very grateful to you for that—and for the skin tests we ran that proved Peter's allergy to her mother's cats. Through the social worker she has been able to get one of those new flats that have just been finished on the big new development on the outskirts of town— and a secretarial job at the school Peter will be going to. I hope it will mean an end to all his problems.'
'I hope Toby Underwood's case will be as easy to solve,' Katy said.
He shook his head. 'I'm afraid that's not very likely. Its cause could be one of so many factors. We've already investigated the possibility of allergy and infection, as you would imagine—only to find nothing. His asthma is obviously of the intrinsic kind and yet he doesn't strike one as an over-emotional child.'
Katy looked thoughtful. 'He has had a number of traumatic happenings in his young life from what you've told me. His mother dying—being sent away from home and now—' She looked at him meaningly. 'Now a new stepmother.'
Sean shook his head. 'I see what you mean but you can't compare his case with yours. Claire is the best thing that ever happened to Toby. He quite clearly adores her and as for school, do you know that it has been discovered through research that a great percentage of these children benefit from removal from their parents. That's why there are special schools for asthmatic children.'
'I know, I've been reading the subject up,' she told him. 'But you can't lay down hard and fast rules with asthmatics. It has been known to work in reverse. It's a known fact that one aspect of the "asthmatic personality" if such a thing exists is to bottle up feelings. Toby might well have suffered without confiding in anyone.'
He turned to smile at her. 'You have been doing your homework, haven't you? Yes, it's a very complex subject, which is what makes it so fascinating—unless of course you happen to be the unfortunate sufferer. What I'd like you to do, Katy, is to monitor Toby very closely, but without making it too obvious. Play down the nurse part of the job and concentrate more on the "companion". I believe you're just the person to do it.'
She smiled, flushing with pleasure. 'Thank you. I'll certainly do my best.'
He glanced at his watch. 'What about lunch?'
'Let me buy yours,' she said impulsively. 'In return for the lift.'
He smiled ruefully. 'The day I let a girl pay for my lunch she'll have to owe me more than a seat in my car!'
'That's a very chauvinistic point of view,' Katy remarked.
He swung the car off the road and on to the forecourt of an attractive small pub. 'Yes, isn't it!'
The Wheatsheaf Inn was small but comfortable and served a delicious ploughman's lunch with crusty bread, cheese, pickles and a crisp salad. By the time they resumed their drive Katy felt pleasantly full, and with the warm sun on the windscreen she soon found herself nodding. Sean looked at her.
'Sleepy?'
She blinked hard. 'I had a late night. Dad and I sat up talking.'
He smiled. 'Why fight it? If you press the lever on your right the seat will recline. Why not have forty winks as my grandfather used to call it?'
When Katy opened her eyes again it was to a wide arc of clear blue sky. The car was beginning its descent of a steep hill and on all sides there was rolling moorland. She sat up and rubbed her eyes.
'Where are we?'
Sean smiled. 'Ah, so you're awake. I was just going to stop and give you a nudge. We're almost there. At the foot of this hill is the village of Belldon Cross and Bridge House is on the outskirts.'
'And your house?' she asked.
'About another couple of miles farther on,' he told her. 'I'll drop you off first. I telephoned Claire last night after your prospective stepmama had SOS'd for help to let her know when to expect us.' He turned to look at her as she took out her handbag mirror and peered anxiously into it. 'You look perfectly all right. Don't worry.'
She tugged at her hair, which as usual was escaping in wispy tendrils. 'It would have
'I hope Toby Underwood's case will be as easy to solve,' Katy said.
He shook his head. 'I'm afraid that's not very likely. Its cause could be one of so many factors. We've already investigated the possibility of allergy and infection, as you would imagine—only to find nothing. His asthma is obviously of the intrinsic kind and yet he doesn't strike one as an over-emotional child.'
Katy looked thoughtful. 'He has had a number of traumatic happenings in his young life from what you've told me. His mother dying—being sent away from home and now—' She looked at him meaningly. 'Now a new stepmother.'
Sean shook his head. 'I see what you mean but you can't compare his case with yours. Claire is the best thing that ever happened to Toby. He quite clearly adores her and as for school, do you know that it has been discovered through research that a great percentage of these children benefit from removal from their parents. That's why there are special schools for asthmatic children.'
'I know, I've been reading the subject up,' she told him. 'But you can't lay down hard and fast rules with asthmatics. It has been known to work in reverse. It's a known fact that one aspect of the "asthmatic personality" if such a thing exists is to bottle up feelings. Toby might well have suffered without confiding in anyone.'
He turned to smile at her. 'You have been doing your homework, haven't you? Yes, it's a very complex subject, which is what makes it so fascinating—unless of course you happen to be the unfortunate sufferer. What I'd like you to do, Katy, is to monitor Toby very closely, but without making it too obvious. Play down the nurse part of the job and concentrate more on the "companion". I believe you're just the person to do it.'
She smiled, flushing with pleasure. 'Thank you. I'll certainly do my best.'
He glanced at his watch. 'What about lunch?'
'Let me buy yours,' she said impulsively. 'In return for the lift.'
He smiled ruefully. 'The day I let a girl pay for my lunch she'll have to owe me more than a seat in my car!'
'That's a very chauvinistic point of view,' Katy remarked.
He swung the car off the road and on to the forecourt of an attractive small pub. 'Yes, isn't it!'
The Wheatsheaf Inn was small but comfortable and served a delicious ploughman's lunch with crusty bread, cheese, pickles and a crisp salad. By the time they resumed their drive Katy felt pleasantly full, and with the warm sun on the windscreen she soon found herself nodding. Sean looked at her.
'Sleepy?'
She blinked hard. 'I had a late night. Dad and I sat up talking.'
He smiled. 'Why fight it? If you press the lever on your right the seat will recline. Why not have forty winks as my grandfather used to call it?'
When Katy opened her eyes again it was to a wide arc of clear blue sky. The car was beginning its descent of a steep hill and on all sides there was rolling moorland. She sat up and rubbed her eyes.
'Where are we?'
Sean smiled. 'Ah, so you're awake. I was just going to stop and give you a nudge. We're almost there. At the foot of this hill is the village of Belldon Cross and Bridge House is on the outskirts.'
'And your house?' she asked.
'About another couple of miles farther on,' he told her. 'I'll drop you off first. I telephoned Claire last night after your prospective stepmama had SOS'd for help to let her know when to expect us.' He turned to look at her as she took out her handbag mirror and peered anxiously into it. 'You look perfectly all right. Don't worry.'
She tugged at her hair, which as usual was escaping in wispy tendrils. 'It would have
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