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‘Eight o’clock will be just fine,’ he said, and put the phone down

When Ruth heard the phone click she realised that she hadn’t given him their address, and she couldn’t phone him back, because she didn’t know his number

When she warned Angus that they would have a guest for dinner the next night, he see,’ he said ‘There’s so I need Max to advise me on’

Ruth spent the followingonly the finest cuts of etables, and a bottle of claret that she knew Angus would have considered highly extravagant

She spent the afternoon in the kitchen, explaining to the cook exactly how she wanted thein the bedrooht She was still naked when the doorbell rang a few ht

Ruth opened the bedroom door and listened from the top of the stairs as her husband welcoht, as she listened to the twoShe still hadn’t discovered what he wanted to speak to Max about, as she didn’t wish to appear too interested

She returned to the bedroom and settled on a dress that a friend had once described as seductive ‘Then it will be wasted on this island,’ she re

The tworoom, and Max stepped forward and kissed her on both cheeks in the same way Gerald Prescott always did

‘I’ve been telling Max about our cottage in the Ardennes,’ said Angus, even before they had sat down again, ‘and our plans to sell it, now that the till be going away to university’

How typical of Angus, thought Ruth Get the business out of the way before you even offer your guest a drink She went over to the sideboard and poured Max a gin and tonic without thinking what she was doing

‘I’ve asked Max if he would be kind enough to visit the cottage, value it, and advise ould be the best time to put it on the market’

‘That sounds sensible enough,’ said Ruth She avoided looking directly at Max, for fear that Angus uest

‘I could travel on to France to else planned for the weekend,’ he added ‘I could report back to you on Monday’

‘That sounds good to us responded He paused and sipped the ,as well’

‘No, I’m sure Max can handle’