I’m going to make sure, somehow, that she isn’t in London.”
William was sitting with his finger gently on the horn of his car. Kate could hear the dirge on one note as she came down the stairs. She hurried, tripped slightly on the narrow steps and began to laugh as she saved herself. William was infuriating and absurd, but he had a happy knack of reducing even a nightmare to everyday proportions. She laughed again as she came out on to the street and saw him with his head stuck out of the car, in earnest conversation with a policeman, but still not stopping the monotonous dirge.
Then he saw her and grinned, and lifted his finger from the horn.
“I’m sorry, officer. I agree with all you said. But if your girl kept you waiting, especially a girl like Kate, wouldn’t you do the same? Meet Kate, officer.”
The policeman, very young beneath his helmet, gave a half-nod, an embarrassed grin, and moved on.
William said to Kate, “Thought you’d slipped out the back way and caught a plane back to Rome.”
“No, I didn’t, but we’ve talked to them. At least, Mrs. Dix has.”
“And?”
“And Francesca at this moment is playing in the Borghese Gardens in the dark. With, I suppose, Caesar’s ghost. They couldn’t even think up something better than that to tell me.”
“Mrs. Dix believed it?”
“She’d believe anything. She’s been at the brandy bottle, and anyway she doesn’t care.”
William sniffed. “I’d say you’d been at the bottle, too.”
Kate shivered and moved close against him. “Br-r-r. It’s cold. And I’ve got a nightmare.”
William methodically switched off all the lights and took her in his arms. She was enveloped in tweed and the scent of tobacco smoke, and she was kissed with gentle and prolonged affection. She lay quietly, feeling his exploring lips on her closed eyelids, her cheekbones and then her own lips. The sensation was agreeable, but somehow shadowy, as if it were happening to someone else. Finally William delicately lifted one of her eyelids with his fingertip.
“I told you, I’ve got a nightmare.”
“That’s what lovers are for, catching burglars and dispersing nightmares.”
Kate sat up. “You’re not my lover.”
“Soon will be, sweetie. I keep my fingers crossed.”
She wouldn’t let him come in to her flat. She was going straight to bed because tomorrow she wanted to be fit and alert for what she had to do.
“Such as?” William inquired.
“First I’m going to see Rosita, Francesca’s mother. If nothing comes of that I’ll get another inspiration.”
“Don’t stick your neck out too far.” For the first time William’s voice was anxious. “It’s really none of your business, you know.”
“The welfare of a child is everybody’s business,” said Kate heatedly. “How can you be so callous?”
Mrs. Peebles popped out swiftly as the front door opened.
“It’s you,” she said. “Back.”
“Yes, I’m back. Any messages?”
“Not if you’ve seen Mr. Howard.”
“You know very well I’ve seen him,” Kate retorted. “You were looking out of the window just now.”
“I wasn’t looking at you and him, Miss Tempest. I was seeing if that prowler was still there.”
“Prowler?”
“Someone’s been strolling about rather more than necessary. I’d lock your windows tonight, if I was you.”
Kate’s heart missed a beat. “If he looks suspicious, why don’t you call the police?”
“He doesn’t look suspicious, exactly. I wouldn’t have noticed him except that he had that Chinese look. That’s why I remembered him the third time he passed. But he’s gone now. Lor’, Miss Tempest, you don’t look like your holiday did you any good.”
“It wasn’t a holiday,” Kate snapped.
“I can see that. Regular washed out, ain’t you? I’d go straight to bed, if I was you. But call if you hear anyone scrabbling at the window.”
“Don’t be absurd, Mrs. Peebles. Who is going to scrabble? A burglar doesn’t
William was sitting with his finger gently on the horn of his car. Kate could hear the dirge on one note as she came down the stairs. She hurried, tripped slightly on the narrow steps and began to laugh as she saved herself. William was infuriating and absurd, but he had a happy knack of reducing even a nightmare to everyday proportions. She laughed again as she came out on to the street and saw him with his head stuck out of the car, in earnest conversation with a policeman, but still not stopping the monotonous dirge.
Then he saw her and grinned, and lifted his finger from the horn.
“I’m sorry, officer. I agree with all you said. But if your girl kept you waiting, especially a girl like Kate, wouldn’t you do the same? Meet Kate, officer.”
The policeman, very young beneath his helmet, gave a half-nod, an embarrassed grin, and moved on.
William said to Kate, “Thought you’d slipped out the back way and caught a plane back to Rome.”
“No, I didn’t, but we’ve talked to them. At least, Mrs. Dix has.”
“And?”
“And Francesca at this moment is playing in the Borghese Gardens in the dark. With, I suppose, Caesar’s ghost. They couldn’t even think up something better than that to tell me.”
“Mrs. Dix believed it?”
“She’d believe anything. She’s been at the brandy bottle, and anyway she doesn’t care.”
William sniffed. “I’d say you’d been at the bottle, too.”
Kate shivered and moved close against him. “Br-r-r. It’s cold. And I’ve got a nightmare.”
William methodically switched off all the lights and took her in his arms. She was enveloped in tweed and the scent of tobacco smoke, and she was kissed with gentle and prolonged affection. She lay quietly, feeling his exploring lips on her closed eyelids, her cheekbones and then her own lips. The sensation was agreeable, but somehow shadowy, as if it were happening to someone else. Finally William delicately lifted one of her eyelids with his fingertip.
“I told you, I’ve got a nightmare.”
“That’s what lovers are for, catching burglars and dispersing nightmares.”
Kate sat up. “You’re not my lover.”
“Soon will be, sweetie. I keep my fingers crossed.”
She wouldn’t let him come in to her flat. She was going straight to bed because tomorrow she wanted to be fit and alert for what she had to do.
“Such as?” William inquired.
“First I’m going to see Rosita, Francesca’s mother. If nothing comes of that I’ll get another inspiration.”
“Don’t stick your neck out too far.” For the first time William’s voice was anxious. “It’s really none of your business, you know.”
“The welfare of a child is everybody’s business,” said Kate heatedly. “How can you be so callous?”
Mrs. Peebles popped out swiftly as the front door opened.
“It’s you,” she said. “Back.”
“Yes, I’m back. Any messages?”
“Not if you’ve seen Mr. Howard.”
“You know very well I’ve seen him,” Kate retorted. “You were looking out of the window just now.”
“I wasn’t looking at you and him, Miss Tempest. I was seeing if that prowler was still there.”
“Prowler?”
“Someone’s been strolling about rather more than necessary. I’d lock your windows tonight, if I was you.”
Kate’s heart missed a beat. “If he looks suspicious, why don’t you call the police?”
“He doesn’t look suspicious, exactly. I wouldn’t have noticed him except that he had that Chinese look. That’s why I remembered him the third time he passed. But he’s gone now. Lor’, Miss Tempest, you don’t look like your holiday did you any good.”
“It wasn’t a holiday,” Kate snapped.
“I can see that. Regular washed out, ain’t you? I’d go straight to bed, if I was you. But call if you hear anyone scrabbling at the window.”
“Don’t be absurd, Mrs. Peebles. Who is going to scrabble? A burglar doesn’t
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