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been pinned under the knocker. She opened it, hoping to find the key enclosed, but there were only instructions to the effect that the key was up at the Manor and would she collect it from there.
    The Manor proved to be an even more beautiful house than she had expected. The rampant white horse of Kent stood on either side of the pillars that supported the porch over the door, and the legend Invicta, or undefeated, was cut deep in the flagstone in front of the door. Sarah rang the bell, a little impressed despite herself. If Robert Chaddox lived here, he had something to be proud of indeed.
    The door was opened by a young man who greeted her with a cheerful smile.
    “Hullo there!” he exclaimed. “Don’t tell me, you’re the new tenant? I’m Neil Chaddox.”
    “Sarah Blaney,” said Sarah. She thought he looked much younger than his brother, but he was also a much easier character to deal with.
    “I was expecting an ancient man,” Neil informed her. “I was going to hand over the key and tell him to get lost. But now that I’ve seen you, I’ll do my duty like a man and escort you over to your new home. There is a Mr. Blaney, I suppose?”
    Sarah suppressed a smile. “My father,” she said.
    “Then all is not lost! I suppose your mother will be with you too?’
    “At week-ends. My stepmother’s in the theatre and can’t get away just now.”
    Neil grinned at her. “My mother was on the stage too. I knew the instant I laid eyes on you that we’d have a lot in common, and you see how right I was!”
    Sarah looked about her as they walked down the drive together. “Have you always lived here?” she asked him impulsively.
    “Always. My mother was away a lot, but my father was always here—and Robert, of course. It was bad luck on him inheriting when he did. My parents were killed in a car crash, but unfortunately our father died before my mother and there was a double lot of death duties. Robert’s mother left him quite a bit, but with a place like this anything less than a million is just a drop in the bucket.”
    “I suppose so,” Sarah agreed. She had never had anything to do with property and knew nothing about the expenses of its upkeep, but she could see that someone had to cut these magnificent lawns and keep the roof repaired. “What happened to Robert’s mother?”
    “She was drowned somewhere or other. I’ve never thought about it.” He gave her an engaging grin. “I came along some time later,” he explained.
    Sarah smiled. “Naturally.”
    They both dissolved into laughter. “Yes, naturally,” he said. “Come along and see your new home!”
     

CHAPTER THREE
    SARAH’S father had been quite right in thinking that Thursday was early closing in Canterbury. Neil suggested that Sarah should go to either Dover or Folkestone if she had any urgent shopping to be done, but Sarah had had enough of driving for that day. She followed Neil into the oast-house, not knowing what to expect, and the charm of the building immediately captured her.
    “It’s fascinating having a round room like that at one end!” she exclaimed.
    “If you say so,” Neil answered. “Robert took quite an interest in the conversion of this place himself. Yes, it does look good. I’ll tell him you think so.”
    Sarah doubted that the elder Chaddox brother would be interested, but she said nothing. She enjoyed Neil’s easy company and was sorry when he glanced at his watch and said he supposed he would have to be going.
    “Think you’ll be okay on your own?” he asked her.
    She laughed. “I hope so. Every strange noise I hear, I’ll tell myself that that’s the country for you and hope for the best!”
    “You’ll probably be right,” he answered. “See you around!”
    She went to the door with him and stood there for a moment watching him as he closed the gates and vaulted easily over them into the road that she shared with the Manor. She waved a tentative hand and went inside. There was a great deal