Part 22 (2/2)

She was like her father too, a fact which for some reason was a relief

to Alethea; she supposed she didn't want to be reminded of his first

wife.

”Then we'll just have to smile at each other, won't we?” said Alethea sensibly.

They had walked the length of the gallery and started up a second

smaller staircase to the floor above.

There was another gallery here with rooms leading from it and Sarel opened one of the doors and invited her inside.

As she went past him Alethea paused.

”Tell me, Sarel,” she asked, 'where did you both learn to speak such good English?

' ”Papa and Mrs McCrea and Al--they all speak English to us.

Here's Nanny.

' The room was obviously the children's.

It was large, furnished comfortably with small chairs, a large round

table, and had cupboards built into its walls.

There was a rocking horse by the window and a superb dolls' house and

the walls were hung with maps, a variety of Beatrix Potter prints and over the closed stove, a very large cuckoo clock.

It was a cosy room and Alethea smiled as she gazed round her.

But the middle aged woman standing by the stove wasn't smiling, she was

staring hard, her rather grim face set sternly.

She was tall and angular, her hair so fair that the grey with which it was sprinkled could hardly be seen. She was dressed soberly in a plain brown dress, and she smoothed the skirt now, waiting for Alethea to say something.

The children stood silently and she realised that they had no intention of speaking.

She went across the room and held out a hand.

”I'm Alethea Thomas,” she said.

”How do you do.

Nanny?

' Her hand was taken but the stern features didn't relax.

Nanny said something Alethea couldn't understand and spoke to the

children, who chorused in answer and disappeared through a door at the

other end of the room.

Alethea, left alone with Nanny, smiled at her again and then wandered off round the room, examining its contents.

It appeared to house every kind of toy and game that a child could wish

for; she had never seen such a splendid collection in all her life. She was peering at the dolls' house when the children returned, and ignoring their quick, enquiring look, she said calmly: ”Oh, hullo, there you are.

<script>