A Star Looks Down Part 12

"What a dear girl you are," she exclaimed warmly.

"Alexander told me that you were a treasure, and he is quite right.

Are the children asleep?

' And when Beth rea.s.sured her that they were: "Would you be a dear and rearrange my pillows?

I believe I shall go to sleep too, it is so nice to be back in this room.

Must I take a sleeping tablet?

' "Not if you feel sleepy; look, see how you get on while I have a bath and get ready for bed and when I'm ready I'll come back, if you're still awake I'll give you something.

Is there anything you need for the night?

' Beth cast a long look round the luxurious room.

It had, as far as she could see, just everything any one could possibly need.

"T'll be back presently.

' It was still quite early, only a little after nine o'clock.

She took her time over her bath and then, as the grandfather clock on the landing chimed its gentle hour, pottered along to see how Mevrouw Thor becke was faring.

The house was quiet, Mrs Silver was somewhere below, the maid wouldn't be back yet and there had been no sign of the profess or.

The landing was dimly lit and in the great oval mirror opposite the clock she could see her reflection, blue-dressing-gowned, her hair swinging in a bronze plaited rope; she didn't look too bad in the half dark, she thought, and giggled softly.

Mevrouw Thor becke was asleep, looking like an older edition of her children; there would be no need of sleeping tablets--Beth turned out all but one of the lamps and went back the way she had come, to halt suddenly half-way across the landing, because the profess or was coming upstairs two at a time and had already seen her.

"Hullo," he greeted her in a loud whisper, and then: "You look nice like that.

' "It's the dim light," she answered composedly, 'you can't see me properly.

' She added briskly: "Mevrouw Thor becke's asleep--and the children.

' "Splendid.

I'm sorry that I had to go out this evening, there was no avoiding it--a date made some time ago.

' Who with?

she wondered while she stated in a placid voice that it hadn't mattered at all; the children had been so happy to have their mother home again.

She stopped in some confusion because that had sounded as though they hadn't been happy while she had been in hospital.

"Not that they weren't perfectly content with you," she added fairly.

"And you?

Have you been happy with me too?

' She looked at him cautiously, not sure if he were joking; he had probably had a simply splendid evening and was feeling on top of his world.

She said in a colour less voice: "I have been very happy here, thank you.

Profess or.

The children are charming.

' They had been standing at the top of the staircase; she was quite unprepared when he caught her by the hand and hurried her down it.

At the bottom, before she could say anything, he told her: "Mrs Silver's making me some coffee--have a cup with me, Beth?

I haven't had time to talk over our plans with you.

' She accompanied him into the study and sat down on a rather stiff chair, looking, despite her plait of hair and des sing-gown, just as though she were standing before one of the surgeons, taking instructions for the next case, and perhaps the profess or thought so too, for there was a little smile twitching the corners of his mouth as he sat down at his desk.

All the same he spoke seriously enough.

"There are no complications with Mar tina; she is bound to feel tired and perhaps depressed, but not for long.

I thought that you might all go down to Somerset in a couple of days'

time--will that suit you?

' He hardly waited for her nod.

"You must, of course, have some time to see to your own affairs--an afternoon, perhaps--would that be sufficient?

' Again she nodded.

"Good, that's settled, then.

I'll arrange to be free so that I can run you all down.

' "You said Somerset," said Beth.

"Which part?

' "Just outside Castle Cary.

' "But that's not far from Chifney.

' "So it is," he was smiling a little.

"But I remember telling you about Chifney--you asked me--you never said that you'd been there.

' He looked at her blandly.

"But I haven't, my dear girl, I go to Ken ton Mackerell so seldom.

' Several questions pertinent to this statement trembled on her lips, but she didn't allow herself to utter them, for it struck her that probably he hadn't even thought about it until she had mentioned it, and after all, Ken ton Mackerell was fourteen miles from Shepton Mallett, the nearest town of any size to Chifney.

She would, one day when she was free, go over and take a look at her old home, not to go in, of course, but just to see it from the outside.

She sighed, and he asked at once: "Tired?

Here's the coffee and I've no doubt Mrs Silver has made some sandwiches.

' He was right, the tray was laden, and Beth, invited to share them, fell to with quite an appet.i.te.

Presently she sat back and said: "That was super.

Is there anything else you wanted to tell me.

Profess or?

' He put his cup down.

"Two weeks more, then--if you can bear with the children for that length of time?

' He smiled.

"At the same salary, naturally, and as much free time as you can manage--I haven't spoken to Mar tina about that yet, but I daresay you will be able to work out something.

' She got to her feet.

"Of course.

Could I have tomorrow afternoon free to pack my things, do you suppose?

' "Why not?

Go after lunch and stay as long as you need to, I'm sure Mrs Silver will cope for a few hours.

I'll tell Mar tina in the morning.

Now go to bed, Beth.

' She felt herself dismissed, although kindly.

She murmured good night and left him standing in the doorway, watching her as she went up the staircase, as quiet as a mouse.

In her room she made haste into her bed, intending to meditate over the important question of what clothes to take with her and what she needed to do when she got to the flat, but instead of that, she lay and thought about the profess or until sleep overcame her.

CHAPTER FIVE.

they set out after breakfast in a heavy downpour of rain, with the profess or driving the Citroen, his sister beside him and Beth and the children packed snugly in the back with Alberdina curled up on her lap.

The children chattered away happily, not caring about the weather, pouring out information about the house they were going to in an English which became steadily worse as they got more excited; only Dirk stayed calmer than the others.

"Ducks and geese," he told Beth, 'and calves, and there are two big horses as well as a donkey--we did tell you, remember?

Do you like the country, Beth?

' "Yes, very much.

' Her voice was light although her thoughts, remembering Chifney, were sad.

"I was brought up in a small village, except while I was away at school.

' This remark triggered off a further excited babble of chatter which lasted until they stopped in Andover, where it was momentarily quenched by gla.s.ses of milk and sticky buns, while the grown-ups sat drinking their coffee and glad often minutes' peace.

And when they went on again presently, the children, the first flush of excitement over, were a good deal 93 quieter, so that Beth, as they neared their destination had the leisure to look around at well-remembered landmarks.

She knew Castle Cary well enough; a pleasant bustling little town set in the quiet Somerset countryside.

They went through it without stopping and once on its outskirts, turned down a narrow, tree-lined lane halfway down which wide gates stood open on to a pleasant, not too big garden surrounding a stone farmhouse of a comfortable size.

Smaller than Chifney, she saw at once, but perfectly maintained, with its mullioned windows and tall twisted chimneys, with a cl.u.s.ter of outbuildings at its back; it would be fun to explore, but that was for later.

She shepherded the children out of the car, suggesting practically that if the profess or would see his sister to her room, she would help her to bed.

"For it has been a long drive and a bit noisy, I'm afraid," she observed with her usual good sense.

"An hour or two's rest after lunch in bed will do a world of good.

I'll get the children indoors first.

' Mevrouw Thor becke looked grateful and the profess or agreed, saying: "Mrs Burge should be here--ah, there she is.

Hand the children over to her, Beth, and come upstairs with us.

' Mrs Burge was small and thin and instantly enveloped in the children's hugs, to emerge and greet Mevrouw Thor becke and the proA fess or and lastly Beth, whom she eyed a little doubtfully as she smiled and shook hands and wished her good day in a soft Somerset voice.