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Miriahtly for a moment She didn’t understand—and would never understand—how hersince sliced bread after what he’d done But then after one glance from his tawny-brown eyes most women were putty in Jay’s hands As she had been Once

Her , Mirialance round the bright, uncluttered rooht, in all honesty, have been termed ahen she had first seen it on a bleak wintry day at the beginning of the year, she acknowledged, descending the steep stairs to Clara’s bedsit on the bottom floor of the three-storeyed Victorian terrace But plenty of elbow grease, several tins of paint, new la and her own furniture had transformed the place

It was her tiny sanctuary, she told herself, pausing outside Clara’s rooht, and her bistro table and chairs set by the largeafforded a panoramic view over London rooftops and the wide expanse of sky above that never ceased to thrill her, night and day The minute kitchen area in one corner served culinary needs fairly adequately, and the built-in wardrobe and cupboards along one wall—now painted barley-white— about She’d learnt very quickly that even a jumper or jacket draped over a chair made the compact space appear untidy

She knocked on Clara’s door They cooked each other dinner now and again and tonight was Clara’s turn, but she didn’t think herwhat her ‘appointment’ entailed

The door opened i on time as always,’ Clara said with a note of a point Nor was tidiness, Miria her way over the floor, which was streith clothes, s, to the kitchen area

‘So smells fantastic’ It was one of Clara’s quirks that she could take a load of ingredients and seeether and they always ca?’

Clara wrinkled her snub nose ‘I’d got nothing in so it’s onion andspecial Help yourself to a glass of wine,’ she added, inclining her head at the opened bottle on the tiny breakfast bar which separated the kitchen froht it the other night’

Since Miriairl Clara had had a number of boyfriends, none of whoe As soon as Clara had got theot bored and yet another hopeful beau was shown the door The fact that they all fell madly in lo

ve with her seemed to be the death knell as far as Miriam could make out It wasn’t that Clara was shallow exactly, but once the challenge was gone, so was Clara Dave eeks strong at the moment but already a note of disinterest had crept into Clara’s voice

Miria off him, aren’t you?’ she accusedabout for ever already?’

Clara giggled ‘He wants ineanyone’s mother? They’d die of shock’

Miriam s Clara’s carefree approach to life and love They were so different, she thought as she sipped at the hich was a very good one—but perhaps that hy they hit it off so well Clara was the original free spirit, which was reflected in the way she looked and the clothes she wore; she, on the other hand, had aspired to be nothing irl playing with her dolls Clara was a television researcher, a job that was as varied as it was hard work, and she was brilliant at it She was secretary to a successful lawyer and loved the fact her job was nine-to-five with no hidden panics or surprises Clara was quicksilver, she was quiescent, which was probably why Jay had strayed so early in their ly She was too dull, too uninteresting to hold a man like Jay Carter

‘You’re thinking of hiain, aren’t you?’ Clara said suddenly ‘I can always tell You get this haunted look Has he phoned again?’

Miriam shook her head

‘Written?’

‘No, we haven’t been in contact since the spring’

‘Was that the tiht of him and wished you’d never set eyes on him?’

Clara’s ood sometimes She hadn’t felt proud of that last conversation when she had said far too ulp of wine

‘Then what’s prompted the face?’