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Sure enough, Tirara for hie, high-ceilinged office just off the e until lunch, which she and Ti with Shari, the live-in eneral handy all the while about the extra work providing meals and snacks for the painters involved Those at the kitchen table exchanged grins Grace wouldn't be Grace without a coe since it had been a private hoaht her houests as faulars, 'invited' by Miles—celebrities, politicians, minor royalty and heads of state to whoht were a welcoht—Grace made it a point to know all their foibles, while at the sa them It was a measure of her culinary reputation, and her bad teht ever sent a dish back to the kitchen Clare had seen more than one ruthless tycoon choke down a dish of tripe, or hide spinach in their napkins to dump in the bush later, rather than risk Grace's wrath At sixty-four, she looked like everybody's kindly old grandreed that it was only if you had a grandmother as a Dobermann!

It was a sore point with Grace that the chalets had self-contained kitchens so that guests anted co-roo once sa The fact that they had two such rarities in residence at the et her teeth into George Taverner was a prolific but reclusive writer of action-adventure stories, and whenever he was in danger of notarettes and sheer nerves until the book was finished Clare had seen so little of hiht on and off for about sixher tinise him

Their other rarity was a famous television face who had slipped discreetly into the country for a break froely an unseen presence, but for a very different reason: a reason that was tall, red-headed, and built like ain her life,' Grace had growled, 'Did you see the order they sent in? Cans! They're over there eating out of cans! And they won't even let Shari in to tidy up'

'Perhaps they're on a secret honeyht-faced

'Like last year, you rinned 'When he was here with the brunette?'

Clare iossip colu on a conversation in the Moonlight kitchen, but it was in the nature of the place that no one had ever broken the trust that the guests placed in their exclusive hideaway Because the staff was so small, it was necessarily close-knit

Tim finally succumbed to persuasion after lunch, and went out for a ith a long-suffering look at histhis for her sake For her sake he ht even try to enjoy it Probably he would come across so it closely, ignoring the frisking of three boisterous dogs

Clare was arranging flowers in the lounge when she heard the helicopter, and a fewafter flying an English industrialist and his wife back to Auckland after a teek stay

'Miss rinned at her as he strode up the stone steps and filled the foyer with his boo voice

'I hardly had time to,' she said drily 'You see enough to do any work and never away long enough for us to get any peace and quiet'

Miles laughed He was a big s, who thrived on his peripatetic life-style A keen hunter, he prided hier than his fifty years

'You're too young for peace and quiet, Clare That's why I've brought you souests First-timers' He rubbed his hands

'I thought we'd agreed to delay any s until after the kitchen was finished,' said Clare 'Couldn't you have put them off for another week?'

'Don't you worry about Grade This guy's a gourmet Wait till you see who it is'

His enthusiasm was like that of a senius at 'picking up' guests… crea his mates at the Beehive whenever a state visit was touted The lodge never advertised; it never had to Miles's roaenerated word of mouth recouests had to pass the Parrish test of suitability—ie Miles had to like them; mere fame and money didn't provide an entree