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'He doesn't know anything about him,' Sonya admitted frankly. 'Oh, it hasn't gone very far,' she went on with a grown-up air which diverted Sven. 'But he was very kind to me when I joined the club and nobody was friendly. You see, it was an awful handicap being the founder's daughter.'

She had revealed more than she had meant to do by this naive, admission, and Sven's hard face softened.

'Your father has not made life easy for you,' he observed.

Instantly she was up in arms. 'Don't dare to say a word against him! He's been wonderful to me.'

'I was not going to do so. He is much to be pitied, and so are you.'

'I don't want pity,' she said proudly.

'That is the right spirit.' He nodded in approval. 'Well, Sonya, if you have said all you wish, I had better be on my way.' He glanced at his watch. 'You will want to say goodnight to your father and reassure him.'

Sonya stood up, realising she was now completely committed to the demands of this disturbing young man. As she walked into the hall with him, she said nervously:

'You will be kind to me?'

His face hardened. 'You do not need kindness, Sonya, you need bracing. I will do what is necessary to make you a great skater.' He reached for his overcoat, and she held it for him to slip it on, feeling she was already his servant.

At the front door he bade her goodnight, and reaching for her hand raised her fingertips to his mouth with foreign grace. 'Until tomorrow, Sonya.'

'That wasn't necessary,' she said, flushing, and childishly wiped her hand on her skirt.

'Nor is that.' He had noticed her action. 'My lips will not contaminate you.'

'I'm so ... sorry,' she stammered, realising she had been rude. 'I don't like being touched.'

His eyes glinted. 'You will have to get used to my touch when we are skating together.' He smiled mockingly. 'The boy-friend does not kiss you?'

'We haven't got that far.'

'A pity. To be well kissed might thaw that icy facade you like to assume.'

'I don't think you understand our English manners,' she said haughtily, annoyed by his implication of frigidity.

'They are the same as any others when it comes to lovemaking,' he told her. 'Besides, I'm ...'

She interrupted angrily, 'Derek doesn't make love to me! I wouldn't let him.'

'Then he is a laggard,' Sven said calmly. 'You will be at the rink tomorrow? No headaches or other feminine excuses?'

She threw up her head, eyeing him scornfully.

'Since I'm unfeminine I don't deal in such caprices.'

'I did not imply that you are unfeminine, you are merely undeveloped, in spite of the so adult gown.'

'What do you expect me to wear ... rompers?' she flashed.

He laughed. 'Goodnight again, Sonya, or rather au revoir.'

He was gone, walking swiftly towards his car. Sonya shut and locked the door and went slowly upstairs to say goodnight to her father. She hoped he would not want to talk about Sven, because she would find it difficult to appear indifferent. She was already powerfully influenced by the Swede and his remark about becoming accustomed to his touch had disturbed her. She wished she had never met him and that she had not got to encounter him again on the morrow, though if he could really fulfil his promises, success might be worth any discomfort he might cause her.

She little knew that if only she had let him complete the sentence she had interrupted with her explanation about Derek, she could have saved herself much future unhappiness, for Sven had been about to give her some information which was common knowledge to everyone except herself. Upon reflection it occurred to him that he might be able to turn her ignorance to his own advantage, and he made no further attempt to enlighten her.

Pair
skating, as Sven had said, is acknowledged to be the most difficult form of figure skating as it is also the most beautiful. To be successful, the matching of the partners is of paramount importance. Basically Sonya fulfilled the physical requirements to skate with Sven. The man should be taller, heavier and of course stronger than the girl, which he was. Many experts consider he should also be the more experienced of the two so that he can adapt his speed, depth of edge and general movement to suit the girl, for nothing could look worse than when she is obviously working to keep pace with him instead of their synchronised movements appearing to be effortless.

Sonya arrived punctually at the club in the morning and found Jan van Goort and Sven waiting for her at the private rink. They had been obviously discussing her, for both looked a little conscious as she slid towards them over the ice. Sven was wearing his black outfit which contrasted with his fair hair and emphasised his lithe muscular build. Sonya was in white, including her boots. By tradition, girls wore white ones and men black. She looked at Sven expectantly, fearful that he might change his mind when he started to work with her, but he greeted her with a confident smile.

'First you must become accustomed to moving together,' Jan told her. He showed her the elementary position for moving at speed round the rink. Sven
's
right arm was about her waist, and her left arm was
across his waistline, while he held her left hand in his. Sonya's body stiffened as Sven's arm encircled her and Jan called, 'Relax, relax!' as they made a tentative move forward.

But that Sonya could not do. In every nerve she was conscious of Sven's close proximity, his firm arm about her. She was exactly the right height for him, the top of her head being level with his chin, and her feet moved in step with his, but she held herself rigid and taut, while despair welled up in her. She would never be able to partner Sven.

He guided her up to the barrier, and she thought, now it's coming, he's going to tell Jan I'm hopeless, but to her surprise he called to Jan to put a waltz tune on the record player, and after giving him an astonished look, the trainer obeyed. Still holding her waist, Sven rubbed the back of Sonya's neck with the other hand.

'Child, you are as stiff as a ramrod,' he rebuked her. 'What is the matter? Do I frighten you?'

'It's no good,' she whispered. 'I can't.'

'Coward,' he taunted her. 'There is no such word as can't.'

The strains of the Blue Danube issued from the record player. Sven seized her hand again and swept her round the rink. Faster and faster they sped, he impelling her forward until the sheer exhilaration of their speed overcame her self-consciousness, and her body became fluid, accepting his guidance, yielding to the pressure of his arm. Used to a succession of sedate exercises as she was, this wild gallop was something outside her experience. She had practised speed skating on her own, it was the one thing she really enjoyed, but then she had been alone, without the impetus and ex
citement of their present mad career. Sven was whirling her off her feet, but not quite; she still maintained contact with the ice. She was thrilled and elated when Sven finally halted and released her. She clutched the barrier, breathless and laughing, her curls dancing, her eyes sparkling.

Sven regarded her with satisfaction.

'You see?' he said to Jan. 'She is a different girl.'

'But,
mynheer
, that was not figure skating,' the trainer objected, his stolid Dutch sense of propriety offended. 'You were racing, playing ...' He spread his hands expressively.

'That is what she needs, to play,' Sven told him. 'Look at her again, she has come to life.'

Van Goort regarded Sonya critically.

'Ach so, you have lit the vital spark,
mynheer.'

Sonya had an uneasy feeling that Sven might have lit something else. She had never felt so exuberant on the rink before and she actually wanted to feel his arm about her again. He was regarding her quizzically and she hoped he had not divined her sensations.

'Now we must do some serious work,' he said. "We will try the school figures ... in unison.'

Sonya made a face. 'Brackets and loops!' she groaned.

He grinned at her. 'You will find them a novelty ... together.'

She did, under Sven's guiding hands, becoming absorbed in what they were doing. They moved clockwise, and reversed; Jan kept them at it until all their movements, forwards and backwards with equal lean and depth of edge, were completely under control. He impressed upon them that in pair skating they must have
perfect unison and timing in whatever they attempted to perform. Sonya knew the instructions were for her benefit; Sven knew it all, he had done it with his sister. She thought by the time she became expert, the word unison would be written on her heart as the unfortunate Mary Tudor had declared Calais would be inscribed on hers. But she was heartened and encouraged by her morning's work. It was novel and exciting to be skating with Sven. She knew he was helping her in every way he could, suiting his movements to hers, and when they broke off for lunch, she said:

'Thank you for being so helpful and forbearing.'

He smiled wryly. 'You forget that it is in our joint interest to make a good pair. I do not want thanks, Sonya, but co-operation.'

In spite of his ungraciousness, Sonya found she was looking forward to the afternoon session.

Thomasina was livid when she found out what was going on, as she did two days later. Choosing a moment when Sonya had come into the canteen for a cup of tea, she declared in a loud voice, which carried throughout the room:

'Of course it's her father's money. He's bribed Sven to take her on.'

Sonya flushed angrily and was thankful that Sven was not present. The swain who was with Thomasina at the bar said anxiously:

'Watch your words, honey. They could be construed as libel if they aren't true.'

'Of course they're true,' Thomasina insisted, and though she lowered her voice, Sonya could still catch what she said. 'Why else would he bother with a stick like her? It must be a hefty sum to compensate him for jeopardising his championship.'

Though Sonya knew Thomasina was wrong in her surmise, it hurt her to hear herself dubbed a stick and her new-found confidence wavered. If that was how the club members assessed her, her task was even more formidable, but surely she could not be so hopeless or Sven would never have agreed to partner her.

'Cheer up, chick,' Thomasina's friend told her, leering at her. 'Our ice maiden is too much of a Puritan to aspire to his bed, so you'll have your innings there.'

Thomasina threw Sonya a malicious look.

'I've already made a start in that direction,' she drawled.

Sonya stood up and moved away out of earshot. Sven's love life was no concern of hers, but she did not like to think of him in connection with Thomasina, who was her enemy and would miss no opportunity to denigrate her to him. He had told her the blonde attracted him so much he would not skate with her, but the idea of an affair between them nauseated her. How could she endure Sven's touch when he came to her straight from Thomasina's embraces? But she could not explain her revulsion and had no right to censure him. Possibly Thomasina's insinuation had no foundation. She could only stifle her aversion and give him the benefit of the doubt. Just why she was so repelled by their connection she did not try to analyse; her feelings towards Sven were still chaotic.

Derek too was not pleased by the course of events. Sven with his glamour and obvious sexual charm was not a rival with whom he felt he could compete.

'I suppose you'll end by falling in love with the guy,' he said gloomily.

A bright spot of colour rose to each of Sonya's cheeks.

'He's the last man I'd ever fall for,' she declared vehemently. Too vehemently, Derek thought. 'Besides, there'd be no future to such folly. He doesn't believe in mixing business and pleasure, and he said, "he travels fastest who travels alone." That's why he's asked me to skate with him, he thinks I'm still a child and he only cares for experienced women.'

'Is that so?' Derek didn't believe her. To him it was inconceivable that any man could be in daily contact with Sonya and not want her. 'You seem to have discussed the subject very intimately.'

'Of course we haven't. It's what he told Daddy, and what's more, he knows you're my boy-friend.'

'That means nothing.' Derek refused to be comforted. 'It isn't as if we were engaged.' He looked at Sonya hopefully.

'I can't contemplate marriage until I've won an Olympic medal,' she said firmly.

'And the next Olympics aren't for ages,' he complained. 'We may all be dead by then.'

'You're being morbid, and I rely upon you to bring a little cheer into my life,' Sonya reproached him. 'With Sven it's all hard work. He's terribly exacting.'

Derek brightened at this admission. 'In future I'll be a scintillating sunbeam,' he told her. 'And I'll always be there to support you whatever that fellow does.'

'Thanks, but what he does apart from skating isn't my business,' she said lightly. 'It's nice to know you'll always be there, because some day I may need you.'

She had no premonition that her words might be prophetic.

*

For the free skating part of the competition, the entrants were allowed to arrange their own movements to music of their choice. The movements should be as varied as possible and the more spectacular ones spaced so that they did not come all together. Sonya was afraid that Sven would be too ambitious. She had seen the elaborate lifts and spins performed by other couples, and this would be a new departure for her. The lifts were first worked off the ice. They used the badminton room which was not often used in the mornings. She was instructed to stand with her back to Sven, who would lift her from the waist, his hands just above her hips, while she held his wrists, and bending her knees, sprang, while he straightened his bent arms and using the muscles of his legs raised her, thrusting up with his arms until she was above his head.

'Be careful not to splay your legs about,' Jan commanded her. 'Keep as upright as possible.'

They practised until she got the knack of it, but she knew it was only the beginning. There were many variations of jump lifts, also spins, and she wondered if she would ever master the programme arranged for her, which Jan and Sven had mapped out, which included set spins, arabesques and camels. But as the days flew past, she was amazed at the progress she made under Sven's steady encouragement. It seemed nothing was beyond her powers when he was guiding her, and she was acutely conscious of a magnetic current flowing from him to her. Intuitively she knew what he wanted her to do, and did it. A strange new excitement flowed through her veins, when she joined him on the ice, which brought a glow to her cheeks and a sparkle to her eyes. Each day was approached not with boredom
and dread as so often in the past, but eager anticipation.