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‘You watch the middle dog,' Owen told her, and even as he spoke the animal left the man he had been working with and came streaking down the side of the mountain at an incredible speed, towards the road.

'
I never realized they could run so fast,' Helen gasped, her eyes fixed on the speeding dog. 'He looks as if he'll go head over heels in a minute!'

‘Not him,' Owen laughed. ‘He has the force of gravity helping him; don't you worry, he's done this before.'

'
You've seen him do it before,' she said, 'I'm only a learner. Here he comes!' She watched the furry streak dash the last few yards to the road then, without looking to see if the way was clear, hurl himself straight across the road and into the lake with a splash that sent a glittering shower of drops into the air. He swam around in the cool water for a few seconds and then, as if he knew exactly how much time he had, he climbed out of the water pausing only to shake the moisture from his shaggy coat before he ran back up the way he had come.

Helen laughed delightedly, watching the disappearing streak of movement, going only a little slower than on the downward run; 'It's amazing,' she laughed. 'He just had a cool swim and went straight back. I'd never have believed it if I hadn't seen it.'

Owen smiled at her enthusiasm, happy to have pleased her. ‘Was it worth the journey?' he asked, knowing the answer full well.

‘It's wonderful,' she said, ‘and I wouldn't have missed it for anything. Can we stay a while, I'd like to watch them for a bit.'

'Of course, stay as long as you like; it's your outing, you enjoy it. It's a thing that's always fascinated me from the time I was a boy. Uncle David's been with me no end of times, it was his idea I should show it to you, in fact, so I'm glad you weren't disappointed.'

They 'watched for some time the slow, patient progress of men, dogs and sheep until their eyes hurt with the intensity of the sun and with concentration and Owen suggested that they drive further on to a small spinney at the road side that was ideally suited for picnicking. 'This is a pretty spot,' Helen remarked, looking about her, while Owen lifted the big basket from the back of the car. The sun barely penetrated the soft green arch of trees, but the ground was warm and smelled of loam and turf.

'
I thought you'd approve,' he told her with a smile. 'I like this spot myself.' They set out their meal on the clean white cloth provided by the generous Mrs Jay and ate slowly and with enjoyment, talking when they felt inclined and at other times silent with their own thoughts. It was a peaceful and relaxing time and Helen made the most of it.

'
I could stay here for ever,' she sighed, leaning back on her hands, her face already rosily warm from the combined efforts of wind and sun.

'
And never return to the Davies stronghold?' Owen teased her gently. 'Do you regret coming to Glyneath, Helen, or to Glyntarrach, I should say?'

'
No, I don't think so,' she decided, and felt that it was no more than the truth. There were times when she found the atmosphere at Glyntarrach almost unbearable and wished herself far away from it, but there were as many times when she felt a strange sort of attachment to the place.

He arched his brows in surprise. ‘You like it?'

'
I'm not sure,' she confessed. 'Sometimes I feel as though I shall hate to leave when the time comes, and yet—'

He studied her for a moment thoughtfully. ‘My uncle, seems to think that Emlyn is—is very fond of you.' He avoided using the words 'in love with you' perhaps deliberately, and Helen flushed, wondering how much Emlyn had said about her to the old doctor. She hoped he had not been as candid with him as he had been with his father, but there was always the chance that he had been; with Emlyn there was no certain way of knowing. And just how seriously would the doctor have taken his profession of love? Looking at Owen she was grateful that she could talk to him without shyness or embarrassment; although she had met
him
only three times there was an air of easy friendliness about him that made it impossible to think of him as a stranger.

' Emlyn imagines that he's in love with me,' she said, looking at him from under her lashes to see how he reacted to the information, and to her relief he made no obvious show of surprise.

'
It's not surprising,' he said quietly. 'You're with him
a
great deal and he relies on you for almost everything, he has to. ‘Also,' he added with a smile, 'you're a very lovely girl.'

'Thank you.' She plucked at the short, springy grass with uncaring fingers. 'But it isn't as simple as you make it sound. For one thing, I'm several years older than he is, and yet he persists in the idea that he is going to ask me to marry him when he's up and about again.'

'
You could always say no,' he pointed out, 'couldn't you?'

She smiled, looking up at him apologetically. 'I'm sorry, Owen, I shouldn't be bothering you with my little worries, especially when we came out here to enjoy ourselves.'

'
I started it,' he reminded her, 'and I don't mind in the least being your father confessor, Helen, though I assure you that my interest in you isn't in the least fatherly, either.' She met his gaze and found a warmth and admiration there that both pleased and unsettled her. ‘You
are
very lovely,' he said softly.

He must have seen the wariness in her eyes as she laughed in an attempt to steer the conversation into less compromising channels. 'I have no shortage of admirers since I've been here,' she said, hoping that she did not sound too flippant. Owen, she felt sure, would not have the same quickly changeable nature as Emlyn and she had as much as she could cope with at the moment without Owen becoming too serious. He looked at her regretfully.

‘I'm sorry, Helen, I wasn't trying to follow Emlyn's example, not at the moment anyway. You have enough to think about without me bothering you.'

'But you don't bother me,' she protested. 'You've been very kind and I like coming out with you.' She looked down at her fingers plucking the short grass from its roots. 'It's just that I don't want to become too involved with anyone at the moment.'

'Of course you don't,' he agreed, smiling his understanding. 'You need time to turn round and take stock of yourself and the rest of the world.' He glanced at his watch and pulled a face. 'I suppose we'd better go, or you'll be worrying about your patient otherwise, you're far too conscientious.'

'I'm sorry to have to leave this,' Helen sighed as they packed up their picnic remains and stowed them in the car. 'It's been such a lovely afternoon, hasn't it?'

'
Marvellous,' he agreed. 'We must do it again, and soon. When is your next free afternoon?'

'
On Thursday,' she laughed. 'But you don't have to give all your time to me, Owen, though I do appreciate it enormously.'

'I can't think of anyone I'd rather give all my time to,' he told her, 'as long as you don't mind being monopolised.'

They were quieter on the journey back to Glyneath and Helen hoped that he had not taken her rejection of his admiration to heart. They came in sight of the village from the top of a hill the other side from Glyntarrach and it appeared in the valley between the sweep of hills that dwarfed it, looking tiny and a little unreal in the hazy sun. As they ran down the last steep slope into the village the engine of the car gave an ominous cough and died. They had sufficient impetus to take them almost to the doctor's house, but a sharp comer prevented them going any further and Owen braked the car to a standstill with a sigh of dismay.

'Petrol?' Helen guessed. ‘It's a good job you're home.'

'
No, it's the old trouble,' he said regretfully. 'I've only just had the wretched thing back from the garage, too. It just can't cope with these hills, that's the trouble.' He locked the car and turned to join her. 'Anyway, it got me home, but not you. I'll borrow Uncle David's buggy and run you up in that.'

'
There's no need,' she protested. ‘I can walk, Owen. Your uncle may need his car in a hurry and I'm quite able to walk that far.'

'
Oh, no you're not,' Owen insisted stubbornly. 'It's all uphill and it's no way to send a girl home from a day out by making her walk home. I'll soon run you home, don't worry.'

He would brook no argument as they walked the short distance to the doctor's house and as they approached they both noticed at the same moment the long sleek shape of a grey Jaguar standing on the cobbled road, looking opulently out of place in the street of little grey cottages. 'It looks as if Uncle David has company,' Owen commented, and Helen only nodded, the 'thought uppermost in her mind that perhaps she would let Owen take her home right away in the doctor's car.

Evan Davies rose from the chair he occupied, strictly proper as usual, when they came in, and his eyes noted the sun-flushed colour in Helen's cheeks and the way her hair had been tossed into curls by the speed of the drive. He shook hands with Owen and was unusually cordial, a welcome which Owen did not return in full.

'
My wretched car died on me again,' he complained, 'just as we came to the long hill; I was going to ask if I could borrow yours, Uncle, to take Helen back to Glyntarrach. She insists she can walk, but I won't have any girl ending a day out with me by having to walk home.' He looked at their visitor, his grey eyes glinting wickedly, 'It might give quite the wrong impression.' If it was meant to draw him into some kind of argument it failed dismally, for he was perfectly polite when he spoke again.

'
There's no need to either walk or borrow the doctor's car,' he said. 'I can take Miss Gaynor back with me, Owen. I was just leaving.'

If the idea displeased Owen he made an effort to conceal it, but did
not
altogether
succeed, and the
face he wore reminded
Helen
startlingly of
her
employer
in one of
his less affable moods.
She had not
realized until now how much nearer he was
in
age
to Evan than
to Emlyn, and the realization jolted her for
a
moment.

'
It would be no trouble for me to take her,' Owen said, as if he doubted the truth of the statement about just leaving.

'
There's really no need.'
The
other
man
was adamant and turned to Helen as if to clinch the matter. ‘When you're ready, Miss Gaynor.'

'Oh, yes, of course.' She found the black gaze as disconcerting ,as she always did. 'I'm ready now, Mr Davies, thank you.'

He nodded his satisfaction and said goodbye to the old doctor, shaking hands briefly with Owen.

'
There's really no need to wait for Miss Gaynor at the gates, Owen,' he told him, and his look was a challenge that the other man found difficult to meet. 'Next time why not come up to the house for her?'

Owen looked at him steadily for a moment, then dropped his gaze. ‘Thanks, but I don't think I will,' he said, dismissing the invitation with less grace than Helen would have expected of him. 'Helen prefers it that way and I'm not averse to a little air of intrigue myself.'

Evan smiled as if the thought caused him some amusement. 'As you like,' he said.

'
I'll see you on Thursday afternoon,' Owen told her quietly as they followed Doctor Neath and his visitor to the door and she nodded. 'Same time and place, right?' She nodded again, and smiled remembering his reference to intrigue. 'You do prefer it that way, don't you?' he asked. 'I can come up to the house as Evan suggests, if you'd rather.'

Helen shook her head. ‘I'd rather come down to the gates.'

‘As long as you come, I don't care either way,' he told her. 'Same place, then.'

‘I'll be there,' she promised. 'And thank you again for a lovely afternoon, Owen, I have enjoyed it.'

'You're more than welcome,' he told her. 'I only hope that wretched car is working again by then. If it isn't I'll let you know and you can put on your walking shoes and we'll explore on foot.'

"I'd love to,' she said. 'I want to do some walking over those hills; I'd also like to climb up to that seat on Glyneath one day, just to see that view you told me about.' For a moment she had forgotten in what connection he had mentioned it until she caught Evan Davies' eyes looking back at her and prayed that he had not overheard her words or guessed from what connection they stemmed.

Doctor Neath hugged her and planted a kiss on her cheek as he always did and Owen was no more restrained, not discouraged by the black-eyed gaze of her employer as he waited for her to get into the car. 'I'll see you on Thursday,' Owen promised, and she waved an acknowledging hand as the Jaguar moved away.

He drove, Helen could not help noticing, much less fast than he had gone when he flashed past them on this same road last week, and she remembered Owen's reference to the quality of his driving. Certainly he handled the powerful car easily and it was quite enjoyable to drive with him. 'I hope you enjoyed your outing,' he said suddenly, and she started almost guiltily because she had been thinking about him.

‘Yes, thank you,' she said at last. 'It was lovely.'

'Where did you go, may I ask?' His interest as much as his polite question surprised her.

‘To Caderglynn. Do you know it?' She glanced at the dark profile less stem and set than usual.

'
I know it well,' he answered her, and turned briefly to catch her eye in one of those disconcerting looks that she had hoped to avoid. 'It's one of the things that I used to take Emlyn to see when he was small, he always enjoyed it.' It was the first time he had ever mentioned any connection with Emlyn's childhood and she wondered what had prompted him to do so now; perhaps something the old doctor had said had for the moment broken down that barrier that always stood between him and the world. Or perhaps it was just the mention of something he had almost forgotten. 'I wouldn’t mention to him where you've been if I were you,' he added. 'It doesn’t do to remind him too often of what he's missing on the outside.’