Part 7 (1/2)

everyone's talking about.

' Alethea, listening to her own voice, cool and pleasant, marvelled at it.

”T hear it's quite super. . . ' She would have babbled on, intent on letting them both see that she didn't care two straws even though there was a cold lump of misery under her ribs, but she was interrupted.

Mr van Diederijk, sprung apparently from the ground, so silently had he joined them, spoke before she could utter any more ba.n.a.lities.

”There you are, Alethea,” he remarked placidly.

”T was beginning to think that that funny little car of yours had broken down.

Can you manage to change in twenty minutes or so?

I've booked a table for half past eight.

' He had slipped between her and the other two so that they didn't see

her startled face and open mouth.

After a moment she began: ”But I. ' ”Need longer?

You can have an extra five minutes, then--I'll wait in the main

entrance.

' She turned without a word and almost ran in to the Nurses' Home entrance, up the stairs and into her room, where she sat down on the bed without bothering to take off her jacket.

Of course Mr van Diederijk hadn't meant a word of it.

He had rescued her from an awkward situation, that was all; she would

have a bath and go to bed early and thank him for his kindness when she saw him again. She was already in her dressing gown when one of the home maids knocked on the door and told her that she was wanted on the telephone, and just for a second the absurd idea that it might be Nick crossed her mind. It wasn't; Mr van Diederijk's calm voice asked matter-of-factly if she was changing.

”Because if you are, put on something pretty.

I thought we might go to Eatons.

' ”Oh, I thought--that is, I thought that you were just helping me out,

or something.

' She added doggedly: ”You were, weren't you?

You didn't mean to ask me out to dinner.

' His chuckle was comforting and rea.s.suring.

”Oh, yes, I was helping you out, but I certainly meant to ask you to

dine with me, both this evening and as frequently as possible.

' tZ.

-/r<>< p=””>

>LE.

l^l ->n ] She took the receiver from her ear and looked at it,

wondering if she could have heard him aright.

After a minute she said: ”Thank you, I'd like to come out this

evening.

I'll be very quick.

' Something pretty, he had said.