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because he kept mauling me.' She shuddered. ' He'd
come into the office and stand over me, stroking my
neck.'
' You should have slapped his face.'
'I nearly did, but it was the absolute end when
Peter accused me of chasing Simon and this horrible
creature.'
' Bully for you 1 Hitting Peter, I mean. You're far
too meek and mild, Claire. Probably did Peter a lot
of good.'
Claire laughed. " I wonder. I doubt if he even
noticed it. That reminds me, you were so right, Molly.
Poor Simon asked me to marry him last night.'
' I said so ... and what did you say?'
' That I liked him very much, but . . .'
° Does he know?'
' About Peter? Yes. So does Deirdre. She's often
threatened to tell Peter and then, she says, he'll sack
me.'
i77
' The best thing that could happen to you. Did
Peter say nothing about you smacking his face?'
' Nothing at all. Later on, I got even more angry.
Uncle Fred told us that some money had vanished from
the sate, and as Tim had made a rushed departure
that very morning, he Uncle Fred accused Tim.
Deirdre was furious. She said I was more often alone
in the room where the safe is than Tim and that I
was the thief, and Peter . . .'
' Don't say he agreed with her?'
' No, but he didn't disagree. He just stared at me.
I couldn't take it, Moll. I said that I'd had plenty
of chances to steal far more money than that and
rushed to my room. I began to pack. I felt I couldn't
take any more, but . . .'
" But?'
' Aunt Fanny came in. She's a darling. She was
very upset when she saw what I was doing and said
she was sure Peter hadn't meant me to think he
believed I was the thief. She said Peter had a funny
habit of gazing.'
' And that's no lie. Haven't I said so a dozen times,
Claire? Go on.'
' Well, she begged me to stay, and so . . .'
' You did.' Molly stood up. ' I'm just going to take
a peep at Wendy, then I'll put something in the oven.
Pour us some sherry, there's a dear, and come and
chat in the kitchen while I cook a meal.'
' I'm not hungry.'
' You've lost a lot of weight. Too much. I'm begin-
ning to think . . .' Molly began, then hurried down
the passage to the nursery.
Claire poured out the sherry, then went and perched
on one of the stools by the kitchen/lounge counter.
' What really gets my goat,' she said as she watched
Molly delve into her fridge and prepare vegetables for
178
a casserole after she had jointed the chicken, ' is the
way Deirdre expects and gets everything she wants.
This afternoon ...' Claire quickly described what had
happened and went on: 'I wasn't surprised when the
shop told me what Deirdre had bought, and I couldn't
do anything about that because Peter had said she
could buy what she liked.'
' What a stupid thing to say!'
' But he didn't say she could buy clothes for Tim.
Why should Peter spend his hard-earned money on
that layabout?' Claire's voice rose angrily. ' It's all
wrong the way Deirdre is taking advantage of Peter'
'Does he know?'
' I don't know. I tried to tell him about the huge
accounts before, but he said sign the cheques and he'd
look at the statements later, but whenever I suggest
it, he always has something else more important to be
done.' -
'Why not tell him?'
' He's not in a good mood. His secretary said the
same thing today. He's impatient, jumps to condu-
slons as she said' he seem!' sort of exasperated.'
' Perhaps he regrets inviting Deirdre down.'
" Perhaps he regrets keeping me on. That's more
ilK£iy»
^ Look, Claire, you can't go on like this for ever.
It s positive masochism. Wouldn't it be better for
everyone to find out the truth?'
" The truth?'
Molly nodded. 'Tell Peter what you think-that
Ueirdre and Tim are exploiting his generosity Tell
him you believe Tim stole the money, that Tim and
Ueirdre are in love with one another. Tell him that
you re tired of being blamed by everyone, insulted by
that strip of a girl, fed-up with everything, and . . .'
And?
179
' A he'll give you the sack, or he'll tell you he loves
you.'
' That's most unlikely 1' Claire laughed. ' Honestly,
he'd throw me out!'
' Well,' said Molly, getting off her stool and leading
the way back into the lounge, ' let's forget Peter for a
few hours if we possibly can. The sooner you get out
of that man's life, the better.'
' The better for whom?'
Molly frowned. ' Oh, pipe down, Claire! You know
I'm on your side. It's just that I hate to see you
treated this way.'
Claire was collecting her handbag before leaving
Molly's flat when her sister said casually: ' By the way,
did you get to the exhibition to see my paintings?'
' I'm afraid I haven't got there yet. You must be
thrilled but Molly, I only saw four portraits, not
five.'
Molly, fidgeting with the sherry glass, looked away.
' I painted another. I'd have liked you to see it.'
' I will. I'll try to go tomorrow, but at the moment,
I'm so busy.'
' Fm afraid it's too late,' Molly said with a smile.
' You'll never see it now.'
' Why not?' Claire stood still, puzzled, her handbag
in her hand.
' Because it's been sold.' Molly's voice was rich with
pride. ' I still can't get over it, so I try not to think
about it. It's like a dream come true. All five por-
traits were purchased, and by the same firm. Very good
money. I couldn't believe it at first, but there was
a condition, that the purchaser had the portraits at
once, so they've gone.'
' But how thrilling! All five sold?'
' Yes, I still can't believe it. You know what it
means, Claire. That this year when our holiday comes
180
round, we're flying to England, Reg, Wendy and I,
to see the parents. They'll be so thrilled, and so are
we.
' It's absolutely super,' smiled Claire. " Gosh you
must be thrilled. Why didn't you tell me before?
You must have been bursting with the news, yet you
listened all evening to my woes.'
Molly laughed. ' You looked as if you were about
to explode if I didn't. You really were angry when
you got here. Besides, I try not to think about those
paintings. I don't see how it can be true. I'm waiting
_ for the cheque. Perhaps then I'll believe it's actually
happened and will be able to talk about it.'
' Reg must be proud of you.'
' I think he's like me, Claire, sort of stunned. It
means a dream that seemed impossible has come true '
They walked down the corridor to the front door
Molly kissed her sister. " I wish your dream could
come true, as well,' she said.
Driving to Vauduse, Claire wished it, too. But hers
was one of those dreams that are doomed from the
start. Deirdre would not dare to behave as she did
if she wasn't certain that Peter loved her. As for doing
what Molly had said losing her temper and telling
Peter just how she felt that, too, was impossible
Llaire couldn't imagine it happening.
When she went into the house, it was strangely quiet
She went through to the dining-room and saw that the
table was still laid and no one had eaten there. In
the kitchen the dinner was still in the oven, the heat
turned to its lowest. Glancing at her watch and see-
ing it was nearly eleven, Claire decided Peter and
Deirdre must have dined out and were still out so
she switched off the electricity. Going back to the hall
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