Follow a Stranger

museum. Isn’t that wonderful?”

She agreed flatly that it was, and rang off. Her mother

looked up as she drifted into the kitchen.

“You look upset, dear. Did Peter object to you dining

with Mr. Lillitos?”

“Far from it,” Kate sighed. “He seemed quite pleased to

have a free night to read archaeology.”

Mrs. Caulfield smiled, but watched her with concern.

She often wondered if Peter were the right man for Kate.

They were more like brother and sister than lovers. Peter

was nice enough, but rather too wrapped up in his work,

and Kate was an impulsive, warmhearted girl. It would be

a tragedy if she married a man who could never respond to

her. Sometimes Mrs. Caulfield had a nightmare in which

Kate was buried alive, under dusty tomes, and Peter

worked on, deaf to her cries for help. She shook herself

mentally, and began to whip up a cream sponge. The twins

would be back from school soon, ravenous and noisy.

“What are you going to wear?” she asked Kate, beating

the mixture lightly.

“Goodness knows. I haven’t got a dress which is even

remotely suitable for dinner with a millionaire.”

“Your pink one is pretty,” her mother suggested.

Kate laughed at her. “My pink one, Mother, is the only

formal dress I possess, as you perfectly well know!” She

shrugged her shoulders. “But so what? I’m not trying to

compete with the glamour girls he usually takes around,

am I? It doesn’t matter what he thinks of my dress.”

Sam, putting his head around the door, grinned. “There

was a false ring to that remark. What are you talking