Follow a Stranger

Easter to Peter he’d jump at it. He would really love to see

that temple.”

She drew a quick breath. He was right. Peter would

certainly want to go there.

Sam yawned. “I’m off to bed now. Goodnight, Sis.”

When he had gone Kate sat staring at the charcoal

drawing he had made. It really was very like Marc Lillitos.

Some obscure, buried instinct warned her against seeing

too much of that man. They were like people from different

planets. Their lives had touched by chance, and he had

already had a disturbing effect upon her. Her life had been

running smoothly for the past year. She had buried the

yearning for a musical career, had settled down quietly at

home, teaching and planning her life with Peter. And now, in

one day, the smooth threads of her life were tangled and

knotted.

She picked up the pad and tore the sketch off, holding it

up to the light. The arrogant face seemed to smile at her.

Angrily she crunched it into a ball and flung it across the

room, then went up to bed.

She decided, guiltily, not to mention the projected visit to

Kianthos to Peter. She had never practised deceit before,

even by omission, and it upset her. But the thought of

spending two weeks with Marc Lillitos disturbed her even

more.

She was abstracted and dreamy at school next day. Even

Pallas, during her daily singing lesson, commented upon it,

teasingly. Kate was relieved to find the girl still friendly, and

decided that perhaps Marc had not spoken to her of his idea

for the holiday, after all.