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But despite Davina’s endeavours to make her sister comfortable Catrin was given little chance to catch up on her lost sleep. Their fellow travellers turned out to be an extrovert bunch of young people with every intention of talking all night and before long they were confiding their holiday plans as well as seeking information about the sisters’ destination, so that by the time the train pulled into Zurich station, Davina looked almost as tired as Catrin.

Both girls simultaneously hugged the attractive middle-aged woman awaiting them at the barrier and Helen Williams smiled a welcome as she returned her daughters’ embraces. ‘You both look worn out. Come along. Wilhelm’s waiting.’ Outside the station, a grey-haired man was reading at the wheel of a vintage Rolls, but he got out to take their suitcases as Catrin and Davina, slipping unconsciously into the local dialect learned as children, greeted him by name. After enquiring about him and his wife, they climbed into the back of the car and soon the city was left behind.

Even Catrin’s tiredness seemed to slip away as they sped through the green countryside with its wooden houses, each with a windowbox of geraniums and other colourful flowers, its tidy villages and neat farms. They had done the journey many times since childhood, for Grandfather Brehm’s disappointment over his daughter’s marriage had not extended to ignoring the existence of his two granddaughters. Each time she was struck afresh by the charm of the country, Davina thought as they passed the steepled church in the lakeside village where her grandmother lived, saying excitedly, ‘Why, we’re almost there! I’m simply longing for a bath and to get out of these grubby clothes.’

‘Same here,’ Catrin echoed. ‘Honestly, Mum, there was hardly enough water on the train for more than a lick and a promise this morning.’

‘I must say you both look as if you need sprucing up, but before you do, call in on Mother. She’s anxious to see you. Your Uncle Giles with Aunt Jane and James came yesterday by air and Paul’s flying in from Greece this evening.'

‘What about the others? Is Miranda here yet?’ Catrin asked, a look of dismay beginning in her eyes.

‘Martin and Marjorie are driving her. They should arrive about lunchtime. Aunt Pamela and her family aren’t coming until tomorrow since they’re only an hour’s drive away, and in any case, Miranda has an engagement on tonight she doesn’t want to miss.’

Catrin stifled a yawn. ‘Thank goodness. At least we shan’t have Miranda wet-blanketing everything on our first day here. I can never understand how Francesca, who’s a sweetie, came to have a first class Grade A bitch for a sister,’ she ended gloomily.

She was brought up abruptly by Helen Williams saying in a shocked voice, ‘I hope you two will remember this is your grandmother’s birthday celebration and do nothing to antagonise your cousin.’

Catrin smiled apologetically and tucked a hand in the crook of her mother’s arm. ‘Sorry, Mum. It’s just that Miranda doesn’t exactly put herself out to please. And she’s forever rubbing it in that Dav and I arc her poor relations.’

‘All the same, try and remember she is your cousin and we want no bickering. Mother soon senses uncomfortable atmospheres, so I rely on the pair of you to spread sweetness and light, no matter what.’

Both the girls were smilingly agreeing as Wilhelm turned the car into the narrow lane leading from the village along the lake side to their grandmother’s house. Through the trees, Lake Lucerne looked placid and calm as, driving through the tall entrance gates, the car sped up the drive to the front door.

The house was built end on to the road so that its principal rooms overlooked the lake. The main entrance had a portico with marble side columns and as Davina stood looking up at the house it struck her afresh that to go from a home like this to a terraced cottage in a small Welsh village must have called for a great deal of adjustment on her mother’s part.

But if Helen Williams had ever experienced a pang of regret in opting for love in a cottage her serene, still youthful features showed little evidence of the fact, and Davina could only conclude that her mother had considered her former gilt-edged existence well lost for love. It was born out by the fact that after her husband’s sudden and tragic death, Helen Williams would have been welcome back here with open arms. Instead she had stayed in Wales to live on a meagre income rather than become her mother’s pensioner.

Davina and Catrin found their grandmother sitting up in bed, and she pushed away a pile of letters and telegrams as she greeted her granddaughters fondly. After hearing details of their journey she packed them off to bath and rest and when Davina returned to the bedroom they were to share she found her sister asleep on one of the twin beds, her hair still damp from the shower.

Davina smiled as she fetched a rug and covered the slim figure. Despite their disturbed night she had no intention of following Catrin’s example, for the sun was shining and it seemed too good a day to waste. Slipping on a clean cotton sun dress, she pushed her feet into sandals, brushed out her hair and wandered downstairs. As she reached the hallway, her cousin James came out of the library and grinned as he saw her.

‘I was just about to come upstairs and find out if you were decent. We’re having coffee. Where’s Catrin?’

‘Flaked out on the bed. She’s been on night duty at her hospital.' As James gave a grimace of distaste, Davina looked over his shoulder into the library. There were four people in the room—her mother, James’s parents and one other.

‘What’s
he
doing here?’ Davina hissed, but before James could answer she went on in an angry undertone, ‘I know, so don’t bother to answer. Grandmother.
That's
why she wanted his telephone number. What must he think? That Gran imagines he’s not to be trusted?’

James took Davina by the arm and shook her gently. ‘Stop being silly. Fitzpaine’s no fool. He’ll think no less of you because your family want to know what kind of a chap you intend taking a living-in job with. Come in and try to act naturally. It can’t be much fun for him knowing he’s been invited simply so Gran can vet him. And he could have refused, remember. I think he’s pretty sporting to have accepted.’

Davina let her cousin lead her into the room, but not before angrily whispering, ‘I’ve said it before. Why must the family always interfere?’ I wish just once they’d mind their own business 1’

James grinned sympathetically but did not trouble to reply, and in minutes they were separated as Davina kissed her aunt and uncle and replied to questions about the journey. It was some time before she could turn and face her future employer, and her thoughts were confused as she met his eyes.

The heavy lids hid his expression, so deciding to rush in where angels might fear to tread Davina held out her hand and addressed him in her usual frank and friendly manner. ‘Seeing you here comes as a bit of a surprise. Believe me, Mr Fitzpaine, I’d no idea Gran planned to invite you. It must be ...’

She stopped as she was interrupted by his ‘Don’t apologise’ as her outstretched hand was shaken. ‘I guess your grandmother sleeps easier if she knows who you are meeting, and in fact I was very pleased to accept. I was kicking my heels in London waiting for the lawyers to get cracking, and the invitation gives me a chance to see a little more of Europe.’

‘This your first time here.’ Davina had suddenly become aware that he still held her fingers in a firm clasp and she slipped her hand free. Half embarrassed, she added, ‘Look, I can’t keep calling you Mr Fitzpaine. It’s ridiculous to be so formal. What’s your first name?’

There was a pause and Davina looked up to meet unreadable grey eyes as the man facing her replied slowly, ‘You can call me Rex if you wish.’ There was something in his tone of voice which puzzled Davina, but at that moment James returned with a cup of coffee and that flickering moment of instinctive warning of danger was forgotten as she thanked him.

As she sipped her coffee and listened to James and Rex Fitzpaine discussing the plan to have an outing on the lake that afternoon Davina decided she must be imagining things. When James turned to say, ‘You’ll come too, Dav?’ however, she found herself refusing.

‘I think I ought to rest this afternoon, otherwise I’ll be fit for nothing by dinner time,’ she excused herself, and refused to allow her cousin’s persuasions to change her mind.

By the time she awoke, the other twin bed was empty. Davina sat up and yawned. Not wishing to disturb Catrin, she had simply lain down on the bed fully clothed and felt nearly as hot and uncomfortable as she had on arrival.

There was no sound from the corridor outside and Davina decided that the boating party could not yet have returned. It seemed a good opportunity to have a swim in the indoor pool, and swinging her legs over the side of the bed she shed her clothes, climbed into a bikini and grabbing a towel ran downstairs on bare feet.

The swimming pool had been installed years before in the erstwhile conservatory at the west end of the house. Huge tropical plants still flourished along the floor-to-ceiling windows, and had it not been for the tiled surround and modern loungers, the swimmers could have imagined themselves in a setting for a Tarzan movie. Sunlight filtering through the foliage and making glittering patterns on the water revealed Catrin floating lazily at the deep end. Throwing down her towel, Davina dived in and swam the length of the pool to join her sister.

But their exclusive use of the green-tiled swimming bath was not to be of long duration. As Catrin rolled over to say, ‘I was about to go and beg some tea from Frau Wilhelm,' voices approaching made the sisters turn to look towards the door leading to the living rooms. James with Rex Fitzpaine behind him strolled in and Davina had only time to say, ‘I guess you’d better make that tea for four,’ before a splash as James hit the water drowned out her voice.

Treading water, Davina looked across to see that Rex had taken off his bathrobe and was standing, hands on hips, watching her. Although he hadn’t an ounce of spare flesh he looked bigger than ever and she was glad of the necessity to introduce him to her sister to cover the shock of excitement which had shaken her at the sight of him clad only in brief swimming trunks.

Davina found herself watching almost enviously as Catrin, an attractive figure in her green bikini, climbed out of the water to extend a hand with the utmost composure. She smiled up as Rex said, ‘I see the likeness. But then you are all easily recognisable as being out of the same stable, if you’ll forgive the expression.’

James had swum to Davina's side in time to overhear this comment and he said with mock anger, ‘Thanks for nothing I Are you trying to say this little Welsh filly and I really look alike?’

Catrin's rippling laugh rang out as Davina tried ineffectually to duck their cousin. She was so out of practice James had no difficulty in evading her, and since she had found little time during the summer to indulge in sport, Davina soon gave up the unequal struggle.

When she swam to the side she was surprised to find Rex there ready to give her a helping hand before he dived in to join James. She rubbed at her hair with a towel as reclining on one of the comfortable loungers she watched the two men cutting swiftly through the water. Rex Fitzpaine had a deceptively lazy crawl and he had soon outstripped James, so that Davina found herself comparing his magnificent physique with her cousin’s more compact build.

Almost shocked as she recognised where her thoughts were straying, Davina turned with something like relief as Catrin came back with a loaded tea tray. As she poured out and handed the cup and saucer to her sister Catrin remarked, ‘I must say that sleep did me good.’ She sipped her own tea for a couple of minutes in silence before adding in a low voice, ‘So that’s the prospective boss you wrote to tell me about? He’s not a bit as I imagined him in the description in your letter.’

Davina was spared the embarrassment of thinking up a reply to this frank, sisterly remark as the two men hoisted themselves over the side of the pool and came over to where Catrin and Davina were sitting. ‘Any tea for us?’ James asked as he pushed the hair back from his face.

Catrin indicated the two spare cups and asked how they liked it. James took milk, but Rex, with obvious reservations about Swiss-made tea, asked, ‘Is it strong?’

‘Don’t worry, I made it myself,’ Catrin laughed, and a reluctant smile tugged at the corners of Rex’s straight mouth.

‘Then I’ll take it black. No milk or sugar,’ he instructed, and drank it standing before pulling up a chair at Catrin’s side and sitting down.

Davina was conscious first of surprise, then of a sense of pique at his obvious preference for Catrin’s company. The mortification which so unexpectedly gripped her was made no easier when, turning to answer a chance remark from James, Davina was inclined to think he was well aware of the feelings passing through her.

As he lowered himself to lean against her chair, James’s next words confirmed that he had made an educated guess as to her thoughts. ‘You’ll have to get used to it, Dav. The kid sister has grown up with a vengeance!’

Faint colour stained Davina’s honey-coloured complexion, for James with acute perception had hit the nail on the head. She wasn’t used to competition, at least not from Catrin. In the usual course of events men gravitated as if drawn by a magnet to her side, perhaps first interested in her black-haired, brown-eyed colouring, but staying to be further captivated by her normally frank, uncomplicated approach towards her opposite sex. At no time had Davina had to resort to the more common feminine wiles, but in any case it wasn’t in her nature to be devious. And so far, busy with her studies, her involvements had been of the happy-go-lucky, no strings attached variety.

But as she continued to watch Catrin and Rex from the corner of her eye, Davina awoke to the fact that the tall Australian interested her in a way no man had done before. She was actually feeling a twinge of jealousy that Catrin had his entire, undivided attention, and James was right; Catrin had blossomed almost overnight into an extremely beautiful girl. Davina was small, but Catrin was ‘pocket’ size, and no one looking at the black hair curling on to bare brown shoulders or the slender figure would have guessed she had either the will or the stamina to make a nurse.