out of, because mine isn’t high enough.’
‘If you will choose lowlife ages of history,’ said Lucien, ‘you can’t complain about not being high up.’
‘Relivaux is home,’ said Mathias without paying any attention to Lucien. ‘He switched the lights on, went into the kitchen and now he’s gone to bed.’
‘I’m going round there, then,’ said Alexandra, jumping up. Carefully she lifted the little boy, resting his dark-haired head on her shoulder, and with one hand picked up her scarf and jacket.
‘No,’ said Mathias, barring her way to the door.
Alexandra was not exactly frightened. But she looked as if she were. She didn’t understand.
‘I’m grateful to all three of you,’ she said firmly. ‘You were very kind, but since he’s come home, I must go to my uncle’s.’
‘No,’ said Mathias. ‘I won’t try to keep you here. If you prefer to go and spend the night somewhere else, I’ll take you to a hotel. But you’re not going to your uncle’s house.’
He was blocking the door with his large frame. He looked at Marc and Lucien over Alexandra’s shoulder, more to impose his will than to ask for their approval.
Obstinately, Alexandra turned to face Mathias.
‘I’m sorry,’ said Mathias. ‘but Sophia has disappeared. I don’t want to let you go in there.’
‘Why?’ said Alexandra. ‘What are you hiding? Is Aunt Sophia in there? You don’t want me to see her, is that it? You were lying?’
Mathias shook his head.
‘No,’ he said, deliberately. ‘It’s the truth. She is missing. Maybe she has gone away with Stelios. Or maybe, as you thought, something has happened to her. Personally, I think she’s been murdered. And until we know who did it, I won’t let you go next door to him. Not you and not the little boy either.’
Mathias remained standing in front of the door. He kept his eyes fixed on the young woman.
‘He’d be more comfortable here than in a hotel, I think,’ he said. ‘Give him to me.’
Mathias held out his big arms and without a word, Alexandra passed the child over to him. Marc and Lucien said nothing, digesting themasterful way in which Mathias was taking control of the situation. He came away from the door, laid the child on the bed, and put the duvet back over him.
‘He sleeps very soundly,’ he said, smiling. ‘What’s his name?’
‘Kyril,’ said Alexandra.
She sounded defeated. Sophia murdered? What did this big guy know about it? And why was she letting all this happen?
‘Are you sure, what you said just now? About Aunt Sophia?’
‘No,’ said Mathias. ‘But I would rather be on the safe side.’
Lucien suddenly heaved a sigh. ‘I think we should all bow to Mathias’ age-old wisdom. His instincts go back to the Ice Age. He knows all about wild beasts and dangerous open spaces. Yes, I think you should listen to this man, and accept his protection. He may be primitive and have rather basic reactions, but I think he’s right.’
‘Yes, I agree,’ said Marc, who was still feeling the shock of the suspicions Mathias had voiced. ‘Would you like to stay until things get a bit clearer? There’s a spare room here on the ground floor, where you could sleep. It won’t be all that warm, and it’s a bit … well, austere, as you said. It’s funny, your Aunt Sophia calls this room the monks’ refectory. We won’t disturb you, we each have a floor upstairs. We only come down here to talk, shout, eat or make a fire to keep away wild beasts. You could tell your uncle that in the circumstances you didn’t want to bother him. Here, whatever is going on, there’s always somebody home. What do you think?’
Alexandra had learned enough in one evening to wear her out. She looked round at the faces of the three men, thought for a while, looked at Kyril fast asleep, and shivered.
‘Alright,’ she said. ‘Thank you.’
‘Lucien, go and fetch her case from outside,’ said Marc. ‘And Mathias, help me take the little one’s,
‘If you will choose lowlife ages of history,’ said Lucien, ‘you can’t complain about not being high up.’
‘Relivaux is home,’ said Mathias without paying any attention to Lucien. ‘He switched the lights on, went into the kitchen and now he’s gone to bed.’
‘I’m going round there, then,’ said Alexandra, jumping up. Carefully she lifted the little boy, resting his dark-haired head on her shoulder, and with one hand picked up her scarf and jacket.
‘No,’ said Mathias, barring her way to the door.
Alexandra was not exactly frightened. But she looked as if she were. She didn’t understand.
‘I’m grateful to all three of you,’ she said firmly. ‘You were very kind, but since he’s come home, I must go to my uncle’s.’
‘No,’ said Mathias. ‘I won’t try to keep you here. If you prefer to go and spend the night somewhere else, I’ll take you to a hotel. But you’re not going to your uncle’s house.’
He was blocking the door with his large frame. He looked at Marc and Lucien over Alexandra’s shoulder, more to impose his will than to ask for their approval.
Obstinately, Alexandra turned to face Mathias.
‘I’m sorry,’ said Mathias. ‘but Sophia has disappeared. I don’t want to let you go in there.’
‘Why?’ said Alexandra. ‘What are you hiding? Is Aunt Sophia in there? You don’t want me to see her, is that it? You were lying?’
Mathias shook his head.
‘No,’ he said, deliberately. ‘It’s the truth. She is missing. Maybe she has gone away with Stelios. Or maybe, as you thought, something has happened to her. Personally, I think she’s been murdered. And until we know who did it, I won’t let you go next door to him. Not you and not the little boy either.’
Mathias remained standing in front of the door. He kept his eyes fixed on the young woman.
‘He’d be more comfortable here than in a hotel, I think,’ he said. ‘Give him to me.’
Mathias held out his big arms and without a word, Alexandra passed the child over to him. Marc and Lucien said nothing, digesting themasterful way in which Mathias was taking control of the situation. He came away from the door, laid the child on the bed, and put the duvet back over him.
‘He sleeps very soundly,’ he said, smiling. ‘What’s his name?’
‘Kyril,’ said Alexandra.
She sounded defeated. Sophia murdered? What did this big guy know about it? And why was she letting all this happen?
‘Are you sure, what you said just now? About Aunt Sophia?’
‘No,’ said Mathias. ‘But I would rather be on the safe side.’
Lucien suddenly heaved a sigh. ‘I think we should all bow to Mathias’ age-old wisdom. His instincts go back to the Ice Age. He knows all about wild beasts and dangerous open spaces. Yes, I think you should listen to this man, and accept his protection. He may be primitive and have rather basic reactions, but I think he’s right.’
‘Yes, I agree,’ said Marc, who was still feeling the shock of the suspicions Mathias had voiced. ‘Would you like to stay until things get a bit clearer? There’s a spare room here on the ground floor, where you could sleep. It won’t be all that warm, and it’s a bit … well, austere, as you said. It’s funny, your Aunt Sophia calls this room the monks’ refectory. We won’t disturb you, we each have a floor upstairs. We only come down here to talk, shout, eat or make a fire to keep away wild beasts. You could tell your uncle that in the circumstances you didn’t want to bother him. Here, whatever is going on, there’s always somebody home. What do you think?’
Alexandra had learned enough in one evening to wear her out. She looked round at the faces of the three men, thought for a while, looked at Kyril fast asleep, and shivered.
‘Alright,’ she said. ‘Thank you.’
‘Lucien, go and fetch her case from outside,’ said Marc. ‘And Mathias, help me take the little one’s,
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