snow-covered lump I passed at the bottom of the track your car, by any chance?’
Briony suppressed an exclamation. ‘Is it that bad?’
‘It’s that bad.’ he said laconicaly, ‘and it’s going to get worse. I left my car on the other side of the vilage and walked the last few miles.’
‘Then I can do the same.’
‘My God,’ he said wearily, ‘then you realy are a fool.’
‘How did you know I was here?’
‘I didn’t.’ It was a grim statement. ‘Your aunt played a neat trick on us both. I don’t know what she’s hoping for.’
Briony felt a flush stealing into her cheeks. ‘As a matter of fact . . .’
‘Yes?’ he prompted as she hesitated.
‘As a matter of fact, she didn’t know I was coming here. I knew she’d be away and that the place would be empty, I wanted to be on my own for a while. No one knows that I’m here.’
‘Wel, that’s just hard lines, I’m afraid.’ he said. ‘And the place isn’t empty. It’s being occupied―by me, unlike you, with your aunt’s permission. I’m renting it from her.’
Briony sagged helplessly against the wal. ‘But for how long?’
‘As long as it takes.’ He shrugged. ‘I’ve been commissioned to write a book about my experiences in escaping from Azabia. I’ve come
here to rough out the first draft. That’s why I wanted some peace and quiet.’
‘And you’l have it.’ she said. ‘Maybe not tonight, but first thing in the morning I’l be away and gone from here.’
Logan’s mouth twisted cynicaly. ‘I wouldn’t bank on it, sweetheart.’ He shrugged off the leather car coat he was wearing. ‘Your aunt said she’d make sure there were some stores in the place. Have they come, do you know?’
‘Everything’s in the kitchen. I―I put them away. I had no idea who they were for.’
‘Naturaly.’ he agreed wearily. ‘It’s al an amazing coincidence, isn’t it, Briony? Like the time you folowed me to that pub for lunch. Like the time you came round to the flat with those cuttings I’d asked for after I got back from Cambodia.’
‘You mean’―for a moment words failed her― ‘You think I came here deliberately―knowing that you were going to be here? You must
be out of your mind! ‘
‘No.’ he said. ‘I’ve merely given up trying to figure what goes on in yours. Now if you’l excuse me I’l go and make myself a hot drink.’
He disappeared through the door leading into the living room.
Briony hesitated for a minute, then picking up the skirts of her housecoat she came down the stairs and folowed him into the kitchen. He was standing at the sink filing the kettle, and he shot a look at her over his shoulder.
‘What’s this? Wifely solicitude? It’s a little late for that, isn’t it?’
‘Very probably.’ She moistened her dry lips with the tip of her tongue. ‘Logan, what are we going to do? We can’t both stay here―it’s impossible under the circumstances.’
‘I don’t see why.’ He put the kettle on the stove. ‘We’re legaly married. We’re alowed to share a roof, even if we haven’t been in the habit of doing so. And you have my word for it that’s al we’l share―just in case you were harbouring any delusions that I stil lust after that expensively packaged little carcase of yours.’
‘It’s no wonder you’re a journalist, Logan,’ she said with gritted teeth. ‘You realy have a way with words!’
‘Ain’t it the truth, lady?’ He gave her a derisive look.
‘And I’m not a journalist any more―at least not with the Courier. My services have been dispensed with, to poor Mac’s everlasting
disgust―and we know whom we have to thank for that, don’t we?’
Mortification at her father’s sheer vindictiveness kept her silent.
Eventualy she said, ‘I don’t know what to say.’
‘Don’t you? If this snow keeps up. you’l have plenty of opportunity to think of something. But I’m afraid you’l have to talk to yourself.
Briony suppressed an exclamation. ‘Is it that bad?’
‘It’s that bad.’ he said laconicaly, ‘and it’s going to get worse. I left my car on the other side of the vilage and walked the last few miles.’
‘Then I can do the same.’
‘My God,’ he said wearily, ‘then you realy are a fool.’
‘How did you know I was here?’
‘I didn’t.’ It was a grim statement. ‘Your aunt played a neat trick on us both. I don’t know what she’s hoping for.’
Briony felt a flush stealing into her cheeks. ‘As a matter of fact . . .’
‘Yes?’ he prompted as she hesitated.
‘As a matter of fact, she didn’t know I was coming here. I knew she’d be away and that the place would be empty, I wanted to be on my own for a while. No one knows that I’m here.’
‘Wel, that’s just hard lines, I’m afraid.’ he said. ‘And the place isn’t empty. It’s being occupied―by me, unlike you, with your aunt’s permission. I’m renting it from her.’
Briony sagged helplessly against the wal. ‘But for how long?’
‘As long as it takes.’ He shrugged. ‘I’ve been commissioned to write a book about my experiences in escaping from Azabia. I’ve come
here to rough out the first draft. That’s why I wanted some peace and quiet.’
‘And you’l have it.’ she said. ‘Maybe not tonight, but first thing in the morning I’l be away and gone from here.’
Logan’s mouth twisted cynicaly. ‘I wouldn’t bank on it, sweetheart.’ He shrugged off the leather car coat he was wearing. ‘Your aunt said she’d make sure there were some stores in the place. Have they come, do you know?’
‘Everything’s in the kitchen. I―I put them away. I had no idea who they were for.’
‘Naturaly.’ he agreed wearily. ‘It’s al an amazing coincidence, isn’t it, Briony? Like the time you folowed me to that pub for lunch. Like the time you came round to the flat with those cuttings I’d asked for after I got back from Cambodia.’
‘You mean’―for a moment words failed her― ‘You think I came here deliberately―knowing that you were going to be here? You must
be out of your mind! ‘
‘No.’ he said. ‘I’ve merely given up trying to figure what goes on in yours. Now if you’l excuse me I’l go and make myself a hot drink.’
He disappeared through the door leading into the living room.
Briony hesitated for a minute, then picking up the skirts of her housecoat she came down the stairs and folowed him into the kitchen. He was standing at the sink filing the kettle, and he shot a look at her over his shoulder.
‘What’s this? Wifely solicitude? It’s a little late for that, isn’t it?’
‘Very probably.’ She moistened her dry lips with the tip of her tongue. ‘Logan, what are we going to do? We can’t both stay here―it’s impossible under the circumstances.’
‘I don’t see why.’ He put the kettle on the stove. ‘We’re legaly married. We’re alowed to share a roof, even if we haven’t been in the habit of doing so. And you have my word for it that’s al we’l share―just in case you were harbouring any delusions that I stil lust after that expensively packaged little carcase of yours.’
‘It’s no wonder you’re a journalist, Logan,’ she said with gritted teeth. ‘You realy have a way with words!’
‘Ain’t it the truth, lady?’ He gave her a derisive look.
‘And I’m not a journalist any more―at least not with the Courier. My services have been dispensed with, to poor Mac’s everlasting
disgust―and we know whom we have to thank for that, don’t we?’
Mortification at her father’s sheer vindictiveness kept her silent.
Eventualy she said, ‘I don’t know what to say.’
‘Don’t you? If this snow keeps up. you’l have plenty of opportunity to think of something. But I’m afraid you’l have to talk to yourself.