A Star Looks Down Part 14

She heaved a sigh of pleasure and caught her host's eye.

"The house first or the animals?

' he asked.

She was conscious of four pairs of anxious eyes turned upon her.

"The animals," she said promptly, and was rewarded by the children's faces.

They went to the pond first, beyond the stables, and fed the ducks there, and then the geese who came waddling towards them, and when the children were tired of that they went down to the wide gate which shut in the donkey and the horses.

"You ride?

' asked the profess or, holding Alberdina firmly perched on the gate's top rung.

Beth paused, remembering.

"Oh, yes-Beauty, and Sugar when we were children, but that's years ago.

What about the children?

' "Not yet; their father wishes them to leam-it might be a good opportunity to get them started if I can find a pony.

If you care to ride, please do so.

Mrs Burge's son.

Jack, looks after things here, he'll saddle either Prince or Kitty for you.

' She glowed, her eyes a deep purple with excitement.

"Oh, how very kind of you!

Before breakfast, perhaps?

And if you could find a pony, I could start the children off.

' They were strolling round the garden now, with the children darting from one side to the other, delighted with themselves and everything there.

As they reached the garden door into the house, the profess or stopped.

"This is where I cry off," he remarked.

"The children will show you the house.

' He didn't say why he wouldn't come with them; ten minutes later, from the landing window, Beth saw him get into his car and drive away.

Naturally he would have friends in the neighbour hood; as she was led in and out of the delightful rooms in the old house, she was seeing him very clearly in her mind's eye, being entertained by elegantly dressed lovelies, amusing him with their witty conversation and capturing his attention with their good looks.

The hussies, declared Beth silently, quite carried away by her own imagination.

He reappeared that evening just as she had got the children comfortably settled for the night and taken up Mevrouw Thor becke's tray.

She was on her way downstairs, feeling lonely and a little subdued after the children's bracing society, when she heard the car draw up, and a moment later the profess or was in the hall, grinning up at her.

"Hullo," he greeted her, 'am I too late to say good night to those brats?

' She shook her head.

"Not really, though I have just turned out the lights.

' He was already on the stairs.

"Good.

I'll be very quick wait for me in the drawing room, Beth.

' She chose a chair by the splendid empty fireplace and sat composedly, sure in her mind that he wouldn't be staying for dinner, but go away again, leaving her alone.

She found the idea so disagreeable that she stopped thinking about it and pondered instead on his strange habit of calling her by such a variety of names: Beth, Elizabeth, Miss Partridge Could it be according to his mood?

she was wondering, when he joined her.

"Sherry?

I'm sure you've earned it.

I felt like a traitor leaving you to the mercy of the children for the rest of the day.

' She accepted the sherry.

"I don't suppose you gave it a thought," she observed coolly.

He had taken a chair opposite her.

"Why do you say that?

' Her voice was sedate.

"I expect you were in pleasant company.

' His eyes had been half shut, now he opened them wide and she was startled afresh at their vivid blue.

"Oh, very pleasant," he smiled charmingly.

"I have a number of friends living round and about, though I don't see them very often.

Perhaps we will have a small party before you go back.

' "A good idea," she agreed.

"It would do Mevrouw Thor becke good.

' "And you.

Miss Partridge?

' The?

Oh, you don't have to invite me.

Profess or.

I'm here to look after the children.

' She smiled at him warmly.

He put down his gla.s.s and got to his feet, took her gla.s.s from her hand, too and pulled her upright.

"Will you come if I ask you?

' he wanted to know.

"Well, yes, I suppose so," and because that sounded ungracious: "Thank you, I should like that--if you want me to come.

' "I want you to come, Bern.

' He had bent to kiss her before she realized that that was his intention, tucked his arm under hers and said cheerfully: "Dinner, I think, don't you?

Then I must be off.

' They dined in a leisurely fashion which gave the lie to the profess or's intention to leave immediately after the meal, and the conversation, to Beth's secret annoyance, was of nothing but St Elmer's; the newest techniques and surgery in general.

He could have been giving a lecture at the hospital instead of sitting at the head of their own elegantly appointed dining table.

She felt put out; she might' not be much to look at, but no one had ever hinted that she was a dull companion.

Perhaps he found talking to her difficult and so kept to safe mutual topics?

Her answers became more and more wooden, but he seemed not to notice; he finished a learned and lengthy discourse on the hazards of transplants, looked at his watch and announced that he would have to go.

Beth went to the door with him and wished him good-bye and watched him go upstairs to see his sister, before going along to the kitchen to warn Mrs Burge that they had finished their dinner; she took care to stay there until she heard the front door close behind him.

She was crossing the hall on her way to see if the children were asleep when the profess or walked in again.

He crossed the hall rapidly to her and Beth stood still, wondering why he had returned.

"That was a ridiculous waste of time at dinner," he remarked to surprise her.

"What is it about you which prevents me from saying what I wish to say?

' He frowned, kissed her thoughtfully and went away again, leaving her standing there, listening to the sound of the car's engine diminishing into the distance.

The week rolled away at a leisurely pace, with the children to fill her days and any time there was over taken up by Mevrouw Thor becke, who felt better with each successive day.

She was good company now that she was almost herself once more and Beth found it no hardship to forego her free time in order to drive her into Shepton Mallett or Castle Cary to shop, or spend a little time exploring the country roads around these two little towns.

The elderly estate car in the garage suited her very well, for although she had driven for several years she was very out of practice, but as both of them enjoyed tooling along quietly while they talked about a great many things, that hardly mattered.

Mevrouw Thor becke was well enough to entertain her friends by now, too.

They came after tea and played bridge, so that Beth was free to go out with the children again before their supper; down to the pond to feed the ducks or take carrots to the donkey and sometimes to play ball.

It was Friday evening when the profess or came again, arriving silently and putting the car in the garage while she and the children were feeding the ducks.

They were on their way upstairs to tidy themselves for supper when he came to his study door, and stood, patient and laughing, while they milled around him, and Beth, watching quietly, was conscious that she was just as glad to see him as the children were, although her, "Good evening.

Profess or," was staid enough.

She saw him later, at dinner.

For some reason which she hadn't gone into too deeply, she had elected to wear a woollen dress, by no means new and of an uninteresting brown which did nothing for her at all, and even if she hadn't known this already, his appraising glance and quick dismissal of her person would have told her so; she had a kind of wry pleasure from it, as though she had proved something to herself, as she sat between him and his sister, taking part in the conversation without essaying to draw attention to herself.

"Your day off tomorrow, Elizabeth," the profess or told her.

"You should by rights have two, and from what Mar tina tells me, you seem to have had precious little time to yourself this, week.

Can you be ready by ten o'clock tomorrow?

' "Can I be ready at ten.

' she repeated stupidly.

"Why?

' "We're going out together.

I need your advice about something I want to buy.

' "Oh, birthday presents or something?

Yes, of course I can be ready.

' He nodded briefly.