already, darling?' It was a
woman's voice, low-pitched, drawling, and instantly unpleas-
antly familiar. 'And it's only just teatime. No wonder the poor
child looks stunned.'
There was a frozen silence, then, slowly and carefully, Nick
lowered Cally to the ground and turned.
'Adele,' he said expressionlessly. 'What an unexpected
pleasure. I really thought you were in Paris.'
Adele Tempest remained where she was, framed in the door-
way to the drawing room. She was wearing a close-fitting
white skirt and a wrap-around top in a deep violet shade. Her
red-gold hair was piled on top of her head, with a few artless
tendrils allowed to escape around her face and the nape of her
neck. She was smiling.
'Oh, but I was,' she said. 'Then a little bird told me you were
returning with the prodigal bride, and I thought at least one
person should be here to welcome her. Apart from the
servants, that is.' She looked Cally over, her smile widening.
'Nick's powers of persuasion must be overwhelming, my pet.
Or was it his money that you couldn't resist—yet again? After
all, you've been living rough for a year now, and a fate worse
than death probably seems marginally preferable to no fate at
all."
Cally kept her voice steady somehow. 'It's good to see you,
too, Adele. And nice to know you haven't changed.'
Adele laughed. 'Oh, Nick's the one for alterations. You won't
recognise the place since your last brief visit. I gather he's
transformed that gothic horror of a master bedroom that
Ranald was so stubborn about into a real love nest. Of course,
I had no idea it was intended for you.'
'Well, life's just full of surprises,' Cally said lightly. She
turned to the housekeeper, who was standing behind them,
looking faintly agonised. 'Perhaps you'll show me this
amazing transformation upstairs, Mrs Thurston? I'd like to
tidy myself after the journey. And then we'll all have tea in the
drawing room.' She smiled up into Nick's icy face. 'Please
entertain our guest for me, darling. I won't be long.'
Without hurrying, she began to climb the stairs, following the
housekeeper along the gallery at the top until they reached a
pair of double doors, which Mrs Thurston threw open.
"This is the master suite, Lady Tempest. I do hope you'll be
comfortable.'
Cally found herself in a large bedroom with pale walls and a
low ceiling. There was a pretty Edwardian dressing table, with
a satin stool, and apart from that the major piece of furniture
was a four-poster bed, canopied in a rich dark blue edged with
cream, with a matching quilted cover. The large windows
were hung with the same fabric.
Cally forced a smile. 'It's—absolutely lovely.'
Mrs Thurston permitted herself a pleased smile then hurried to
open a door on the other side of the room, revealing a short
passage, with more doors on either side.
"There's another bedroom at the end, which Sir Nicholas has
been using up to now,' she announced. 'The dressing room,
which is shared, is on the left, and the bathroom is directly
opposite. If there's anything you need, you have only to ring.'
'I'm sure you haven't forgotten a thing,' Cally assured her.
The other woman hesitated. 'If I may say something, your
ladyship? I—I'm really sorry about what happened downstairs
just now. I knew Sir Nicholas wouldn't want any kind of in-
trusion today, but I didn't realise Lady Tempest was in the
house.'
She shook her head. 'It was such a beautiful day, I opened the
French windows in the drawing room. I suppose she walked
across the garden from the Dower House and simply came up
the terrace steps. I couldn't believe my eyes when I went in
with the flowers and found her sitting on the sofa.'
Mrs Thurston paused. 'And, of course, she used to live here..."
'Which makes it doubly difficult to ask her to leave,' Cally
supplied wryly. 'Please don't worry, Mrs Thurston. I'm sure
my husband will deal with the situation.' She pulled a face. 'I
suspect he's used to
woman's voice, low-pitched, drawling, and instantly unpleas-
antly familiar. 'And it's only just teatime. No wonder the poor
child looks stunned.'
There was a frozen silence, then, slowly and carefully, Nick
lowered Cally to the ground and turned.
'Adele,' he said expressionlessly. 'What an unexpected
pleasure. I really thought you were in Paris.'
Adele Tempest remained where she was, framed in the door-
way to the drawing room. She was wearing a close-fitting
white skirt and a wrap-around top in a deep violet shade. Her
red-gold hair was piled on top of her head, with a few artless
tendrils allowed to escape around her face and the nape of her
neck. She was smiling.
'Oh, but I was,' she said. 'Then a little bird told me you were
returning with the prodigal bride, and I thought at least one
person should be here to welcome her. Apart from the
servants, that is.' She looked Cally over, her smile widening.
'Nick's powers of persuasion must be overwhelming, my pet.
Or was it his money that you couldn't resist—yet again? After
all, you've been living rough for a year now, and a fate worse
than death probably seems marginally preferable to no fate at
all."
Cally kept her voice steady somehow. 'It's good to see you,
too, Adele. And nice to know you haven't changed.'
Adele laughed. 'Oh, Nick's the one for alterations. You won't
recognise the place since your last brief visit. I gather he's
transformed that gothic horror of a master bedroom that
Ranald was so stubborn about into a real love nest. Of course,
I had no idea it was intended for you.'
'Well, life's just full of surprises,' Cally said lightly. She
turned to the housekeeper, who was standing behind them,
looking faintly agonised. 'Perhaps you'll show me this
amazing transformation upstairs, Mrs Thurston? I'd like to
tidy myself after the journey. And then we'll all have tea in the
drawing room.' She smiled up into Nick's icy face. 'Please
entertain our guest for me, darling. I won't be long.'
Without hurrying, she began to climb the stairs, following the
housekeeper along the gallery at the top until they reached a
pair of double doors, which Mrs Thurston threw open.
"This is the master suite, Lady Tempest. I do hope you'll be
comfortable.'
Cally found herself in a large bedroom with pale walls and a
low ceiling. There was a pretty Edwardian dressing table, with
a satin stool, and apart from that the major piece of furniture
was a four-poster bed, canopied in a rich dark blue edged with
cream, with a matching quilted cover. The large windows
were hung with the same fabric.
Cally forced a smile. 'It's—absolutely lovely.'
Mrs Thurston permitted herself a pleased smile then hurried to
open a door on the other side of the room, revealing a short
passage, with more doors on either side.
"There's another bedroom at the end, which Sir Nicholas has
been using up to now,' she announced. 'The dressing room,
which is shared, is on the left, and the bathroom is directly
opposite. If there's anything you need, you have only to ring.'
'I'm sure you haven't forgotten a thing,' Cally assured her.
The other woman hesitated. 'If I may say something, your
ladyship? I—I'm really sorry about what happened downstairs
just now. I knew Sir Nicholas wouldn't want any kind of in-
trusion today, but I didn't realise Lady Tempest was in the
house.'
She shook her head. 'It was such a beautiful day, I opened the
French windows in the drawing room. I suppose she walked
across the garden from the Dower House and simply came up
the terrace steps. I couldn't believe my eyes when I went in
with the flowers and found her sitting on the sofa.'
Mrs Thurston paused. 'And, of course, she used to live here..."
'Which makes it doubly difficult to ask her to leave,' Cally
supplied wryly. 'Please don't worry, Mrs Thurston. I'm sure
my husband will deal with the situation.' She pulled a face. 'I
suspect he's used to
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