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Anacapri, she suggested that he might like to look at the new shops. Some were already open, including a studio where a young English artist was arranging his works. Althea could not resist stopping to gaze at the colourful scenes, the glimpses of narrow streets, the translucent coast views or a portrait of an old woman tanned and wrinkled by more than sixty summers.
    The Bucklands stopped for a few minutes to chat to the young artist. His name was Brian Telford, he told them, and he had lived in Capri for two years.
    ‘ I ’ m a bit like the German who dashed over from Naples one afternoon to visit the Blue Grotto and stayed here for forty years! I came here the first time for a summer vacation, but the next year I stayed all the summer. Finally, I gave up the struggle and settled here. ’
    Althea hoped his new venture would succeed. ‘ I suppose you had a studio somewhere in Capri? ’
    ‘ Really only one-third of a very narrow and dark little shop. If I can ’ t make a living here, I shall ha-e to auction my paintings off to pay the rent. ’ He laughed in the face of such a prospect.
    Builders were still working on some of the adjacent shops and Lawrence inspected a couple. He made no comment until he and Althea had walked a few yards away.
    ‘ One of those might do very well, but I shall have to study the question of cost. There ’ s no sense on throwing money away on an expensive shop, when it ’ s the goods you have to sell that really matter. ’
    On their return to the little piazza in the centre of Anacapri Kent waved to them. He was sitting at a table outside one of the cafes.
    Althea was not sure that she wanted to accept his invitation to join him for a drink, but her father was eager to talk to him, so she had no option.
    In a few moments the two men were deep in discussion of Lawrence Buckland ’ s new project and Kent listened, putting in a word or two or asking a question.
    Althea took the first opportunity to butt in. ‘ I have to persuade my father not to become too eager and over-excited about his new toy. Before long he ’ ll be working all hours. ’ Lawrence laughed. ‘ You see what a dragon daughter I have, Kent. She ’ d harness me down like a small boy ©n leading reins, if she could. ’
    ‘ It ’ s your old harness that I ’ m afraid of, ’ she retorted.
    Kent smiled. ‘ Then it seems that if things go well, you ’ ll both be staying indefinitely on the island? ’
    ‘ Oh yes, ’ answered Lawrence. ‘ I ’ m charmed with the place — and I have several reasons for wanting to stay. ’
    ‘ I hope the prospect doesn ’ t displease you, ’ Althea said to Kent. ‘ I promise I won ’ t go near your villa in your absence and tumble to a suicidal end over your precipice. ’
    ‘ You ’ d better not. Might be no one to catch you when you fall. ’ His face had taken on a more sombre expression.
    ‘ I ’ m sorry we missed you yesterday, Cristo and I, ’ she said quickly while she had the chance. ‘ We hadn ’ t really gone off on our own. We were at the cafe on the other side of the square and we didn ’ t see you and Carla leave the professor ’ s house or the taxi drive off. ’
    He gave her a cool, indifferent glance as though he had not really been listening to her explanation.
    ‘ Didn ’ t matter, ’ he said brusquely. ‘ You were quite free to make other plans if you wished. ’
    ‘ But it wasn ’ t what I wanted to do, ’ she persisted.
    ‘ Then Cristo must have been persuasive. ’ His tone was frankly jeering now and she gave up the unequal struggle. She could not openly spar with Kent while her father sat at the table, although he was staring across the piazza, lost in dreams of the future and probably had not heard a word of this scrap of conversation.
    A moment or two went by in silence. Then Kent said, ‘ If I ’ m not mistaken, here comes Cristo now. ’
    The young Italian approached their table. ‘ Buon giorn o , ’ he said affably enough to