Follow a Stranger

We could go down there, couldn’t we? And his office is so far

away from the bedrooms that we would disturb nobody.”

“Won’t he mind?” Kate asked anxiously. She did not want

to run the risk of another row with Marc tonight.

“Why should he?” asked his mother, raising one fine

eyebrow. She groped for her stick. “Give me your arm, ma

chere, and we will solace our souls with music.”

Kate laughed, and guided her down the stairs and along

the corridor which led to Marc’s office. She had never been

in there before and for a moment her curiosity mastered her

manners. She stared round her, taking in the long, red-

leather topped desk, the steel filing cabinets, the

bookshelves and cupboards. It was a long, wide room,

probably the biggest in the house. The windows were

covered with wooden shutters. There was discreet strip

lighting down the middle of the room, and a thick grey

carpet on the floor. Leather-backed chairs stood about the

room. Everything was very tidy, very businesslike.

Mrs. Lillitos was watching her, with a faint smile. “You

are interested in the room?”

Kate flushed. “I’m sorry, I was being curious.”

“Naturally. Ma chere, my son works very hard. He is at

the head of a vast modern business complex. It is not a ...

what do you say? A nine-to-five job. He works all the hours

of the day, sometimes. He gets very tired, very irritable.

Because, of course, he is only a man. And men have needs

they are sometimes too proud to reveal.”

Kate plunged across the room, desperate to change the

subject, afraid of what she might hear. “Is this the record

player?” She knew that she was behaving rudely, but she