Kitabı oku: «The Lawyer's Contract Marriage», sayfa 3

CHAPTER THREE

SAM watched the charming Norfolk scenery pass by outside the car and gave a sigh of satisfaction. Not to put too fine a point on it, she was happy, and that was something she had never thought she would be again. Of course she wasn’t ecstatically happy, but she knew she would never feel anything close to that again. Nevertheless, she was content.

When her husband Leno had suddenly died of a heart attack six months ago, she had found herself at a crossroads. She hadn’t been back to England in over six years. What had begun as a honeymoon trip had ended as a permanent removal. Sam had fully expected to remain in Italy, where the people, and Leno’s family in particular, had been kind to her.

She had done all she could to be a good wife, and, because Leno had been a good man, their marriage had not been a total disaster. He had showered her with gifts to mark his deep affection for her, introducing her to a lifestyle she had never dreamed of. His only sadness had been the lack of children. Sam had done nothing to prevent it, it was just not meant to be. Which was a shame, because Leno would have showered them with love too.

He had been good to her, and she had mourned him. Because of the situation regarding their marriage, she had not expected to inherit the bulk of his fortune, but so it had turned out to be. He had no children, and his nearest relatives were cared for, leaving her what remained. It was then that Sam had decided to come home. She knew she had more money than she could ever spend, and that she could have more than enough to live on and still put the rest to good use.

Which was the reason she was a passenger in this powerful convertible car today.

Alex Hunt, the man behind the wheel, knew all the twists and turns of the road they were travelling along very well, for he was taking her to visit his parents. This was Sam’s fifth visit, and she looked forward to it, for she got on well with David and Ellen Hunt. The Grimaldi Foundation, which Sam had set up in her husband’s name, was helping to fund the building of a new hospice. It was the foundation’s first project, and Sam was keeping a finger on the pulse, hence the regular visits.

Alex steered the car around a sharp bend, and Sam watched him manoeuvre the vehicle with ease, her lips curving into a wry smile. She hadn’t known him long, but they had quickly become friends. Despite turning thirty a couple of months ago, he had a boyish enthusiasm for fast cars.

He must have felt her eyes on him, for he glanced round at her with a grin. ‘What are you smiling at?’ he asked lazily, whilst returning his attention to a particularly tricky section of road.

Sam laughed. ‘Actually, I was thinking you love your car more than a woman.’

His response was to make a Gallic sound in his throat. ‘Mais, non! You know I love you like crazy, Sam.’

It was only a joke, but for a moment her head was filled with the sound of another voice telling her he loved her, and her heart tightened painfully. Then she ruthlessly quashed the memory, for it had no place in the here and now.

She laughed teasingly. ‘Boy, would you run a mile if I took you seriously!’

‘You’ve got that right!’ he agreed immediately, returning his attention to the road as yet another tricky corner came along.

Hoping this good feeling would last, she once more gazed out of the side window. Idly her thumb toyed with her wedding and engagement rings. She still wore them. Not because they meant something to her, but because it kept unwanted interest at bay. She was not in the market for emotional complications.

Studying her reflection, Sam barely recognised the twenty-eight-year-old woman who had loved only one man in her life, and who had married another. Her hair was fashionably cut, she wore expensive clothes and jewellery, and could hold her own amongst the glitterati of the world. If Ransom were to see her now, would he recognise her?

The thought came out of nowhere, and had invisible fingers tightening around her heart. She had learned the hard way the answer to the question of what became of the broken-hearted. They picked up the pieces and carried on. But they were never the same. Something was irretrievably lost. In her case it was her heart, the greater part of which had gone with him. Having given it, she would never take it back. There would never be another to fill that empty space inside her. She had known she would always love him—and always hate herself for what she had done.

‘Not too long now,’ Alex said, interrupting her thoughts.

Sam glanced forward. Up ahead of her she could see the turn-off that would take them to the place Alex had grown up in. The house was a rambling affair, with extensions added on in piecemeal fashion as past families had needed room to expand. Consequently the inside was a rabbit warren of stairs and passages, but all adding to its charm. It had countless gables, and several levels of terracing to the rear. Sam adored it.

Beside her Alex flicked the indicator and turned the car onto the road that snaked across the heathland towards the distant coast. There were several more turn-offs before they finally passed through the gates of the small estate. The Hunts were old money. David Hunt had retired to the family home in Norfolk after a long career in banking. Alex was following in his father’s footsteps.

‘Looks like Karl’s down for the weekend,’ Alex observed as he caught sight of his older brother standing on the top of the entrance steps. Karl waved, then turned as if someone unseen had spoken to him. ‘Things generally liven up when Karl’s around.’ Sam had met him on a previous visit, and had found him pleasant company.

Alex brought the car to a halt and they climbed out. The sun was almost blinding, and Sam quickly found her sunglasses and slipped them on.

‘Now this was definitely worth coming home for. Beautiful blondes with curves in all the right places have long been a penchant of mine,’ Karl Hunt teased as he strolled down the steps.

‘Not to mention brunettes and redheads,’ an amused masculine voice drawled from the shadows of the porticoed entrance.

On hearing it, Sam felt shock go through her from head to toe, and looked round quickly. For an aeon she could swear the earth stopped revolving before lurching on again. She would know that voice anywhere. It was imprinted indelibly on heart and mind. Incredibly, what she had just heard was the voice of Ransom Shaw, yet how could it be? How could it possibly be?

Unaware of her shock, Alex was already starting to laugh as he turned towards the man who now sauntered into view, hands tucked negligently into the pockets of his jeans. He stood at the top of the steps looking at them with a broad grin on his face. Sam could scarcely believe her eyes. Dear God, it was Ransom.

The ground moved under her feet for a second, then stilled. She felt her mouth go dry and then her heart started up a frantic beat. Riveted, she couldn’t tear her eyes away from him. Only then did she truly know just how much she had missed him. Seeing him made a light go on inside her, brightening up her world. He was just as she remembered, only more so. His lean yet powerful body was clad in well-worn jeans that hugged his long legs, and a blue chambray shirt with sleeves rolled up above strong forearms, which seemed to strain across his muscled chest.

Sam remembered only too well what it felt like to be held against that perfect body by those two strong arms, and experienced a long-buried curling sensation deep inside herself. Her heart ached with a sudden fierce longing as memories flooded back. The light of love in his eyes. The husky sound of his voice as he told her he loved her. The…

Karl stepped in front of her smiling warmly, blocking out her view. ‘Nice to meet you again, Mrs Grimaldi,’ he greeted her, offering his hand.

The interruption was like a douche of cold water to Sam. Reality stepped in swift as a sword, cutting off the stream of thoughts. Ransom might still be her one true love, but she had no doubts that it wasn’t the same for him. He would hate her now. How could he not, when she had hurt him so badly? Her choice had been bleak, but she had been compelled to take it, for the alternative had been unthinkable.

Sam hastily gathered the remnants of her composure about herself. At the very least she had to look and act calm, even if she wasn’t. Her defences had been allowed to go unrepaired with the passing years, so that now they had been breached with remarkable ease. It was painful suddenly seeing him like this, but it never would have been easy. She knew full well what she would see in his eyes when he recognised her, and she must brace herself for it.

Drawing on the élan she had learned as the wife of a wealthy man, Sam whipped off her sunglasses and summoned up a smile for the man before her. ‘Call me Sam, please, Karl. How are you?’ she responded whilst a bemused Alex moved, walking forward with hand outstretched.

‘Well, I’ll be damned. Ransom? Great scot, where did you spring from? I haven’t seen you in years.’

From her position just a little behind Alex, Sam watched Ransom jog down the steps and take Alex’s hand. She had had no idea they knew each other. How on earth could it be?

Sensing her surprise, Karl explained. ‘Ransom and I were at university together. Both studying law, and with a love of sailing. He spent a few weeks here one summer, when his parents were abroad. After university, we used to meet occasionally, but then we lost touch. You know how it is. When I bumped into him the other day, I invited him here. Just like old times,’ he added happily.

‘You must have had a lot of catching up to do,’ she responded calmly, knowing it would not be the same for Ransom and herself. She doubted very much if he would want to speak to her.

Karl had more to relate. ‘You can say that again. Turns out he has a boat moored just up the coast. He remembered the good times he’d had here and thought he’d try out this neck of the woods again.’

Sam knew it was one of those situations you could never anticipate in a million years. Had she come another weekend, she would never have run into Ransom and discovered he had had a brief acquaintance with Alex’s family years ago. Events had conspired to bring them both here now, and it felt as if someone up above was playing a particularly cruel joke.

‘I drove up yesterday,’ she heard Ransom answer Alex’s question.

‘Wait a second, didn’t I read somewhere that you were out in the South Atlantic wrestling with that American beauty?’ Alex declared teasingly, unwittingly sending Sam’s stomach plummeting.

She experienced an unexpectedly sharp dart of jealousy at the thought of Ransom with another woman. Silly, really, for the man was not a monk. There would have been others in the last few years. She simply hadn’t expected to be reminded of the fact. To imagine him with other women was not the same as knowing it. That was the price of still loving him. She had all of the feelings, with none of the rights.

‘She was a beauty, all right. Responded to the lightest of touches. We had a month together, then I had to take her home,’ Ransom added with a broad grin, making Alex laugh again.

‘Those are the breaks,’ Alex commiserated.

The reply made her feel like a fool. It was a short jump to realise he was referring to a boat, not a woman. How could she have forgotten? She had known of Ransom’s love of sailing. It appeared his dream of owning his own boat one day had come true. However, she wasn’t exactly relieved to feel relief, for it would be better not to feel anything. It would only cause unnecessary pain.

Mentally she grimaced. In an ideal world, maybe, but this was something else. She had been catapulted into a situation she wasn’t expecting. Right now she was floundering in a sea of memories, with no life preserver in sight. All she could do was keep herself afloat the best way she could until she was able to make the necessary repairs to her defences.

Not easy with the past so abruptly shunted into the present. Studying the two men as they stood chatting, she could see there was a vibrancy to Ransom that was missing in Alex, for all his youthful buoyancy. Or perhaps it was just that her vision was being coloured by her emotions.

With their greetings over, Ransom had his first opportunity to take a closer look at Alex’s companion, and she braced herself for the blow. What started out as a lazy male inspection soon turned into something altogether different when he recognised her. Blue eyes met grey, and became inextricably locked. Her composure held, but Sam’s nerves jolted violently at the power his gaze had to move her still, and at the same time she saw shock fill those dashing grey depths.

It ought to have been no more than that. Shocked recognition should have been followed by a swift recovery for each of them. After all, they had both moved on. Not so. The passing of time had allowed their guard to drop to dangerously low levels. Sam was stunned to discover it was like their first meeting all over again, when out of a clear blue sky something unexpected and purely elemental had passed between them.

It happened now with equal force, revealing the potent attraction they had shared had in no way diminished in the intervening time. The air about them seemed to be positively charged, and in the blink of an eye each knew they were still vitally aware of the other on a physical level. It was a potentially devastating revelation, given their present circumstances. Sam knew she had paled, and she witnessed Ransom’s smile fade from his eyes, turning them steely. Both knew they had just reconnected in the most basic way.

For Sam’s part it was the very last thing she needed. She had worked so hard to lock her feelings for him away in the recesses of her heart and mind because torturing herself over what might have been was a fruitless exercise. Her feelings for him hadn’t and wouldn’t change. She loved him. Being aware of him brought to the surface things that were better left buried.

From the tension in his jaw, it was the same for Ransom too. He wouldn’t want to feel anything for the woman who had favoured marriage to a wealthy older man over marriage to him.

Oblivious to the undercurrents swirling around them, Alex turned to Sam, saw her shock and mistook the reason for it. ‘Hey, it’s not what it sounds like. We were talking about boats. Ransom sails boats for a hobby. Races them, too,’ he explained.

‘He’s pretty darn good at it. He’ll make the Olympic team one day,’ Karl added proudly.

Ransom slipped his hands back into his pockets, producing a smile, though, attuned as she was to his every nuance, Sam could see it didn’t touch his mesmerising eyes. ‘Knock it off, the pair of you. I’m sure she doesn’t want to hear about that.’

Sam knew she had to say something in response, and was so glad she had learned to hold her own in all circumstances. ‘I’m afraid I know very little about boats. I’ve never been on one in my life,’ she said politely, with a cool smile of her own, relieved to hear that she sounded calm. Ransom had wanted to take her sailing, but by that time it had been too late.

Alex didn’t let her comment pass. ‘We can remedy that. You must let Ransom take you out whilst he’s here. You’ll absolutely love it, I can guarantee that,’ he declared enthusiastically.

Sam very nearly groaned aloud. She didn’t want to go anywhere with Ransom, least of all on a small boat. ‘I’m really not that bothered, Alex. Besides, Karl and his friend might have other plans.’ She tried to head Alex off at the pass. Unfortunately, she was about to learn that he didn’t give up easily.

Something Ransom was clearly aware of too. ‘I’m sure she would rather you went with her,’ he demurred at the same time, and his and Sam’s gazes locked again long enough for her to see the mockery in his eyes before moving away.

‘Don’t be daft. I’m no sailor.’ Alex rejected that instantly. ‘I’m a firm believer in getting the best person for the job, and that’s you, Ransom.’

Sam fully expected Ransom to utter a firm refusal, wanting nothing to do with her. However, for a man who had just come face to face with the woman who had made a fool of him, he looked remarkably relaxed. ‘I’m sure…?’ He glanced at the two men, eyebrows raised, seeking a name, and she knew everybody would be convinced he didn’t know her. Which, though it stung, was fine with her, because what they had had was in the past. There was no point in telling anyone what they didn’t need to know.

Alex suddenly fell in. ‘Sorry, I forgot to introduce you. This is Mrs Samantha Grimaldi, a family friend,’ he obliged, turning to smile at her.

‘And this handsome devil is my old friend from university, Ransom Shaw,’ Karl completed the introduction.

Handsome devil fit the bill all right, for he was handsome, and how well she knew his eyes could hold a devilish gleam. A look like that had set her heart racing and her nerves tingling many a time. That look had led to touching, and recalling her reaction to that made Sam decidedly reluctant to follow up the introduction in the normal way. Good manners, however, left her no choice.

Sam found her heart was thundering like crazy as she reached out to take the hand Ransom offered with a mocking glint in his eye. Don’t react, she said to herself. Whatever happens don’t react. Wise advice, for the result was as she had feared. The second their hands touched, it was as if she had been plugged into the mains.

‘Pleased to meet you, Mr Shaw,’ she managed to say pleasantly enough. Even maintaining a courteous smile despite the electric sensation that stole her breath away.

Something flashed in those silvery eyes, and his lips twitched as he inclined his head in response. ‘Likewise, Mrs Grimaldi.’

As he released her hand his thumb trailed over her palm, and, despite all she did to prevent it, her breath hitched in her throat. Determined not to show how unsettled she was, Sam kept her smile in place. ‘Won’t you call me Sam, like everyone else?’ she invited, rubbing her tingling hand against her thigh surreptitiously.

‘Only if you reciprocate and call me by my name,’ he rejoined, his gaze daring her to do it. Sam had no intention of backing down.

‘Ransom it is, then.’

‘And what of Mr Grimaldi? Can we expect him to join you?’ Ransom enquired. It sounded like merely polite conversation, but there was a nuance in it that Sam recognised as a charge of her playing away from home. She bristled inwardly but remained calm.

‘My husband died six months ago,’ she told him stoically, and knew by the glint in his eye that he knew he had struck a nerve by asking about Leno and was pleased.

‘That must have been upsetting for you,’ he said solicitously, but she knew better than to take his words at face value. He was as good as telling her he didn’t believe she was upset at all.

‘Leno was a good man. I miss him.’ It was true. She had become used to being his wife.

Ransom nodded sombrely. ‘I’m sure you were heartbroken to lose him.’

Her stomach twisted as she detected the hard edge to his words. ‘We were happy. You must interpret that how you like,’ she advised him, looking him squarely in the face, so he would know she was aware of what he was thinking. She didn’t doubt that he believed Leno’s fortune had softened the blow.

He smiled faintly. ‘I’m sure a beautiful woman such as yourself would know how to treat a man’s heart well,’ he added ironically, firing off a shot with deadly accuracy.

Sam flinched at the reminder that she hadn’t cared about his heart, and took a deep, steadying breath. Raising her chin, she kept smiling. ‘I’ll take that as a compliment.’

One eyebrow quirked. ‘I can assure you it wasn’t intended as anything else.’

And the moon is made of green cheese, she thought sardonically. Now, having regained her equilibrium, she took the battle to him. ‘What about you, Ransom? Are you happily married?’

‘I’m afraid it’s going to take a very special woman to make Ransom give up his bachelorhood,’ Karl remarked teasingly.

Though it was completely unintentional, those words drove a stake through her heart. Ransom had once told her she was special. It had meant everything to her, but she had gone on to prove how unremarkable she was. A thought Ransom echoed.

‘They aren’t that thick on the ground. Sometimes you think you’ve found one, but it’s all gloss, no substance,’ he declared dryly, holding her gaze momentarily.

‘I didn’t tell you, did I, Alex, that Ransom is listed as one of the top ten most eligible bachelors in this country?’ Karl told his brother, hugely amused, and roared with laughter at his friend’s sour expression.

‘I’m a happily single man,’ he pointed out, causing Sam to wince yet again, and Karl wagged a finger in his face.

‘Irrelevant. You’re available and you’re as rich as Croesus. That’s all that counts to the women who want to date you.’

Ransom’s expression grew ruefully exasperated. ‘You wouldn’t find it so funny if you were in my shoes. Since that damn list came out last year, I can’t turn around without another would-be Mrs Shaw popping out of the woodwork.’

‘Perhaps you should take out a full-page ad in all the papers stating that you are not available,’ Alex suggested with a grin.

His brother snorted disparagingly. ‘That would never work. Women always believe that they will be the one to change a man’s mind.’

Once again Sam winced inwardly. She hadn’t needed to change his mind, for they had thought and felt the same way. It was instinctual when you loved someone to want to spend your life with them, and she had been ready for commitment, marriage, the works. Until her brother’s actions had changed everything.

‘True,’ Alex conceded, smiling broadly. ‘Sorry, Ransom, but it seems like you’re stuck with being one of the country’s most sought-after males.’

Sam had never had any trouble picking up Ransom’s moods. Right now, though he laughed too, he was far from amused. Well, she wasn’t laughing either. She had hurt him enough, and the need to make amends was too strong to fight right then. She had an opportunity and she took it.

‘He’s right, it isn’t funny,’ she reproved softly, and drew three pairs of eyes. Two surprised, the other watchful. ‘I mean, it must be as awful for a man to know he’s only being pursued for his money as it is for a woman to know she’s only wanted as a bed mate. It’s…demeaning.’

That Ransom didn’t believe a word of what she said was in the mocking gleam in his eyes, but he said nothing. Instead, he appeared to take her at face value. ‘Why, thank you, Sam. Not many women would be that fair-minded. I doubt, though, that you’ve ever been demeaned in such a way,’ he returned, the rich timbre of his voice sending ripples along her spine, despite the irony she knew to be there. It was a delicious sensation she could definitely have done without under the circumstances.

Sam’s smile wavered a fraction as she wondered where he was going with this. ‘No, I haven’t,’ she replied smoothly.

That drew a probing glance from Ransom. ‘Of course, it can work the other way too.’

Her thumbs pricked warningly, and she frowned. ‘I don’t…’

He held her gaze. ‘I mean a woman can be pursued for her money, whilst a man can find himself being nothing more than a…bed mate. Equally demeaning, wouldn’t you say?’ he asked, tipping his head on one side and waiting.

Sam stared back at him, unable to blame him for wanting his pound of flesh. Wounds went deep. How well she knew that. She uttered a tiny wry laugh, then raised her chin a notch and nodded. ‘Yes, I would say that was equally demeaning.’

Karl glanced from one to the other and groaned. ‘This is getting way too heavy.’

‘Let’s leave them to it and go get the bags,’ Alex declared in disgust, and they both walked over to the car, leaving Sam and Ransom alone.

‘What do you know? We have one thing we agree on. Want to try for another?’ Ransom asked mockingly and she closed her eyes for an instant.

‘Ransom, I…’ She had no idea what she was going to say, but wasn’t given the chance to find out.

He interrupted her with an equally mocking laugh. ‘You know, you didn’t have to defend me against the likes of Karl and Alex.’

Sam hastily gathered her thoughts and met his steady look. ‘Maybe not, but I’ve always hated people laughing at another’s expense.’

‘Karl is an old friend. Friends are put on this earth to rag you,’ Ransom pointed out with a shrug.

‘But you didn’t like it,’ she argued, reminding him, should he need reminding, that she had understood him very well once.

‘True,’ he admitted. ‘However, I learned to live with it. You’ll have to do the same. As I recall, Alex will remember every silly thing you’ve ever done and bring it up for his own and others’ amusement.’

The comment sent a jolt right through Sam. ‘What do you mean by that?’

Ransom shrugged. ‘Just giving you a few pointers for when you marry Alex.’

‘Marry Alex!’ The words spluttered out in the wake of the shock he dealt her. ‘Why would you think I was going to marry him?’

‘You’ve got him in your sights, haven’t you?’ he retorted dryly, and she looked at him, frowning. ‘Why else are you here? He’s worth a penny or two, and I’m sure you’d agree a woman like you can never have enough money.’

Sam’s teeth snapped together as the charge hit home. How dared he? ‘For your information, Ransom Shaw, I’m here to see Alex’s mother.’

A smile appeared that, despite her anger, hijacked her breath, stealing it away before she could fight off the effect. ‘How convenient for you.’

‘I am not in love with Alex Hunt,’ she countered hardily, so furious she could have slapped Ransom’s face for him.

Once again that powerful current flew between them as their gazes touched, but it was in direct counterpoint to what he said next.

‘Well, now, darling, we both know you don’t have to love someone to marry them. All a man needs is the where-withal to keep you in the style you’ve become accustomed to.’

‘You have no right to say that, Ransom,’ Sam said with quiet force, although she knew that whatever she said Ransom was going to think the worst. It was her legacy to him. ‘I’m not a gold-digger.’

His look was mocking. ‘No? Let me see. How could I be convinced of that? I know, I might believe you if you were to deny that money had anything to do with your marriage to Leno Grimaldi,’ he declared, pulling the rug out from under her feet. She stared at him, unable to utter the lie.

Ransom laughed mockingly and stepped away just enough to give her breathing room. ‘A word of warning, Sam. Don’t fall into the trap of thinking you know me. You knew the person I was all those years ago. I’m not that man any more. You’d better walk carefully, and never forget I know what you’re capable of.’

Her heart grew heavy at the caution. ‘Is that supposed to bother me?’

He smiled faintly. ‘I doubt very much if anything could do that. You have nerves of steel. Add that to an avaricious heart, and it makes you a very dangerous woman. Which is why I think we need to have a private talk, you and I,’ Ransom declared in a determined voice.

She could see no point to that, and shook her head in swift negation. ‘We have nothing to say to each other.’

‘I think the situation demands it, don’t you?’ he argued, with a speaking look.

Sam folded her arms around herself protectively. ‘There is no situation, Ransom. You and I are old news.’

‘As you say, old news. However, I was thinking about what just happened between us.’

All her nerves jolted at the reminder of that moment when their hands had touched. She ought to have known he would bring it up. ‘We connected, but it meant nothing.’ She instantly went on the defensive.

‘We should at least discuss it,’ he insisted.

She laughed incredulously. ‘There’s no point. A physical reaction means nothing between us.’

‘Oh, I got that message the last time,’ Ransom drawled derisively. ‘You made your feelings very clear then, and I don’t have to have it repeated.’

Sam sighed tiredly. ‘Then let it go,’ she pleaded with him. ‘You have to believe me, I’m not interested in Alex. Trust me.’

Her words were met with a look of sheer disbelief. ‘Trust you? There are criminals I’ve helped put in prison I would trust more than you, Sam,’ he declared cuttingly, and she was caught on the raw yet again. That was putting her in her place all right. She was now the lowest of the low.

Somehow she managed a shrug. ‘OK, then, don’t trust me. Just leave me alone.’

No doubt Ransom would have responded to that with something pithy, only the others chose that moment to rejoin them. Sam was grateful for the interruption.

‘So, how long are you down for, Ransom?’ Alex asked as he set their bags down.

‘Just the weekend. Karl told your parents he had a surprise for them,’ Ransom answered with a wry laugh, and to all intents and purposes their less than friendly conversation had never taken place.

‘Naturally, they thought I was bringing a woman,’ his friend elaborated. ‘Fortunately their disappointment didn’t last long when they saw Ransom.’

Reaching out, Ransom hefted the bags Alex had abandoned and started up the steps to the house. ‘It’s turning out to be one hell of a surprising weekend.’

Only she heard the heavy irony in those last words, and Sam uttered a silent amen to that.

‘Why don’t you both cut along and say hello to the parents, whilst we take the bags up for you? You’ll find them in the garden,’ Karl suggested as they reached the bottom of the stairs.