grimaced at what lay ahead of her. ‘Now I’m going to see Robert Harting in the library. I’ve only just heard that he would have set out alone to find me on that horrible night.’
‘Then it is right that you should express your thanks.’ Nanny Bobbins handed back the looking-glass, noticing with some misgivings that Saskia immediately held it close again as if against her heart.
On her way to the library Saskia steeled herself for coming face to face with the Englishman again. When she reached it the door was open and Robert Harting was standing with his back towards her as he looked through a book that he had taken down from one of the shelves. He must have sensed her presence, because he glanced back sharply over his shoulder as she crossed the threshold.
‘How are you, juffrouw ?’ he asked at once, his dark eyes boring into her just as at their first meeting. ‘I should have asked you before now, but I was advised not to remind you of an extremely unpleasant experience.’
‘That must have been Nanny Bobbins who instructed you.’
A smile touched the corners of his handsome mouth. ‘You guessed correctly. I was also reassured that you were totally recovered from any fright you sustained.’
‘Again by Nanny Bobbins?’
‘Of course.’ He put the book back on the shelf and came across to her. Then he noticed the little looking-glass that she was holding. ‘What is that?’
She displayed it proudly. ‘A gift from Master Grinling. Just look at those tiny flowers and berries and leaves! Isn’t it quite beautiful?’
He thought to himself that its real beauty lay in the face it would reflect, but he duly admired the carved frame that was giving her so much pleasure. ‘Did you come specially to show this gift to me?’
She was still unaware how she held it against her breasts as she came to the point of her visit. ‘No, that did not bring me here. I should have thanked you fully long before this moment for what you did for me the other evening, but it was not until a few minutes ago that I learned that you were ahead of Master Grinling when you both came to my rescue.’
‘Your rescue?’ he echoed with raised eyebrows. ‘That’s a grand way to describe finding you in the dark.’
‘But you did save me when I had never before needed such help.’
He shrugged carelessly, dismissing the matter, and she wished he would not stare at her in such a way. It was as if he were absorbing her into himself with his fierce gaze. Yet she decided that in spite of her earlier misgivings this was an opportunity to speak of her concern for Grinling in the forthcoming change in his life.
‘Would you be offended if I made a suggestion as to how you could help Master Grinling when he goes to live in England?’
‘Not at all. Please sit down.’ Robert pushed a chair forward for her and when she was seated he swung another around for himself. ‘Tell me what you have in mind.’
‘I think from this moment on you should talk only English to him. Unless he has some command of the language he will be at such a disadvantage in a country where everything will be new to him.’
To her surprise he smiled with a shake of his head, his eyes amused. ‘Do you think I haven’t tried that? Most of the time on our tour I refused to speak anything but English and, when necessary, Italian. Our tutor did the same, but although Grinling did his best he has a Dutch accent as thick as berries on a cherry tree and sometimes when he does speak English you would still suppose he was speaking his own tongue.’
She was surprised. ‘I didn’t know.’
‘How could you?’ He shrugged his shoulders. ‘But you must not worry about him. He can read English well, although he writes it phonetically, which is somewhat strange at times. Yet usually he can make his meaning clear.’
She relaxed, sitting back. ‘You have reassured me. I didn’t want him to be cheated by some unscrupulous master when starting work in your
‘Then it is right that you should express your thanks.’ Nanny Bobbins handed back the looking-glass, noticing with some misgivings that Saskia immediately held it close again as if against her heart.
On her way to the library Saskia steeled herself for coming face to face with the Englishman again. When she reached it the door was open and Robert Harting was standing with his back towards her as he looked through a book that he had taken down from one of the shelves. He must have sensed her presence, because he glanced back sharply over his shoulder as she crossed the threshold.
‘How are you, juffrouw ?’ he asked at once, his dark eyes boring into her just as at their first meeting. ‘I should have asked you before now, but I was advised not to remind you of an extremely unpleasant experience.’
‘That must have been Nanny Bobbins who instructed you.’
A smile touched the corners of his handsome mouth. ‘You guessed correctly. I was also reassured that you were totally recovered from any fright you sustained.’
‘Again by Nanny Bobbins?’
‘Of course.’ He put the book back on the shelf and came across to her. Then he noticed the little looking-glass that she was holding. ‘What is that?’
She displayed it proudly. ‘A gift from Master Grinling. Just look at those tiny flowers and berries and leaves! Isn’t it quite beautiful?’
He thought to himself that its real beauty lay in the face it would reflect, but he duly admired the carved frame that was giving her so much pleasure. ‘Did you come specially to show this gift to me?’
She was still unaware how she held it against her breasts as she came to the point of her visit. ‘No, that did not bring me here. I should have thanked you fully long before this moment for what you did for me the other evening, but it was not until a few minutes ago that I learned that you were ahead of Master Grinling when you both came to my rescue.’
‘Your rescue?’ he echoed with raised eyebrows. ‘That’s a grand way to describe finding you in the dark.’
‘But you did save me when I had never before needed such help.’
He shrugged carelessly, dismissing the matter, and she wished he would not stare at her in such a way. It was as if he were absorbing her into himself with his fierce gaze. Yet she decided that in spite of her earlier misgivings this was an opportunity to speak of her concern for Grinling in the forthcoming change in his life.
‘Would you be offended if I made a suggestion as to how you could help Master Grinling when he goes to live in England?’
‘Not at all. Please sit down.’ Robert pushed a chair forward for her and when she was seated he swung another around for himself. ‘Tell me what you have in mind.’
‘I think from this moment on you should talk only English to him. Unless he has some command of the language he will be at such a disadvantage in a country where everything will be new to him.’
To her surprise he smiled with a shake of his head, his eyes amused. ‘Do you think I haven’t tried that? Most of the time on our tour I refused to speak anything but English and, when necessary, Italian. Our tutor did the same, but although Grinling did his best he has a Dutch accent as thick as berries on a cherry tree and sometimes when he does speak English you would still suppose he was speaking his own tongue.’
She was surprised. ‘I didn’t know.’
‘How could you?’ He shrugged his shoulders. ‘But you must not worry about him. He can read English well, although he writes it phonetically, which is somewhat strange at times. Yet usually he can make his meaning clear.’
She relaxed, sitting back. ‘You have reassured me. I didn’t want him to be cheated by some unscrupulous master when starting work in your
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