“I’m afraid I must.”
“I am so sorry. I hope my idle chatter hasn’t detained you from your duties?”
Her bland, pussy-cat smile pursued him to the hospital. It haunted the remainder of his day, and later invaded his sleep. He dreamed that Claire was a canary and Mme. Petrovskey, in the form of a Cheshire cat, had devoured her. The smile was outlined with blood.
CHAPTER XVIII
DISCORD
Above a livid line of snow the villa Sirena loomed brilliantly like some huge ocean liner, against the night.
A shiver of excitement ran up Anne’s spine. So they had arrived at last! “How large it looks,” she said rather breathlessly. In spite of herself a slight tremor crept into her voice. Alexis turned towards her passionately. Under cover of the darkness his face was puzzled, triumphant. This new, virginal Anne, was at once mysterious and adorable.
“It is rather deceptive at night,” he replied quietly, ignoring her confusion. “Not really large at all, but I know it will please you because it’s modeled exactly after the Florentine villas you love so much. Once inside, you scarcely dream you are only in Long Island.”
With a skillful twist of the wrist, he turned the car in at the gates and entered the driveway.
“Of course I shall love it!”
He took a hand off the wheel and laid it on hers.