Part 21 (2/2)

It was a large apartment, with a wide, tall window draped with brocade curtains in pale pinks and blues and the same colours were repeated in the spread which covered the fourposter bed, a magnificent piece of furniture, its mahogany blending with the sofa table and the huge pillow cupboard along one wall.

Alone, Alethea explored, opening cupboard doors, peering into the elegant bathroom, looking out of the window and finally sitting down on the vast bed.

But not for long; presently she tidied herself, brushed her hair into a curling cloud around her face, and went downstairs again.

There was no sign of anyone.

Perhaps she should have stayed in her room until someone came for her, but it would be silly to go back there now.

She was debating which door to try when the front door opened and a young man came in.

For a split second she thought it was Sarre and then she saw that he was very much younger, not quite as tall and of a much slimmer build, and as if he read her thoughts, he crossed the hall to where she stood, crying: ”No, I'm not Sarre--I'm Wien and, his brother.

And you're Alethea, even prettier than he described you.

' He grinned at her and gave her a quick kiss.

”Now why didn't I see you first?

' Alethea laughed; he was so friendly and lighthearted it was impossible not to like him on sight.

She offered a hand and he was still holding it when a door opened and Sarre came into the hall.

”Wien and, this is delightful, I didn't expect you as soon as this.

' He smiled at them both.

”You've introduced yourselves, I see.

' He turned to Alethea.

”I'm afraid I have to go out for a short while, my dear, but now that Wien and's here, you'll be perfectly all right.

' He turned to his brother.

”Show her round the house, will you?

and stay for lunch unless you've anything better to do.

' ”T can't imagine anything better to do,” protested Wien and, and

flung an arm round her shoulders.

Sarre was already crossing the hall on his way to the door.

His ”Tbf ziens' sounded a little absent-minded and he looked faintly

relieved as though he was glad that he had solved the problem of what to do with her for the time being, thought Alethea, suddenly very annoyed.

But the annoyance didn't last.

She reminded herself sensibly that it wasn't as if he was in love with her.

Now if it had been Nick.

she brushed the dream aside and prepared to be entertained by Wien and, who proved to be an amusing companion who refused to be serious for more than a few minutes at a time.

True, he answered her questions about his work; that he was indeed an osteopath and further, that he and Sarre worked closely together in a technique which the pair of them had devised, but further than that he would not go, preferring to pay her ridiculous compliments, so that she found herself laughing as she hadn't laughed for a long time.

They were in the garden room now, its doors opening out on to the glorious morning, talking about nothing much in a lighthearted fas.h.i.+on, when Sarre came back.

He greeted them affably, expressed the hope that they had amused each other, begged Alethea's pardon for leaving her and asked his brother to accompany him to his study for a few minutes.

Left to herself Alethea looked at the clock.

It was ten to twelve and at midday the children came from school.

The thought of meeting them for the first time on her own sent her hot and cold.

She sat watching the clock, a handsome stoelklok with a seascape painted on its very old face, willing Sarre to come back.

It was ten past the hour when she heard voices in the hall-children's voices--and braced herself for the meeting, scared stiff and at the same time resentful of Sarre's neglect.

The door opened and she let out a held breath.

The two men came in together and Sarre had a hand on his son's shoulder, while his little daughter, on his other side, hung on to his arm.

They came straight towards her and Alethea got to her feet, feeling quite dizzy with relief.

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