I dropped it yesterday evening.

' She added rather wildly: "T Was silly enough to put it on the little

drum table by the window, I expect the wind caught it.

' Sarre was sitting back in his chair, watching her, his eyebrows raised just a little.

He didn't comment upon her contradiction but said in a placid voice:

"Well, shall we have a look at it?

Probably I can find someone to mend it.

' He turned to Al before Alethea could think of anything to say.

"On the drum table in Mevrouw's bedroom--would you fetch it, please?

' Al, who had been hovering by the sideboard with his ears stretched,

was gone with a brief: "Will do. Guv," and was back again while Alethea was still trying to decide what to say next; too late she had realised that she had told two lies when one would have done, and the blandness of Sarre's expression gave her the uneasy feeling that he might have come to the same conclusion. But his expression didn't change when Al put the poor crushed thing on the table beside him.

He picked it up, examined it carefully and then set it down again.

"T should hardly describe it as broken," he observed in a thoughtful

voice.

"Pure guesswork, of course, but I should imagine that it has been stepped on-several times. ' He looked at the children, who sat without a word, staring back at him.

Alethea could see that they had no intention of saying anything.

What was more, she suspected that Sarre wasn't going to ask them if

they knew anything about it, because that wouldn't be his way; he would wait with monumental patience until they told him what they knew of their own accord.

Well, three can play at that game, she told herself bracingly, and when he asked: "What do you think, Alethea?

' she said at once: "T have no idea.

' She looked at him defiantly as she spoke and he smiled a little so

that she added: "I'm very sorry.

I was careless, and it was kind of you to give it to me.

' He said still thoughtfully: "You cried about it, Alethea, didn't

you?

' She had forgotten the children for the moment.

She said unhappily: "Yes, I did.

You see, I. .

it meant something to me.

' He stared at her hard.

"Yes?

' He glanced at his watch.

"T must go.

' He picked up the little ruin and got up.

"T'll be home this evening, perhaps for tea, my dear.

' He touched the children lightly as he left the room, but he hadn't

given her the usual swift kiss she had come to expect.

When the front door had closed behind him Alethea got up too.

"Are you both ready?

' she asked the children.

"It's almost time for you to go to school.

Do you want me to do anything for Neptune while you're away?

' They had got up too and stood looking at her.

Sarel shook his head.

"Nanny said she'd feed him.

' Alethea smiled.

"Oh, good.

I'll just take Nero as usual, then.

See you both after school.

' They slid from the room, looking so guilty that if she hadn't been sad about it she would have laughed, and surely Sarre, who was their father, would have seen their guilt too?

She wondered what he was going to do about it and then dismissed it from her mind; she had Mrs McCrea to see, and the flowers to arrange and the dogs to take for a walk.

And over and above all that she had Sarre to think about; she would have to be careful never to let him find out that she loved him, and that would mean not minding about Anna because of course if she hadn't been in love with him, Anna wouldn't have mattered at all.

It was going to be horribly difficult.

And what about the children?

They knew that she knew that they had something to do with the destruction of the musical box.

They must hate her.

Her mind boggled at the future before her common sense took over; let the future take care of itself for the moment, was she not married to Sarre and wasn't he the only man in the world as far as she was concerned?

She made her way to the kitchen and listened carefully to Mrs McCrea weighing the advantages of an apple torte against a dish of apple and honey moscovite.

In the end they decided to have them both, with one of her renowned liver pates for starters, followed by Canard Sauce Bigarade, which when she described it in her soft Scots voice sounded mouth watering as well as presenting an elegant appearance.

Alethea nodded her approval and Mrs McCrea went on: "It'll be an engagement dinner party, no doubt, ma'am, with Mr Wien and and Miss Irene coming.

' "Well, I'm not quite sure about that, Mrs McCrea, but we rather hope it will be, but nothing's been said, you understand.

' "Not a word shall be said, ma'am, though I'm sure we'll all be glad.

The girls he's had, young Master Wien and, and such strange la.s.sies.

Now this one's a good girl.

The master'll be glad, him being such a good man himself.

' She gave Alethea a lightning glance.

"It'll be good to have a few baims in the family again.

' Alethea went bright pink.

She couldn't agree more; little brothers and sisters for Sarel and

Jacomina.

Heaven knew there was room enough for them in the old house and money enough to give them all they wanted.

She sighed.

What a frightful waste, and she would have to watch Irene and Wien and

producing a family.

she would have to learn to be a simply splendid aunt.

She frowned so fiercely at the idea that Mrs McCrea asked anxiously:

"You approve of the duck, ma'am?

' Alethea brought her mind back to the dinner party.

"Oh, rather," she agreed, 'and I was just wondering if we could have

some bits and pieces with the sherry--those lovely nutty things you make, Mrs McCrea.