In Sunshine or in Shadow [antikvár]

PROLOGUE He stood outside the house waiting for the signal which was given exactly as arranged. Let in by the back door, through the kitchen, he followed the maid's directions until he arrived at the door of the room. Easing the door open, he saw she was sleeping on a chintz-covered sofa by the fire. The dog was there as well, lying on the rug in fi-ont of a log fire. 'It's all right,' the maid whispered, 'he's as deaf as a post now. He won't hear you.' He nodded and eased the door open more. The maid left him, disappearing into the shadows of the hall back to the kitchen. There were gifts on the floor, at least that's what he took them to be as he carefiilly tiptoed his way towards her. She was sleeping so peacefiilly, one arm draped above her tousled head, the other trailing off the sofa so that her long elegant fingers just touched the floor. They had to be gifts because there was wrapping paper in the waste basket and some hand-made tags on the chimney piece. The gifts were some small hand-carved models, figures, some embroidered linen napkins, a book bound in deep red leather, and a watercolour of the dog who still slept on, undisturbed by him. It was her birthday. The image before him was so beautiful that for a moment he caught his breath, the girl and her dog, asleep in an elegant room lit by the warm glow of the firelight. She was even loveUer than he remembered. And it was her birthday. There was also an old-fashioned hat, which looked as though it had been retrimmed, lying on the arm of the sofa, and another