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'I'm sure she'd be thrilled to nation It was an understatement, and they both knew it Cheryl Tyson would be over the reat violinists

'I'll be delighted to meet her,' Deverenko said with a demureness that didn't suit him

'I don't doubt it She's small and dark and rather beautiful'

'I prefer blondes with legs that go on forever,' said Deverenko with an innocence that had Clare choking in her orange juice

'Your as a brunette,' she pointed out when she had recovered

'Nina was an aberration…' The light flirtatiousness took on the warmth of reminiscence 'A much-loved aberration'

'I heard her play once, with the NZSO She was marvellous'

'Mmm For a while, after she died, some of the music died with her, but she would have hated that She hatedless than I could be She was a perfect partner for those struggling years' He appeared lost in thought for a few usto, he said, 'So you went to a concert of Nina's and enjoyed it I'ed not to bore you to sleep during a performance'

This time the blush couldn't be withheld and he chuckled, but his hue to it that told her he was truly offended

'Oh, so you noticed…'

'Yes, I noticed It was difficult not to: you were practically in the front row and your snores had the first violins fighting to keep tempo'

'I wasn't snoring!' cried Clare, appalled at the possibility

'And the boyfriend whose lap you were draped across was so busy leering down your cleavage that I doubt he heard a note, either'

'He wasn't ave us three tickets, remember'

'Then all I can say is that you a