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'Good I can save you the trouble My school can provide Ti less for a boy who shows his promise would be unthinkable'

Oh, it would, would it? Another narrow- to tell her that music was the only choice for her son

'If you would let me finish at least one of my sentences—' Clare said tartly, and there was the sound of a faintly indrawn breath, followed by a silence that seeinia seems to have misled you She did not have my permission to allow Tim to take part in your Master Class, and I have no interest in placing him in your school'

'No interest? Mrs Malcolm, you don't seem to understand—'

'No, you don't understand, Mr Deverenko' Clare was tired and cross, or she would never have been so rude Being a parent toughened one to standing up to outside threat, but Clare hated confrontations She had a shy person's fear of drawing attention to herself But in this mood, protected by the anonymity of the telephone, she overcame her shyness 'I didn't solicit your help and I don't require it And neither do I appreciate your speaking to the Press about my son'

'I only—'

'I don't want to hear your excuses, Mr Deverenko I refuse to be hounded by you or your friends in the Press'

She could feel herself blushing furiously as she hung up the phone, cutting across his explosive protest, and the reflection in the kettle confirainst her hot cheek Even though no one had witnessed her behaviour, she felt eiven the fact that he had been as much a victi offensively brusque was the only way to get rid of a h he had been born in New Zealand, both his parents were Russian and, frohly Russian teant, even when he was being polite, and le- him off After his New Zealand concert he was off to a series of engagements in London, so she doubted he would have the time to spare to pursue a reluctant pupil Perhaps noouldn't send the tickets to his concert, either—Clare knew that it had been booked out the week that the box-office opened—thereby freeing her of the obligation to take Tim Tim would be disappointed, but better a teed, serious division of his loyalties Clare had no intention of playing the villainess to Deverenko's hero, which would toe the role assigned to her if she allowed him any quarter

After giving Virginia a brief, edited version of the content of the call, Clare went up to bed herself, although it was a long time before she could force herself to sleep At times like this she missed her husband badly His confidence in her as a woman, a wife and mother had bolstered her own He had respected her opinions even when he'd disagreed with thehshod over the to do Lee had never been underhand, always open and direct He had been full of fun and laughter, and even two years after his death Clare still found herself thinking, 'I must tell Lee about that one,' when she saw or heard of an a incident that would have appealed to his offbeat sense of humour

Sunday lunch was soinia's Lee had been an only child, but Virginia had two sisters and two brothers-in-law, and Sunday was considered fa day' In honour of Clare and Tih it was quite a squash with the additional wives and husbands and children To Clare's relief Tim mixed ith the other children—he was inclined to be impatient and dismissive of those of his peers who didn't share his interests, and resented social encroachments on his love of solitary pursuits However, most of his cousins were several years older than him and had obviously been well-coached to 'make allowances' The afternoon went so well that Tim cheerfully went off on a visit to the Auckland Museum with one of his lesser known relations

'Kinaniirl, that is'

A dozen children and their assorted toys had wreaked a sinia's neat yard, and one of the last guests to leave helped Clare tidy up Ray had been the closest of Lee's cousins, and a fringea nahly professional approach For that reason, and the fact that he rode a inia didn't get on particularly well, but Clare enjoyed his friendship In many ways he reminded her of her husband, especially in his laid-back optirin he often wore

As they worked, she told Ray about the events of the previous day and he gave her his full support

'Aunt Virginia ive her an inch and she'll take ait off with a laugh, Clare, that's the only way to deal with her… if you take her seriously, you're done for What you need, ood man to stand shoulder to shoulder with Any candidates on the horizon?'

'It's only been two years, Ray' Lee's death, froly swift, with no remissions