seems sad. Most girls would be delighted to have five older brothers.'
' I'm not most girls.' She heard the defiant note creeping back in her voice. If only he would let go of her hands, she thought, and then knew that that was not what she really wanted, for she loved the touch of his fingers as they curled round hers.
That,' he said drily, is obvious. I wonder what started you feeling this animosity towards your brothers. Can you remember when it began?'
Rayanne stared up at him. It was absurd, she knew, and she kept telling herself it though it had no effect on her feelings, but just to feel his hands round hers, just to be so near, made it hard to think.
' I'm ten years younger than my youngest brother . . . when I was little I always wanted to play with him, but he'd have nothing to do with me. Then I hated it when he had his first girl-friend, because he was my brother . . . and suddenly he wasn't. Then at school—well, I wasn't very bright and . .
She paused as his dark tufty eyebrows lifted.
You must have been pretty bright,' he said, to get where you are.'
Again her cheeks burned. ' I had to work hard and just scraped through my exams. All my brothers got Honours and hardly had to work. They were just naturals, like Dad.'
You're like your mother?'
Rayanne nodded. Yes, except that she's lovely. She's tall and slender with high cheekbones and gorgeous red hair. She looks absurdly young and never seems to grow old.'
But she has no brains?'
That's what my father says, but I think he's wrong. Mother helped me a lot with my studies.' Your father didn't?'
' He was always too busy with the boys. He's a lawyer, you see, and so are my brothers and . . Your father wanted you to be one?'
Rayanne shrugged. I don't think he thought for a moment that I could be one, but definitely he'd have liked it. He wanted to be proud of me, as he is of the others, but I let him down.'
Ray, you're so wrong,' Cary began, then dropped her hands quickly, as if they had burned him or even stung him. Mrs Jefferson came out to join them, but if Cary had let go of Rayanne's hands
because of that, then he had left it too late for his mother had a happy, almost triumphant look on her face as she beamed on them both.
You'll be home the day after tomorrow, Cary,' said Mrs Jefferson. She didn't ask. ' I'm giving a little dinner party for Rayanne I thought we'd ask those two nice vets, what are their names? Leslie Van der Mer and Loftus Jones? And Sister Macintyre and Christine Horlock. I haven't asked them over for some time and they must think it very rude of me.'
Cary nodded. That's fine, Mother.' He looked at Rayanne and his eyes were twinkling. This time I won't forget.' Then he left them.
Rayanne sat down and Mrs Jefferson followed suit. They sat in silence, Rayanne knowing that her companion was bursting with things that mustn't be said, questions that shouldn't be asked.
It's a lovely day,' Rayanne said to overcome the awkward silence.
Is it?' Mrs Jefferson looked vague and then smiled. ` Yes, dear child, I can see it is.' She positively beamed and Rayanne felt herself blushing, for she saw that Cary's mother had completely misinterpreted Rayanne's words. Mrs Jefferson thought it was a lovely day for Rayanne because Cary, her wonderful son, had been holding Rayanne's hands!
And wasn't it? that mocking little voice that so often hides inside us asked. Wasn't it a lovely day?
You have met Daphne and Christine?' Mrs Jefferson asked. Both of them are crazy about poor Cary and chase him to death. They must be
mad.'
They're both very attractive.' As usual, Rayanne found herself leaping to the defence of anyone criticised.
Good looks! ' Mrs Jefferson said scornfully. Comes out of pots. But they're most unsuitable for Cary. Daphne is so bossy and she just can't talk about anything, anything at all. As for Christine . . . all she thinks about is her microscope. She isn't a bit interested in the animals, you know, and Cary
' I'm not most girls.' She heard the defiant note creeping back in her voice. If only he would let go of her hands, she thought, and then knew that that was not what she really wanted, for she loved the touch of his fingers as they curled round hers.
That,' he said drily, is obvious. I wonder what started you feeling this animosity towards your brothers. Can you remember when it began?'
Rayanne stared up at him. It was absurd, she knew, and she kept telling herself it though it had no effect on her feelings, but just to feel his hands round hers, just to be so near, made it hard to think.
' I'm ten years younger than my youngest brother . . . when I was little I always wanted to play with him, but he'd have nothing to do with me. Then I hated it when he had his first girl-friend, because he was my brother . . . and suddenly he wasn't. Then at school—well, I wasn't very bright and . .
She paused as his dark tufty eyebrows lifted.
You must have been pretty bright,' he said, to get where you are.'
Again her cheeks burned. ' I had to work hard and just scraped through my exams. All my brothers got Honours and hardly had to work. They were just naturals, like Dad.'
You're like your mother?'
Rayanne nodded. Yes, except that she's lovely. She's tall and slender with high cheekbones and gorgeous red hair. She looks absurdly young and never seems to grow old.'
But she has no brains?'
That's what my father says, but I think he's wrong. Mother helped me a lot with my studies.' Your father didn't?'
' He was always too busy with the boys. He's a lawyer, you see, and so are my brothers and . . Your father wanted you to be one?'
Rayanne shrugged. I don't think he thought for a moment that I could be one, but definitely he'd have liked it. He wanted to be proud of me, as he is of the others, but I let him down.'
Ray, you're so wrong,' Cary began, then dropped her hands quickly, as if they had burned him or even stung him. Mrs Jefferson came out to join them, but if Cary had let go of Rayanne's hands
because of that, then he had left it too late for his mother had a happy, almost triumphant look on her face as she beamed on them both.
You'll be home the day after tomorrow, Cary,' said Mrs Jefferson. She didn't ask. ' I'm giving a little dinner party for Rayanne I thought we'd ask those two nice vets, what are their names? Leslie Van der Mer and Loftus Jones? And Sister Macintyre and Christine Horlock. I haven't asked them over for some time and they must think it very rude of me.'
Cary nodded. That's fine, Mother.' He looked at Rayanne and his eyes were twinkling. This time I won't forget.' Then he left them.
Rayanne sat down and Mrs Jefferson followed suit. They sat in silence, Rayanne knowing that her companion was bursting with things that mustn't be said, questions that shouldn't be asked.
It's a lovely day,' Rayanne said to overcome the awkward silence.
Is it?' Mrs Jefferson looked vague and then smiled. ` Yes, dear child, I can see it is.' She positively beamed and Rayanne felt herself blushing, for she saw that Cary's mother had completely misinterpreted Rayanne's words. Mrs Jefferson thought it was a lovely day for Rayanne because Cary, her wonderful son, had been holding Rayanne's hands!
And wasn't it? that mocking little voice that so often hides inside us asked. Wasn't it a lovely day?
You have met Daphne and Christine?' Mrs Jefferson asked. Both of them are crazy about poor Cary and chase him to death. They must be
mad.'
They're both very attractive.' As usual, Rayanne found herself leaping to the defence of anyone criticised.
Good looks! ' Mrs Jefferson said scornfully. Comes out of pots. But they're most unsuitable for Cary. Daphne is so bossy and she just can't talk about anything, anything at all. As for Christine . . . all she thinks about is her microscope. She isn't a bit interested in the animals, you know, and Cary
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