like a last year's snowdrop. Getting late for you? Shall we go?"
She smiled apologetically. "I'm sorry, it's a bore for you, but I usually go to bed so early. I think you have to be in training for one of these places."
"Don't think about it," he shrugged. "I'm usually an early bird myself. The farm work starts at crack of dawn, you know, and for all Nick's belief that I'm a gay rover, I tend to be in bed by ten most nights of the week."
Kate went to the cloakroom to fetch her coat and tidy up. As she came out again into the wide lobby of the restaurant, she saw Sylvia standing with her back to the cloakroom door, talking to the very attractive man she had seen her with in Maiden on the day when she bought all her clothes.
Jimmy was standing some distance away, watching Sylvia and her companion with curiosity.
Kate walked towards him. Just before she reached him, Sylvia and her companion went into the restaurant together.
"Well, well, well," Jimmy murmured. "I wonder what that means…"
She looked at him enquiringly.
He grinned. "Sylvia's escort is none other than Sir Rodney Paton."
"Paton?" The name was faintly familiar. She looked into the restaurant. Sylvia and her companion had a table beside a brilliant bank of flowers. Above the pinks and purples of the flowers, Sylvia's utterly simple white dress had a classic simplicity, giving her blonde beauty a new dimension. The finely pleated white folds moulded her body. Around her throat hung a silver chain from which an emerald glittered, set in heavy antique silver. Her hair was swathed elegantly above her face and pinned with a silver lover's knot. She smiled at her companion, leaning forward so that the emerald shone at him as brightly as her green eyes, the cold stone lying just above the fullness of her white breasts.
Jimmy whistled beneath his breath. "Boy, is he hooked! Sylvia has a problem."
Kate looked at him with puzzled, worried eyes, her brow knit in concern.
"Rodney Paton is the big electronics king. Three factories in the south of England, a house in London, and a very elegant house here in Essex. He's a millionaire—just what Sylvia has always wanted for her birthday."
"Oh," said Kate softly, her frown deepening.
"Oh, indeed," Jimmy echoed. "But what will dear Sylvia do about Nick? Sir Rodney may be stinking rich, but he isn't either as young or as good-looking as Nick. I imagine Sylvia is wishing she could have her cake and eat it."
Kate looked at the man who sat opposite Sylvia. He had a charming, attentive smile on his face, and she could see, even at this distance, that Sylvia engrossed all his attention. He was, as Jimmy had put it, quite hooked. His eyes flickered now and then, tracing the proud sweep of Sylvia's body in the white dress. Then he looked up into her green eyes, and his smile deepened.
Sylvia was more difficult to read. She was totally responsive to her companion, her eyes fixed on his, her manner pliant and quietly eager, vaguely little-girl beneath her sophistication.
Kate already knew her too well to be deceived. Sylvia, like a first-rate actress, was giving the performance of her life, but for all its brilliance, it was still acting, and the hollowness came over to the other girl very clearly.
"She isn't in love with him," she said aloud.
Jimmy laughed. "Simple Kate! Bless you, of course not. How could you think it?"
"But she is in love with Nick," Kate said falteringly, and with reluctance. Then, because she had to be honest with herself, "Or rather, she wants more from Nick than just his money. Nick himself attracts her."
"Sex is a powerful attraction, Kate," Jimmy said lightly. "Even Sylvia has to weigh that against money. When money and sex come in the same box it's very tempting." He put an arm around her and led her out of the restaurant. "Cheer up! Sir Rodney may not be as sexy as Nick, but he has a damned sight more money."
"It's nothing to do with me," she said defiantly.
Jimmy sighed. "Dear Kate, I'm on
She smiled apologetically. "I'm sorry, it's a bore for you, but I usually go to bed so early. I think you have to be in training for one of these places."
"Don't think about it," he shrugged. "I'm usually an early bird myself. The farm work starts at crack of dawn, you know, and for all Nick's belief that I'm a gay rover, I tend to be in bed by ten most nights of the week."
Kate went to the cloakroom to fetch her coat and tidy up. As she came out again into the wide lobby of the restaurant, she saw Sylvia standing with her back to the cloakroom door, talking to the very attractive man she had seen her with in Maiden on the day when she bought all her clothes.
Jimmy was standing some distance away, watching Sylvia and her companion with curiosity.
Kate walked towards him. Just before she reached him, Sylvia and her companion went into the restaurant together.
"Well, well, well," Jimmy murmured. "I wonder what that means…"
She looked at him enquiringly.
He grinned. "Sylvia's escort is none other than Sir Rodney Paton."
"Paton?" The name was faintly familiar. She looked into the restaurant. Sylvia and her companion had a table beside a brilliant bank of flowers. Above the pinks and purples of the flowers, Sylvia's utterly simple white dress had a classic simplicity, giving her blonde beauty a new dimension. The finely pleated white folds moulded her body. Around her throat hung a silver chain from which an emerald glittered, set in heavy antique silver. Her hair was swathed elegantly above her face and pinned with a silver lover's knot. She smiled at her companion, leaning forward so that the emerald shone at him as brightly as her green eyes, the cold stone lying just above the fullness of her white breasts.
Jimmy whistled beneath his breath. "Boy, is he hooked! Sylvia has a problem."
Kate looked at him with puzzled, worried eyes, her brow knit in concern.
"Rodney Paton is the big electronics king. Three factories in the south of England, a house in London, and a very elegant house here in Essex. He's a millionaire—just what Sylvia has always wanted for her birthday."
"Oh," said Kate softly, her frown deepening.
"Oh, indeed," Jimmy echoed. "But what will dear Sylvia do about Nick? Sir Rodney may be stinking rich, but he isn't either as young or as good-looking as Nick. I imagine Sylvia is wishing she could have her cake and eat it."
Kate looked at the man who sat opposite Sylvia. He had a charming, attentive smile on his face, and she could see, even at this distance, that Sylvia engrossed all his attention. He was, as Jimmy had put it, quite hooked. His eyes flickered now and then, tracing the proud sweep of Sylvia's body in the white dress. Then he looked up into her green eyes, and his smile deepened.
Sylvia was more difficult to read. She was totally responsive to her companion, her eyes fixed on his, her manner pliant and quietly eager, vaguely little-girl beneath her sophistication.
Kate already knew her too well to be deceived. Sylvia, like a first-rate actress, was giving the performance of her life, but for all its brilliance, it was still acting, and the hollowness came over to the other girl very clearly.
"She isn't in love with him," she said aloud.
Jimmy laughed. "Simple Kate! Bless you, of course not. How could you think it?"
"But she is in love with Nick," Kate said falteringly, and with reluctance. Then, because she had to be honest with herself, "Or rather, she wants more from Nick than just his money. Nick himself attracts her."
"Sex is a powerful attraction, Kate," Jimmy said lightly. "Even Sylvia has to weigh that against money. When money and sex come in the same box it's very tempting." He put an arm around her and led her out of the restaurant. "Cheer up! Sir Rodney may not be as sexy as Nick, but he has a damned sight more money."
"It's nothing to do with me," she said defiantly.
Jimmy sighed. "Dear Kate, I'm on
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