Unknown by Unknown

up, do they?’ Rex replied with grim resignation in his voice. ‘I not only looked, I fixed. Try for yourself if you don’t believe me,’ and he nodded to the switch beside the doorway.
    Davina flicked it down and instantly the bulb over the kitchen table lighted up. In impulsive gratitude she quite forgot that with this man it might be wiser to check her natural ebullience and giving him a swift hug said, ‘Oh, you doll! Now I shan’t have to crawl into bed tonight convinced there are all sorts of creepie-crawlies in that beastly dining room.’ As she sat down to take up her own teacup she was unaware of the gleam in Rex’s eyes, but there was no mistaking the note of sardonic amusement as he asked, ‘Are you always so lavish with thanks? If getting the electricity going winds you up, what will be my reward for ordering some items out of this catalogue?’ and sauntering over to his bedding, he abstracted a bulky volume and laid it on the table.
    Davina turned the pages slowly, looking with interest at coloured illustrations of all kinds of household articles. ‘I could see those beds are unusable,’ Rex said, and the devilry had vanished from his smooth voice, Davina was relieved to notice. ‘We can’t sleep on camp beds indefinitely, so pick out what you fancy and when the pens are finished I’ll run down to the village and phone an order through to the shop— bedding and stuff as well. The rams aren’t due to be delivered until this afternoon, so I’ll have time.’
    When he returned some time later, Davina had a list neatly filled out with sizes and colours. She had chosen autumn shades for Rex’s bedroom, blue and green for her own. As he picked up the list and ran his eye down it she asked tentatively, ‘Would you mind if I put a coat of paint on the bedrooms first? I’ve given them a good clean, but they’re pretty dreary. I shouldn’t think they’ve been redecorated for years.’
    Rex’s answer was to stride to the hall door and in a few minutes Davina could hear his footsteps overhead. He was soon back and she noticed once again the glint she had surprised in his eyes when he returned the evening before to find she had transformed the kitchen. It was not, however, apparent in his voice, which held only scepticism as he asked, ‘Do you really want to tackle painting those rooms?’ and at her nod he said slowly, ‘I wouldn’t have categorized you as the little homemaker, but if that’s what you want, it’s okay by me.’
    There was so little encouragement in his voice that Davina held on to a rising temper with difficulty. Her voice was stiff as she said, ‘Perhaps you feel for six months it’s hardly worth going to so much expense. Forget I suggested it,’ to which Rex said softly, ‘Up on your high horse again? You surprise me. You don’t give the impression of being thin-skinned,’ which made Davina’s eyes fly to his face.
    It told her nothing, however, and she looked quickly away from that hard penetrating stare. ‘If you’re willing to do the work by all means let’s cover that ghastly green paint and putty-coloured wallpaper. I think I saw the village shop sold paint. Any particular colours in mind?’
    ‘No ... I thought ... could I come with you and see what they have?’ Davina stammered out, surprised to notice an almost pleading note in her reply. Accustomed as she was to her fellow students’ eagerness to offer assistance or simply do her bidding, she had seldom had to even ask a favour. But Rex was a different kettle of fish from Mike and her other friends. It would be difficult to imagine him going out of his way to do casual favours for any woman, an educated hunch which his answer endorsed.
    ‘Come if you wish, but I’ve no time to hang around. Be ready by the time I’ve backed the old Land Rover out,’ and picking up his jacket and the list Rex was gone.
    Flying to the dining room, Davina dashed a comb through her hair and slipped into a thin waterproof