Unknown by Unknown Page B

later and he took the hint.
    ‘Right,’ he said. ‘Are you ready for tea, then?’ He smiled at them both, obviously making a great effort to reach his daughter.
    ‘Yes, I’m starving,’ Rachel said, supporting him. ‘How about you, Melanie?’
    Melanie patted her tummy and licked her lips. ‘You,’ Rachel laughed, ruffling her hair, ‘you’re always hungry! ’
    Richard drove to the Patisserie and parked the car. ‘Do you think I’m smart enough to take two young ladies out to tea?’ he asked Melanie, brushing an imaginary speck of dust from his suit and adjusting his tie. Melanie looked up at him and nodded shyly. Father and daughter found it very difficult to communicate in any way, Rachel realised sadly.
    They ate toasted teacakes, scones and sticky buns, finishing with an enormous ice cream gateau which made Melanie's eyes light up with delight.
    ‘You’ll be sick and I’ll ruin my figure,’ Rachel laughed, giving Melanie a second helping and accepting one for herself.
    ‘I used to come here for a special birthday treat when I was a lad,’ said Richard, licking his fingers. ‘These things taste just as good now as they did then.’ He was enjoying himself, Rachel could see, and he was more at ease with his little daughter than she had ever seen him. Melanie, for her part, was sparkling with excitement, her cheeks flushed and her brown eyes dancing. Perhaps, Rachel thought, this was the moment to break through Melanie’s barrier of silence.
    ‘Melanie,' she said gently, ‘I think you should say thank you to your father for bringing us out to tea, don’t you?’
    Melanie looked from Rachel to Richard and back again, her eyes suddenly filled with sadness. She opened her mouth and licked her lips, then she slid off her chair, went to Richard and putting her arms round his neck she planted a kiss on his cheek. Then as if embarrassed by what she had done, she went and buried her head in Rachel’s lap.
    Richard fingered his cheek thoughtfully. ‘I don’t ever remember her doing that before,' he said thoughtfully.
    The journey home was uneventful until they reached the vantage point high above the loch. Melanie had been half asleep on Rachel’s shoulder, but when the car stopped she woke, obviously frightened.
    ‘Were you dreaming, dear? It’s all right, we’ve only stopped to admire the view,' Rachel reassured her as Richard rummaged for his binoculars.
    ‘We’ll be able to see better from over there,' he said, opening the door and unfolding his long legs.
    Rachel opened her door to get out too, when suddenly Melanie sat bolt upright in her seat, clutched Rachel’s hand and let out a piercing scream, her face a mask of absolute terror. For fully half a minute she screamed, her whole body rigid, then, just as suddenly, she crumpled into Rachel’s arms and lay there, sobbing.
    Rachel comforted her as best she could, mystified by such an outburst. ‘I think we’d better take her right home,’ she said to Richard. ‘Have you ever known this to happen before?’
    He shook his head, obviously shaken. ‘That’s the first time she’s uttered a sound since ... for two years,' he finished, as mystified as Rachel had been. He turned the car and drove down to Ardenbeg and home to Glencarrick with one eye on the road and one eye on his daughter, now exhausted in Rachel’s arms, her face white and tear-streaked.
    ‘I’ll get her bathed and straight up to bed,’ Rachel said when they arrived at Kilfinan House.
    ‘Yes, I think that’s probably the best thing.’ Richard brushed his hand gently over Melanie’s head. ‘I wish ....’he began, then changed his mind. ‘I’ll put the car in the garage,’ he finished.
    Rachel had bathed Melanie and was just tucking her into bed when there was a tap on the bedroom door and Richard came in.
    ‘Is she all right?’ he whispered.
    Rachel nodded and tiptoed to the door with a backward glance at Melanie who, with her faithful teddy clutched in her