said shortly, 'So am I , ' and that seemed to
cover the subject. It wasn't easy, persuading Alan toâ€
independence, insisting that he could drive, and wanted his own
car. 'And presumably a licence to drive it with,' Jason said
pleasantly. 'There's a police car not a hundred yards away. I
imagine you'd be stopped before you'd got half that distance.'
Alan subsided into the passenger seat, grumbling
incoherently under his breath. Jason looked over his shoulder at
Laura, sitting tensely upright on the back seat, her hands
clasped in her lap. 'Wishing you'd gone with Celia?' Yes, she
thought, for all kinds of reasons . . . She said aloud, 'Not at
all. I feel rather responsible . . . ' He gave her an irritated
glance, and turned on the ignition. 'Why? You didn't pour whisky
down him as if it was going out of fashion, or keep filling his
glass in there. He did it all by himself, and he's surely old
enough now to know his own limitations and be careful.' Laura
flushed. 'Yes.' 'Yes,' he repeated with derisive emphasis. 'Now,
I'm relying on you to give me directions to wherever he lives in
sufficient time for me not to have to brake, or swerve, or do
anything else we might live to regret. Do I make myself clear?'
She glared at him. 'As crystal,' she said bitterly. Long before
the short journey was over, Alan had fallen asleep, his head
lolling and his breathing stertorous. It was a relief when they
finally slid to a halt outside the cottage. She said, 'Will he be
all right?' 'He'll have a hell of a hangover tomorrow, but I
think he deserves that.' Jason's voice was impatient. 'Can you
bear to give me a hand with him?' Between them, they tugged and
heaved Alan out of the car. He half woke up, and started a sotto
voce complaint about something or other, as they halfhelped,
half-carried him up the narrow path. Jason looked at her. 'Key?'
His brows arched interrogatively. Laura shrugged helplessly. 'In
his pockets, I suppose.' A thought struck her. 'Although he said
once that he keeps a spare one under a loose tile in the porch.'
'How original,' Jason said blandly. ' I think we'll try for that
one, don't you?' Luckily it was there. Laura retrieved it
hastily, and thrust it into the lock. The door opened, and she
stood aside while Jason took Alan into the hall. He said,
'Where's his bedroom?' 'Upstairs, I suppose.' 'You mean you don't
know?' he jibed, and she felt the colour race into her cheeks.
Her voice shook. 'This is exactly the second time I've been
here.' 'Don't tell me you've reverted to courting in cars,
Laura.' He shook his head reprovingly. 'That's very adolescent.
And in a Mini, bloody uncomfortable.' She was about to tell him
scorchingly that she and Alan were not courting at all, when she
realised just in time the trap she'd nearly stumbled into,
Instead she summoned a smile as cool as his own. 'How I conduct
my affairs is my own business. I don't need your advice or
approval—thank God,' she added piously. 'Don't give thanks too
soon, darling, because I haven't finished with you—not by a
hell of a long chalk.' His voice was bleak. 'Now for the sake of
argument, we'll assume the bedroom is up these stairs. You take
his feet.' Somehow, they got him up the narrow flight and into
the room opposite the bathroom. There were clothes strewn about,
and piles of books, and a neatly made double bed. Laura ignored
the mocking glance Jason sent her as they heaved Alan on to it,
face downwards. She said worriedly, 'Should we—just leave him
like this?' He sent her a bored look. 'I'll wait downstairs if
you want to undress him. But I should warn you he'll be in no fit
state to appreciate your attentions in the way the deserve.'
Laura said between her teeth, ' I didn't mean that and you know
it. But should we call a doctor or ...?' She lifted her shoulders
in a helpless little shrug. 'He's in no
cover the subject. It wasn't easy, persuading Alan toâ€
independence, insisting that he could drive, and wanted his own
car. 'And presumably a licence to drive it with,' Jason said
pleasantly. 'There's a police car not a hundred yards away. I
imagine you'd be stopped before you'd got half that distance.'
Alan subsided into the passenger seat, grumbling
incoherently under his breath. Jason looked over his shoulder at
Laura, sitting tensely upright on the back seat, her hands
clasped in her lap. 'Wishing you'd gone with Celia?' Yes, she
thought, for all kinds of reasons . . . She said aloud, 'Not at
all. I feel rather responsible . . . ' He gave her an irritated
glance, and turned on the ignition. 'Why? You didn't pour whisky
down him as if it was going out of fashion, or keep filling his
glass in there. He did it all by himself, and he's surely old
enough now to know his own limitations and be careful.' Laura
flushed. 'Yes.' 'Yes,' he repeated with derisive emphasis. 'Now,
I'm relying on you to give me directions to wherever he lives in
sufficient time for me not to have to brake, or swerve, or do
anything else we might live to regret. Do I make myself clear?'
She glared at him. 'As crystal,' she said bitterly. Long before
the short journey was over, Alan had fallen asleep, his head
lolling and his breathing stertorous. It was a relief when they
finally slid to a halt outside the cottage. She said, 'Will he be
all right?' 'He'll have a hell of a hangover tomorrow, but I
think he deserves that.' Jason's voice was impatient. 'Can you
bear to give me a hand with him?' Between them, they tugged and
heaved Alan out of the car. He half woke up, and started a sotto
voce complaint about something or other, as they halfhelped,
half-carried him up the narrow path. Jason looked at her. 'Key?'
His brows arched interrogatively. Laura shrugged helplessly. 'In
his pockets, I suppose.' A thought struck her. 'Although he said
once that he keeps a spare one under a loose tile in the porch.'
'How original,' Jason said blandly. ' I think we'll try for that
one, don't you?' Luckily it was there. Laura retrieved it
hastily, and thrust it into the lock. The door opened, and she
stood aside while Jason took Alan into the hall. He said,
'Where's his bedroom?' 'Upstairs, I suppose.' 'You mean you don't
know?' he jibed, and she felt the colour race into her cheeks.
Her voice shook. 'This is exactly the second time I've been
here.' 'Don't tell me you've reverted to courting in cars,
Laura.' He shook his head reprovingly. 'That's very adolescent.
And in a Mini, bloody uncomfortable.' She was about to tell him
scorchingly that she and Alan were not courting at all, when she
realised just in time the trap she'd nearly stumbled into,
Instead she summoned a smile as cool as his own. 'How I conduct
my affairs is my own business. I don't need your advice or
approval—thank God,' she added piously. 'Don't give thanks too
soon, darling, because I haven't finished with you—not by a
hell of a long chalk.' His voice was bleak. 'Now for the sake of
argument, we'll assume the bedroom is up these stairs. You take
his feet.' Somehow, they got him up the narrow flight and into
the room opposite the bathroom. There were clothes strewn about,
and piles of books, and a neatly made double bed. Laura ignored
the mocking glance Jason sent her as they heaved Alan on to it,
face downwards. She said worriedly, 'Should we—just leave him
like this?' He sent her a bored look. 'I'll wait downstairs if
you want to undress him. But I should warn you he'll be in no fit
state to appreciate your attentions in the way the deserve.'
Laura said between her teeth, ' I didn't mean that and you know
it. But should we call a doctor or ...?' She lifted her shoulders
in a helpless little shrug. 'He's in no
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