Part 44 (2/2)

' screamed Alethea, and hurled herself at her elderly relative.

”Yes, dear,” said Mrs Thomas, straightening her hat.

”It is I. Sarre sent Al to fetch me--just for a couple of days, you

know.

' ”Sarre,” Alethea had turned to look at him, 'how kind of you!

I can't begin to thank you.

Mrs McCrea said Al had a day off.

' ”Well, so it were, as one might say,” said Al cheerfully.

”Keep it dark, says the guv; so off I creeps at first daylight an' 'ere

we are, all safe and sound.

' ”Oh, All' Alethea smiled at him because she was too excited to say

more.

”Sarre, you never said a word.

' He only smiled and spoke to Mrs Thomas.

”Shall we have coffee in the garden first, then Alethea can take you to

your room.

' Sarre went back to his rooms shortly afterwards.

He had patients to see, he told them, and a hospital round in the

afternoon, so he wouldn't be home until the evening.

”You can have a good gossip,” he told them, looking hard at Alethea.

But when later her grandmother asked her if she were happy, she found

she couldn't talk about it very easily.

She described her life, dwelling on the luxury in which she lived, she skimmed over the children, who had appeared at lunch and behaved like angels, but she had a little more to say about Nanny but nothing about Sarre.

When she had finished her grandmother sat back in her chair.

”Yes, dear, and now supposing you tell me all about it.

' Alethea dissolved into tears, something she hadn't meant to do.

”Oh, Granny, I'm so hopelessly in love with him and there's this awful

Anna.

' She talked about Anna at some length and her grandmother listened

carefully, tutt-tutted at the end and remarked dryly: ”You're his wife, my dear.

' Alethea agreed unhappily.

”Yes, I know, but there are the children.

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