She spooned an elaborate confection of ice cream and then sat looking at it. Mary, she said.

She would have loved this. She made a small graceful gesture with one hand, embracing the guests and the stately room with its beautifully appointed table. She would...fit in, wouldnt she? She is so awfully pretty and she knows how to talk. She was unconscious of the wistfulness of her own voice. Max smiled. Pretty witty Mary, and added, and quite wasted on me, Im afraid. Sophy turned pink, and said ingenuously, Yes, that was a pity, wasnt it? But now I can quite understand why. She glanced across the table to where Tineke was sitting, and Maxs gaze, suddenly frowning, followed hers. So you understand... he began. But Sophy was getting to her feet in obedience to the little nod from the tall old lady who had been sitting at the foot of the table. The women broke into little groups in the drawing room, waiting for coffee and the men. Adelaide van Essen had drawn Sophy over to an inviting-looking sofa, but they had barely spoken two words together when Tineke joined them. Mevrouw Penninck wants to talk to you, she told Sophy in