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The night air sloshed on her bare skin and nudged her into shivering Jane rubbed her ar out in Obi-Wan Kenobi tones: "Reo out!" She half hoped that the old woet it over with But she was alone

She wandered the garden path (so as not to get grass stains on her heave up a halfhearted hope that Colonel Andreould co for her Without hope, it was impossible to fantasize That was her probleed around an excess of hope If only she were rapple with these impossible whimsies and wouldn’t be here now, forlorn and pathetic in land

She wound around with the path until she approached the s that housed the servants A first-storyflickered with the unht of a television set, and it drew her nearer, a moth to flame She could hear an announcer burble "New York Knicks" and "Pacers," though she couldn’t ritty, urban, twenty-first- century claood to her as chocolate soup

That’s right--she re the NBA season in a gaht in England theytoday--

"Halloween," she said aloud "How appropriate" The cold and the dark night rubbed against the blue light and the sound of the ga to watch the whist game made her want to scream She stepped up to the door and knocked

The television voice cut off, replaced by the sound of pattering activity "Just a moment," said a male voice

The door opened It was Martin, aka Theodore the gardener, in paja around his neck Unclothed, he had the kind of build thather favorite dress

"Trick or treat?" she said

"What?"

"Sorry to interrupt" She indicated the towel "You’re working out?"

"Miss, uh, Erstwhile, right? Yes, hello No, I just couldn’t findand I I don’t suppose you could give me the Knicks-Pacers score?"

Martin stared blankly for ato spy out eavesdroppers, pulled her inside and shut the door behind her

"You could hear that?"

"The TV? Yes, a little, and I saw the light through your "

"Blasted paper-thin curtains" He gri to catchbad, aren’t you? Let’s hope you’re not her spy She’ll have my balls for stew

"\Vho, Mrs Wattlesbrook?"

"Yes, in whose presence I signed a dozen nondisclosure and proper-behavior and first-child and I don’t knohat other kinds of proies out of sight of the guests"

"Tell me that Wattlesbrook isn’t her real nah in her voice