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'Mr Reef—'

'Which daughter are you anyway?' he interrupted her abruptly 'Katie or Jennifer?'

'Katie' She took a deep breath as she leant li which had begun in her stomach wouldn't transfer itself to her voice This was incredible, monstrous—there had to be a perfectly simple explanation 'Mr Reef, I'm sure there's a mistake here somewhere'

'So areed coldly, 'and your father is the one who ht your father had the sense to realise that One hour—doctor or no doctor' And the phone went dead

She reood thirty seconds before she recovered sufficiently to replace it and sink down on the nearest seat in the massive wide hall This would have to happen today, with her father so ill

The pains that had started in his chest during breakfast as he had read his paper had culony, with Katie kneeling at his side as their housekeeper had frantically called the family doctor, as also Katie's father's close friend, and fortunately lived in the sae detached houses He had arrived within two or three minutes, just as the housekeeper, Mrs Jenkins, had taken the call fro to one of the family when Mrs Jenkins had told him that her employer wasn't available

She had to get back to her father She took a long, shuddering breath and levered herself off the seat before she hurried back to the breakfast-rooerly as she peered anxiously at hie bay , 'What's wrong?' She spoke directly to Dr Laht?'

'No' Her father's friend's voice was flat 'No, he isn't, I'et checked out but due to his own particular brand of bull-headedness he refused to listen toto call an ambulance'

'No way' Her father was as white as a sheet and his voice was a mere whisper of its normal, steel-like quality but his face was as detero in your car, Mark'

'You won't' Even as her father spoke Mark La responsible for your having another attack on the way, David, and that's final There is equipht need Now don't be such a damn fool If you are too stubborn to think of yourself, think of your daughters, man'

'Dad?' Katie's eyes ide as she stared down at the man whom she had always considered as immovable as the Rock of Gibraltar Her father was never ill; she couldn't re less than one hundred per cent fit in the whole of her life In fact, he looked on even the most severe illness as a weakness that was easily banished through sheer self-will, and was scathing with those lesser mortals about him when they couldn't acco?'

'It's his heart, Katie' Mark Laain, and it was in that instant that Katie realised how serious things were Her father wouldn't have tolerated being sidestepped in the nors and Marie, old friend that he ouldn't have attes and now—' He stopped abruptly at the look of horror on Katie's face 'Noill have to come into hospital,' he finished flatly