^She walked down the streets
P22 181 where they had walked together, went to the same pubs and cafe*?2s,
P22 182 visited the same museums and cinemas and even took bus-rides into the
P22 183 country where each blade of grass reminded her of him. ^She wondered
P22 184 if he were ill, she wondered if he were dead and suddenly she realized
P22 185 that she was the ill one, the dead one, the idiot and the possessed.
P22 186    |^Her father was glad it had all ended; her mother was too busy to
P22 187 comment. ^*'Find yourself a nice steady man,**' he told her, *'not a
P22 188 choking, arty-crafty foreigner.**' ^And he returned to his evening
P22 189 paper in justified and contented humour, pleased that he'd been right
P22 190 all along and that his day was over.
P22 191 *# 2005
P23   1 **[485 TEXT P23**]
P23   2 ^*0*"I felt sure that you would like her, Bill.**"
P23   3    |^*"We got on famously,**" he replied curtly, finding it next to
P23   4 impossible to discuss Betty like this. ^*"But tell me more about your
P23   5 mother, Kay. ^Is all need for anxiety at an end? ^You must have had a
P23   6 very worrying time of it, poor old girl!**"
P23   7    |^*"Yes, it's been anything but pleasant,**" she replied.
P23   8 ^*"Naturally, I was very disappointed about not having this holiday
P23   9 with you, Bill. ^I'd so looked forward to getting away with you alone.
P23  10 ^As it is, we shall only have a few days to ourselves, for I suppose I
P23  11 ought to get back to mother as soon as I possibly can. ^But never
P23  12 mind, it won't be long before we shall be married, and then we shall
P23  13 be together always!**"
P23  14    |^It was the first time Kay had ever spoken to him in such a strain
P23  15 about their approaching marriage, and, somehow the remark jarred on
P23  16 herself almost as much as it did on Bill.
P23  17    |^He said hastily*-
P23  18    |^*"It's quite a long time to September, Kay.**"
P23  19    |^*"But the time will go so quickly, what with one thing and
P23  20 another. ^Buying the furniture for one thing*- won't it be exciting,
P23  21 Bill, choosing just what we like? ^You can't imagine how happy and
P23  22 excited I feel about it all.**"
P23  23    |^Bill's heart smote him. ^Poor Kay! ^He had sinned against her,
P23  24 unwillingly, it is true, but nevertheless he had sinned, and however
P23  25 he looked at things, he saw pain for her in the future.
P23  26    |^He said gently*-
P23  27    |^*"It*- it's awfully decent of you to care so much about me, Kay.
P23  28 ^I'm not really worth it, you know. ^You're the sort of girl almost
P23  29 any man would be glad and proud to marry.**"
P23  30    |^*"But, Bill, you are the only one I want to feel like that,**"
P23  31 she said, squeezing his arm, and feeling more reassured. ^*"Let's sit
P23  32 here for a few minutes, shall we? ^This boulder looks very
P23  33 inviting.**"
P23  34    |^It had to be the same boulder that he and Betty had sat upon so
P23  35 often. ^Bill gave an inward groan. ^He felt that the situation was
P23  36 getting beyond him.
P23  37    |
P23  38    |^Meanwhile, Betty, feeling wretched and unsettled, had collected
P23  39 her belongings and stowed them away in the suitcases she had packed so
P23  40 gaily before setting out for this eventful holiday. ^This done, she
P23  41 contemplated with dismay the solitary hours that lay before her, with
P23  42 only miserable thoughts for company, and yet dreaded still more the
P23  43 return of the other two.
P23  44    |^In the end she went to one of the cinemas and tried to forget her
P23  45 own problems by becoming absorbed in those of the people depicted on
P23  46 the screen.
P23  47    |^It was time for supper when she returned to the boarding-house,
P23  48 and after one anxious glance at the faces of the two lovers, she
P23  49 heaved a sigh of profound relief. ^It was obvious that Bill had been
P23  50 behaving himself correctly and that Kay suspected nothing.
P23  51    |^Betty forced herself to a display of high spirits and gaiety
P23  52 which she was very far from feeling, and in which she was assisted by
P23  53 Bill, who, by now, had reluctantly decided that Kay must be kept in
P23  54 the dark as much as possible concerning the wrong they had done her.
P23  55    |^Kay's unusual display of affection had touched his heart, even
P23  56 while it had increased his sense of despair and hopelessness, for Bill
P23  57 realised that all chances of making her a really good and loving
P23  58 husband were forever dead.
P23  59    |^After supper, they all three went on the pier to listen to the
P23  60 band, and if the sweet, lilting music woke Betty's heart to fresh
P23  61 agony, she gave no sign. ^It was only for a few hours longer that she
P23  62 would have to wear her mask and act her role.
P23  63    |^And afterwards? ^Shudderingly she acknowledged to herself that
P23  64 she dared not face what lay before her. ^*"Sufficient to the day,**"
P23  65 she told herself drearily, looking at the sea, upon which the magic
P23  66 moonlight shone with the same radiant beauty it had displayed on the
P23  67 previous night, when it had so thoroughly bewitched herself and Bill.
P23  68    |^Oh, how gloriously happy she had been during those few fleeting
P23  69 moments of time! ^They were engraved upon the tablets of her memory
P23  70 for ever; they marked for her the pinnacle of life*- throbbing,
P23  71 emotion-packed moments, in which, for the first time in her life, she
P23  72 had seemed to really live.
P23  73    |^The contrast between that time and this was too sharp, too
P23  74 poignant. ^She longed to plunge into that silvered sea and swim and
P23  75 swim into forgetfulness!
P23  76    |^*"To-morrow I shall be thinking of all this,**" she said.
P23  77    |^*"Yes, Betty, and you'll be sorry you deserted us,**" Kay
P23  78 replied. ^*"We shall have to come here for our holiday next year and
P23  79 make it a proper one,**" she added, smiling wanly.
P23  80 *<*2CHAPTER *=4*>
P23  81 *<LOVE'S ORDEAL*>
P23  82    |^*6N*2EXT *0morning Betty bade them both good-bye and returned to
P23  83 London.
P23  84    |^For one long moment Bill held her hand and looked deep into her
P23  85 glorious brown eyes which held his world, and there passed between
P23  86 them that same irresistible electric thrill which had signalled the
P23  87 avowal of their love.
P23  88    |^Then he had stepped back, without uttering a word, and Kay had
P23  89 raised her face and kissed her friend. ^A moment later, the guard's
P23  90 whistle gave its shrill warning, and the train started on its way.
P23  91    |^Betty felt a strange sensation as she looked out of the window
P23  92 and watched the figures of Kay and Bill diminish, and then disappear
P23  93 from view. ^She told herself that she would do her best never to see
P23  94 either of them again. ^Yes, it was strange **[SIC**] a sad sensation,
P23  95 and her eyes were misty as she sank back into her seat.
P23  96    |^So it was over at last! ^All that now remained was for her to
P23  97 face reality with as brave a heart as she could muster. ^A little
P23  98 desperately Betty told herself that there must be other things in life
P23  99 besides love. ^She had been happy and content enough before she had
P23 100 fallen a victim to its magic spell*- why shouldn't she be able to
P23 101 recapture that old, gay, careless contentment which, up to now, had
P23 102 been all she had asked of life?
P23 103    |^*"I'm glad that Kay will never know,**" she murmured to herself,
P23 104 as she watched the beautiful summer landscape fly past the carriage
P23 105 window.
P23 106    |^And again, late that night, as she lay tossing restlessly in bed,
P23 107 she murmured*-
P23 108    |^*"Yes, I'm glad that Kay will never know!**"
P23 109    |^Even that cause of thankfulness would have been denied her, had
P23 110 she known of what was taking place at almost that selfsame moment
P23 111 between Kay and Bill.
P23 112    |^After supper, they had wandered, a little aimlessly, down to the
P23 113 water's edge, where once again the moon spread that shining track of
P23 114 silver light which seemed to lead to some far-away enchanted country.
P23 115 ^When they reached a deserted stretch of beach, Kay pointed to a
P23 116 nearby groyne.
P23 117    |^*"Let's sit down,**" she said, and even to Bill, preoccupied as
P23 118 he was with his secret thoughts, her voice sounded strange. ^*"I*- I
P23 119 want to ask you something, Bill.**"
P23 120    |^Somehow, he seemed to know, without being told, what she was
P23 121 going to ask him. ^There had been a brooding look in Kay's eyes, and
P23 122 an absent-mindedness in her manner which, subconsciously, must have
P23 123 warned him, for he sensed at once that she discovered the truth.
P23 124    |^*"I think I can guess what you wish to ask me, Kay,**" he
P23 125 stammered.
P23 126    |^*"Then*- then it *1is *0true? ^You are in love with Betty, aren't
P23 127 you, Bill?**"
P23 128    |^It was impossible for him to deny it, for a moment or two, his
P23 129 lips refused to frame the words. ^But at last he spoke.
P23 130    |^*"Please let us not speak of it, Kay,**" he said. ^*"It was
P23 131 Betty's earnest wish that you should know nothing of it.**"
P23 132    |^*"No wonder*- she's too ashamed, of course,**" Kay returned
P23 133 hotly.
P23 134    |^*"That's not very charitable of you, Kay, in view of the fact
P23 135 that Betty has left here solely for *1your *0sake. ^Don't you
P23 136 understand? ^She voluntarily gave me up because of you.**"
P23 137    |^*"You were not hers to give up,**" Kay retorted.
P23 138    |^*"Anyway, she knew that my love was hers,**" Bill admitted, in a
P23 139 low voice.
P23 140    |^Kay closed her eyes. ^A sharp pang of pain shot through her at
P23 141 his words.
P23 142    |^*"Bill*- Bill, my darling, you are not going to give me up, are
P23 143 you?**" she cried. ^*"Please*- please don't, Bill! ^It's only an
P23 144 infatuation. ^It cannot last*- it can mean nothing to you in view of
P23 145 the long and deep affection we have felt for each other. ^Bill dear,
P23 146 my life will be completely ruined if you throw me over. ^Oh, I could
P23 147 never face such a thing! ^You are my world, my all!
P23 148    |^*"This*- this sudden infatuation you feel for Betty will pass.
P23 149 ^It cannot possibly last, Bill. ^You have not known her long enough
P23 150 for it to mean anything to you. ^Oh, Bill dear,**" Kay pleaded in a
P23 151 broken voice, *"please don't throw me over after all this time, for
P23 152 the sake of a girl you have hardly known for a week!**"
P23 153    |^Such impassioned words, coming from the usually calm, reserved
P23 154 Kay, went straight to Bill's heart. ^He could not bear to see her
P23 155 humbled thus before him*- this girl who had promised to be his wife
P23 156 and to whom he owed fidelity and respect and love.
P23 157    |^*"Of course I'm not going to throw you over, Kay, dear,**" he
P23 158 said quickly. ^*"Why, Betty wouldn't hear of such a thing. ^That's why
P23 159 she has gone away, as I've already told you. ^She refuses to have
P23 160 anything more to do with me. ^She has behaved very nobly, Kay.
P23 161 ^Listen, my dear, I asked you to marry me, didn't I? ^And I'm going to
P23 162 do my very best to make you happy.**"
P23 163    |^Over her bent head, Bill's eyes were fixed in misery on a fast
P23 164 vanishing hope of ultimate happiness. ^Betty was right. ^Kay must not
P23 165 be forsaken; for decency's sake he must keep his pledged word to her.
P23 166    |^The sound of Kay's quiet weeping came to him, and resolutely he
P23 167 set himself to ease her injured feelings.
P23 168    |^*"Don't cry, darling,**" he said. ^*"You are right; all this
P23 169 unhappiness will pass. ^It will seem like some vanished dream from
P23 170 which we have awakened to reality once more. ^You will try to forgive
P23 171 me, won't you, Kay dear? ^It all happened before I was really aware of
P23 172 it. ^Believe me, Kay, I'm just as fond of you as ever I was*- yes,
P23 173 just as fond of you, my darling.**"
P23 174    |^Kay longed, but did not dare, to ask him if he cared more for her
P23 175 than he did for Betty, but she knew the desolate answer to that
P23 176 question. ^Instead she said*-
P23 177    |^*"Of course I shall forgive you, Bill, fully and freely. ^Betty
P23 178 is a very attractive girl and no doubt she took advantage of the close
P23 179 proximity into which you were thrown. ^Anyway, let us never speak of
P23 180 it again, Bill*- let it be buried and forgotten for ever.**"
P23 181    |^*"It shall be as you wish, Kay,**" he answered, but more coldly,
P23 182 for he strongly resented the injustice she was doing to Betty.
P23 183 ^*"Let's go somewhere and find a sherry, shall we?**" he added. ^*"It
P23 184 may cheer us up a bit.**"
P23 185    |^*"Yes, and we'll drink to our future happiness, Bill!**" she
P23 186 answered, raising her face to his for a kiss.
P23 187    |^But of all this Betty knew nothing, of course. ^The days went by
P23 188 slowly and wearily. ^She was longing for the time to come for her to
P23 189 return to the office. ^Her parents had gone to Wales to visit an aged
P23 190 aunt, and most of Betty's pals were equally inaccessible, so that for
P23 191 a time solitude was her portion.
P23 192    |^She had plenty of leisure to dwell upon those vanished days spent
P23 193 with the man she loved*- days of golden sunshine and music and utter
P23 194 happiness.
P23 195    |^The knowledge that she might never see Bill again was very bitter
P23 196 to her, but it couldn't be helped.
P23 197 *# 2006
P24   1 **[486 TEXT P24**]
P24   2 *<*6CONCLUDING *5Woman *6SERIAL *4by *6MARGARET SUMMERTON*>
P24   3 *<*2ILLUSTRATED BY WALTER WYLES*>
P24   4 *<*5the Sea House*>
P24   5 *<*4Out of violence and fear love could still flourish. ^For now love
P24   6 was theirs*>
P24   7    |^A *2MOMENT *0after the kitchen dresser had swung to and left us
P24   8 in the darkness of the secret passage, there was a sudden, blinding
P24   9 light. ^Ivor had switched on a torch.
P24  10    |^Esmond grunted: ^*"Bolt the door. ^It'll give us an extra half
P24  11 hour while either Mark or Adkins gets hold of a crowbar. ^Then go
P24  12 ahead, shine the light backwards.**"
P24  13    |^There was the long, sustained whisper of oiled metal moving, and
P24  14 then Ivor stumbled over my feet. ^My wrists, stinging with cramp, were
P24  15 free from Esmond's grasp.
P24  16    |^*"Don't start making a fuss all over again Charlotte, there's a
P24  17 good girl,**" Esmond said. ^*"Save your breath. ^You've got a long
P24  18 climb. ^Follow Ivor. ^I'm right behind you.**"
P24  19    |^The steps went on and on; sometimes steeply, sometimes on a wide,
P24  20 low incline, and the depths of the treads varied.
P24  21    |^After ten minutes, Ivor had gone so far ahead that it was dark.
P24  22 ^My head struck rock, my feet misjudged the step and I fell with a
P24  23 scream.
P24  24    |^Esmond's arm came round my waist, but there was no resilience
P24  25 left in me to help him.
P24  26    |^*"I can't breathe,**" I whispered. ^*"I'm choking.**"
P24  27    |^*"No, you're not. ^This is the worst patch. ^You've only about
P24  28 another hundred yards to go. ^Come on.**" ^He heaved me upright, and
P24  29 half carried me to a point where the steps ended.
P24  30    |
P24  31    |^*6I*2VOR *0had set the lamp on the floor. ^He stood over it,
P24  32 visible to his waist, the rest of him a formless shadow. ^We were in a
P24  33 cave. ^As Esmond put me down, I lifted my arm. ^I could just touch the
P24  34 roof.
P24  35    |^The air was a little sweeter but it was still heavy and my breath
P24  36 came in gasps. ^I would have given ten years of my life for sight of
P24  37 the sky.
P24  38    |^I began to beat my hands against the slime-covered walls. ^I
P24  39 cried out one word repeatedly: it was Mark.
P24  40    |^*"Don't, Charlotte. ^You've got to stick it out for another few
P24  41 minutes.**" ^With hands that had suddenly grown protective, Esmond
P24  42 turned me round, pushed the hair from my forehead. ^*"You and Mark
P24  43 have got the rest of your lives to fix yourselves up. ^But this small
P24  44 piece of you belongs to me. ^If you don't stay with me until I get
P24  45 into the open, I'm finished, Charlotte.**"
P24  46    |^*"You've no chance,**" I said, repeating Mark's words. ^*"There
P24  47 isn't a yacht waiting for you...**"
P24  48    |^*"Probably not.**" ^He shrugged his shoulders. ^*"But if I can
P24  49 get clear, make the beach, I'll find some sort of boat...**"
P24  50    |^I glanced over my shoulder. ^Ivor had moved a little out of the
P24  51 range of the light.
P24  52    |^*"Why did you come in here? ^If you're afraid of what he might
P24  53 do?**" I asked Esmond.
P24  54    |^*"He wouldn't have given me a chance to do anything else. ^He'd
P24  55 have shot us all down, made his own getaway alone.**"
P24  56    |^*"What's he doing?**"
P24  57    |^*"Don't panic. ^He's clearing the way ahead. ^Except for an air
P24  58 passage, the way out of this cave is blocked with stones and old
P24  59 rubbish. ^After that, there's a low tunnel, one last cave... ^From
P24  60 there, out on the cliffs, the odds are against him, not me. ^I know
P24  61 every foxhole a darned sight better than he does. ^I'll leave you
P24  62 there, Charlotte, and you can double back to Mark. ^He'll have the
P24  63 door down by then.**" ^He raised his voice that he had held to a
P24  64 whisper. ^*"All clear, Ivor?**"
P24  65    |
P24  66    |^*6A*2S *0he pushed me forward Ivor moved into the light. ^There
P24  67 was a glint of metal in his right hand. ^Esmond laughed, and in the
P24  68 same second pulled me back hard against him, a living shield between
P24  69 him and the threat of the gun.
P24  70    |^*"Just as I thought,**" he said shortly. ^*"My insurance has paid
P24  71 off.**"
P24  72    |^I froze against him, as Ivor, giant-size in that low cavern,
P24  73 moved one step, then another towards us. ^I felt Esmond's left hand
P24  74 move down to grapple in his pocket.
P24  75    |^Then he shouted: ^*"If you want to kill me, you've got to kill
P24  76 her first.**"
P24  77    |^*"You're at the end of the line, Elliot,**" Ivor said in a voice
P24  78 of steel.
P24  79    |^Esmond screamed: ^*"You'll have to shoot her first. ^Lisa won't
P24  80 be so keen to have a double murderer on her hands, you'll find.**"
P24  81    |^Their voices overlapped and were trapped in the echo.
P24  82    |^*"Lisa's finished with you. ^You're a wastrel, a sponger,**" Ivor
P24  83 hissed.
P24  84    |^*"You never meant me to get out of here alive... Webster... and
P24  85 the boat, they were a pack of lies... Mark was right.**" ^Esmond was
P24  86 now gasping for breath.
P24  87    |^*"Of course he was right... ^You're going to die, Elliot, and the
P24  88 girl can go with you...**"
P24  89    |^The gun in Esmond's hand spat. ^The light was gone. ^In the
P24  90 sudden, blinding darkness I managed to wrench myself free of Esmond's
P24  91 grasp and dive to the ground. ^There was a tumult of noise and the
P24  92 spatter of fire. ^Something struck my arm. ^There was no pain after
P24  93 the first searing blow, only numbness, and sticky warmth trickling
P24  94 over my hand.
P24  95    |^For a moment I crouched there, dazed, then I stood up and shouted
P24  96 as loudly as the breath in my lungs would allow.
P24  97    |^Almost immediately I heard the scraping of heavy, stumbling feet,
P24  98 a voice choking in curses, a fall that sent stones tumbling. ^Then
P24  99 silence again, and after timeless seconds, a long-drawn-out gasp.
P24 100    |^*"Esmond! ^Esmond!**" ^The echo mocked my cry. ^I fumbled
P24 101 frantically in the darkness, bending double, brushing the wet, filthy
P24 102 floor with my hands... ^Then I fell over the prone figure that was
P24 103 still moaning and dropped to my knees.
P24 104    |^I whispered: ~*"Esmond!**" not sure in the blackness whether it
P24 105 was he or Ivor.
P24 106    |^He breathed the first syllable of my name. ^I shifted his head to
P24 107 my knee. ^It was heavy, and when I felt his face it was wet... or was
P24 108 it my fingers that were coated with my own blood or slime from the
P24 109 cave?
P24 110    |^My hands on his shoulders moved down to his chest, and then
P24 111 dropped away as he gave a terrible scream. ^I bent my head until my
P24 112 face was over his mouth, trying to make words out of the senseless
P24 113 mumble that followed the cry of agony. ^But they made no sense.
P24 114    |^And then, behind me, I heard another sound: slow, dragging,
P24 115 tortuous. ^I froze, my body bent over Esmond, my hand grasping the gun
P24 116 that was, miraculously, lying on the ground beside my finger tips.
P24 117 ^Ivor was moving.
P24 118    |
P24 119    |^*6T*2HEN *0he was on me, his foot tripping over my leg; my teeth
P24 120 bit my lower lip to stem the scream, and my free hand covered Esmond's
P24 121 mouth. ^Beneath the weight of his body I willed my limbs to stay stiff
P24 122 and waited to feel the touch of his hand that would tell him Esmond
P24 123 and I weren't dead. ^In that moment my finger found the trigger of the
P24 124 gun.
P24 125    |^Would I have pulled it? ^I don't know, because the weight
P24 126 gradually heaved itself from me. ^Footsteps, scuffling, uncertain,
P24 127 dragged themselves away, and finally, there was utter silence.
P24 128    |^I lifted my shoulders, eased the burden on my knees, and
P24 129 waited...
P24 130    |^I fought hard not to wake up. ^Desperately I clung to the
P24 131 remnants of unconsciousness, burrowing in the thinning layers, trying
P24 132 to ignore the pain in my arm and a voice that called my name.
P24 133    |^But the voice and the pain were winning. ^A hand on my shoulder
P24 134 scattered the last fragments and I cried out.
P24 135    |^The voice said: ^*"I'm sorry, but it's time you woke up,
P24 136 Charlotte.**"
P24 137    |^Odd, I thought, it sounded like Edwina's voice. ^I opened my
P24 138 eyes. ^The room was full of daylight.
P24 139    |^*"There! ^You'll be perfectly all right know.**" ^Her voice was
P24 140 relieved.
P24 141    |^I pushed myself up on the pillows. ^*"What time is it?**" I
P24 142 asked.
P24 143    |^*"Almost ten o'clock.**" ^She glanced at my arm. ^*"You're not to
P24 144 worry about that. ^It was only a simple flesh wound. ^\0Dr. Farnes
P24 145 stitched it up for you last night.**"
P24 146    |^I was still only half awake.
P24 147    |^*"Could I have a cup of tea?**" I said.
P24 148    |^*"Ivy is bringing you your breakfast as soon as she can manage
P24 149 it, but she's all behind this morning. ^Nothing has been done
P24 150 properly. ^It's all extremely upsetting.**"
P24 151    |^I stared at her. ^The memory of the afternoon and evening before
P24 152 came faltering back to me, in patches. ^I could feel the dazzle of the
P24 153 torches as Mark, Adkins and the others reached me in the cave.
P24 154    |^*"Are you hurt, Charlotte?**" ^Mark had gently eased me upright,
P24 155 away from Esmond.
P24 156    |^Adkins had bent over the body that I had guarded, and a whole
P24 157 world of tortured waiting passed before Adkins said: ^*"I'm afraid
P24 158 there's nothing else we can do for him. ^\0Mr. Halliwell, I suggest
P24 159 you help Miss Elliot back to the house. ^I'll follow you.**"
P24 160    |^Even now, I could hear my own voice crying out, and Mark saying:
P24 161 ^*"Hush, darling. ^He's dead. ^I've got to get you out of here.**"
P24 162    |^I could remember nothing after that but a close-up of \0Dr.
P24 163 Farnes's face as he bent over me, and his cheerful voice saying:
P24 164 ^*"Now don't worry, young lady. ^This isn't going to hurt you. ^You're
P24 165 going to have a nice, long sleep.**"
P24 166    |^I twisted round, so that I could look fully at Edwina. ^Her face
P24 167 was grey and pinched, but from the light in her eye I could tell she
P24 168 was on the brink of reading me a lecture.
P24 169    |^I cried out accusingly: ^*"Esmond need never have died if you
P24 170 hadn't given him away. ^You came straight back here yesterday
P24 171 afternoon and telephoned Inspector Adkins. ^How could you be so
P24 172 cruel?**"
P24 173    |
P24 174    |^*6S*2HE *0shook her head at me, patiently admonishing, as if I
P24 175 were a child. ^*"If you commit murder, Charlotte, you must be
P24 176 punished.**"
P24 177    |^I said: ^*"Why did you play that horrible cat and mouse game if
P24 178 you knew Esmond was there?**"
P24 179    |^*"I didn't know he was there until I saw the way that dog
P24 180 behaved, that the dresser hinges had been mended and oiled, and the
P24 181 attic was bolted. ^When that meddlesome policeman forced himself on me
P24 182 in the morning with his story of Esmond being alive, I didn't believe
P24 183 him.**"
P24 184    |^She leaned forward, said fiercely: ^*"And do you know why I
P24 185 didn't believe him?**"
P24 186    |^I shook my head.
P24 187    |^*"Because if he were speaking the truth it meant that all of you,
P24 188 and you in particular, Charlotte, had wilfully deceived me. ^Do you
P24 189 think it's pleasant to learn that a granddaughter to whom you've given
P24 190 nothing but kindness, whom you've tried to love, is sheltering the
P24 191 murderer of...**"
P24 192    |^She broke off, as if Danny's name was too precious to be spoken
P24 193 before me. ^For a moment her eyes closed and then she recovered
P24 194 herself. ^*"I'd never have believed you were capable of such deceit.
P24 195 ^However, it is Mark I blame for the way you behaved. ^I shall never
P24 196 forgive him. ^He's to leave this house...**"
P24 197    |^I broke in on her tirade. ^*"That's not how it happened at all.
P24 198 ^I found Esmond. ^Mark wanted to go to the police. ^I wouldn't let
P24 199 him.**"
P24 200    |^*"Let him! ^Let him!**" she burst out. ^*"A grown man should be
P24 201 the keeper of his own conscience, not at the mercy of a silly,
P24 202 sentimental girl. ^And a fine help he was to you! ^You might have been
P24 203 killed.**"
P24 204    |^*"Where is he now?**" I asked.
P24 205    |^*"Where you'd expect him to be! ^Explaining his conduct to the
P24 206 police.**"
P24 207    |^There was a fumbling at the door, and Ivy came in, breathless,
P24 208 awkward.
P24 209    |^When she'd gone, Edwina bent over me. ^*"You've got an egg. ^I
P24 210 gave orders for it. ^And there's some honey. ^That'll do you good.**"
P24 211    |^*"I just want the tea,**" I said.
P24 212    |^*"Oh, no,**" she protested. ^*"You must eat a good breakfast. ^I
P24 213 can't promise you what the rest of the meals will be like today.
P24 214 ^\0Mrs. West has left, you know.
P24 215 **[MIDDLE OF QUOTE**]
P24 216 *# 2001
P25   1 **[487 TEXT P25**]
P25   2 ^*0\0Mrs. Crichton smiled at Tandy.
P25   3    |^*"Come into the drawing-room, dear, and talk to us.**" ^And, as
P25   4 Tandy followed her into the room, and \0Mr. Crichton got up to greet
P25   5 her, \0Mrs. Crichton added: ^*"If this visit is what we think, Tandy,
P25   6 I hope you're as pleased about it as we are.**"
P25   7    |^*"I'm delighted,**" she said. ^*"Marion's such a darling.**"
P25   8    |^*"And your brother is the first young man I've ever encountered
P25   9 that I'd trust my girl to,**" said \0Mr. Crichton.
P25  10    |^Ten minutes or so later, and looking like a girl who had been
P25  11 very thoroughly kissed, Marion came into the room, Jock's hand in her
P25  12 own.
P25  13    |^*"Mummy*- Daddy*- we*-**"
P25  14    |^Gently, smiling, Jock interposed. ^*"Marion, my love, I have an
P25  15 idea that if my sister has had anything to do with this, they won't
P25  16 need telling. ^But, just for the record, we're engaged!**"
P25  17    |^After that, everyone seemed to be kissing everyone else!
P25  18    |^Intermingled with her pleasure for them, Tandy felt a private
P25  19 little glow of happiness. ^For so long, now, she'd felt responsible
P25  20 for Jock, whether or not he would have wanted it. ^And now*- he had a
P25  21 grand girl like Marion to look after him, and she herself would be
P25  22 free.
P25  23    |^Free... to let her love for Granville rule her life for ever.
P25  24 ^Long after she and Jock had got back to the flat, she lay awake
P25  25 thinking of Granville.
P25  26    |^She'd see him again tomorrow, but not till tomorrow night. ^That
P25  27 meant the whole of a long day to live through first. ^I'm wishing my
P25  28 whole life away, she thought, and smiled gently to herself. ^It was
P25  29 worth living through hours of tedium, for those precious hours with
P25  30 Granville in the evening.
P25  31    |^Next morning at breakfast, Jock said: ^*"Don't do anything about
P25  32 supper for me tonight, Tandy. ^Marion and I want to go out to
P25  33 celebrate our engagement. ^We shan't be buying the ring until the
P25  34 weekend, but tonight I want to take her out to the best dinner I can
P25  35 find!**"
P25  36    |^*"Yes, Jock.**" ^For a moment, Tandy felt sad, thinking that many
P25  37 of the pleasures most engaged couples shared would be missing for Jock
P25  38 and Marion. ^Dances, theatres, cinemas. ^She herself had never worried
P25  39 about any of them, but then she hadn't grown up in a city as Marion
P25  40 had. ^Would Marion mind? ^Yes, sometimes. ^But reassurance came to
P25  41 Tandy in the knowledge that Marion adored Jock. ^Being with him was
P25  42 what would matter most to her in life, now and always.
P25  43    |^*"I'm beginning to feel a bit conscience-stricken about you,
P25  44 Tandy,**" Jock said suddenly. ^*"I'm a selfish devil. ^When you're
P25  45 happy as I am, you're apt to forget*-**"
P25  46    |^*"Forget what, Jock?**"
P25  47    |^*"Well*- if we get married*-**"
P25  48    |^*"Listen, Jock dear, when you get married, if you want this flat
P25  49 I'll move out. ^It's as simple as that. ^I can go into a hostel, or
P25  50 get digs with one of the other girls at the college. ^Or*-**"
P25  51    |^He didn't even hear the other word as it trembled softly as a
P25  52 whisper. ^She didn't finish the sentence. ^She just couldn't*- yet.
P25  53 ^But, she thought, as she started on her way to the college*- maybe
P25  54 Jock wasn't the only member of the family to have exciting news this
P25  55 week. ^Only, until Granville really told her, she could say nothing to
P25  56 Jock at all.
P25  57    |^The sun was shining and Tandy's heart was singing as she crossed
P25  58 George Street that evening and made her way down to Princes Street for
P25  59 the bus to the studio.
P25  60    |^*"You're late!**" Granville said almost accusingly, as she walked
P25  61 into the studio.
P25  62    |^*"Sorry*-**"
P25  63    |^*"So you should be, my sweet. ^Don't you know I've been counting
P25  64 the minutes, all day, till you came!**"
P25  65    |^He moved to her and took her into his arms, and the wonder of his
P25  66 kiss blotted out everything.
P25  67    |^*"Granville*-**" she said at last, shakily.
P25  68    |^*"Yes, my love! ^That's just to keep you quiet till I finish the
P25  69 picture! ^With any luck we'll be through with it tonight!**"
P25  70    |^She didn't bother to change. ^He'd finished the painting of the
P25  71 dress last night and it was only work on her face and arms that was
P25  72 left. ^She took up the familiar pose with a kind of sadness in her
P25  73 heart because it was the last time.
P25  74    |^Yet it was stupid to be sad. ^The picture meant something;
P25  75 certainly. ^It had brought them together. ^It would, she thought, be a
P25  76 symbol...
P25  77    |^As she stood, feeling the familiar fatigue creep over her,
P25  78 Granville suddenly threw down his brushes.
P25  79    |^*"Well, Tandy? ^I didn't let you see it properly before. ^What do
P25  80 you think?**"
P25  81    |^Tandy walked over to the easel and then stopped, frowning.
P25  82 ^*"She*- she's prettier than I am, Granville,**" she said at last.
P25  83    |^*"Nonsense. ^Your trouble is that you don't know how damned
P25  84 attractive you are.**" ^She could see she'd annoyed him, even with the
P25  85 implied criticism, and she didn't know what to do to put things right.
P25  86 ^But it was true. ^The picture was of a very pretty girl in a white,
P25  87 full-skirted evening dress. ^But*- it wasn't her. ^She couldn't have
P25  88 said where it failed, except that the eyes staring out of the canvas
P25  89 had a boldness which was quite alien to Tandy.
P25  90    |^*"It's*- very nice,**" she managed to say at last.
P25  91    |^*"Nice! ^That's a stupid word. ^I tell you it's my best ever.
P25  92 ^I'm going to submit it for the next Exhibition in London.**"
P25  93    |^She smiled. ^Seeing his pleasure in the picture she forgot the
P25  94 doubts in her own mind.
P25  95    |^*"And now,**" Granville said, *"we'll go down and have a drink
P25  96 and then perhaps go out for some food.**"
P25  97    |^He went through to the bathroom to remove the paint from his
P25  98 hands, and she sat quietly on the settee, wondering why it was that
P25  99 she felt strangely flat and disappointed.
P25 100    |^Perhaps she was tired; she hadn't slept much last night. ^But,
P25 101 perhaps, a little of it was reaction, because the picture that had
P25 102 kept them together all this time was finished*- and she didn't like it
P25 103 as much as she'd thought she would.
P25 104    |^*"Ready, my love?**" ^Granville came through and pulled on his
P25 105 jacket. ^He took her hand as they walked to the door, and just as they
P25 106 reached it, he took her into his arms again.
P25 107    |^*"Sweet Tandy,**" he said, huskily, *"beloved Tandy. ^Oh, Tandy,
P25 108 I'm crazy about you, my love.**" ^They stood locked together in an
P25 109 embrace which made Tandy's head swim and then they slipped down the
P25 110 staircase and along the road to the hotel.
P25 111    |^*"A quick drink,**" Granville had said, *"and then we're going a
P25 112 bit farther afield.**"
P25 113    |^His car was in the garage and Tandy waited for him in the hotel
P25 114 lounge till he'd collected it, feeling, as she always did, out of
P25 115 place among the smart people who invariably patronised this favourite
P25 116 bar of Granville's. ^As she saw Granville coming back, she rose to go.
P25 117 ^A voice, just a little louder than perhaps was intended, floated
P25 118 towards her.
P25 119    |^*"Yes, that's Granville's latest. ^Cradle-snatching, isn't he?**"
P25 120    |^She felt the blood rush to her head. ^Granville's latest! ^Just
P25 121 as if she was some girl he'd picked up and would drop again when he
P25 122 was tired of her! ^It wasn't like that, she thought fiercely, it just
P25 123 wasn't. ^Granville loved her.
P25 124    |^Granville saw her expression and frowned. ^*"What's the matter,
P25 125 my sweet?**"
P25 126    |^*"Nothing*-**"
P25 127    |^He didn't persist as, irrationally enough, she'd wanted him to.
P25 128 ^He just said: ^*"If one of the lads has been making cracks, I'll deal
P25 129 with him. ^But any young woman who goes around with me is apt to get
P25 130 some, Tandy. ^That's fair warning, my girl*-**"
P25 131    |^His tone was light.
P25 132    |^*"Where are we going,**" she asked as they got into the car.
P25 133    |^*"On a tour of inspection. ^There's a place I particularly want
P25 134 you to see by moonlight... ^It's there, complete, even to the wishing
P25 135 well, my love.**"
P25 136    |^*"You mean?**"
P25 137    |^*"Our small hotel,**" he quoted softly. ^*"You'll fall in love
P25 138 with it the way I have, when you see it, Tandy.**"
P25 139    |
P25 140    |^*"Here we are,**" said Granville.
P25 141    |^Tandy took a quick breath. ^It was perfect. ^Hardly an hotel at
P25 142 all really: just a long, low-thatched building, its white-washed walls
P25 143 stark in the moonlight. ^Lit up with fairy-lights, it looked like
P25 144 something out of a dream.
P25 145    |^He slipped his arm round her. ^*"I knew you'd love it, poppet.**"
P25 146    |^She went on staring, utterly bewitched. ^He'd been right. ^There
P25 147 *1was *0a well, a wishing well, in the front garden. ^As she watched
P25 148 she could see a couple standing there, hand in hand, oblivious to
P25 149 everything but themselves.
P25 150    |^*"Oh, Granville, it's just what I dreamed of,**" Tandy said in a
P25 151 whisper.
P25 152    |^Granville smiled gently. ^This was the way to do it...
P25 153    |^*"That's what you call a preview, Tandy darling.**" ^He backed
P25 154 the car out again and drove back swiftly in the direction of the city.
P25 155 ^He could see the way she kept glancing at him, and he knew exactly
P25 156 what was in her mind. ^She wanted him to stop the car, to make love to
P25 157 her. ^He turned down a small lane, and slowed to a stop.
P25 158    |^*"You're very silent, Tandy,**" he said lightly.
P25 159    |^*"Am I?**"
P25 160    |^*"You are. ^And I'm glad. ^I hate women who chatter the whole
P25 161 time.**"
P25 162    |^*"Granville*- Granville darling*-**"
P25 163    |^He put his arm round her, drew her towards him. ^*"I love
P25 164 you...**"
P25 165    |^*"And I love you, Granville, I love you.**" ^The words came out
P25 166 with a fire that almost frightened her. ^Her very feelings were
P25 167 frightening her now. ^She'd had no idea, until this moment, just how
P25 168 desperately disturbing love could be...
P25 169    |^His lips came down hard on hers and she clung to him.
P25 170    |^*"Granville*- darling*-**"
P25 171    |^*"My love*-**"
P25 172    |^At last, she struggled free from his arms.
P25 173    |^*"Well, Tandy,**" he said, *"you've seen our hotel. ^You know
P25 174 it's waiting for us. ^When is it to be?**"
P25 175    |^*"Granville!**" ^Suddenly now everything was right and wonderful
P25 176 and not a bit frightening any more. ^*"Granville darling, not just for
P25 177 a little while. ^I mean, you see, I must wait until Jock and Marion
P25 178 are married. ^I don't think that'll be long now. ^They've found each
P25 179 other and they want to be together always. ^But*- but once they're
P25 180 married, then you and I. ^Oh, Granville, say it.**"
P25 181    |^*"Say what, my sweet?**"
P25 182    |^*"Say*- I love you, Tandy. ^I want you to marry me*-**"
P25 183    |^Abruptly he drew his arm from her shoulders. ^Abruptly he
P25 184 switched on the car ignition. ^*"Another of them!**"
P25 185    |^His tone was like a lash. ^But what had she done?
P25 186    |^*"Another of what?**"
P25 187    |^Over the purr of the car engine, his voice came to her: ^*"You're
P25 188 like the rest of them, Tandy! ^I just can't believe that.**" ^He put
P25 189 the car into gear, put his foot down. ^In silence they drove back into
P25 190 the city. ^He said no more until they had stopped right outside the
P25 191 flat.
P25 192    |^*"Well, Tandy?**"
P25 193    |^*"You're angry with me, Granville. ^Why? ^What have I done?**"
P25 194    |^*"Done? ^Nothing I suppose. ^It's just that I'm disappointed. ^I
P25 195 thought you were different. ^Like me. ^Honest. ^Straight.**"
P25 196    |^*"What on earth do you mean?**"
P25 197    |^*"How I hate and despise the kind of woman who will only settle
P25 198 for a wedding ring, Tandy. ^Marriage is something foisted on us by
P25 199 people who like the idea of living in cages because they're too scared
P25 200 of freedom.**"
P25 201    |^*"I don't understand,**" her voice trembled. ^*"Loving people,
P25 202 Granville, means you want to be with them always*- and that's why
P25 203 people get married, surely, so that they can be together always.**"
P25 204    |^*"And you think a few mumbled words in front of the Registrar and
P25 205 a gold band on your finger makes you more capable of loving? ^Is that
P25 206 it?**"
P25 207    |^*"Granville*- it wouldn't be the Registrar for me. ^I*- I've
P25 208 dreamed about falling in love and getting married and though I didn't
P25 209 know what love was like then, I just felt that I'd want to stand in a
P25 210 church, and*- have the blessing*-**"
P25 211    |^*"I'm sorry. ^It's obvious we just don't look at things in the
P25 212 same way, you and I. ^Tandy, I don't blame you for your attitude.
P25 213 **[MIDDLE OF QUOTE**]
P25 214 *# 2003
P26   1 **[488 TEXT P26**]
P26   2 *<*6SHORT STORY *4by *6MARTIN MAYCOCK*>
P26   3 *<*4He wondered throughout the long dark hours he spent...*>
P26   4 *<*6WAITING FOR STEPHEN*>
P26   5 *<...*4what had come between him and his son*>
P26   6 *<*2ILLUSTRATED BY MONICA GILL*>
P26   7    |^*6T*2HAT *0Saturday, Stephen was due home from the church hall
P26   8 before five. ^His father, who was hard at work at his desk, didn't
P26   9 notice the time passing and it was well past six when he looked at the
P26  10 clock.
P26  11    |^He thumped his papers into a tidy shape, lit his last cigarette,
P26  12 and went out on to the landing.
P26  13    |^*"Stephen. ^Are you back, Stephen?**" ^His voice sounded through
P26  14 the house. ^But there was no reply.
P26  15    |^Alan was puzzled. ^He came down the stairs rather quickly, looked
P26  16 into the living-room and the dining-room, and then walked out through
P26  17 the kitchen into the garden. ^There was no one there, but Alan stood,
P26  18 for a moment, on the edge of the lawn, enjoying the warm evening.
P26  19 ^There was no wind; the oak tree on the allotments behind the house
P26  20 was standing absolutely still. ^It was perfect for cricket. ^If
P26  21 Stephen had been back from the rehearsal on time they could have had a
P26  22 spot of practice...
P26  23    |
P26  24    |^*4A*2LAN *0mooned across the grass, feeling vaguely let down. ^If
P26  25 Mary had been home, they would have been going to the Swansons' dinner
P26  26 party. ^That was out, and now no cricket. ^Alan went inside again and
P26  27 stood by the bay window in the front room. ^Except for George Sheriff,
P26  28 clipping his hedge, the road was empty. ^Alan stood there, looking
P26  29 out, his fingers drumming lightly on the sill.
P26  30    |^His fingers stopped drumming. ^A small boy in a blue blazer was
P26  31 walking along the pavement. ^He came about a quarter of the way along
P26  32 the road, and then turned in at a white gate.
P26  33    |^Alan went out by the front door, hurrying towards the white gate.
P26  34 ^The boy in the blazer answered the door when he knocked. ^Alan knew
P26  35 him; he was in Stephen's class.
P26  36    |^*"Gerald,**" he said. ^*"Stephen's not home yet from the
P26  37 rehearsal. ^What time did you finish?**"
P26  38    |^*"Not till five. ^I've been around at John Purdy's since.**"
P26  39    |^Alan looked at his watch. ^It was now ten past seven. ^He said:
P26  40 ^*"I suppose you didn't see who Stephen left with?**"
P26  41    |^Gerald shook his head doubtfully. ^*"I didn't see him go.**" ^He
P26  42 paused. ^*"I think he left earlier.**" ^He started swinging the front
P26  43 door nervously.
P26  44    |^*"Why did he leave earlier, Gerald?**"
P26  45    |
P26  46    |^*4G*2ERALD *0was silent for a moment, then, still swinging the
P26  47 door, he said: ^*"He thought they were laughing at him.**"
P26  48    |^*"Laughing at him?**"
P26  49    |^*"When he recited his poem they were laughing at the back because
P26  50 Anderson tore his trousers on a nail. ^Stephen stopped saying his
P26  51 poem. ^\0Mr. Field told him to go on, but he just stood there. ^And
P26  52 then he walked off the stage. ^He went out by the side door and I
P26  53 didn't see him again.**"
P26  54    |^*"Any idea where I might find him?**"
P26  55    |^*"Well, no... not unless he's round at Cobbold's.**"
P26  56    |^*"Cobbold's.**" ^Alan repeated the name. ^He said nothing. ^Then:
P26  57 ^*"Where does he live?**"
P26  58    |^*"I'm not sure. ^Somewhere the other side of the church.**"
P26  59    |^It took Alan some time to get across to the church. ^He walked
P26  60 round to the porch and pushed through the inner door. ^There was no
P26  61 one inside, but the vestry door was open. ^Alan crossed the nave,
P26  62 knocked on the open door and looked in. ^Field was working at some
P26  63 papers. ^He was old for a curate. ^Fortyish. ^Alan's age.
P26  64    |^Alan explained about Stephen being late and Field said he hadn't
P26  65 realised that Stephen had left before the others.
P26  66    |^*"He muffed some of his lines this afternoon, \0Mr. Deane. ^That
P26  67 probably upset him a bit. ^But don't worry. ^*"He'll be back for
P26  68 supper.**"
P26  69    |^*"I hope so,**" Alan said. ^*"Mary's visiting her sister. ^If
P26  70 Stephen's not home when she gets back I just don't know what she'll
P26  71 do.**"
P26  72    |^For a while it was quiet in the room. ^Then Alan asked Field if
P26  73 he knew where a boy named Cobbold lived. ^Field delved into a card
P26  74 index and came up with the address.
P26  75    |
P26  76    |^*4H*2E *0wrote it on a slip of paper. ^*"Is young Cobbold a
P26  77 friend of your lad then?**"
P26  78    |^Alan shrugged. ^*"If it's the boy I'm thinking of, Stephen
P26  79 brought him round once. ^Just the once. ^I had to put my foot down
P26  80 there.**" ^He turned to go. ^*"\0Mr. Deane.**"
P26  81    |^Alan turned.
P26  82    |^*"\0Mr. Deane, why did Stephen decide to take part in the
P26  83 concert? ^He doesn't really like that sort of thing, you know.**"
P26  84    |^Alan did not reply at once. ^At last he said: ^*"Some people
P26  85 leave it to others, \0Mr. Field. ^And some people get down to the job
P26  86 themselves. ^I've always buckled down to it.**"
P26  87    |^*"And Stephen, he feels the same?**"
P26  88    |
P26  89    |^*4A*2LAN *0nodded. ^*"I believe in training,**" he said, and
P26  90 moved away across the nave. ^He was back at the porch when he heard a
P26  91 step behind him. ^It was Field again.
P26  92    |^*"You go down to this Cobbold boy,**" he said. ^*"I'll make a few
P26  93 calls, and meet you back at your house. ^If I find Stephen, I'll bring
P26  94 him straight home.**"
P26  95    |^There was no front gate to Cobbold's house. ^A small van, rather
P26  96 dilapidated, stood on the grassy gravel drive. ^Cobbold's mother
P26  97 answered the door. ^She smiled at Alan rather vaguely and sent him
P26  98 round to the back. ^Cobbold was there, feeding some small animals in a
P26  99 hutch.
P26 100    |^He was the boy Alan remembered: thick glasses, and rather weedy.
P26 101 ^None too clean. ^He had wanted to drag Stephen off somewhere with his
P26 102 elder brother after dark. ^To photograph bats, or something equally
P26 103 ludicrous. ^Quite an unsuitable type of boy.
P26 104    |^Alan didn't refer to their previous meeting. ^*"I'm Stephen
P26 105 Deane's father,**" he said. ^*"Do you happen to know where he is?**"
P26 106    |^The boy shook his head. ^*"He hasn't been round today, \0Mr.
P26 107 Deane. ^Isn't there a concert or something up at \0St. Mary's?**"
P26 108    |^Alan nodded.
P26 109    |^Cobbold seemed to find it difficult to express himself clearly.
P26 110 ^*"Is Stephen lost then?**" he said. ^*"Do you want me to find him for
P26 111 you?**"
P26 112    |^*"No. ^No, thank you,**" Alan said rather sharply. ^*"If he
P26 113 should call in, tell him to go home at once, will you?**"
P26 114    |^Stephen still wasn't back when he got home. ^It was dark now
P26 115 indoors. ^Alan switched on the light in the hall. ^Then he switched on
P26 116 the kitchen light, filled the kettle and set it on the gas. ^He walked
P26 117 into the dining-room and switched the light on there, too.
P26 118    |^Out in the hall someone was tapping the door-knocker softly.
P26 119 ^Alan went to see who it was. ^It was Field.
P26 120    |^*"Home yet?**" Field asked.
P26 121    |^Alan shook his head.
P26 122    |^*"Well, I've no news of him, I'm afraid,**" Field said. ^*"No
P26 123 news is good news, of course. ^I called at the police station.
P26 124 ^They've had no accidents reported.**"
P26 125    |^*"Would you like a cup of tea?**" Alan asked. ^They went into the
P26 126 kitchen.
P26 127    |^*"I insisted that he should take part in the concert,**" Alan
P26 128 said.
P26 129    |^Field looked at him across the rim of his teacup.
P26 130    |^*"Shouldn't I have?**" Alan asked. ^*"I want him to pull his
P26 131 weight. ^The concert's for the parish development fund.**"
P26 132    |^*"It's a good cause,**" Field said briefly.
P26 133    |
P26 134    |^*4T*2HEY *0finished the tea and then Alan started ringing people
P26 135 up. ^At half-past nine, in an interval between calls, the telephone
P26 136 rang. ^It was the police station. ^A voice wanted to know if Stephen
P26 137 was home yet. ^When Alan said he wasn't, the voice said a car was
P26 138 coming round.
P26 139    |^The police car seemed to arrive almost at once. ^When Alan went
P26 140 to the door there were two men on his step, both in plain clothes.
P26 141 ^Alan took them into the living-room; he felt suddenly cold and
P26 142 switched on the electric fire. ^The older man, who was a sergeant, sat
P26 143 down on the sofa. ^Alan told him how Stephen was said to have walked
P26 144 out of the concert rehearsal and hadn't been seen since. ^He explained
P26 145 that his wife was away visiting her sister.
P26 146    |^The sergeant had a notebook on his knee. ^He asked for the full
P26 147 name of the boy. ^*1Stephen Roger Kearsley Deane. ^*0Age? ^*1Ten
P26 148 years. ^*0Description? ^The sergeant's notes soon filled a page of his
P26 149 book. ^He turned over on to a clean page, and asked for the names of
P26 150 boys that Stephen knew. ^When Alan thought about it, it seemed that
P26 151 Stephen had no very close friends. ^*"He's rather a shy boy, you
P26 152 see,**" he said.
P26 153    |^The sergeant finished writing. ^He looked up. ^*"You've not told
P26 154 your wife yet?**" ^He gestured at the phone.
P26 155    |^*"Not yet.**"
P26 156    |^*"Are things normally a little difficult between you and the boy?
P26 157 ^Don't mind me asking this, \0Mr. Deane. ^It might help us. ^From
P26 158 what's been said I gather that he wasn't very keen on being in this
P26 159 concert at all. ^Do you often have rows over things like this?**"
P26 160    |
P26 161    |^*4H*2E *0stared at the sergeant. ^*"There was no row. ^There are
P26 162 never any rows. ^We don't brawl in this house.**"
P26 163    |^*"Trouble between you and your wife?**" ^There was no shade of
P26 164 expression on the sergeant's heavy face. ^*"Anything that might worry
P26 165 the boy?**"
P26 166    |^There was a momentary pause.
P26 167    |^*"No. ^Nothing.**"
P26 168    |^Field left about ten minutes after the two detectives. ^Alan went
P26 169 with him to the gate. ^As Field drew away on his motorcycle Alan
P26 170 noticed a knot of men under the street lamp across the road. ^One of
P26 171 the men broke away and came over to Alan. ^It was Roy Fox, father of
P26 172 the boy, Gerald.
P26 173    |^*"We are going out round the streets,**" Fox said. ^*"They're
P26 174 parcelling them out now. ^We're going in twos.**"
P26 175    |^*"I ought to come with you,**" Alan said. ^*"But the police said
P26 176 to stay here for Mary.**"
P26 177    |^Fox was a tall, thin man with a big ginger {0R.A.F.} moustache.
P26 178 ^He gripped Alan's hand. ^Then he went back to the group under the
P26 179 lamppost.
P26 180    |^Alan went indoors. ^Upstairs in his bedroom he put on a thick
P26 181 blue jersey under his sports coat. ^In the kitchen again, he looked
P26 182 for his torch but could not find it.
P26 183    |^Mary arrived home by taxi.
P26 184    |^*"Stephen's not come home,**" Alan said, pushing the door closed
P26 185 behind her.
P26 186    |^Mary sat down on the stairs. ^*"Where is he then?**" she said.
P26 187 ^Her face seemed very pale in the weak light of the hall. ^Alan told
P26 188 her how things were.
P26 189    |^*"Who have you checked with? ^The Bruces? ^The Smails? ^The
P26 190 Willoughbys? ^The Cartwrights?**"
P26 191    |^At each name Alan nodded. ^*"I phoned them. ^And the police are
P26 192 going round.**" ^He explained about the detectives.
P26 193    |^*"David Forrest's mother?**"
P26 194    |^*"Field saw her. ^Field from the church. ^But none of them would
P26 195 have kept him until now.**"
P26 196    |^Still in her coat, Mary stood up and went into the living-room to
P26 197 the telephone. ^Most of the people she rang had been checked already
P26 198 but Alan let her do it. ^At last she put the phone down, went over to
P26 199 the sofa and sat there hugging her coat around her.
P26 200    |^*"Would you like a cup of tea?**" Alan asked.
P26 201    |^Mary said nothing.
P26 202    |^*"They seem to think he was upset at being in the concert,**"
P26 203 Alan said. ^*"Perhaps I shouldn't have put him in for it. ^But he's
P26 204 got to learn to mix and to do his whack.**"
P26 205    |^*"Why?**" Mary said. ^*"I'm not a good mixer. ^Some people
P26 206 aren't.**" ^She had been looking intently at her hands. ^Now she
P26 207 raised her head and looked into Alan's eyes. ^*"Sometimes you are
P26 208 disappointed in me, aren't you*- because I don't join in with this and
P26 209 that? ^I think you love me, but sometimes you are disappointed.
P26 210    |^*"And what you don't like to say to me, you say to Stephen, don't
P26 211 you? ^You're worried in case he grows up like his mother.**"
P26 212    |^Alan said: ^*"I want to do my best for the boy.**"
P26 213    |^*"That's not good enough. ^*1Your *0best doesn't matter. ^It's
P26 214 *1his *0best that is important. ^He has to be himself, Alan. ^Make his
P26 215 own choices. ^Look how he wanted a kitten for his birthday, and you
P26 216 gave him football boots.
P26 217 **[MIDDLE OF QUOTE**]
P26 218 *# 2006
P27   1 **[489 TEXT P27**]
P27   2 *<*5The Doctor's Daughters*>
P27   3 *<*4by *6ANNE WEALE*>
P27   4 *<*2ILLUSTRATED BY DENIS ALFORD*>
P27   5    |^*4It was like a pebble thrown into a quiet, still pool when
P27   6 Daniel Elliot met the doctor's daughters!
P27   7 *<*3THE STORY SO FAR*>
P27   8    |^*1For three years after the death of Sir Robert Elliot, Branford
P27   9 Hall lay empty and the overgrown grounds became a favourite haunt of
P27  10 *3RACHEL BURNEY, *1eldest of the local doctor's three daughters.
P27  11 ^Rachel had kept house for her widowed father, her younger sisters,
P27  12 *3CAROLA *1and *3SUZY, *1and their fluttery aunt, *3RACHEL BURNEY,
P27  13 *1ever since leaving art school some years previously.
P27  14    |^One sunny May morning Rachel woke from a daydream in the Branford
P27  15 orchard*- she had been wondering whether she would ever marry *3EDWARD
P27  16 FORRESTER *1whom she had known since childhood*- to find herself being
P27  17 scrutinised by a tall, bronzed man. ^In her consternation and not
P27  18 realising he was Sir Robert's Canadian grandson, *3DANIEL ELLIOT,
P27  19 *1she accused him of trespassing!
P27  20    |^Later, listening to the Canadian's sarcastic comments as she
P27  21 accompanied him through the dusty, neglected rooms of the Hall, Rachel
P27  22 became convinced he was the most provoking, arrogant man she had ever
P27  23 met...
P27  24    |^At tea she was filled with dismay when *3DOCTOR BURNEY *1suddenly
P27  25 announced that he had invited the new owner of the Hall to dinner that
P27  26 evening.
P27  27    |^Twenty-year-old Carola, the beauty of the family, returned home
P27  28 delighted because she had been appointed house model of the store
P27  29 where she worked. ^Tubby, fourteen-year-old Suzy was frankly envious.
P27  30    |^Promptly at six-thirty there was a knock on the front door.
P27  31 ^Rachel opened it*- and was struck dumb. ^Gone was the casually
P27  32 dressed Canadian she had thought a *"backwoodsman**"*- this Daniel
P27  33 Elliot was immaculately tailored...
P27  34    |^*5The story now continues
P27  35    |
P27  36    |^*4A*2LTHOUGH *0Rachel had spent most of her life in a
P27  37 neighbourhood where even rich people wore ancient tweeds and faded
P27  38 raincoats, she could not fail to recognise the faultless cut of the
P27  39 lounge suit which now replaced the disreputable slacks Daniel Elliot
P27  40 had worn earlier that day. ^She knew, too, that the immaculate cream
P27  41 silk shirt and olive green gum-twill tie must have been bought at some
P27  42 very expensive shirtmakers.
P27  43    |^Perching on the edge of the sofa, she tried vainly to think of
P27  44 something to say and was relieved when the visitor broke the silence
P27  45 by asking permission to smoke.
P27  46    |^*"Oh, yes, please do,**" she said hastily, looking about for the
P27  47 ivory cigarette box that her father*- himself a pipe-smoker*- kept for
P27  48 guests.
P27  49    |^But before she could discover where it had been moved, Elliot
P27  50 produced a slim silver case and offered it.
P27  51    |^*"\5N-no, thank you.**" ^The foolish stammer made her even more
P27  52 self-conscious. ^*"My father says you are staying at the Saracen,
P27  53 \0Mr. Elliot. ^Is it comfortable? ^The couple who run it now have only
P27  54 been there a short time. ^The hotel side is quite new.**"
P27  55    |^He was flicking his black enamelled lighter and she noticed that
P27  56 his hands, mahogany dark against the pale cream cuffs of his shirt,
P27  57 were clinically clean, the nails pared short at the tips of his long
P27  58 lean fingers. ^His cuff-links were plain gold rectangles and he did
P27  59 not wear a signet ring.
P27  60    |^*"Yes, extremely comfortable, thanks,**" he answered quietly.
P27  61 ^*"My room overlooks the village green. ^I am told that the stream
P27  62 running through the centre of it has quite a history.**"
P27  63    |^*"The Goose Beck? ^Yes, it has. ^People used to do all their
P27  64 washing in it years ago. ^It widens into a pool up near the church.
P27  65 ^That's where they ducked witches in the Middle Ages.**"
P27  66    |^He drank some sherry, his eyes disconcertingly keen as he watched
P27  67 her.
P27  68    |^*"I imagine you were not very pleased to hear I was coming
P27  69 tonight,**" he remarked bluntly.
P27  70    |^Rachel swallowed, unable to meet his glance.
P27  71    |^*"I think I should apologise for saying what I did to you this
P27  72 morning,**" she said, flushing. ^*"It was very rude of me.**"
P27  73    |^*"On the contrary, I found it refreshingly frank. ^You look very
P27  74 attractive when you are angry,**" he added, with a hint of mockery.
P27  75 ^Then, glancing round the room: ^*"Where is the Hound of the
P27  76 Baskervilles tonight?**"
P27  77    |^She stiffened.
P27  78    |^*"Bolster is in the garden,**" she said coolly, furious that the
P27  79 lazy, almost caressing note in his voice had succeeded in heightening
P27  80 her colour.
P27  81    |^*"You know, I am beginning*-**"
P27  82    |^He broke off, rising to his feet as Miss Burney and Suzy entered.
P27  83    |^Rachel made the introductions and left her aunt to take over the
P27  84 conversation. ^She was pouring a sherry for Aunt Florence when the
P27  85 door swung open and Carola made one of her grand entrances.
P27  86    |^After contributing a couple of pounds to the family exchequer*-
P27  87 some of which she invariably borrowed back before the end of the
P27  88 week*- Carola spent all her earnings on clothes and cosmetics. ^Every
P27  89 Friday saw some addition to her wardrobe. ^If no dress, shoes, or
P27  90 handbag had appealed to her, then she would buy jewellery, make-up or
P27  91 nylons. ^To be up to the minute was as essential to Carola as eating
P27  92 or sleeping. ^She pored over fashion magazines with the same
P27  93 professional absorption that her father gave to his medical journals
P27  94 or Miss Burney to horoscopes.
P27  95    |^Tonight she was wearing her latest acquisition, a dress of misty
P27  96 blue-green chiffon with a sleeveless bloused bodice and a flurry of
P27  97 pleats from the waist. ^Her eyelids shimmered with silvery aquamarine
P27  98 shadow and her lipstick was a subtle amber-rose. ^She looked willowy
P27  99 and fragile and a delicious scent wafted from her as she moved.
P27 100    |
P27 101    |^*4E*2LLIOT *0stood up, his eyebrows tilting appreciatively.
P27 102    |^A little put out by the interruption, Miss Burney said:
P27 103    |^*"This is Carola, my second niece, \0Mr. Elliot.**"
P27 104    |^Carola smiled and held out a small cool hand, her silver
P27 105 bracelets tinkling.
P27 106    |^*"How do you do? ^Welcome to England, \0Mr. Elliot,**" she said
P27 107 charmingly. ^Then, with mischievous candour: ^*"I must say you are not
P27 108 a bit what we expected.**"
P27 109    |^He laughed.
P27 110    |^*"What did you expect?**"
P27 111    |^Carola sank gracefully into a chair and crossed her legs,
P27 112 revealing so much knee that Aunt Florence, who disapproved of recent
P27 113 fashion trends, made anxious signals to her to pull her skirt down.
P27 114    |^*"We weren't really expecting anyone at all after so long,**"
P27 115 Carola said, ignoring the signs. ^*"But you are not at all like your
P27 116 grandfather. ^He used to stump round the village with an enormous
P27 117 stick and growl at people through his moustache.**"
P27 118    |^*"I'm sure he never growled at you.**"
P27 119    |^Daniel looked amused.
P27 120    |^*"Oh, yes, he did. ^I was terrified of him.**"
P27 121    |^She gave a reminiscent shiver. ^Then, twirling imaginary
P27 122 whiskers, she did a very creditable imitation of Sir Robert's deep
P27 123 bass voice.
P27 124    |^*"Really, Carola! ^I am surprised at you!**" Miss Burney
P27 125 protested indignantly, her long thin nose turning pink with
P27 126 mortification at this irreverent piece of mimicry. ^She looked
P27 127 apologetically at their guest. ^*"Your grandfather was a most charming
P27 128 old gentleman, \0Mr. Elliot, and greatly respected,**" she assured him
P27 129 earnestly.
P27 130    |^*"I dare say he was milder than he looked,**" he said carelessly.
P27 131 ^*"I believe he made several attempts to patch things up with my
P27 132 father but none of them was successful.**"
P27 133    |^*"What did they have a row about?**" Carola asked. ^*"Everyone
P27 134 knows there was a colossal bust-up, but no one knows why.**"
P27 135    |^Before Elliot could reply, Doctor Burney came in and Rachel
P27 136 slipped away to put the finishing touches to the supper table. ^She
P27 137 took little part in the conversation during the meal, in the course of
P27 138 which it emerged that Daniel Elliot could pilot a plane, had travelled
P27 139 all over the world and had an informed taste in art, literature and
P27 140 music.
P27 141    |^By the time they had reached the coffee stage, it was sickeningly
P27 142 clear to Rachel that, far from being an uncouth product of the
P27 143 backwoods as she had supposed*- and perhaps indicated by her manner to
P27 144 him*- Daniel Elliot knew ten times more of the world than anyone she
P27 145 had met.
P27 146    |^*"May I give you a hand with the washing up?**" he asked her, as
P27 147 they rose to return to the sitting-room.
P27 148    |^*"Thank you, but I would really rather do it myself,**" she said
P27 149 politely.
P27 150    |^*"Rachel is the madly domesticated type. ^You would probably put
P27 151 everything back in the wrong place and then she would have to
P27 152 re-organise them. ^You hate things to be out of order, don't you,
P27 153 sweetie?**" Carola said teasingly.
P27 154    |^Rachel smiled, wondering why a passion for tidiness always
P27 155 sounded such a petty, old-maidish foible.
P27 156    |^*"I do a bit,**" she admitted evenly. ^*"I'll make some more
P27 157 coffee. ^I won't be long.**"
P27 158    |
P27 159    |^*4S*2HE *0had just dried the last plate and was setting clean
P27 160 coffee cups on a tray, when a dark-haired, spectacled young man put
P27 161 his head through the kitchen window.
P27 162    |^*"Coming for a walk, Rachel?**" he asked.
P27 163    |^*"Oh, hello, Edward! ^No, I can't tonight,**" she said
P27 164 regretfully. ^*"We have a visitor. ^Come in and pay your respects to
P27 165 the new lord of the manor. ^He is in the sitting-room with the
P27 166 others.**"
P27 167    |^*"Yes, I heard the prodigal grandson had finally turned up.**"
P27 168 ^Edward came into the kitchen. ^*"It's all over the village. ^What is
P27 169 he like?**"
P27 170    |^*"Quite pleasant,**" Rachel said evasively, going to the pantry
P27 171 for more milk.
P27 172    |^Edward leaned against the dresser, watching her. ^He was tall and
P27 173 lanky, with a thin, clever face and slightly stooped shoulders. ^As a
P27 174 small boy he had never fitted into the rowdy gang of village lads and
P27 175 later, when he went to Branford Grammar School and walked away with
P27 176 most of the academic laurels, his friends had been similarly quiet and
P27 177 studious. ^Oddly, Rachel, then a pigtailed tomboy, had liked him
P27 178 better than the more boisterous youths.
P27 179    |^*"I say, Rachel*-**"
P27 180    |^He broke off, fiddling with the strap of his wristwatch.
P27 181    |^*"Mm, what?**" she asked, wishing the kettle would hurry up and
P27 182 boil.
P27 183    |^*"I rather wanted to see you tonight.**"
P27 184    |^*"You sound very mysterious. ^What's up?**"
P27 185    |^He hesitated.
P27 186    |^*"Well, for one thing, I've been promoted.**"
P27 187    |^*"Oh, Edward, how lovely! ^Congratulations!**"
P27 188    |^He flushed.
P27 189    |^*"It *1is *0pretty encouraging and, of course, my income will
P27 190 improve considerably. ^That is why I wanted you to be the first to
P27 191 know.**"
P27 192    |^Rachel smiled at him.
P27 193    |^*"I always knew you would do great things,**" she said
P27 194 affectionately.
P27 195    |^And then, because it seemed the appropriate gesture and because
P27 196 she had known him for so long, she laid her hands lightly on his
P27 197 shoulders and reached up to kiss his cheek.
P27 198    |^Edward's reaction was to clasp her eagerly round the waist and
P27 199 return the kiss so heartily that she was too much taken aback to do
P27 200 anything but submit. ^When, after a moment, he released her, she was
P27 201 too breathless and shaken to free herself and could only stand dazedly
P27 202 in the circle of his arms, trying to decide whether she had liked it.
P27 203    |^*"Oh, Rachel, don't you see, I can ask you to marry me now,**" he
P27 204 said huskily. ^*"You do care for me, dearest? ^You will say
P27 205 *'yes**'?**"
P27 206    |^Rachel stared at him blankly. ^She had known for years that
P27 207 Edward was fond of her and that everyone assumed they would eventually
P27 208 marry. ^In a vague, wait-till-it-happens way, she had assumed it
P27 209 herself. ^But now that he had actually proposed, she discovered that
P27 210 she had no notion how to answer him. ^Although she was twenty-four,
P27 211 she still thought of marriage as something in the future.
P27 212    |^*"I don't know, Edward,**" she answered lamely. ^*"I'm not sure.
P27 213 ^It's all so*- so sudden.**"
P27 214    |^And then, as she searched for words to explain that she was
P27 215 touched and flattered, but that it wasn't a question which could be
P27 216 settled in a split second, a movement in the doorway caught her eye
P27 217 and she turned her head, a wave of furious and embarrassed colour
P27 218 suffusing her face and throat.
P27 219    |^Calmly, his mouth twitching, his eyes brilliant with undisguised
P27 220 amusement, Daniel Elliot strolled forward.
P27 221    |^*"I came to carry the tray for you,**" he said politely. ^*"I
P27 222 seem to have chosen an inopportune moment.**"
P27 223    |
P27 224    |^*4F*2OR *0what seemed an eternity, but was actually about fifteen
P27 225 seconds, there was a strained silence.
P27 226    |^*1Anyone with a skin thinner than a rhinoceros hide would have
P27 227 muttered an apology and hastily retreated, *0Rachel thought furiously.
P27 228 *# 2006
P28   1 **[490 TEXT P28**]
P28   2 *<*4Across the Square*>
P28   3 *<*6HILTON FRIARS*>
P28   4    |^T*2OMMY BLANEY'S *0nose was pressed flat against the shop window,
P28   5 his blue eyes gazing seriously through a wisp of fair hair which would
P28   6 keep falling across his eyes. ^He pushed his lower lip forward and
P28   7 blew the strands away again and, at the same time, stood back from the
P28   8 window and rubbed his hands together happily.
P28   9    |^His sister Margaret would look beautiful in that dress, he
P28  10 thought wistfully, just like he imagined an angel would look. ^His
P28  11 eyes lit up with excitement as he dug his hands deep into the pockets
P28  12 of his duffle coat. ^He would buy it for her.
P28  13    |^And then, as the feel of the twopence halfpenny which his fingers
P28  14 closed upon revealed the cold result of his financial position, his
P28  15 happy expression faded. ^He gave a manly little shrug and turned
P28  16 slowly away.
P28  17    |^How much was it, anyway, he asked himself miserably. ^A lot more
P28  18 than he had in his money box. ^He sidled back to the window and looked
P28  19 for the price. ^Fifteen guineas it said, plain as anything*- that was
P28  20 paper money that was. ^He stood thoughtfully looking at the dress from
P28  21 the doorway of the shop.
P28  22    |
P28  23    |^*6O*2N *0the other side of the square, Michael Price paused in
P28  24 his dictating and stared absently down through the window of his
P28  25 office on the first floor of Bank Buildings. ^Behind him, Stella
P28  26 Travis, a discontented-looking girl with a notebook balanced on her
P28  27 lap above shapely crossed legs, looked casually at her long
P28  28 silver-lacquered finger nails. ^She was fast coming to the conclusion
P28  29 that she was wasting her charms on this new boss of hers, who seemed
P28  30 to look upon her as a mere dictating machine.
P28  31    |^If he didn't get on with this letter she would be late for her
P28  32 lunch date, and what's more she'd tell him so shortly.
P28  33    |^Michael watched the little figure standing in front of the shop
P28  34 window and wondered what could possibly be attracting a small boy so
P28  35 much in a window displaying outfits for a bride and wedding guests.
P28  36 ^He remembered that in his own childhood he spent hours looking into a
P28  37 shop that sold meccano sets, but ladies' shops never had any appeal
P28  38 for him.
P28  39    |^The child's attitude intrigued him until he just couldn't contain
P28  40 his curiosity any longer. ^He turned suddenly. ^*"That's all now, Miss
P28  41 Travis, thank you*- we'll leave the rest till after lunch,**" and
P28  42 quickly gathering up his hat and gloves, he left the office.
P28  43    |^*"What's got him?**" Miss Travis wondered, her curiosity taking
P28  44 her to the window. ^She saw Michael cross the square and stop in front
P28  45 of the shop window that had attracted Tommy, who had just disappeared
P28  46 round the corner.
P28  47    |^Michael scrutinised the window display in the hope of discovering
P28  48 what had so held the child's attention. ^Surely it couldn't have been
P28  49 the dresses. ^What a lovely creation in lace that was in the centre.
P28  50 ^He supposed it would be accompanying some lucky fellow down the
P28  51 church aisle soon.
P28  52    |^A little disappointed at not having his curiosity satisfied, he
P28  53 turned away and almost collided with Stella Travis.
P28  54    |^*"Pretty, isn't it?**" she purred, as he raised his hat in some
P28  55 embarrassment. ^*"Some lucky girl,**" she pouted, and looked at him
P28  56 coyly.
P28  57    |^*"\5Er-er-yes. ^I was just admiring the lace*- quite a change
P28  58 from the usual woollens we see at the office,**" he stammered
P28  59 clumsily. ^Why did Miss Travis always make him feel such an idiot*-
P28  60 she was so poised and self-assured.
P28  61    |^She made no attempt to move away and he said firmly, ^*"Well, I
P28  62 mustn't keep you from your lunch,**" and quickly left her. ^Stella
P28  63 Travis was, however, far too thick-skinned to take that as a rebuff.
P28  64    |
P28  65    |^*6T*2HE *0next day as Michael sat in his office his mind wandered
P28  66 to that earnest little boy he had seen across the square the previous
P28  67 day. ^The ordeal of dictation with Miss Travis was over for the
P28  68 morning, thank goodness. ^Yesterday's encounter outside the shop
P28  69 seemed to have given her ideas and she had been casting coy glances at
P28  70 him all the morning.
P28  71    |^It was no good. ^He would have to get her transferred. ^She was
P28  72 far too much of an embarrassment for him. ^He would speak to the
P28  73 secretary about it.
P28  74    |^He went to the window and immediately forgot his problem typist
P28  75 when he saw the little boy outside the shop again.
P28  76    |^Tommy bent to take a ruler from the top of his stocking, held it
P28  77 at arm's length and surveyed the length of it. ^Then, with one eye
P28  78 closed, he tried to measure how many times it would go into the length
P28  79 of the bride's dress. ^He did this several times, much to the
P28  80 amusement of passers by, of whom Tommy was quite oblivious.
P28  81    |^Michael's eyes softened as he recalled his own childhood. ^He had
P28  82 good reason to be grateful to \0St. Edward's Orphanage for the
P28  83 opportunities which they had made available to him and which
P28  84 consequently led to the good position he now held in his firm. ^Little
P28  85 boys, therefore, always had a very special interest for him. ^He was
P28  86 out of his office and across the road at Tommy's side in next to no
P28  87 time at all.
P28  88    |
P28  89    |^*6T*2OMMY *0was far too busy with his measuring to notice
P28  90 Michael, who couldn't help smiling at his serious little face.
P28  91    |^He put an arm gently on Tommy's shoulder. ^*"Who's the lucky
P28  92 girl?**" he asked seriously.
P28  93    |^Tommy answered excitedly, ^*"My sister Margaret... ^I've
P28  94 measured*- it's just right for her*- it's as long as her nighty**".
P28  95 ^Michael stifled a laugh and adopted a man-to-man attitude.
P28  96    |^*"Does your sister want that dress?**"
P28  97    |^*"She'd look beautiful in it,**' Tommy said dreamily.
P28  98    |^Michael tried again. ^*"Is she getting married?**"
P28  99    |^*"She will be soon, and I want her to have that lovely dress.
P28 100 ^It's just like the one she told my little sister and me about in a
P28 101 story where the prince came from far, far away on a big ship.
P28 102 ^Margaret said she would like a dress like that when she married her
P28 103 prince. ^My sister's the best sister in the world,**" he finished
P28 104 proudly, putting the ruler back in his stocking.
P28 105    |^*"Have you any money?**" Michael asked him.
P28 106    |^*"How much is fifteen guineas really? ^I've got 12\0s. 7 1/2\0d.
P28 107 in my money box and I've got a super butterfly collection I could
P28 108 sell. ^My dad said it was worth a lot of money.**"
P28 109    |^*"Wouldn't your dad buy the dress for Margaret?**" Michael asked
P28 110 helpfully.
P28 111    |^*"We haven't got a dad*- or a mum, now, mister. ^They got burned
P28 112 when our house caught fire,**" he said, almost without expression.
P28 113 ^*"That's why I want to get the dress for Margaret*- she looks after
P28 114 Tina and me, and she's beautiful and kind**".
P28 115    |^Tommy looked at the clock in the nearby church. ^*"Ooh, it's
P28 116 late*- I'll have to be going home for my dinner or I'll be late back
P28 117 for school**".
P28 118    |
P28 119    |^*6M*2ICHAEL *0was too interested now to leave Tommy. ^*"I'm going
P28 120 your way**". ^He took Tommy's direction. ^*"I'll see you across the
P28 121 road... ^Where is your school?**" he asked.
P28 122    |^*"In Bridge Street**". ^Tommy indicated the direction with a nod.
P28 123 ^*"Just behind the station**". ^Michael remembered seeing a small
P28 124 school near several rows of houses. ^He supposed it was probably the
P28 125 only school in the centre of the city.
P28 126    |^Tommy pointed to a tall, important-looking building rising high
P28 127 above the other blocks of buildings. ^*"See right at the top, mister,
P28 128 where the curtains are*- that's where we live. ^My Grandpa is the
P28 129 caretaker and Margaret and Tina and me came to live there after our
P28 130 house got burned. ^Margaret helps Grandpa now \2'cos Grandma's ill but
P28 131 she's going to get a job soon**".
P28 132    |^He paused to consider and then chatted on. ^*"It's nice living
P28 133 high up*- you can see all over the town, and we can hear the big burr
P28 134 of the Town Hall clock when it's going to strike**". ^He burred
P28 135 several times in demonstration.
P28 136    |^Michael thought how quiet and lonely it must be at night living
P28 137 at the top of one of these buildings, when all the office workers had
P28 138 left the city and were spending their leisure hours at home in the
P28 139 suburbs.
P28 140    |^*"How does it feel going to bed so high up?**"
P28 141    |^*"Oh, it's nice...**" ^Tommy smiled up at Michael. ^*"Every night
P28 142 Tina and me sit by the window looking down on all the twinkling lights
P28 143 while Margaret tells us a story. ^It's quiet and beautiful, Mister**".
P28 144    |^*"Just like being on a ship at night, I expect,**" Michael said,
P28 145 *"with the twinkling stars to light up the dark sky**".
P28 146    |^Tommy's eyes shone. ^*"Have you been on a ship then?**"
P28 147    |^*"Yes, I sailed back from South Africa a few months ago**".
P28 148 ^Tommy showed his admiration.
P28 149    |^*"You would love to see the animals in the Game Preserve there, I
P28 150 know**".
P28 151    |^*"Sounds smashing**".
P28 152    |^They turned a corner and Tommy pointed to an imposing looking
P28 153 entrance across the road. ^*"That's where we live,**" he said, and
P28 154 turned to wave goodbye as he crossed into the roadway.
P28 155    |^There was a screeching of brakes and a shout and Michael was just
P28 156 in time to snatch a white-faced Tommy back on to the pavement, the car
P28 157 just grazing his leg.
P28 158    |^*"Are you all right?**" ^Michael's face was full of anxiety for
P28 159 the frightened child. ^The colour had drained from his face. ^Michael
P28 160 gently steered him across the road. ^*"I'll take you home,**" he
P28 161 comforted.
P28 162    |^Tommy had obviously had a nasty shock and Michael was just
P28 163 wondering what to do with him when a young girl came hurrying down the
P28 164 steps, her face flushed and her fair curls bobbing as she ran.
P28 165    |^Tenderly she placed her arms round Tommy. ^*"Oh, poor Tommy, are
P28 166 you hurt, are you hurt?**" she cried. ^*"You didn't look both ways
P28 167 before crossing the road like you promised. ^I saw you through the
P28 168 window**".
P28 169    |^All her thoughts were for Tommy as she looked him over for hurts,
P28 170 and comforted him with loving words. ^*"Oh, Tommy, nothing must happen
P28 171 to you,**" she whispered as she clutched him to her, quite oblivious
P28 172 of Michael.
P28 173    |^She's little more than a child herself, Michael thought, and
P28 174 couldn't help staring. ^Her dark eyelashes lay damp and shining on her
P28 175 cheeks. ^She smiled then and opened her eyes*- blue as the sea on a
P28 176 cloudless day. ^*"Come along, Tommy,**" she said, ^*"Come and show
P28 177 Grandpa you're all right.**"
P28 178    |^It was then that she noticed Michael. ^*"Oh, I'm so rude. ^I
P28 179 thought only of Tommy. ^Thank you for saving him from a nasty
P28 180 accident,**" she said shyly, her eyes full of gratitude. ^Her arm
P28 181 round Tommy, they went up the steps together. ^Michael stood for a
P28 182 moment feeling useless and very much the passer-by.
P28 183    |^The warmth and affection showered on young Tommy by the girl, who
P28 184 was obviously sister Margaret, brought home to Michael the absence of
P28 185 family affection in his childhood. ^He thoughtfully walked away.
P28 186    |
P28 187    |^*6M*2ICHAEL *0looked out of his office window very often after
P28 188 that and wondered whether he would see Tommy again, but several days
P28 189 went by without even a glimpse of him. ^Miss Travis constantly
P28 190 followed Michael's gaze and once she asked him if he was looking for
P28 191 anyone special.
P28 192    |^She knew now that she was being moved to another department, and
P28 193 as she did not seem to be making any headway personally with Michael
P28 194 she didn't mind, in fact the sooner the better and more luck next time
P28 195 was her motto. ^She had been told she would not be transferred until
P28 196 they got someone to take her place.
P28 197    |^*"I see that dress has gone from the window over the way,**" she
P28 198 remarked pointedly, *"the lace wedding gown, I mean... the one you
P28 199 were looking at a few days ago...**"
P28 200    |^*"Oh that*- I expect you'll be thinking of having one like
P28 201 that,**" he said, with an attempt at laughing it off. ^He found it
P28 202 easier to evade her advances now that he knew that she was being
P28 203 transferred. ^*"One of your many young men will be sweeping you off
P28 204 your feet, one of these days,**" he went on provocatively, ^*"Better
P28 205 mind your step**".
P28 206 *# 2017
P29   1 **[491 TEXT P29**]
P29   2 *<*6A GIRL ON HER OWN*>
P29   3    |^*2*"QUEEN STREET *0at last,**" sighed the plump woman as the
P29   4 train slackened speed. ^*"What a time it's taken to reach Glasgow!**"
P29   5    |^Morag Baxter gave her a surprised smile. ^She had not found the
P29   6 journey from Oban long or tedious. ^There had been so much to see. ^So
P29   7 much to think about. ^She had scarcely glanced at the magazines she
P29   8 had bought.
P29   9    |^Morag looked eagerly out of the window as the train drew into the
P29  10 station. ^She was excited but tried not to show it. ^After ten years,
P29  11 nearly half her lifetime, she was back in Glasgow. ^In a way she was
P29  12 returning home.
P29  13    |^No one would ever have taken Morag Baxter for a Glaswegian.
P29  14 ^There was a fresh country bloom in her cheeks and she spoke with an
P29  15 attractive Highland lilt. ^But for all that she felt she truly
P29  16 belonged to this great sprawling city.
P29  17    |^As an orphaned ward of Glasgow Corporation, she had spent the
P29  18 first eleven years of her life in the city. ^But Beechwood Children's
P29  19 Home, which had run on oiled wheels under Miss Simpson's motherly
P29  20 guidance, seemed like a dream now.
P29  21    |^Infinitely more real were the years she had spent in the north,
P29  22 eight of them boarding out on the Robertsons' farm and the last two
P29  23 living in digs in Oban.
P29  24    |^Morag's eyes clouded as she thought about these past two years.
P29  25 ^Nothing had been the same since \0Mrs Robertson died. ^Though time
P29  26 had softened Morag's grief, it had not helped her overcome the strange
P29  27 emptiness in her heart. ^It was as if her roots had been cut off.
P29  28    |^Although she had a good job, she felt Oban held nothing for her.
P29  29 ^It wasn't long before she began to think about Glasgow with a certain
P29  30 longing. ^After all, that was where she really belonged.
P29  31    |^So this year she had decided to spend her fortnight's holiday in
P29  32 the city.
P29  33    |^Miss Simpson, now retired from her post at Beechwood Home, had
P29  34 fixed up accommodation and promised to meet her at the station when
P29  35 she arrived. ^Everything was arranged.
P29  36    |^As the train jerked to a halt and she joined the throng of
P29  37 passengers on the platform, Morag felt a thrill of anticipation. ^She
P29  38 had saved up for a long time for this holiday and she meant to enjoy
P29  39 every minute of it.
P29  40    |^*"Morag, my dear!**" ^Miss Simpson, white-haired now and trim in
P29  41 silver-grey, met her at the barrier. ^*"How nice you're looking! ^And
P29  42 so grown-up!**"
P29  43    |^*"It's a while since you saw me last,**" the girl reminded her
P29  44 smilingly.
P29  45    |^*"Almost two years.**" ^Miss Simpson laid her hand lightly on
P29  46 Morag's arm to guide her from the station. ^*"Come along and we'll
P29  47 have a cup of tea before I take you to Grove House and hand you over
P29  48 to Miss Whelan.**"
P29  49    |^*"Hand me over?**" ^Morag was faintly alarmed. ^*"Is it a
P29  50 hostel?**"
P29  51    |^*"Of course not!**" ^The older woman's eyes were twinkling.
P29  52 ^*"Grove House is an excellent hotel for young business women. ^Miss
P29  53 Whelan's an old friend of mine, so I've asked her to keep an eye on
P29  54 you.**" ^She sighed as they paused at the kerb. ^*"If only you could
P29  55 have come earlier I could have put you up at my flat. ^As it is, the
P29  56 removal men are coming on Monday and my sister expects me at
P29  57 Girvan.**"
P29  58    |^Over tea in Fuller's Morag talked gaily about her plans. ^Miss
P29  59 Simpson smiled at her enthusiasm. ^It was a pleasure to meet her
P29  60 one-time charge again. ^She was only sorry she would not see more of
P29  61 her on this visit.
P29  62    |^Time passed so quickly. ^She could hardly believe it was
P29  63 twenty-one years since Morag had been placed in her charge at
P29  64 Beechwood Home. ^Only five months old, and tragically bereft of both
P29  65 parents. ^Although extensive inquiries were made at the time no trace
P29  66 was found of any relatives.
P29  67    |^Miss Simpson had taken the child to her heart. ^She had watched
P29  68 her grow into a likeable, happy little girl. ^It had been like losing
P29  69 someone of her own when the Welfare Committee decided to board Morag
P29  70 out with foster-parents in the north.
P29  71    |^It had all been for the best, of course. ^A home where she could
P29  72 become one of the family was better than the best institution.
P29  73    |^\0Mrs Robertson already had two orphaned children in her care at
P29  74 Balamore Farm, near Oban, and Morag made a welcome addition to the
P29  75 family. ^She had settled down happily at the farm. ^Her schooling
P29  76 over, she found a job in an Oban shop.
P29  77    |^Later, when \0Mrs Robertson felt less able to cope with three
P29  78 charges, Alison and Johnny Pedon returned to Glasgow. ^But Morag chose
P29  79 to remain in the north.
P29  80    |^She was nineteen when \0Mrs Robertson died. ^Miss Simpson had
P29  81 travelled from Glasgow to talk over her future with \0Mr Robertson and
P29  82 the local Welfare Officer. ^Agreeing that Morag should stay in Oban,
P29  83 they had found suitable lodgings for her in the town. ^\0Mr Robertson
P29  84 himself was giving up the farm and retiring to a cottage he had bought
P29  85 in Gairloch.
P29  86    |^It had seemed a wise decision at the time. ^Morag, bewildered and
P29  87 unhappy by this sudden change in the even tenor of her life, had
P29  88 raised no objections. ^But within the past year Miss Simpson fancied
P29  89 she detected a restless note in her letters.
P29  90    |^Now Morag had come to Glasgow for a holiday.
P29  91    |^Miss Simpson studied the girl seated across the table from her in
P29  92 the busy tea room. ^In the years since they had last met she had grown
P29  93 into a charming young woman, with attractive, auburn hair and wide,
P29  94 gold-flecked grey eyes.
P29  95    |^*"I wish I weren't leaving you here on your own, my dear.**"
P29  96 ^Miss Simpson sounded anxious. ^*"Won't you be lonely?**"
P29  97    |^*"I don't think so,**" Morag replied. ^*"Not more than anywhere
P29  98 else,**" she added after a moment's pause.
P29  99    |^Miss Simpson glanced shrewdly at the girl. ^So she had been
P29 100 right. ^Morag was unhappy in Oban.
P29 101    |^*"I wrote to \0Mrs Hendry and she's asked me out to Mosspark,**"
P29 102 Morag went on, clearly trying to change the subject. ^*"Isn't it kind
P29 103 of her? ^I*- I'll never forget all she did for me long ago. ^Then I'd
P29 104 like to go to all the theatres and look round the shops. ^I've got
P29 105 enough money for a completely new outfit and*-**"
P29 106    |^*"You will need a full purse!**" Miss Simpson laughed. ^*"Have a
P29 107 good time then, dear. ^If you feel at a loose end after this week, you
P29 108 can always spend a few days with us at Girvan.**"
P29 109    |^It was nearly five o'clock when they arrived at Grove House. ^It
P29 110 was a large, rambling building on a corner site in Queen's Drive,
P29 111 overlooking the park.
P29 112    |^Miss Whelan was a tall, fresh-complexioned woman. ^There was a
P29 113 glint of humour in her eyes that seemed to belie her rather forbidding
P29 114 manner.
P29 115    |^*"Just in time for tea, Miss Baxter,**" she remarked. ^*"We have
P29 116 it early on Saturdays because the girls are always in a hurry to go
P29 117 out. ^Would you like to take your case to your room right away?**"
P29 118    |^Morag gave Miss Simpson a parting hug and promised to have lunch
P29 119 with her at her flat next day. ^Then she followed the maid upstairs.
P29 120    |^She was delighted with her room, eyeing with approval the
P29 121 built-in cupboards and the small wash basin that stood in one corner.
P29 122 ^The carpet was a delicate shade of blue, and the flowered curtains
P29 123 matched the bedspread.
P29 124    |^The tea-bell rang before Morag had time to change. ^She ran a
P29 125 comb through her hair, applied some fresh lipstick, and went
P29 126 downstairs. ^Miss Whelan took her along to the dining-room and
P29 127 introduced her to a slim, dark-haired girl at a corner table.
P29 128    |^*"Miss Johnston has been here more than a year now,**" she
P29 129 explained. ^*"She'll soon make you feel at home.**"
P29 130    |^Morag smiled hesitantly as she sat down, searching her mind for
P29 131 some way of starting a conversation. ^She need not have worried, for
P29 132 Kathy Johnston was refreshingly free from shyness.
P29 133    |^Within minutes she found out Morag was on holiday and went on to
P29 134 suggest what she should do and see in town. ^She broke off as they
P29 135 were joined by a slightly older girl with fluffy fairish hair and
P29 136 winged glasses that gave her an attractive, fawn-like appearance.
P29 137    |^*"This is Jean MacLean,**" said Kathy by way of introduction.
P29 138 ^*"Morag Baxter comes from Oban, Jean. ^She's only here for a
P29 139 fortnight and*-**"
P29 140    |^*"Give the poor girl a chance to get a word in!**" Jean laughed.
P29 141 ^*"Hullo, Morag! ^Nice to meet you!**"
P29 142    |^Morag enjoyed the company of these two pleasant, friendly girls.
P29 143 ^She learned that Jean worked in a lawyer's office and was engaged to
P29 144 a young doctor doing his final year in hospital. ^Kathy Johnston was
P29 145 training as a junior buyer in Sturrock's, a large department store,
P29 146 and cheerfully admitted to having several boy friends.
P29 147    |^Both girls belonged out of town and only managed to visit their
P29 148 families occasionally at week-ends.
P29 149    |^Morag found her own reserve crumbling. ^Before the meal ended she
P29 150 had told her new friends a good deal about herself. ^Kathy's eyes
P29 151 widened sympathetically and she exchanged a glance with Jean.
P29 152    |^*"Oban's a lovely place, of course,**" she said slowly. ^*"But
P29 153 don't you find it a bit lonely*- especially in the winter?**"
P29 154    |^*"Well, I didn't until just lately,**" Morag replied, colouring a
P29 155 little. ^*"And I don't have to stay there, you know.**"
P29 156    |^Kathy gave her a questioning glance, but made no comment.
P29 157 ^Presently she and Jean took Morag into the lounge and told her about
P29 158 Grove House.
P29 159    |^*"It's better than coping on your own in some flatlet,**" Jean
P29 160 said emphatically. ^*"You get decent meals and there are no dishes to
P29 161 wash afterwards. ^All you've got to do is pay your dues, keep your
P29 162 room tidy, and be back indoors at a reasonable hour. ^I reckon it's
P29 163 worth it.**"
P29 164    |^*"Miss Whelan's a dear too,**" Kathy put in. ^*"Even if she does
P29 165 like to see all your boy friends!**"
P29 166    |^The door opened just then and some of the other residents came
P29 167 into the lounge. ^Morag glanced casually at them, then her gaze was
P29 168 riveted on the last one to enter*- a tall, blonde girl in a black
P29 169 tailored suit.
P29 170    |^She stared uncertainly for a moment, then almost unbelievingly as
P29 171 recognition dawned in her eyes.
P29 172    |^*"Alison!**"
P29 173    |^Her exclamation made the other girl turn sharply.
P29 174    |^*"I*- I've wondered so often if we'd ever meet again,**" Morag
P29 175 went on.
P29 176    |^*"That's more than I ever did!**" Alison Pedon told her,
P29 177 colouring guiltily as she spoke.
P29 178    |^*"Do you two know each other?**" Kathy asked.
P29 179    |^*"Oh, yes.**" ^Alison pulled herself together and managed a cool
P29 180 smile. ^*"We met several years ago when I was staying in Oban. ^What
P29 181 on earth are you doing here, Morag?**"
P29 182    |^*"I'm on holiday.**"
P29 183    |^Morag was puzzled. ^Staying in Oban? ^Why, Alison and her younger
P29 184 brother, John, had lived with her at the Robertsons' farm for over six
P29 185 years!
P29 186    |^*"I see.**" Alison shrugged indifferently. ^*"Well, I hope you
P29 187 enjoy yourself. ^Now you must excuse me. ^I'm expecting a phone
P29 188 call.**"
P29 189    |^She turned on her heel and left the room.
P29 190    |^Somewhat disturbed Morag sat down. ^It was painfully obvious that
P29 191 her former companion was anything but pleased to see her.
P29 192    |^*"Strange you should know Alison,**" Kathy remarked, breaking the
P29 193 awkward silence. ^*"I suppose you met her at her folk's hotel in
P29 194 Oban?**"
P29 195    |^Morag swallowed uneasily. ^Whatever had Alison been telling
P29 196 everyone? ^Fortunately Jean hailed a friend at that moment and she was
P29 197 not called upon to answer Kathy. ^Then someone switched on the
P29 198 television and she took the chance to go upstairs to unpack.
P29 199    |^She had only been in her room a few moments when there was a
P29 200 knock on the door. ^It was Alison Pedon, her fine eyebrows drawn and
P29 201 her eyes fixed on Morag accusingly.
P29 202    |^*"Why did you come here?**" she demanded as she brushed past
P29 203 Morag and came into the room. ^*"To Grove House of all places!**"
P29 204 *<*4Bridging The Years*>
P29 205    |^M*2ORAG *0shut the door. ^She had been embarrassed by Alison's
P29 206 rudeness a short time ago.
P29 207 *# 2001
        **[END**]