Grand'mere shook her head slowly. "No ... no, better that you should be together."

I was disturbed when Charles came to see me. He looked very jaunty in spite of his recent experience.

It was afternoon. Cassie had gone to the park with Katie. Grand'mere was resting and I was alone, working on some accounts. Since the scandal I did not dare to meet people.

One of the maids came in to say that Mr. Sallonger had called to see me.

I was on the point of telling her to say that I was out when he appeared at the door. That was typical of Charles. Anticipating my desire not to see him, he was determined to flout it.

"Lenore, how marvellous to see you!"

He came forward. The maid shut the door and we were alone.

"Well," he said, "congratulate me. Did you realize I have been snatched from the jaws of death?"

I said: "Congratulations."

"Jedder is a good fellow. It would have been kingdom come for me but for him.''

"You must be very grateful."

"Oh, I am. I have no desire to slip off this mortal coil just yet. And Lenore, as always, you look enchanting. I've brought something for you.''

He produced a picture.

"A memento of a memorable night," he said.

It was the photograph which had been taken at Julia's party. It was very clear and we were all recognizable: Charles, Cassie, Madalenna, two other men and myself.

"Very good, do you not think so?"

I wanted no memento of that night. It was one which I was trying hard to forget.

"It is very clear of us all," I said.

I put it into a drawer. I could not bear to look at it.

"I thought you might like to have it," he said mockingly.

"It is a night I prefer to forget."

"Oh, you are thinking of Julia's outburst.'' He laughed. ''Poor Julia! Very far gone, I'm afraid. I was, too, on that night of the fire, you know. It must run in the family. I was entertaining a lady diner a deux. . . and I don't remember a thing. Well, Julia certainly let herself go. She's being a good sister to me now. Do you know, there is very little left. My Chippendale bureau is gone . . . burned to a cinder. . . also some of my Hepplewhite pieces. I really had some good stuff in that house."

"I thought you might have gone down to The Silk House for a while."

"Oh, there is too much to do in London."

"And is Helen coming back?"

"There doesn't seem to be any reason for her to hurry. We get along because we don't see very much of one another. It's a good recipe for marriage."

"You are quite cynical."

"Realism. That's what I call it. Julia is playing the Good Samaritan and Drake has no objections so I might as well stay at their place till I find a new nest in London. But I haven't come to talk about all that."

I raised my eyebrows, and he smiled at me coming towards the table at which I was standing. I had not sat down nor had I invited him to do so since he had come in.

"What did I come to talk about? you are asking. Well, I will tell you. I came to talk about us."

"Us?"

"Yes . . . you and myself."

"What have you to say about us?"

"That we should be better friends. I'm a little jealous... of Drake. You seem to be so fond of him . . . and really you shouldn't be. After all, he is Julia's husband and it's in the family . . . more or less. I get really angry when I think about you and Drake, and how you are leaving me out in the cold.''

"You are talking nonsense.''

"I don't think that would be the general opinion after ..."

"I don't think there is anything to say."

"There is a great deal to say. I am rather obsessed with you, Lenore. I can't get you out of my mind. You flout me. You are so virtuous ... on the surface. Such an innocent child, weren't you when you captured Philip. But tell me, why did Philip kill himself?"

"I am not sure that he did."

"Oh, come now. Do you think I murdered him? Out of jealousy perhaps, because he had the prize I coveted. No, my dear, that is not so. I believe he discovered something about you. He had a rather austere outlook on life, did Philip. He was the knight in shining armour. Anything less than perfection would have shocked him deeply. What did he discover about you, Lenore?"

"You are being ridiculous."

"Such a dark horse you can be. Just think of it. Illegitimate daughter of the house of St. Allengere. Papa turns up just in time to help with the business. The little waif who marries one of the Sallonger heirs. Very romantic-melodramatic, in fact, particularly when the husband commits suicide. You'd think that would be enough but oh no, not for Lenore. She has to fascinate poor Julia's husband. Ambitious politician. Then there is the problem for the poor man. All the world well lost for love?"

"I do not want to listen to any more."

''I am afraid you will have to. Did you know I am not a very nice man?''

"That is one thing on which we can agree."

He caught my arm. "But people who are not so nice can be attractive, you know."

"You, however, are not so to me."

"Be careful. I should warn you that I can also be a vindictive fellow. Remember the mausoleum?"

''I shall never forget it."

"And how kind and noble Drake rescued you, and not content with that he had to show his knightly qualities by throwing me in the lake. I don't forget that either. There are old scores to settle there."

"Charles, I wish you would go."

I wrenched my arm free, but he came close to me so that his face was almost touching mine. His eyes were mocking, lustful. I felt very much afraid of him.

"But I wish to stay."

I said: "Has the most beautiful Madalenna departed?"

"She is with us still."

"I thought you were pursuing her."

"My appetite is voracious. Madalenna is luscious, beautiful but oddly enough I still hanker after you."

"Then stop it, for you are wasting your time."

"No. . . . no. It is going to be time well spent."

"Listen to me, Charles, after this I never want to see you again."

"I shall make you change your mind."

"I am able to make my own decisions."

"Lenore, I've had enough of this banter. I am serious. If you continue to flout me, it will be the worse for you . . . and for Drake Aldringham. What if Julia decided to divorce him and cite you as the lady in the case?"

I went cold with fear. I knew that he was not talking idly.

I said quickly: "It would be obviously false."

"Would it? Meetings in the park. Julia's outburst before so many. This could mean the end of Drake as a politician, and would betray you as a somewhat wanton lady.''

"Julia has already done a lot of harm."

"He could be saved ... so could you ... if you would be sensible."

"How?"

He leered at me. "You know the answer to that question. By my friendship, of course."

"By which you mean ..."

"Suppose you became my very dear friend."

I laughed. "You're crazy, I think."

He shrugged his shoulders.

"It's a sort of blackmail," I said.

"Often an effective weapon."

"You are so melodramatic."

"Rather intriguing, eh?"

"Far from it. Rather absurd and quite meaningless."

"My very dear sister-in-law, with the rather disreputable origins, the clever girl who in spite of being brought into the Sallonger fold as an underling, her grandmother one of our workers, somehow managed to entrap one of the Sallonger heirs into marriage."

"How dare you tell such lies!"

''Lies? Did you not marry my brother? Was he not one of the heirs to our father's estate? Were you not raised from a menial position in the household to become one of us?"

"I did not trap Philip into marriage."

"With your wiles and your pretty ways you did. He was always your slave. You saw he was a better proposition than I. Poor Charles was scorned. Then he dies and in mysterious circumstances. Suicide they say. But was it? Be careful, Lenore. You are not in a very secure position. I have great influence with Julia. I might decide to advise her on a divorce. She would listen to me. I am her adviser now."

"She would not do it. She has already harmed Drake considerably and I believe she is contrite about that.''

"Contrite? Perhaps for a while. Then she will be ragingly jealous. It depends on the bottle. I have seen her in the many moods it inspires. Maudlin, sentimental, becoming jealous . . . venomously so. It would not be difficult for me. Pity, for they say that, given a chance, Drake could become a brilliant politician. A divorce would finish him. And you, too, my dear. Think of your position. Old scandals revived. The woman whose husband killed himself a few weeks after marriage. That would not sound very pleasant, would it, in a court of law?"

"You would not do this."

Would I not? I think you have a great deal to learn about me. It would be the story of the mausoleum all over again. You flouted me then. If it had not been for Drake how long would you have remained in that cold dank place with the remains of long dead Sallongers?"

"Nothing on Earth would induce me to become, as you call it, your dear friend.''

"We shall see, Lenore my darling. We shall see."

"Will you go now?"

He bowed his head. "But," he said, "I shall be back. I think when you consider this matter and all it entails you may change your mind."

"I never shall," I told him.

"Au revoir, sweet Lenore," he said.

When he had gone I felt shaken and exhausted. I had always known he was a dangerous man; but I had not until that moment realized how dangerous.

I did not tell anyone of that interview with Charles. I could not bring myself to talk of it. I was in a state of great anxiety. One thing I knew was that Charles was not talking idly. He had always had a special feeling for me which fluctuated between desire and dislike. He wanted to humiliate me, to hurt me; he had sought opportunities, as in the case of the mausoleum; but this was a more serious matter.

I should have loved to take my troubles to Grand'mere but I did not want to worry her. I had brought her a great deal of anxiety through my relationships both with the Comte and with Drake. She took these things too much to heart. I could not burden her with this new and frightening development.

Then I had a letter from Drake.

"I must see you," he wrote, "but after Julia's outburst it would be unwise for us to be seen together. I have an idea. My old nanny has a house in Kensington. I have always visited her over the years. Could we meet there? She would be very discreet and do anything for me. She has always been like a mother to me. She is Miss Brownlee of 12 Parsons Road. Do come there. Could it be tomorrow afternoon. I shall go there then. Say two thirty. I must talk to you, Lenore. Please come."

I could not ignore the plea and I did feel that I had a great deal to say to Drake. I also realized how unwise it would be for us to be seen together particularly after Charles's threats.