People weren't enemies .sx They wanted to help .sx When they'd reached the house she'd been swept inside to meet a circle of faces and eyes and reaching hands , but it hadn't been for her .sx She'd stood there , invisible .sx The eyes and the hands and the quick voices had all been for the baby .sx That was how it had been , and afterwards , too .sx Someone had brought her up and gone straight away again , to the room next door .sx Where the baby was .sx She'd heard voices in there for a long time .sx Even now , if she went close to the communicating door , she could hear faint voices the other side .sx She wanted desperately to turn the flower-painted china knob on the apple-green door , and go through , but somehow she couldn't .sx She had a dreadful feeling that if she did she'd find she was really and truly invisible ; that eyes would look through her , and steps go past and no one would see or hear her at all .sx She thought desperately , I'm going crazy , then turned sharply towards the other door- the one leading out to the wide , white-painted corridor .sx She called , " Come in " and the door opened , to release bright electric light into the twilighted room .sx It bounced in , scattering gay colour into the carpeted floor .sx A grey ghost followed it .sx That was what the figure looked like .sx Grey and blurred .sx Hastily Lea groped for her glasses again , and the ghost became a plump , grey-haired woman in a grey pleated skirt and grey jumper .sx One of the people who'd been downstairs in the hall .sx She didn't know which one .sx All the names and distinctions had been jumbled up in her mind .sx The grey woman seemed to know that , because she explained now , " I'm Abby Paladrey- Mort's sister , just in case you didn't get things clear when we were introduced .sx " " How .sx . how do you do ?sx " Lea rose stiffly , jerkily from the window seat , striving to brush some of the creases from the cheap blue linen of her skirt .sx She wished that she'd started to tidy up and hadn't been found like this- a mess .sx She knew that was how she appeared .sx She'd seen herself in the mirror coming up the stairs and she'd looked terrible .sx All eyes and white hollow face and cheap , crumpled clothes .sx " Are you comfortable ?sx " Abby Paladrey asked , her bright gaze going from Lea to the shabby suitcase by the bed .sx " Not unpacked ?sx I'll send Edith up to help you then .sx That's Edith Camm .sx Our housemaid .sx A good worker , even if she is silly about boys , or rather just one boy .sx She's determined to get married and leave , young as she is .sx They're all too independent these days .sx Mrs. Stewart too .sx That's our daily , Rita Stewart .sx She's a widow .sx " She hesitated , as though expecting that Lea would break her silence .sx When she didn't , she went on in her brisk , clackety voice , that reminded Lea of nothing so much as a childhood memory of the boy next door playing with a morse set .sx Clack , clack , clackety , clack .sx It was just the same .sx " It's not like the old days at all .sx In a place like this there would have been two housemaids at least and a cook and a girl for the kitchen and maybe more , but now it's get what you can and be thankful for that .sx Why , I remember , even at home when I was small there was a woman full time and another for the washing and the rough work and we never had money or much , but even in Wales it's all changed .sx " The words had been flowing over Lea .sx Like the sea .sx Going in and out .sx Softly , pleasantly .sx Lulling her .sx Then there was the big wave of surprise and she jerked .sx " Wales !sx I thought you were Americans .sx " Miss Paladrey looked equally surprised .sx Her rosebud mouth went into a perfect crumpled O. She answered , " No .sx That is , Babby is , of course , and Honor .sx And Eddie was .sx " Her plump bosom went up , and down , just like a billowing wave , before she went on explaining , " They all came from America .sx Babba married when she was sixteen , which was worse than Edith , but there- they all seem to do it over there .sx That was to Ed Anwood , but he died years back and then came the day young Eddie got his draft papers , as they call them .sx He should have had them before , only he hurt his shoulder at football or somesuch and there was a long time spent in treatment , so it was all deferred , but finally he went .sx Into the Air Force , that was , and next thing they sent him over here to work out his spell of duty .sx So Babba packed up and followed .sx Of course she came to see Ian and his father .sx The old gentleman was dying then and when Babba made him an offer he said yes .sx " " An offer ?sx " Lea was beginning to feel dizzy .sx " For the place .sx You've no idea , looking at it now , what it was like then .sx So Babby says , anyway .sx Even when we came it was different to now .sx Babba's just poured money into it .sx " She was suddenly silent .sx Lea saw with surprise that the rosebudy [SIC] mouth was no longer a bud .sx It was thin and straight and tight .sx Then abruptly it relaxed .sx The bright little eyes looked into hers and the clackety-clack continued as though the break had never been .sx " Ian had to agree to the sale because it was the only thing to do , things being as they were .sx So Babba moved in and Ian took over managing the place for her .sx " And that was when Mort and I came into the picture .sx As I said , we were brought up in Wales .sx Our father was a songster .sx Lloyd Paladrey .sx " She was silent again ; expectant .sx Lea said with embarrassment , " I don't know much about music .sx " " Oh well , " Abby didn't seem discouraged , " he was too much of a dreamer ever to do any good .sx People used him as they liked and he never seemed to get more than a penny or two out of it .sx Later on Mort and I came to London and he made a good little packet for himself .sx I kept house for him and things were just perfect , Mrs. Beverly .sx Then we went for a touring holiday .sx A coach trip , all over the place , with a group , and one day we finished up at a castle .sx Babba was there , sight-seeing with Eddie , who was on leave .sx She'd bought this place by then and had settled in and she asked us to come and see it .sx She made a lot of jokes about it being an ancient monument she'd restored for England .sx " Well Mort fell for her and that was that .sx " She made a little gesture of her plump hands , and the pouter bosom billowed again .sx Lea thought , she said things had been perfect .sx She didn't add it to present events .sx She looked into the bright eyes , but they were expressionless .sx Almost apologetically , Abby added , " I seem to have talked enough , but I wanted to put you straight about everyone in the house .sx You looked dazed down there in the hall , as though things were too much to take in .sx " Lea thought warmly , so I wasn't invisible to one person anyway .sx She felt swift gratitude towards the plump , chattering woman .sx " I was dazed , " she admitted .sx Abby nodded vehemently , " Just like a Ferris Wheel , I should think .sx Honor made me go on one once at a fair and I've never forgotten .sx Up and down and round and round and never getting to any place and then leaving you that dizzy .sx . " Lea repeated dully , " A Ferris Wheel , " and shivered ; remembered a long-ago scene .sx She'd been tiny then .sx Her parents had taken her to a fair and there had been a wheel , a great sparred skeleton of bright red against the evening sky .sx It had gone round and round and then people had been screaming and the wheel had come slowly apart and had .sx . Crash !sx She was back in the nightmare .sx She came out tearingly , to hear Abby saying brightly , " But you'll be all right now .sx " Will I ?sx Lea wondered .sx I doubt it .sx Unconsciously her gaze went to the other door .sx Everything now seemed silent beyond it .sx Abby hadn't followed the direction of the girl's gaze .sx She was saying , " So do you know who everyone is now ?sx Honor was the tall fair girl and you know Ian , and .sx . " Lea spoke without thinking .sx She asked , " What does Ian think of being just a servant here now- in his old home ?sx " Abby seemed to answer without thought , too .sx She said , " Oh he hates it , and us .sx " CHAPTER FOUR .sx Lea woke to the certain knowledge that something unpleasant was to be faced .sx She lay still , staring upwards at the ceiling .sx There was a shadow on it just over her head .sx She tried to make out what it was , then rolled over and sat up , reaching for her glasses .sx The shadow resolved itself into a large brown moth .sx It looked alien in the carefully decorated pastel bedroom .sx Like I do , Lea thought and glanced across at the communicating door .sx She slid softly from the bed , padding over the thick carpet , hesitating , then turned the china door-knob and went into the other room , a too-thin figure in the fragile blue nylon nightgown .sx The baby was still asleep .sx As always , when she looked at him , she tried to trace some resemblance to herself in his tiny features , but there was nothing .sx Standing there , she told herself she had much to be glad for .sx She had warmth and shelter and food and comfort .sx And apparent friendship .sx At dinner the previous evening Babba had been friendly ; had striven to make the stranger a part of the household .sx So had Abby , with her constant stream of chatter , about the dairy herd of Fen House , about the Fens themselves , about their neighbours .sx Lea remembered that Mort Paladrey had put an end to that , when he'd interrupted one cheerfully scandalous anecdote with a terse , " That's libel .sx Isn't so .sx You're a mean-minded gossiping old woman .sx " Abby's putty-blob of a nose had turned red .sx For a moment Lea had feared a scene , then Abby had laughed ; had turned the talk to something else .sx Lea was not sure of Mort Paladrey .sx Short and rotund , with thinning grey hair and ruddy face , out of which two surprisingly blue eyes stared at the world about him , he hadn't said much and nothing at all to Lea- not after the first greeting and later , when Babba had shooed her upstairs , he'd said goodnight .sx Ian had said very little and Honor had just sat there , eating a little , smoking a lot , never even seeming to gaze at the guest , but always , when Lea looked away from her , she had the impression that Honor's grey eyes went straight to her face .sx That had been one of the uncomfortable things .sx Another had been Jean McLone's firm , " The baby's asleep , Mrs. Beverly .sx I wouldn't go into his room now .sx " Lea knew she should have held her ground .sx Gone in .sx But she hadn't .sx Something inside her had curled up in panic and she'd said something vague and gone to bed without seeing the baby at all .sx That had been wrong and she'd wondered if downstairs they would comment on it and say she didn't seem to love the baby .sx She wondered if they wouldn't be right .sx She was acting selfishly , denying the baby a name- but perhaps she was giving him more than a name .sx He had security , comfort , for a little at least .sx Far more than ever she could hope to give him .sx She didn't dare think ahead , to the day when she would have to tell about Arthur , confess she'd preyed on these people , for the sake of a few months of comfort .sx She'd been mad to come and yet .sx . There'd been one more uncomfortable thing , too , before she'd fallen asleep .sx Edith Camm coming into the bedroom just after Lea had slipped between the sheets- apple-green sheets that matched the walls and had made Lea feel as though she was part of a great apple-green meringue .sx