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‘Congratulations,’ Veronica said to Sophie, who didn’t look the least bit s ‘One of the burdens of brightness, huh, having to constantly beat off all that praise?’

Sophie’s air of gravity lifted at the dry corinned at Veronica with approval, her eyes bright behind their glass shields

‘Obviously the school has worked out well, then,’ Veronica co that Karen had reported going on in the Reed household when the idea was first mooted

‘Yes, but it was Sophie as detery braid a squeeze ‘I don’t think our feeble brains were providing her enough of an intellectual challenge at home’

‘Oh, Dad!’ the girl groaned at his teasing

‘Coe Let Muain later’

‘Oh, yes—you will coht, won’t you, Veronica?’ said Melanie confidently

‘Uh, ah, well…’ She immediately felt the aardness that she had feared would shadow her visit Did Melanie think that she had to invite her over because she was by herself? ‘I really wasn’t planning onlunch…’

‘Oh, but—’

‘Melanie,’ her husband cut her off with laughing affection, ‘give the girl so room Veronica would probably appreciate a little ti on her first night…’

‘Oh, of course, how thoughtless of h of you as it is’ Melanie was instantly apologetic as her husband and daughter retreated along the path

‘But you must at least drop over for a pre-dinner drink and a few nibbles, so I can give you all the gen about the area and the village opening hours and best places to eat—say, about six?’ she suggested, opening the glass door to the cottage ‘It’s a tradition at the Mas when anyone rents the cottage, so Miles can’t claiive you a chance to say a casual hello to whoever’s around’

Although there was no air-conditioning, it was cooler inside the cottage than out, which Melanie attributed to the traditional, thick-walled construction of the cottage, although it was of relatively e To keep the temperature more or less constant she advised Veronica to leave the s open with the shutters loosely folded across them to provideheat ‘They’ve all got insect screens on theht, too,’ she added

The well-equipped kitchen and the rustically furnished living area were part of the sa, bea to the illusion of space, even though the area was quite coe terracotta tiles were cool underfoot and led through to the large bedroo bathroo machine

‘I’ve left you soe, and there’s tea and coffee sachets in the basket on the bench,’ Melanie said as she headed back out the door a few e, it’s only a two-ht at the end of the vineyard and you’ve got a butcher, two groceries and three bread shops, so plenty of choice’ She suddenly halted ‘Oh, I just remembered the pool—feel free to use it whenever you like…follow the driveway down to the house and then turn left through the stone archway’ She beamed at Veronica ‘Just wander up around six and you’ll find us sitting out in the kitchen courtyard, under the vines Or shall I send Sophie?’