Sun And Candlelight Part 25

"You look good enough to eat," he observed.

She just managed not to say it to him, too.

Her sober: "Thank you," masked her admiration.

He looked splendid; he might not be so very young any more, but any woman would be glad to catch his eye and gain his attention.

Alethea touched her engagement ring and felt a little thrill of satisfaction.

At least she had his attention, or some of it at any rate.

"Let's have a drink while we're waiting," said Sarre, and took her across the hall to a room she hadn't seen--an enormous drawing room with walls hung with straw-coloured silk, a highly ornamental plaster ceiling, two large windows elaborately draped with the same straw-coloured silk, an Aubusson carpet like a flower garden and grouped upon it, chairs and sofas covered in old rose and pale, silvery green.

"What an absolutely gorgeous room!

' cried Alethea, quite taken aback.

"You like it?

I'm fond of it myself; we shall use it more often once we are married, for naturally we shall entertain more.

' He had gone over to an exquisite sofa table where a tray of drinks stood.

"What will you have?

' They were sipping their drinks when Wien and arrived, accompanied by a rather languid girl with frizzed hair and wearing what looked exactly like a silver tissue tent.

"Mar the," said Wien and by way of introduction.

"Alethea, you look divine.

' He looked at his companion.

"Darling, why can't you wear a dress that shows a bit of you sometimes?

' "It's a lovely dress," said Alethea, and was surprised to discover that Mar the was a little shy and uncertain of herself after all, for she gave her a rather timid thankful smile and said in a breathless voice: "Oh, do you really think so?

You look lovely.

' "Thank you.

What very good English you speak--I feel a complete idiot not understanding Dutch.

' "You'll soon pick it up," declared Sarre, and turned to greet his partner Doctor Jaldert and his wife Hilde, a pleasant couple who at once bombarded Alethea with friendly questions.

The Ardschs came in next, Pieter and Sita, and hard on their heels Doctor van Wevelen and Anna Sing ma.

Alethea greeted the former first, surrept.i.tiously taking note of their last guest--a tall, striking woman, a few years older than Alethea, she judged, and handsome too.

She was dressed expensively and in excellent taste, but Alethea couldn't help her pleasure at seeing that her figure was deplorable.

How mean can I get?

she thought as she shook Anna's hand and smilingly thanked her for her good wishes, and then decided that she could get a whole lot meaner when Anna put a hand on Sarre's arm and kissed him.

Someone must have worked very hard to make the evening a success.

The dinner was a splendid one, there was champagne, drunk from crystal gla.s.ses, and brandy which went straight to Alethea's head, with their coffee.

But it wasn't only the food, everyone there obviously knew everyone else very well indeed, and Alethea was conscious that they were all making her welcome in their circle.

Her doubts, vague but persistent, began to melt away, the future looked warm and welcoming.

They saw their guests off together and then Sarre closed the heavy old door and took her arm.

"Another drink before bed?

' he suggested, and led the way back to the drawing room.

"And what do you think of my friends, my dear?

' "They're super.

' She accepted, recklessly, a gla.s.s of champagne.

"They could have made me feel.

' she sought for a word, 'well, out of it, but they treated me as

though they had known me for years.

' "They liked you," his voice was kind.

"And they all think you're very beautiful.

And you are, Alethea.

' She looked at him like a child who had pleased a grown-up.

"I'm glad you think so, Sarre.

I hope you will always be proud of me.

I shall do my best.

' He had come much closer to her.

"T do think so, and I am proud of you.

' He took her gla.s.s from her and bent to kiss her.

Probably it was the champagne which made it seem different this time,

she thought a trifle wildly.

"T think I'll go to bed," she told him.

"It was a lovely evening--the whole day's been super.

Goodnight, Sarre.

' He stepped back, smiling a little.

"Goodnight, my dear.

' She was at the door when she turned to ask: "Have you known Anna a

long time, Sarre?

' She almost didn't wait for his answer, for she hadn't meant to ask him that.

All that champagne.

She tried to look casual as though the answer didn't matter in the

least, so that she didn't see the look of surprise and then amus.e.m.e.nt

which swept over Sarre's calm face.

"Oh, years," his voice was bland, 'she's a brilliant surgeon--a woman doing orthopaedics is unusual, you know--we're very old friends.

' He paused, and shot Alethea a quick hard look.

"A good thing, as we see so much of each other.

' Alethea, a little top-heavy with champagne, just stopped herself in

time from wanting to know why he hadn't chosen to marry Anna, since

they were such old friends.

Instead she said in a clear voice: "She is a very handsome woman and it must be wonderful to be a good surgeon and striking to look at too,"

she added for good measure.

"Her clothes are lovely.

' And when Sarre didn't answer, only smiled slightly, she whisked herself through the door.

She left it open and she was almost at the top of the staircase when

she heard Sarre close it.

Alethea slept dreamlessly until Nel brought her her early morning tea,

smiling and nodding at the early morning suns.h.i.+ne which filled the room.