Follow a Stranger

When she reached home that evening she was in a more

cheerful mood. She flung her coat over its hook and walked

into the kitchen where, to her amazement, she found Peter

and Marc Lillitos seated at the kitchen table, eating hot

buttered scones.

There was something so odd about seeing Marc in that

homely setting that her lips twitched with unguarded

amusement, and, looking back at her, his grey eyes smiled in

response. She looked away at once, thinking that it was

irritating, the way he read her mind so easily.

“Hi, Kate!” Peter leaned back, offering his cheek, and she

bent and kissed him, deliberately, on his mouth. He looked

rather surprised, but accepted it calmly.

Mrs. Caulfield was getting another batch of scones out of

the oven and Kate exchanged a wry, enquiring glance with

her, but her mother only smiled and shook her head, as

though totally at a loss to explain the presence of the two

men.

Peter took another scone, and said, through a buttery

mouthful, “I’d be eternally grateful, Lillitos. I’ve wanted to

see that temple for years. I understand some of it is still

standing in situ.”

“Yes, it is partially restored,” Marc said calmly, his gaze on

Kate’s flushed and angry face.

“I can’t wait to see it,” Peter said excitedly. “I could map

out the general area of the site, then a full team could come

in and do the serious work. I wouldn’t disturb the site at all.

Just work around, determining the limits of the building, if I

could, and estimating the size of team needed for the job.”

“Then that is settled,” Marc said, still watching Kate with