A Star Looks Down Read online

  streets, and when they reached his house and he got out to open its

  door for her, she went in quickly and made for the stairs; possibly he

  had a great deal on his mind and didn't want company, and if he didn't

  mention dinner she would say nothing either, but go to the kitchen

  later and get Mrs Silver to give her something on a tray.

  But she had barely taken a step when she was stopped by his hand

  clamped on to a shoulder, and twiddled round to face him.

  "Beth, what should I have done without you this evening?

  So quick and sensible and kind.

  ' He bent suddenly and kissed her.

  "You are a gem of a girl.

  ' The wholly delightful sensation this engendered in her was shattered

  by his careless: "Lord, I'm famished, aren't you?

  I wonder what Mrs Silver has for us?

  ' Whatever it was, she found that she had no appetite for it; she

  wasn't a girl who had been kissed all that much, but when she was, she

  preferred to be kissed with due deliberation, not in the same breath as

  an urgent demand for dinner.

  She stifled peevishness as she sat down to table with him, and in the

  intervals of not doing justice to Mrs Silver's delicious cooking, asked

  him the sort of questions she imagined he wished to be asked.

  He answered them readily enough, even going to great lengths to tell

  her the future Tracey had so nearly lost would be restored to her with

  the help of the social worker.

  4 had no idea that you were so immersed in your work," he commented

  dryly as they sat over their coffee, and she was on the point of

  telling him that she wasn't, really, only she had wanted to know about

  poor little Tracey, when it occurred to her that he was really only

  making conversation; his thoughts were far away with something--or

  someone--else.

  She lapsed into silence until he asked: "You saw William, I suppose?

  Everything is arranged, I hope?

  ' "Yes, thank you.

  ' She would have told him more about that, but the idea had taken root

  that he was becoming bored with her; as long as things had been

  arranged satisfactorily to suit his sister, he wasn't interested

  further.

  She swallowed the rest of her coffee and excused herself on the plea of

  having letters to write before she went to bed.

  He went to open the door for her with the easy good manners which she

  found so pleasant, and wished her good night in a voice which, while

  friendly, held none of the tones which she had heard or imagined she

  had heard?

  earlier that evening.

  Something had put him out, she thought as she went upstairs, or else he

  was worried.

  She fell into uneasy sleep, trying to decide which it was.

  Viewed in the cheerful brightness of an early morning in April, though,

  she had to admit to herself that her mood of the previous evening had

  been a silly one.

  What had she to brood about, anyway?

  The profess or had every right to be thoughtful or annoyed if he

  wished, and if he had felt like kissing her as a mark of appreciation

  for her help, there was no need for her to enlarge upon that, either.

  She jumped out of bed, telling herself robustly not to waste time

  worrying about things which were really none of her business.

  Mevrouw Thor becke came home two days later, looking a little pale and

  tired.

  The profess or had driven her back himself, and Beth, who had hardly

  set eyes on him during the last couple of days, greeted him politely as

  he helped his sister into the house before suggesting to the invalid

  that bed might be welcome after the exertions of leaving hospital.

  "The children are dying to see you," she explained, 'and I thought it

  would be far less tiring for you if I were to pop you into bed first.

  ' An idea to which the profess or subscribed wholeheartedly, so that

  Mevrouw Thor becke was assisted upstairs to her room arid made

  comfortable before the children were allowed to visit her; a prudent

  move as it turned out, for they were wild with excitement, all wanting

  to talk at once, so that Beth's tactful suggestion that they should eat

  their supper while their mother had a light meal herself, sitting

  comfortably in bed, was welcomed by the invalid, even though the

  routine of the household was a little put out.

  "But there," said Mrs Silver, a good deal later, serving Beth's

  solitary dinner in the dining room, 'it makes no odds, does it, miss?

  With the profess or out all the evening and Mevrouw nicely settled in,

  and all those dear children tucked up for the night.

  You'll be glad to get to your own bed, I don't doubt.

  A tiring day it's been.

  ' Beth agreed; it had been busy enough, true, although she wasn't

  tired, indeed she would have welcomed some company in which to eat her

  dinner, although she quite saw that the profess or was hardly likely to

  stay home in order to entertain her.

  She praised Mrs Silver's cooking, helped to clear the table because it

  was Miss Powers' half day off and then went to cast an eye over her

  various charges.

  The children were asleep, their faces angelic in the dim night lights;

  their mother was sitting up in bed leafing through a magazine which she

  put down as Beth entered.

  "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 reassured 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 l
ook 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 appetite.

  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 glasses 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 cluster 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.

  The hall was bright with flowers and sunlight, and there was a nice

  smell of baking coming from the kitchen.

  Beth glanced around her as she followed the others up the uncarpeted

  oak stairs.

  She supposed the house belonged to Mevrouw Thor becke's husband, and