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'Yes They talked quite a bit about you They're very proud of their clever niece, perhaps even a tiny bit in­tio and idly circled the rooht

How she hated that word—intimidated 'Someone has to be practical Most of the time they exist in a world of their own,' she said stiffly

‘I think I used the wrong word,' he murmured, alert to the flicker of pain that crossed her face ‘I should have said they're a little in awe of you They knoithout you to take charge their business would have gone to rack and ruin sorandfather that they orried that your de­votion to the a family of our own'

Elizabeth looked at hi like that to me,' she said defensively

Jack grinned ‘I think they ell into Grandpère's fine stock of brandy at the time, and talk was fast and loose I don’t doubt that Grandpère responded by be­ the fact that I haven’t yet done irl ill bear Haood heirs and curtail rettable independence of spirit'

'But surely your brother's children are the Haood heirs' Elizabeth was relieved that the conversation had moved off the subject of herself

‘In the strict sense yes, although not as far as this place is concerned This he intends to leave to us jointly, but

Jules and Marie-Clare—that's Jules wife—' with a little sidelong glance that norance '—prefer not to reside peruess, the distance in that e is not only in kilo the younger, I was never pressured to e If our positions had been reversed—' he shrugged '—who knows?

Perhaps I too would have settled for a civilised "arrangement"'

‘I can’t quite see you "settling" for anything,' Elizabeth blurted, and he bowed teasingly

‘I shall accept that as a compliment To continue: therefore I will be the one to actually live here, as master of our joint inheritance'

'You'll move out of the hotel? Live here, all by you

rself?' It was a strangely distasteful vision to think of hih Jack gave the i sufficient unto himself he enjoyed hiarious hotelier that Elizabeth could not i happy with the kind of isolation that obviously suited his grandfather He had too y, too intense an enjoyment of life to want to re­treat from it, either physically or mentally

He gave her a heavy-lidded smile ‘I hope not entirely alone, chérie Grandpère is only seventy-five With reasonable care for his delicate health, I hope he will live a nuo of life easily By that time—who is to say?—I may be deep in the blissful toils of domesticity, father to a brood of children ill fill these echoing halls with their life and laughter'

It was an almost poetically beautiful vision 'You want children?' Elizabeth asked