the villa activity amounted almost to chaos with Edmund at the storm center giving orders, telephoning, dictating, all with that calm control that possessed him when there was real work to do. Only in times of idle frustration did Edmund seethe with impatience.
Formalities had to be complied with, and Sarah made several visits to the police office for the documents and passes that would enable the film unit to get through to the disaster area.
She returned from one of these visits to find Edmund and Daniel in the midst of a heated argument.
“ I know I have to take orders from you, Edmund, ” Daniel was saying, “ but why do I have to stay here doing nothing? ”
“ We ’ re making a documentary, ” Edmund protested, “ not a drama with you as the hero. ”
“ I know that! ” Daniel snapped. “ And I shan ’ t expect to be taken in close-up or exposing my handsome profile while I ’ m giving a hand to a gang digging out some poor wretch from a wrecked building. ”
After some further discussion, Sarah was instructed to make out the necessary applications for Daniel.
“ I ’ ll take you down to the city, ” Daniel offered. “ You ’ ve already made several journeys. ”
She waited while he took one of the hired cars out of the garage. When Daniel was driving down the long winding road toward the Pile gate, he began to chuckle. “ I beat Edmund that time, didn ’ t I? As though I ’ d let him go to this place, Krasnograd, and take you with him and leave me behind! I haven ’ t forgotten this is where the famous Adam Thorne lives. ”
“ We haven ’ t any news about him yet, ” she answered calmly. “ Or from Radmilla. ”
“ Perhaps we shall find out when we get there. But I ’ m certainly not leaving him a clear field where you ’ re concerned. ”
“ A clear field? ” she echoed, hoping that Daniel would not notice that her face had suddenly flushed scarlet. “ How would that affect me? I thought you said that he was once in love with Melanie. ”
“ Oh, he may have changed since those days. Anyway, I ’ m not taking any chances. ”
“ So you mean that you ’ re going with the unit mainly to see that I don ’ t flirt with Adam? I thought you made a great fuss about wanting to help the injured or homeless! ”
“ So I do! I want to help, but I ’ d be a fool if I didn ’ t take some precautions to protect what I ’ d like to think are my own interests. ”
In the early evening Melanie came to wave goodbye to the party as they set off.
“ You ’ re quite mad, Edmund, ” she called, “ starting at this time of day. Why not wait until the morning? ”
“ That would be another day lost, ” he answered. “ We don ’ t know how long the journey will take. ”
“ You ’ re all in for a terribly uncomfortable ride, ” Melanie observed.
“ Au revoir, Sarah! ” Melanie ’ s cool voice penetrated Sarah ’ s preoccupation with settling herself in. “ You certainly have a heap of men to look after you. Are you going to enjoy being the only girl in the party? ”
“ I expect to be too busy to bother about that, ” Sarah replied with one of her most charming smiles. There were times when for the moment she became a match for Melanie ’ s needle-sharp baiting.
“ If you do happen to see Adam somewhere around there, do give him my love. He ’ s almost sure t o be in the thick of rescue parties, or building huts or something of the sort. ”
Sarah was instantly deflated, although she tried to convince herself that she was nettled more by Melanie ’ s callously lighthearted references to assistance in a stricken town than by the idea of passing on Melanie ’ s love to Adam.
A little crowd of people had gathered around the minibus and the truck, and Sarah and Daniel did their best to cope with the extra packages, the scrawled messages of greeting and goodwill to Krasnograd.
When the two vehicles were on the move, Sarah said, “ I hope I ’ m going to find
Formalities had to be complied with, and Sarah made several visits to the police office for the documents and passes that would enable the film unit to get through to the disaster area.
She returned from one of these visits to find Edmund and Daniel in the midst of a heated argument.
“ I know I have to take orders from you, Edmund, ” Daniel was saying, “ but why do I have to stay here doing nothing? ”
“ We ’ re making a documentary, ” Edmund protested, “ not a drama with you as the hero. ”
“ I know that! ” Daniel snapped. “ And I shan ’ t expect to be taken in close-up or exposing my handsome profile while I ’ m giving a hand to a gang digging out some poor wretch from a wrecked building. ”
After some further discussion, Sarah was instructed to make out the necessary applications for Daniel.
“ I ’ ll take you down to the city, ” Daniel offered. “ You ’ ve already made several journeys. ”
She waited while he took one of the hired cars out of the garage. When Daniel was driving down the long winding road toward the Pile gate, he began to chuckle. “ I beat Edmund that time, didn ’ t I? As though I ’ d let him go to this place, Krasnograd, and take you with him and leave me behind! I haven ’ t forgotten this is where the famous Adam Thorne lives. ”
“ We haven ’ t any news about him yet, ” she answered calmly. “ Or from Radmilla. ”
“ Perhaps we shall find out when we get there. But I ’ m certainly not leaving him a clear field where you ’ re concerned. ”
“ A clear field? ” she echoed, hoping that Daniel would not notice that her face had suddenly flushed scarlet. “ How would that affect me? I thought you said that he was once in love with Melanie. ”
“ Oh, he may have changed since those days. Anyway, I ’ m not taking any chances. ”
“ So you mean that you ’ re going with the unit mainly to see that I don ’ t flirt with Adam? I thought you made a great fuss about wanting to help the injured or homeless! ”
“ So I do! I want to help, but I ’ d be a fool if I didn ’ t take some precautions to protect what I ’ d like to think are my own interests. ”
In the early evening Melanie came to wave goodbye to the party as they set off.
“ You ’ re quite mad, Edmund, ” she called, “ starting at this time of day. Why not wait until the morning? ”
“ That would be another day lost, ” he answered. “ We don ’ t know how long the journey will take. ”
“ You ’ re all in for a terribly uncomfortable ride, ” Melanie observed.
“ Au revoir, Sarah! ” Melanie ’ s cool voice penetrated Sarah ’ s preoccupation with settling herself in. “ You certainly have a heap of men to look after you. Are you going to enjoy being the only girl in the party? ”
“ I expect to be too busy to bother about that, ” Sarah replied with one of her most charming smiles. There were times when for the moment she became a match for Melanie ’ s needle-sharp baiting.
“ If you do happen to see Adam somewhere around there, do give him my love. He ’ s almost sure t o be in the thick of rescue parties, or building huts or something of the sort. ”
Sarah was instantly deflated, although she tried to convince herself that she was nettled more by Melanie ’ s callously lighthearted references to assistance in a stricken town than by the idea of passing on Melanie ’ s love to Adam.
A little crowd of people had gathered around the minibus and the truck, and Sarah and Daniel did their best to cope with the extra packages, the scrawled messages of greeting and goodwill to Krasnograd.
When the two vehicles were on the move, Sarah said, “ I hope I ’ m going to find
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