Unless you'd rather we weren't there, of course."At once he felt selfish. It might be their only chance to see Stargrave, and he could always go for a solitary walk while his memories surfaced. "Let's see if there's room at the inn."The hotel receptionist sounded delighted to be asked and to reserve two rooms for Saturday. "We can have a bit of a dirty weekend when the children are asleep," Ellen said, and matched his grin. "We can practise now if you like."Afterwards, as he pulled the duvet over them and rested his head on her breast, she whispered "Tell me a secret.""I don't think I have any from you.""Then tell me what you remember best about growing up in Stargrave.""Waiting," he said at once. "Feeling as if I was always waiting for something»like Christmas, only it never quite came.""Poor little boy.""I don't mean I was disappointed. I mean those years of my childhood seemed like the start of an adventure. Everything around me felt like a preamble to some event I couldn't put a name to.""That sounds like childhood right enough.""I suppose that must have been all it was," Ben said, but he felt as if she'd reduced the reality to a cliche which prevented him from remembering.
