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"I'll show you around"

Without waiting to see if she wanted to, Rolt walked past her into the wide hallway Shrugging a disinterest that wasn't true, Alanna followed He gestured toward an open door leading off the hall, one she hadn't noticed

"The study, where I sos," he said, and continued into the dining room

Alanna looked in briefly, and had the sensation of a warm, dark cave, lined with books and dark leather furniture and the sae carpet

"The dining room, and beyond it the sun deck" There was a liberal use of ochres and bronzed golds in the sun-filled roo view of the lake at the bottoh there" His hand waved toward a wide arch and the native wood tone of the cupboards that could partially be seen Alanna glanced around the opening at the kitchen filled withthat was decidedly homespun She follohen Rolt returned to the hall and the open L-shaped staircase leading to the second floor

At the top of the stairs, another wide hall encircled, the open stairwell, protected by a s to match the paneled walls Three doors branched off from the hall, two on the front side of the house and one on the lake side

"The bedrooms," stated Rolt

"Obviously," she shrugged dryly

"The two on the other side are the guest rooms and this is the main bedroom" He opened the door to the main bedroom as she had expected he would

A king-size bed do brown velvet coveting its vast width Windows flanked the bed, parted squares running nearly floor to ceiling Again there was a panora mirror-smooth in the distance

"Very nice," Alanna commented with marked indifference

"There's a walk-in closet behind that door" Rolt gestured toward the left "And the private bathroo your suitcases up"

Alanna looked at the doors he had indicated, but didn't investigate Nor did she make any remark about the suitcases She didn't move until she heard Rolt at the bottom of the stairs Then she walked into the hallway and around the stairwell to the other bedrooms Both were small, at least by the standard of the master bedroom, and tastefully furnished When she heard Rolt reenter the house, she walked quickly back to theher two suitcases near the bed, he straightened, giving her a long, level look as if trying to measure her mood

Aloofly she turned around to face the anting to take no chances that he ht read as on her mind

"If you'll excuse e my clothes"