LITMIR.BIZ

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face of Big Ben in the clock tower. Valerie didn’t even notice that its hands pointed at two o’clock.

      Valerie stared at Victor, fascinated, as he told her about his lonely childhood.

      “My parents were killed in a plane crash when I was just learning to walk,” he said. “There was an immense fortune, and guardians who took care of everything. There wasn’t love, of course, or even affection.”

      Valerie wanted to put her arms around him, to make up for everything he had been denied. Instead, she sat still, her hands folded in her lap.

      “I don’t know why I’m telling you all of this,” he smiled. “I’ve never told anybody else.”

      “I want to know,” she said. “I want to know everything about you.”

      “There was a castle, a tutor. But the only family I had was my brother, Raymond.”

      “I’ve heard of him,” Valerie said.

      “Yes, a lot of people have heard of Raymond,” said Victor thoughtfully. “He keeps to himself, though.”

      “Are you close, the two of you?” she asked.

      “Oh, yes,” he said with a little laugh. “Raymond doesn’t quite approve of me.”

      “How could he not approve of you?” Valerie asked indignantly.

      “Now, now,” he said, patting her hand, sending a little thrill through her. “It’s the way I live. The mansion, the paintings, all the glorious things I enjoy having around me.”

      “I don’t see why that’s any of his business,” Valerie murmured.

      Idly, he reached out one hand, put a finger on Valerie’s chin, and turned her face toward him.

      “He thinks I’m very, very extravagant,” he said, laughter in his eyes. “And, do you know something? He’s quite right.”

      Valerie looked into Victor Penn’s face, felt her whole body opening toward him like a flower toward the sun. She waited for his arms to encircle her, draw her to him. Waited for his kiss on her mouth.

      The black night softened to the gray of dawn, to a smoky pink. The occasional car driving over Westminster Bridge near where they were parked turned into a steady stream of buses, trucks, taxis. All around them, London was waking, preparing for the day.

      Victor dropped his hand into his lap.

      “I had better take you home,” he said. “It’s dawn. We’ve talked all night.”

      With a guilty start, Valerie looked across the bridge at Big Ben’s face and saw, as Victor started the car, that it was nearly six o’clock in the morning.

      The Bentley drew up to the curb in front of the house on Green Street. Will he kiss me now? Valerie wondered as she turned to face him. Surely he will kiss me now.

      “I had a lovely time,” she smiled.

      “So did I,” he said, opening his door. “I’ll just come around and let you out.”

      “It was really nice of you to come to my concert,” she said a moment later as he took her elbow and helped her out of the car.

      “You were wonderful,” he said, making a gallant little bow to her. “We had a good notion when we came up with the arts endowment program. And you, of course, are the jewel in its crown.”

      “Thank you again,” she said shyly, taking a step toward the house, wanting to beg him to take her wherever he was going.

      He waited patiently for a moment, until Valerie realized she was to walk up the stairs, give him permission to leave. After walking up to the front door and raising the knocker, she turned for a moment. He was standing beside the door of the beautiful green Bentley, which gleamed in the early-morning sun. He gave a little wave, a smile as he got into it and drove away.

      “Good morning, miss,” whispered Janet as she opened the door. She was already dressed in her uniform, her gray hair in a neat bun at the base of her neck. “You played like an angel last night. It was wonderful.”

      “Thank you, Janet,” murmured Valerie, looking tentatively up the stairway, toward the door to Lady Anne’s suite.

      “You’d better go up, miss,” whispered Janet. “Take off your shoes, and hurry as fast as you can. Her Ladyship won’t hear from me that you’ve been out all night. And that’s a promise I’m making you.”

      It wasn’t until Valerie leaned against the closed door of her bedroom that she realized how desperately tired she was.

      Sighing, she threw Maria’s mink cape over the chaise longue, slipped out of her gown. She kicked off the white satin slippers and wiggled out of her panty hose. In the dressing room, she stood in front of the mirror. Golden strands of hair straggled out of the bun on top of her head. Her white shoulders sloped with fatigue as she touched her chin where Victor Penn had touched it. Reaching behind her neck, she unclasped the pearl necklace, took the matching earrings from her ears.

      She ran a steaming bath, then lay there, her eyes closed. All she could see was Victor Penn standing in the doorway of her dressing room. “He toasted me with champagne and he made me feel as if I were the only other person on the face of the earth,” she said to herself with a smile.

      Lady Anne was in the entry hall, shrugging off her dark mink coat into Janet’s waiting hands when Valerie finally came downstairs just before teatime.

      “Well, good afternoon, sleepyhead,” said Lady Anne, taking her arm. Together they walked into the drawing room, where a fire crackled in the fireplace and every table held flower arrangements that Valerie had received the night before.

      “Janet is bringing tea directly,” Lady Anne said as she puffed up a pillow on one of the sofas, moved a vase. “Aren’t all these flowers glorious?” she asked. “Perhaps you should give a concert every week, dear, and then we’ll always have these marvelous roses, the orchids. Wouldn’t that be nice?”

      Valerie sat gingerly on the edge of her chair, trying to find a way to tell Lady Anne she hadn’t gotten home until dawn.

      “Did you have a nice supper with Mr. Penn?” Lady Anne asked brightly. “He’s certainly handsome, isn’t he?”

      “He’s the most handsome man I’ve ever seen.”

      “Where did he take you?”

      “Rules, in Maiden Lane.”

      “Oh, yes,” said Lady Anne. “They get a younger crowd there, of course.” She smiled her thanks to Janet, who was setting the silver tea service on the table. “What’s he like?” she asked, her dark eyes alive with curiosity.

      “He’s so easy to talk to,” Valerie said. “I feel as if I’ve known him forever.”

      “Yes, people say that,” Lady Anne nodded. “He’s supposed to be very charming.”

      “Lady Anne, I have something to tell you,” said Valerie with a burst of courage. “I didn’t get home until six o’clock. I couldn’t help it. I just didn’t realize what time it was. After Rules closed, we went to a place where we could look across the river at the Houses of Parliament. We talked all night.” She paused, catching her breath. “I’m really, really sorry. It won’t happen again.”

      Lady Anne sat silently for a moment, sipping her tea.

      “I’m sure it was just the excitement of your triumph last night, dear,” Lady Anne said, smiling. “And, after all, Mr. Penn is the man behind your scholarship. Did he ask to see you again?”

      “No, he didn’t,” said Valerie, slowly shaking her head. “What would he want with me? I’m only seventeen.”

      “Well, dear, you’re a very beautiful and talented seventeen,” said Lady Anne, offering Valerie the platter of cakes.

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