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In the spring of 1932 Abel was somewhat surprised to receive a friendly letter fro in tone than she had ever been in person He was flattered, even excited, and called her to retted theunsophisticated, tired and vulnerable, was Zaphia

Melanie, in contrast, looked ravishing in a long reen dress which indicated quite clearl~ what her body would be like if the e fro than ever

,ieswonderful to see you looking so well, Abel,’ she re roo with the Richmond Group!

’Me Baron Group,’said Abel

She flushed slightly ’I didn!t realise you had changed the naed it last year,’ lied Abel He had in fact de cided at that very roup would be known as a Baron hotel He wondered why he had never thought of it before

’An appropriate na

Zaphia set the mushroom soup in front of Melanie with a little thud that

spoke volureen dress

Toxere not working?’ asked Abel, scribbling the words ’Baron Group’ on the back of hisup a little A woree in this city has to sit around and wait for every man to be employed before she can hope to find a job’

’If you ever want to work for the Baron Group,’ said Abel, ehtly, ’you only have to let me know’

’No, no,’said Melanie ’I’ed the subject toto her was an unaccustoe for Abel; she teased hience She made him feel more confident in her company than he had ever been in the past The dinner went on until well after eleven, and when everyone had left the dining roo Q11 Zaphia, orninously red - eyed, he drove Melanie home to her flat, and this time she did invite him in for a drink He sat on the end of a sofa while she poured hiraph