Mrs. Lillitos leaned back. “Tell me about yourself, my
dear. Do you like teaching music?”
“I like teaching anyone as talented as Pallas,” she said
frankly. “It’s a great pleasure to feel that one is able to
help someone with her gifts.”
Mrs. Lillitos did not reply directly. After a pause she
said, “And yourself? Are you musically talented? Did you
ever want to be a professional pianist?”
“How did you know I was a pianist?” Kate asked in
surprise.
“I heard you playing to my son last night. It was very
pleasant. You must play for me again some time. Did you
enjoy exploring the island today?”
Kate blinked. “I ... I didn’t go with Pallas and Sam,”
she said slowly. “I went to the temple.”
“To Angkistri?” repeated Mrs. Lillitos. “Are you
interested in archaeology? We have a young man here
now, studying the temple.”
“He is my fiancé,” Kate explained, smiling in surprise.
Why hadn’t Marc told his mother that she and Peter were
engaged?
Mrs. Lillitos stiffened and stared at her. “Fiancé?” she
repeated. “Fiancé?”
Kate would have thought she did not know the word,
but she remembered that Mrs. Lillitos was French and
must be perfectly familiar with it.
“Didn’t Marc tell you?” she asked. “Surely Pallas must
have mentioned it to you?”
Then she saw that Mrs. Lillitos was very pale. Her frail
hand was groping for the stick which stood propped