rather than shocks.'
Sabrina nodded gravely. 'You might say we look different because our lives are different.'
He curved forward like a crane, peering into her eyes, deep blue, shining with honesty or gentle mockery. Of course she was making fim of him but what a delight she was. 'You might say that. But if you were a professor of sociology you would be ashamed to speak so simply.*
She was laughing as Denton came up. He put his arm around her shoulders and squeezed. 'What's the joke, sweets?'
Sabrina's muscles tightened. The yard was full of people Denton could talk to; why did he hover and clamp her against him whenever she was having a good time? Because he's not happy, she thought, as Martin asked a question about England and Denton answered with the jovial charm that meant he was bored. He's a stranger, and suburban barbecues aren't part of his life. But she was a stranger, too, she reminded herself. She'd Uved in Europe since she was two, and she'd met Stephanie and Garth's friends only briefly when their children were bom. Why was she having a good time?
Because she loved meeting new people, but Denton was always bored away from his own crowd.
* Aunt Sabrina?' She looked down into the small, wise face of four-year-old Clifford Andersen. 'I'm supposed to tell everyone dinner is ready.'
Sabrina bent down. 'An important assignment.'
He nodded seriously. 'That's what Mommy said. But she said to huny, and there are too many people. So would you pick me up, and if I'm tall eveiybody can hear me at the same time.'
Sabrina laughed and lifted him in her arms. 'As practical as your father. Ready?'
He took a deep breath and in a piercing voice shouted, 'Dinner's ready! On the patio!'
At his son's raucous cry. Garth looked up to see Sabrina's vivid laughing face beside Cliffs small one, red with effort and self-importance. It was a pictvu-e he remembered, of Stephanie with Cliff when he was bom.
'Aunt Sabrina, why didn't you let me tell them?' came a wailing ay from the yard, and Penny Andersen flung herself
with the anguish of a disappointed three-year-old on the ground at Sabrina's feet.
'Can't anyone control these children?* Denton asked. Sabrina gave him a swift look and knelt with her arms around Cliff and his sister.
*How would it be if you announce dessert?' she asked Penny. A smile broke through and the little girl nodded vigorously. 'Well, then, I'm starving. Who's going to sit with me at dinner?'
'! am!' they both cried, and led her to the patio.
On the patio and the lawn, small groups sat in nylon-webbed aluminum chairs, eating marinated flank steak, potato salad and thick slices of French bread, and drinking the red wine the guests had contributed. They talked about the coming political conventions that probably would nominate Richard Nixon and Hubert Humphrey, and they discussed their children's schools, crabgrass, food prices and the university, where most of them taught.
Darkness was falling, and Garth lit kerosene lanterns. Dolores Goldner leaned toward Denton. 'Stephanie's told us so much about you both, but not the little things, like what you eat at home or where you shop. We really know so little about royalty.*
'The nobility,' Denton said stiffly.
'Oh, of course. I'm afraid we Americans don't take the class system as seriously as you do.'
'Denton,' Stephanie said hastily. 'Tell us about Treveston, especially the history of your family and the castle.'
'Aunt Sabrina sent me a picture,' Penny said.
'Me, too; I'll get it,' said Cliff and jumped up, knocking his plate off his lap and scattering his dinner to left and right. 'Cliffi' Stephanie called, but he dodged through the door into the house. 'That's not fair!' Penny cried. 'I said it first!' She scrambled to her feet, tripped over Sabrina's foot and ran after her brother.
'Penny!' Stephanie's voice rose sharply, and she clenched her hands.
Sabrina stood. 'Shall I calm them down?'
'It's all right,' Stephanie said. 'I told them they
Sabrina nodded gravely. 'You might say we look different because our lives are different.'
He curved forward like a crane, peering into her eyes, deep blue, shining with honesty or gentle mockery. Of course she was making fim of him but what a delight she was. 'You might say that. But if you were a professor of sociology you would be ashamed to speak so simply.*
She was laughing as Denton came up. He put his arm around her shoulders and squeezed. 'What's the joke, sweets?'
Sabrina's muscles tightened. The yard was full of people Denton could talk to; why did he hover and clamp her against him whenever she was having a good time? Because he's not happy, she thought, as Martin asked a question about England and Denton answered with the jovial charm that meant he was bored. He's a stranger, and suburban barbecues aren't part of his life. But she was a stranger, too, she reminded herself. She'd Uved in Europe since she was two, and she'd met Stephanie and Garth's friends only briefly when their children were bom. Why was she having a good time?
Because she loved meeting new people, but Denton was always bored away from his own crowd.
* Aunt Sabrina?' She looked down into the small, wise face of four-year-old Clifford Andersen. 'I'm supposed to tell everyone dinner is ready.'
Sabrina bent down. 'An important assignment.'
He nodded seriously. 'That's what Mommy said. But she said to huny, and there are too many people. So would you pick me up, and if I'm tall eveiybody can hear me at the same time.'
Sabrina laughed and lifted him in her arms. 'As practical as your father. Ready?'
He took a deep breath and in a piercing voice shouted, 'Dinner's ready! On the patio!'
At his son's raucous cry. Garth looked up to see Sabrina's vivid laughing face beside Cliffs small one, red with effort and self-importance. It was a pictvu-e he remembered, of Stephanie with Cliff when he was bom.
'Aunt Sabrina, why didn't you let me tell them?' came a wailing ay from the yard, and Penny Andersen flung herself
with the anguish of a disappointed three-year-old on the ground at Sabrina's feet.
'Can't anyone control these children?* Denton asked. Sabrina gave him a swift look and knelt with her arms around Cliff and his sister.
*How would it be if you announce dessert?' she asked Penny. A smile broke through and the little girl nodded vigorously. 'Well, then, I'm starving. Who's going to sit with me at dinner?'
'! am!' they both cried, and led her to the patio.
On the patio and the lawn, small groups sat in nylon-webbed aluminum chairs, eating marinated flank steak, potato salad and thick slices of French bread, and drinking the red wine the guests had contributed. They talked about the coming political conventions that probably would nominate Richard Nixon and Hubert Humphrey, and they discussed their children's schools, crabgrass, food prices and the university, where most of them taught.
Darkness was falling, and Garth lit kerosene lanterns. Dolores Goldner leaned toward Denton. 'Stephanie's told us so much about you both, but not the little things, like what you eat at home or where you shop. We really know so little about royalty.*
'The nobility,' Denton said stiffly.
'Oh, of course. I'm afraid we Americans don't take the class system as seriously as you do.'
'Denton,' Stephanie said hastily. 'Tell us about Treveston, especially the history of your family and the castle.'
'Aunt Sabrina sent me a picture,' Penny said.
'Me, too; I'll get it,' said Cliff and jumped up, knocking his plate off his lap and scattering his dinner to left and right. 'Cliffi' Stephanie called, but he dodged through the door into the house. 'That's not fair!' Penny cried. 'I said it first!' She scrambled to her feet, tripped over Sabrina's foot and ran after her brother.
'Penny!' Stephanie's voice rose sharply, and she clenched her hands.
Sabrina stood. 'Shall I calm them down?'
'It's all right,' Stephanie said. 'I told them they
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