High Master of Clere (26 page)

This had to be played by ear.
‘
Up to?
’
Verity queried.

‘
Technique, dear. Technique. Lesson Two, remember? Guy never saw me as anything but the most intelligent secretary he had ever had until I walked out on
him
. And he was still only missing a secretary until I let him get the message that I had your Chief in tow. And don
’
t deny, my pet, that I didn
’
t give you some bad moments over that
!’

And how you would like me to agree! thought Verity. Aloud she said,
‘
You thought you had to teach Guy Tabor he was in love with you, so you
?’

Ira cut in,
‘
He managed to learn well enough to follow me to Switzerland. But I let him go to Munich before I accepted him by long-distance phone. So I thought I owed it to you to tell you not to worry; that I never did see myself as the
First Lady of Clere. Oh dear me, no. This place has got far too rarefied an air for me.
’

This was too much
!
But on a long shot—on Daniel
’
s
‘
I have a theory about Ir
a’
—Verity said crisply,
‘
Not to worry either. You, I mean. Because you never had the chance. Daniel at least knew quite well what you were about
!
’

‘
He did? I don
’
t believe it!
’
But the denial lacked conviction, and it was enough for Verity that the doubt had been sown in Ira
’
s mind.

For a minute or two they sipped their drinks in silence. Then Ira looked at her watch.
‘
If I
’
m joining you for dinner, time we made a move,
’
she said.

‘
Yes.
’

But as Verity went to set down her glass beside Ira
’
s, their hands brushed, and a flash of need to know the other girl a little better made her ask,

‘
Tell me, you haven
’
t just—angled for Guy Tabor? You are in love with him too?
’

Ira
’
s eyes softened and a smile touched the
corner
of her mouth.
‘
And if I
’
m not, what do you think I went to all that trouble for, honey—huh?
’
she said.

They returned, to find
Mrs.
Lytton in the hall, ruffling through the tissue of a long florists
’
box, containing a magnificent sheaf of golden-bronze roses.

She looked up,
‘
For me, by special delivery from
Cardinal
’
s of Norwich! Ah
—’
She read the
ivory gift-card she had found, then passed it to Verity.
‘
They
’
re from
Mr.
Tabor. Imagine that
!’
she said.

Ira
’
s brow creased in surprise.
‘
From Guy—to you? Why should he send you flowers?
’

Mrs.
Lytton
’
s blue eyes widened in bland innocence.
‘
I can
’
t think! Can you?
’
she appealed to Verity.

In front of Ira, Verity hadn
’
t the heart to tell her,
‘
Yes.
’

If Ira suffered any misgivings where Daniel was concerned, she gave no hint of it. Throughout the evening her gaiety and poise could not be faulted, and when Daniel suggested that he and Verity should walk her back to West House, she linked an arm in his, taking joint possession of him with Verity, and her parting from them was an airy,
‘
See you
A
round
—
Be happy
!
’

As the door closed behind her Verity said,
‘
You can keep your money.
’

Daniel understood.
‘
I was right, then? She was using me as a stooge, to make Tabor realize what he was missing? And it worked, apparently?
’

‘
Ira thinks so, though it sounds rather contrived to me. And she doesn
’
t know that it was Mother who sent Guy Tabor after her to Switzerland.
’

Daniel laughed.
‘
I will say your mother missed her vocation when she didn
’
t take up a career in diplomacy! By the way, she tells me she
’
s hoping to rent a house in the village. But do you think she
’
s going to mind moving even so far from Clere?
’

‘
No. She
’
s happy about it. It
’
s that white cottage,
“
Mostyns
”
, at the
corner
of the Green. She and Father always hoped it might be vacant when they retired, and now it is.
’

They had not moved since Ira left them, but now they turned to retrace their steps, Daniel
’
s arm about Verity, holding her close.

‘
And when are we going to ask your
—our
mother
—
to move out?
’
he said.
‘
At half-term, perhaps?
’

Verity drew a sharp breath.
‘
You mean—get
married at half-term? But we
’
ve only just
—
Hardly anyone knows yet, and we ought to be engaged longer than that, if only to give School the
chance to get used to the idea of me as
“
Mrs.
High
”
!
’

‘
And by half-term, how long shall we have been engaged?
’

‘
Why, give or take a few days, only about six weeks.
’

Daniel shook his head.
‘
Not by my reckoning. According to that, we
’
re nearing the end of a silver engagement already.
’

A silver engagement?
’

‘
Reference—silver wedding. You
’
re twenty-five now, aren
’
t you, and haven
’
t we been formally betrothed since you were in your cradle?
’

A bubble of laughter rose in Verity
’
s throat.
‘
Oh, Daniel, you—you
fox
!
All right. Half-term.
’

She turned within his arms, halting them again.

Daniel murmured indistinctly,
‘
Ah, my
woman
’—
and as they kissed, the moon raced cloud to etch in mass against the wintry sky the turrets and gables of Clere which were their future and their home.