When she reached home that evening she was in a more
cheerful mood. She flung her coat over its hook and walked
into the kitchen where, to her amazement, she found Peter
and Marc Lillitos seated at the kitchen table, eating hot
buttered scones.
There was something so odd about seeing Marc in that
homely setting that her lips twitched with unguarded
amusement, and, looking back at her, his grey eyes smiled in
response. She looked away at once, thinking that it was
irritating, the way he read her mind so easily.
“Hi, Kate!” Peter leaned back, offering his cheek, and she
bent and kissed him, deliberately, on his mouth. He looked
rather surprised, but accepted it calmly.
Mrs. Caulfield was getting another batch of scones out of
the oven and Kate exchanged a wry, enquiring glance with
her, but her mother only smiled and shook her head, as
though totally at a loss to explain the presence of the two
men.
Peter took another scone, and said, through a buttery
mouthful, “I’d be eternally grateful, Lillitos. I’ve wanted to
see that temple for years. I understand some of it is still
standing in situ.”
“Yes, it is partially restored,” Marc said calmly, his gaze on
Kate’s flushed and angry face.
“I can’t wait to see it,” Peter said excitedly. “I could map
out the general area of the site, then a full team could come
in and do the serious work. I wouldn’t disturb the site at all.
Just work around, determining the limits of the building, if I
could, and estimating the size of team needed for the job.”
“Then that is settled,” Marc said, still watching Kate with