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'Rick This other man'

'What did he say?'

The tears were running down Annette's face now 'That he hoped I'd be happy, but Cass could never loveoff in the ot scared What if he does so stupid? He wouldn't, would he?'

She looked beseechingly at Sian, who soothed her 'I'm sure he won't' Shrewdly, Sian asked, 'Does he live in London?'

Startled, Annette nodded 'However did you guess that?'

'It wasn't difficult,' Sian said, arooly on the other girl's face 'Youthe church and explain We'll stop at the next telephone box we see'

Annette sighed heavily, but agreed Sian sot out her suitcase, opened it and hunted for a clean pair of jeans and a clean shirt Annette changed a trees; it took her quite a while, and Sian suspected she was crying too irl alone while she herself thought through what she should do Heaven had dropped a once-in-a-lifetime scoop into her lap No reporter worth her salt could possibly let it get away If she didn't report this story, sooner or later the rest of the press would get on to it Williaot the story—had Annette been missed yet? Had her father raised the alarm?

Annette caown and veil over her arm, her white shoes clutched in one hand She now looked very ordinary: a sliirl in jeans and a shirt Sian wondered curiously what Williairl and quite pretty, but there was nothing special about her

Sian grih the eyes of love were always blind to faults, they sahat everyone else had

As they drove on, Sian said, 'Annette, I ought to tell you I''

'Oh, really? What a coincidence,' Annetteon her lower lip Her voice was abstracted—had she really heard? Sian wondered, preparing to repeat her admission

Annette broke in on her before she could get another word out 'Oh, look,' she said, pointing 'A telephone'

They were passing through a se street; the telephone was outside a shop and Sian pulled up just beyond it Annette sat, staring, her pale face a battleground

'I can't,' she said 'He ht come to the phone I couldn't talk to hihtning—you know the way it seeht, and a terrible violence Cass is like that He can be very polite and sweet, but underneath you always feel there's this possible violence Rick's ordinary, like me, we suit each other because we're the same Rick isn't rich, you know, he's a salesman He used to work for Cass, but he left when… when he walked out on , puzzled eyes on Sian 'Why does he, though? I've never been able to understand that Why does he want me? I'm not from his sort of class And he's had so many really beautiful women in his life He didn't marry any of them—so why me?'

'It isn't his feelings that matter, it's yours,' Sian said patiently 'So why don't you just ring your ho the church and tell the Vicar? You , Annette You can't leave theet the police'