bowed myself out. I was pretty sure she wouldn't call me. There was a touch of efficiency about her that convinced me that she could handle any situation that might crop up without my help or advice.
Gina sent flowers to the hotel in my name. She also had composed a cable to Chalmer's to say the girl had arrived safely. I felt there wasn't much else for me to do, and, as a couple of good stories broke around this time, I put Miss Chalmers out of my mind and forgot about her.
About ten days later, Gina suggested that I should call the girl and find out how she was, getting on. This I did, but the hotel told me she had left six days ago, and they had no forwarding address.
Gina said I should find out where she was in case Chalmers wanted to know.
'Okay, you find out,' I said. 'I'm busy.'
Gina, got her information from police headquarters. It seemed Miss Chalmers had taken a three-room furnished apartment off Via Cavour. Gina got the telephone number and I called her.
She sounded surprised when she came on the line, and I had to repeat my name twice before the nickle dropped. It seemed she had forgotten me as completely as I had forgotten her, and, oddly enough, this irritated me. She said everything was under control, and she was getting along fine, thank you. There was a hint of impatience in her voice that suggested she resented me inquiring about her, and also, she used that polite tone of voice that daughters of very rich men use when talking to their father's employees, and that infuriated me.
I cut the conversation short, reminded her again that if there was anything I could do I would do it, and hung up.
Gina who had got the set-up from my expression said tactfully, 'After all, she is the daughter of a millionaire.'
'Yeah, I know,' I said. 'From now on she can look after herself. She practically gave me the brush-oft.' We left it at that
I heard no more of her for the next four weeks. I had a lot to do in the office as I was going on vacation in a couple of months time, and I wanted everything ship-shape for Jack Maxwell who was coming out from New York to relieve me.
I had planned to spend a week in Venice, and then go south for three weeks to Ischia. This was my first long vacation in four years, and I was looking forward to it. I planned to travel alone. I like a little solitude when I can get it, and I also like to be able to change my mind where to stay and how long I would stay, and if I had a companion, I wouldn't have this freedom of movement. Four weeks and two days after I had spoken to Helen Chalmers on the telephone, I had a call from Giuseppe Frenzi, a good friend of mine who worked on L'
I like Italian parties. They are gracious and amusing, and the food is always exciting. I said I would pick him up around eight o'clock.
Luccino had a big apartment near Porta Pinciana. When we got there, the carriage-way was packed with Cadillacs, Rolls-Royces and Bugattis that made my 1954 Buick flinch as I edged it into the last of the parking spaces.
It was a good parry. I knew most of the people there. Fifty per cent of them were Americans, and Luccino, who cultivated Americans, had plenty of hard liquor circulating. Around ten o'clock, and after a flock of straight whiskies, I went out on to the patio to admire the moon and to cool off.
On the patio, alone, was a girl in a white evening gown. Her naked back and shoulders looked like porcelain in the moonlight. She was resting her hands on the balustrade, her head tilted back while she stared up at the moon. The moonlight made her blonde hair look like spun glass. I wandered over to her and paused by her side. I stared up at the moon too.
'Pretty nice after the jungle inside,' I said
'Yes.'
She didn't turn to look, at me. I sneaked a look at her.
She was beautiful. Her features were small, her lips were a glistening red; the moonlight sparkled in her eyes.
'I thought I knew everyone in Rome,' I said. 'How is it I don't know you?'
She turned her head and looked at me. Then she smiled.
'You should know me, Mr. Dawson,' she said. 'Have I changed so much that you don't recognize me?'
I stared at her, and I felt a sudden thumping of my pulse and a tight feeling across my chest.
'I don't recognize you,' I said, thinking she was the loveliest woman I had seen in Rome, and how young and desirable she was.
She laughed.
'Are you so sure? I am Helen Chalmers.'
II
My first reaction when I heard who she was was to tell her how she had changed, how surprised I was to find her so beautiful, and stuff like that, but after looking into her moonlit eyes I had other ideas. I knew it would be a mistake to say the obvious.
I spent half an hour with her out on the patio. This unexpected meeting threw me off balance. I was sharply aware that she was my boss's daughter. She was cagey, too, but she wasn't dull. We kept the conversation on an impersonal plane. We talked about the party, who was who, and wasn't the band good and what a lovely night it was.
I was attracted to her the way a pin is attracted to a magnet. I couldn't keep my eyes off her. I couldn't believe this lovely creature was the same girl I had met at the airport: it just didn't seem possible.
Suddenly, from out of the stilted conversation we were making, she said, 'Have you a car here?'
'Why, yes. It's in the carriage-way.'
'Will you take me back to my apartment?'
'What - now?' I was disappointed. 'The party will warm up in a little while. Wouldn't you like to dance?'
She stared at me. Her blue eyes were disconcertingly searching.
'I'm sorry. I didn't mean to drag you away. Don't bother; I can get a taxi.'
'You're not dragging me away. If you really want to go, I'll be happy to drive you home. I thought you were enjoying yourself here.'
She lifted her shoulders and smiled.
'Where is your car?'
'At the end of the line – a black Buick.'
'I'll meet you at the car then.'
She moved away, and as I made to accompany her, she lifted her hand in an unmistakable gesture. She was telling me we shouldn't be seen together.
I let her go on ahead while I lit a cigarette. This had suddenly become a conspiracy. I noticed my hands were unsteady. I gave her a couple of minutes, then I went back into the vast lounge that was packed with people, looked for Luccino, but couldn't see him and decided I'd let my thanks drift until to-morrow morning.
