That Day.

Ria was a little feverish that evening. The time she had spent in the outdoor pool despite being asked to come in, had made her catch a chill and she had been sneezing at dinnertime as well. She had a small slice of pie which was unusual enough for her.

Having forced her to have some broth that I had fixed for her, I stood, worriedly, fussing over her when Lucien entered for dinner. Scrambling down from her seat, she trundled over to him and clasped his knees. I felt a pang of jealousy. How soon she had accepted him in her life, I thought. Gaston picked her up immediately and frowned across at me,

" She’s burning. She has a fever, woman!." He was almost yelling at me, his eyes hot embers of fury.

Good grief, I thought crossly, I had been a veteran of colds and coughs and fevers with the kids when we were in Bhutan, struggling all alone. One sneeze and the man was behaving like he was being decapitated! Hands on my hips,I pursed my lips.

"Yes,' I answered crossly. She spent too much ti