your side, you know. I have a grievance against Sylvia."
"Oh?" She let him help her into the car and looked up at him as he shut the door.
"Sylvia has consistently ignored me," he said, grinning. "That's a deadly insult to my virility."
She laughed at that, smiling at him as he slid the ear into reverse and backed out of the car park. "Sylvia doesn't know what she's missed," she said.
He was amused. "Don't let Nick hear you say that!"
"Nick?" She was flushed again at once. "Why shouldn't I?" Her chin went up in defiance.
"I'm beginning to wonder," Jimmy said softly.
CHAPTER SEVEN
It was midnight when Jimmy drove back through the gates of Sanctuary. The wind made restless music in the trees which lined the drive. A few stars sparkled faintly in the sky. Kate was too sleepy to feel more than a faint interest as the dark bulk of the house drew nearer. All the lights were out. She had expected that, since Mrs. Butler went to bed very early, but she knew that the kitchen door was always unlocked. Country habits were different from town ones. No burglar would be attracted to Sanctuary—the loneliness and isolation meant that he would need a vehicle, and the dogs which slept in the kitchen at night, friendly though they were, would be sufficient warning of intruders.
Jimmy Whitney was a countryman, and knew that he would find an unlocked door at the back of the house, so drove round to the stable yard to let her out of the car. He walked to the kitchen door with her. They were both relaxed and at ease. It had been an enjoyable evening. Wine, music and dancing had made them closer to each other than any other entertainment would have done.
There was something, Kate decided, about dancing that made it easier to relax. The combination of exercise and pleasure, perhaps. She yawned and Jimmy laughed.
"You won't need a cup of cocoa before bed tonight!"
"Would you like one?"
He shook his head. "Better not—Nick might suspect I was seducing you down here!"
This made her immediately determinedly rebellious. "I shall make some for myself. You might as well have some. Blow Nick."
Jimmy laughed. "All right—if you want to play it that way. Blow Nick indeed!"
She made cocoa in a small saucepan while Jimmy lounged against the table, talking in a soft voice so as not to disturb the house. The dogs, having given them an excited but subdued welcome, had gone back to sleep in various corners.
"It was fun tonight, wasn't it?" Jimmy smiled reminiscently. "I had a fantastic evening. I hope you did."
"You know I did," she said indulgently. "I've never in my life been to a place like that. It was all so new to me,"
"We'll go again," he promised.
"I must buy a more suitable dress," she said. "And silver shoes, like that girl I pointed out to you."
She poured out the cocoa and set a mug in front of him. Jimmy smiled at her.
"You looked much more attractive than that girl! Clothes don't matter that much."
"Dancing does," she said. "I ought to learn to dance properly."
"You picked it up quickly enough! You're a natural dancer." He slid an arm around her and hummed under his breath. Kate laughed, swaying against him, her hand resting on his shoulder.
Jimmy spun her in a dramatic swirl, and came up short against the wall. He laughed down into her upturned face. "You're fantastic, Kate!"
A voice made them both jump. "What the hell do you think you're doing at this time of night?"
Nick, ruffled of hair and glowering of countenance, stood in the doorway, his dressing-gown loosely belted over wine-coloured pyjamas.
Jimmy's hands dropped from her like lead. "Oh, hello, Nick," he said. "I'm just going. Good night, Kate."
Kate turned, hasty words on her lips, but he had already gone, sliding out of the door in a second.
She stood, wondering what to do. Should she go up to bed, like a scolded schoolgirl, or defy Nick, stay here and drink her cocoa? She decided to do the latter.. Lifting her chin in defiance, she went to the table,
"Oh?" She let him help her into the car and looked up at him as he shut the door.
"Sylvia has consistently ignored me," he said, grinning. "That's a deadly insult to my virility."
She laughed at that, smiling at him as he slid the ear into reverse and backed out of the car park. "Sylvia doesn't know what she's missed," she said.
He was amused. "Don't let Nick hear you say that!"
"Nick?" She was flushed again at once. "Why shouldn't I?" Her chin went up in defiance.
"I'm beginning to wonder," Jimmy said softly.
CHAPTER SEVEN
It was midnight when Jimmy drove back through the gates of Sanctuary. The wind made restless music in the trees which lined the drive. A few stars sparkled faintly in the sky. Kate was too sleepy to feel more than a faint interest as the dark bulk of the house drew nearer. All the lights were out. She had expected that, since Mrs. Butler went to bed very early, but she knew that the kitchen door was always unlocked. Country habits were different from town ones. No burglar would be attracted to Sanctuary—the loneliness and isolation meant that he would need a vehicle, and the dogs which slept in the kitchen at night, friendly though they were, would be sufficient warning of intruders.
Jimmy Whitney was a countryman, and knew that he would find an unlocked door at the back of the house, so drove round to the stable yard to let her out of the car. He walked to the kitchen door with her. They were both relaxed and at ease. It had been an enjoyable evening. Wine, music and dancing had made them closer to each other than any other entertainment would have done.
There was something, Kate decided, about dancing that made it easier to relax. The combination of exercise and pleasure, perhaps. She yawned and Jimmy laughed.
"You won't need a cup of cocoa before bed tonight!"
"Would you like one?"
He shook his head. "Better not—Nick might suspect I was seducing you down here!"
This made her immediately determinedly rebellious. "I shall make some for myself. You might as well have some. Blow Nick."
Jimmy laughed. "All right—if you want to play it that way. Blow Nick indeed!"
She made cocoa in a small saucepan while Jimmy lounged against the table, talking in a soft voice so as not to disturb the house. The dogs, having given them an excited but subdued welcome, had gone back to sleep in various corners.
"It was fun tonight, wasn't it?" Jimmy smiled reminiscently. "I had a fantastic evening. I hope you did."
"You know I did," she said indulgently. "I've never in my life been to a place like that. It was all so new to me,"
"We'll go again," he promised.
"I must buy a more suitable dress," she said. "And silver shoes, like that girl I pointed out to you."
She poured out the cocoa and set a mug in front of him. Jimmy smiled at her.
"You looked much more attractive than that girl! Clothes don't matter that much."
"Dancing does," she said. "I ought to learn to dance properly."
"You picked it up quickly enough! You're a natural dancer." He slid an arm around her and hummed under his breath. Kate laughed, swaying against him, her hand resting on his shoulder.
Jimmy spun her in a dramatic swirl, and came up short against the wall. He laughed down into her upturned face. "You're fantastic, Kate!"
A voice made them both jump. "What the hell do you think you're doing at this time of night?"
Nick, ruffled of hair and glowering of countenance, stood in the doorway, his dressing-gown loosely belted over wine-coloured pyjamas.
Jimmy's hands dropped from her like lead. "Oh, hello, Nick," he said. "I'm just going. Good night, Kate."
Kate turned, hasty words on her lips, but he had already gone, sliding out of the door in a second.
She stood, wondering what to do. Should she go up to bed, like a scolded schoolgirl, or defy Nick, stay here and drink her cocoa? She decided to do the latter.. Lifting her chin in defiance, she went to the table,
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