CHAPTER FOURThe Earl moved to sit down in a chair next to Kristina.
Then he noticed that her hand was trembling so much that the champagne in her glass was spilling over, so he picked up a small table from the other side of the fireplace and put it down beside her.
He was aware as he did so that she moved backwards as if she was afraid he might touch her.
He also saw that the light from the lamp on the writing-table was behind him, so he picked out a spill from the vase on the mantelpiece and held it down to the flames just beginning to leap in the fireplace and lit two candles.
Now he could see Kristina far more clearly and noted that she was wearing a cape over her shoulders and a hood covered the back of her hair.
She placed the glass of champagne which she had not touched on the t
