Free The Golden Peaks by Eleanor Farnes Page B

eight-thirty?”
    “Yes, certainly,” said Celia.
    “Have they made you quite comfortable in your room?”
    “Oh, yes—it’s a wonderful room, thank you.”
    “Good. Goodnight, Celia. Sleep well.”
    “Goodnight, Mr. St. Pierre,” she said, and rang off with a sudden lift of her spirit. How nice of him, she thought, and then asked herself derisively what was so nice. That he inquired if she were comfortable? That he hoped she would sleep well? Well, anyway, she defended him to herself, it was nice to hear a friendly voice before she went to sleep.
    The next day was spent chiefly in travelling, and when the Rotihorn was reached, Kurt told her to take the rest of the day to herself; but on the following morning, Celia was back in her neat uniform, waiting at table, and it was as if her trip to the Mirabella had never been. For two days, she was on duty in the afternoon, and could not go to see Dorothy. On the third day, thinking that the child would have missed her, she set off as soon as she was free, to walk up to the rest centre.
    As she approached Geoffrey Crindle’s chalet, she saw that he was standing on the grass, overlooking the valley and the mountains, with a scribbling pad and pencil in his hands. The men were now at work, transforming the chalet to his requirements. He waved to her as she came along the rough roadway.
    “Are you coming to see me?” he called.
    “No.” She stopped near him, breathing hard after her climb. “I’m on my way to see Dorothy. I haven’t seen her for several days and she will be missing me.”
    “Then I hope to see you on your way down. I’m still looking forward to that chat you promised me.”
    “I’ll look out for you.”
    “I hear you’ve ban gallivanting to the Mirabella.”
    “Yes. The drive there and back was magnificent . ”
    “So is the Mirabella, isn't it?”
    “Well, yes, in a different way. I must be off, but perhaps I will see you coming down.”
    Dorothy was delighted to see her and eager to s how her the progress of the tapestry on which she was working. She was doing it beautifully, revealing a hitherto unsuspected talent for needlework. She was also proud to tell Celia that she might now walk on the terrace both in the morning and the afternoon. “Soon,” she said, “I shall be on the walks. You see. And then I may be taken out occasionally. That will be wonderful, won’t it Celia ?”
    “Yes. I will have to find the loveliest places for you.”
    When Celia was ready to go again, Dorothy said:
    “These tim es when you come to see me, go quicker than any other time. When will you come again?”
    “Whenever I can. But the hotel will be very busy over Easter, Dodo, and I shall have lots of work to do; so you mustn’t mind if you don’t see me—I shall come when I can.”
    She made h er way down the mountain as far as Geoffrey’s chalet and he at once abandoned what he was doing to join her. They began to walk down the mountain road together. When they came to a seat on the hillside, overlooking the valley, he said:
    “Let us stop and talk here. As soon as you get back to the hotel, we shall be virtually to rn apart. You cannot talk to me in the public rooms—not with any comfort—and I may not intrude into your regions.”
    They sat down together on the wooden seat . “This is nice,” he said. “I began to think we should never get together. When will you come out with me and have dinner?”
    “I don’t have time, Geoffrey.”
    He looked at her in quick surprise, and she colored. “I’m so sorry,” she said. “I’m afraid I think of you as Ge offrey.”
    “But you couldn’t please me more,” he said. “Now I shall take advantage, of the slip of the moment and feel justified in calling you Celia all the time. But don ’ t tell me that you haven’t time.”
    “I haven't really.”
    “ You had time to go to the Mirabella with Kurt. ”
    “Oh, but that was a business trip. Boss’s orders. ”
    Geoffrey frowned, and sat