No Gentle Possession

by Anne Mather

  The music came to a stop and Howard looked down at her. ‘Well?’ he said. ‘Have I helped you to understand your fiancé a little better?’

  Karen’s lips quivered. ‘I – I think so.’

  ‘Good. Now, let’s go and have a drink together. Dancing makes me thirsty.’

  ‘But – but – your wife. Ray—’

  ‘They can take care of themselves. Come along. It’s not every day I can buy my son’s fiancée a drink.’

  Karen was forced to go with him. Long tables had been set in the glass-fronted conservatory extension and Howard made his way to the nearest one. ‘What will you have?’ he asked. ‘Champagne?’

  ‘Oh, no – thank you. Er – could I just have a lime and lemon, please?’

  Howard pursed his lips. ‘Lime and lemon!’ he exclaimed. He looked resignedly at the bartender. ‘What would you do with her? All right, all right, lime and lemon it shall be. But put a dash of Scotch in it for good measure.’

  Karen was half-way down her long glass of iced whisky, lime and lemon, when Alexis pushed his way past the group nearest to them and came to join them. His face was grim and he looked searchingly at his father before turning to Karen.

  ‘Where the hell have you been?’ he demanded. ‘I’ve been looking everywhere for you.’

  Karen opened her mouth to reply when Howard intervened. ‘She’s been dancing with me,’ he said. ‘You can’t expect to keep her all to yourself, Alex.’

  Alexis took a deep breath, calming himself. ‘Perhaps you ought to go and look after Michelle,’ he stated pointedly. ‘She’s swallowing gin like there was no tomorrow.’

  Howard’s lips tightened, but he finished his own Scotch and put his glass down on the table. ‘Very well,’ he said. He looked again at Karen. ‘Excuse me, my dear. If I don’t see you any more this evening, I shall expect to see you tomorrow before you leave.’

  ‘All right.’ Karen smiled, and watched as his tall, broad frame threaded its way down the hall to find Michelle. Then she looked at Alexis. ‘You were rude,’ she said. ‘There was no need to be.’

  Alexis’s jaw hardened. ‘Wasn’t there? Exactly what has he been saying to you?’

  Karen raised her dark eyebrows. ‘He was just telling me a little about your mother.’

  ‘And what else?’

  ‘Nothing much.’ Karen finished her drink. ‘That was delicious. Do you think I could have another?’

  ‘No, you’re coming with me. I want to talk to you now.’

  He took hold of her wrist and she had perforce to go with him. Either that or cause an unpleasant scene. But she resented his arrogance, his assumption that he had the right to command her movements. She was quite sure that several pairs of eyes followed their progress from the room, and no doubt Ray’s were amongst them. Not that he would be likely to say anything, she thought rather scornfully. He had no doubt decided that his behaviour this week-end justified silence in such matters.

  They followed the corridor to the hall where Alexis opened double doors into what appeared to be a library. He went ahead, switching on a lamp to disperse the gloom, and Karen followed him, reluctantly closing the doors behind her. Alexis walked straight over to the drinks cabinet and poured himself a stiff Scotch, swallowing it at a gulp, and Karen’s eyes widened incredulously. Pouring another, he turned to face her, saying: ‘What’s wrong? Haven’t you ever seen anyone swallow a drink before?’

  ‘Not – not like that,’ she admitted.

  ‘No – well, I needed it,’ he remarked heavily. Raising his glass to his lips again, he drank a little more and then putting it down said: ‘Can I get you that drink now?’

  ‘No, thanks.’ Karen looked round. ‘Why have you brought me here? What have you to say that couldn’t be said in there?’

  ‘Just this!’ he said thickly, and before she could presage his actions he had covered the space between them and pulled her into his arms. He bent his head to hers, kissing her lips as she attempted to draw back, his hands on her hips, holding her against him. Once – twice, he kissed her, and she felt her lips parting involuntaily. Then he kissed her again, and this time he wasn’t playing with her as he had been before; he was drawing the very strength from her body.

  ‘Oh, Alexis!’ she breathed weakly, her hands sliding up to his hair, gripping handfuls of it to hold him closer.

  And then the library door opened and Michelle stood on the threshold, swaying slightly, her gown of silk chiffon clinging about her legs. Karen would have dragged herself away from Alexis, but he would not let her go, and instead they all stared at one another for a long agonizing minute.

  Karen expected her to say something, expected some verbal onslaught, some recriminatory abuse that never came. Instead, she turned again and left them, and now Karen felt as cold as ice. It was as though a chill wind had blown through the library, freezing her to the core.

  She wrenched herself away from Alexis, and when his face darkened angrily and he reached for her again, she darted to the door and went out into the hall. She stood there for several minutes, breathing deeply, long uneven breaths that shook her slender frame. What was she doing allowing him to kiss her like that? Thank God Michelle had brought her to her senses before it was too late.

  She felt someone behind her and swung round nervously to confront Alexis, shrinking at the cold anger in his eyes. ‘Don’t ever do that to me again!’ he muttered harshly, but before she could reply there was a clamour from the ballroom and the sound of a fanfare being sounded.

  Alexis frowned, and gripping her arm he urged her deliberately forward in the direction of the noise. They halted by the doors leading into the ballroom and over the heads of the people Karen could see Michelle climbing unsteadily on to the orchestra dais. She looked at Alexis and saw he was watching Michelle, too, a guarded expression in his eyes.

  ‘Lad – ladies and gentlemen!’ Michelle was having difficulty in articulating and now Karen could see the top of Howard’s head as he stood by the dais, apparently appealing to his wife to get down.

  ‘Ladies and gentlemen!’ she said again, and the camera bulbs flashed in her face, making her giggle uncontrollably for a few moments. ‘I have an announ – announce – ment to make!’ She straightened her shoulders. ‘Something I’m sure you’ll all want to hear.’

  She looked straight across the room and Karen could have sworn she was looking at them. And suddenly she knew she was. Alexis knew it, too, and with a grim twist to his mouth he began pushing his way through the press of people towards the dais. But he didn’t reach it before Michelle completed what she had begun to say.

  ‘It concerns Alex – my stepson,’ she went on, smiling, maliciously. ‘A real cause for celebration if ever there was one. Alex has got himself engaged! Isn’t that exciting! To that sweet little Yorkshire girl he’s been escorting this evening – Karen Sinclair!’

  Karen turned before anyone could stop her and ran back along the corridor to the hall. The stairs had never seemed so long or so steep, but at last she reached the sanctuary of her room and closing the door leant back against it weakly.

  Oh, she had been right to feel apprehensive. Michelle had been determined to cause trouble, even Ray had seen that. She must have guessed their subterfuge was for her benefit, and she would know, better even than Howard, that a man like Alexis Whitney wouldn’t seriously consider marrying an insignificant nobody from Wakeley. Karen doubted he would ever marry anyone, unless it was for reasons of expediency, of course.

  She stared miserably round the bedroom. She should never have agreed to come, she told herself again. She had only ever experienced heartache where Alexis Whitney was concerned, and she was a fool to go on inviting more. The idea of Michelle informing the Wakeley press that she had spent a night in Alexis’s house didn’t seem to matter much any more, and she wished she had had the courage to make a clean breast of it to her parents at the time. Then she wouldn’t have been subject to this kind of moral blackmail.

  Crossing
the room, she seated herself at the dressing-table and stared wearily at her reflection. But it wasn’t only what her parents would say that was troubling her now. It was also what had happened just before Michelle had made her startling announcement; it was that moment in the library when Alexis had kissed her and she had realized that she couldn’t pretend to herself any more. The reason that Alexis could arouse her so easily, why he could destroy any defences she might raise against him was quite simple: she was in love with him …

  She rose abruptly to her feet. If only her mother were there. If only there was someone she could talk to. Not necessarily about herself, but just to banish the misery from her mind.

  And then she thought of Shirley.

  Although they might have no great love for one another, at least they were from the same town, the same background, the same school, even. Perhaps Shirley might provide the solace she needed. She could tell her about the dance, about the dinner, although she shuddered at the thought of food.

  Opening the bathroom door, she went through to Shirley’s door and tapped lightly. ‘Shirley! Shirley, are you awake?’

  There was no reply, so she opened the door, the shaft of light from her bedroom penetrating the darkness beyond. And then her senses froze. Shirley was there, she was awake, but she wasn’t alone. And the curly dark head beside her on the pillow was Ray’s.

  Karen was aghast. In spite of her newly discovered love for Alexis, she would never have expected this of Ray. He had not been like that. He had never made any attempt to make love to her. But now …

  The light had disturbed them, but Karen didn’t wait for them to speak. She slammed the door shut again and rushed through the bathroom to her own bedroom, trembling uncontrollably.

  It was too much, entirely too much. Closing her door, she stood for a moment hugging herself, trying to calm her shaken nerves. That Ray should treat her like this seemed totally incomprehensible, until she began to see that perhaps that was what had been wrong with their relationship all along. They had never felt like that about one another.

  Straightening, she moved away from the door and stared hopelessly into space. What now? What was she going to do? What could she do?

  As though in answer to her silent appeal there came a knocking on the outer door and she stiffened.

  ‘Karen! Karen! I want to speak to you. Can I come in?’

  On shaking legs she ran across the room and turned the key in the lock. Then she said: ‘No. Go away, Alexis. I don’t want to speak to anyone.’

  ‘Karen, please!’ There was grim demand in his voice. ‘This is crazy! I want to speak to you – to explain—’

  ‘Go away!’ Karen pressed a hand to her lips. ‘I’ve got nothing to say.’

  There was silence for a long moment and she thought he had gone, but then he said in a calmer voice: ‘Karen, open the door! I’ve got to talk to you.’

  ‘I’ve already had one example of your way of talking this evening,’ she replied huskily. ‘Just go away! Tell your friends what you like, but go away!’

  She heard his intake of breath, his muttered imprecation, and then the sound of his footsteps receding down the corridor. He had gone!

  She visibly sagged, making her way to the bed and sinking down upon it wearily. What a mess, she thought, feeling slightly sick. However was she going to face them – any of them – in the morning? How could they all climb into Alexis’s car and drive back as though nothing momentous had happened? It was impossible. And she for one couldn’t and wouldn’t do it.

  She glanced at her watch. It was after midnight, but it would be hours yet before the party broke up. If she wanted to leave without being seen she would have to wait until they had all sought their beds, which could mean after breakfast. She sighed. What time would she be able to get a train to Leeds? Ten o’clock? Eleven o’clock? It was Sunday morning. What kind of a service could she expect?

  She lay back on the bed and stared up at the ceiling. What did it matter? Sooner or later there would be a train, and she would be on it …

  CHAPTER ELEVEN

  THE train from King’s Cross arrived at Leeds soon after one o’clock in the afternoon. Karen had been lucky enough to arrive at the station only minutes before its departure, and she had sunk down into her seat with a tremendous feeling of release.

  Leaving Falcons had been comparatively easy, though.

  By seven o’clock that morning, the house had been quiet, but she had waited another half hour before leaving her room. Half-way down the stairs she had seen Searle in the hall below, and had almost taken fright when he turned and saw her. But in fact, after ascertaining that she was leaving he had called a taxi for her, showing little surprise that she should go in this manner. Perhaps he was used to such little intrigues, Karen had thought unhappily.

  She had not had a thing to eat since dinner the previous evening and by the time she left Leeds station she was feeling slightly sick. Reaction was playing its part, too, and now that she was actually back on her home ground, so to speak, she began wondering what sort of reaction her leaving would have on those she had left behind. No doubt Ray and Shirley would be relieved, she thought dryly, looking up and down the street. At least they would have time to compose themselves before meeting her again.

  There was a bus to Wakeley at two o’clock, and in the interval she went into the bus station cafeteria and bought herself a cup of coffee and a ham roll. As she sat there trying to swallow the rather stodgy roll she endeavoured to collect her thoughts and put some coherence into what she was going to tell her parents.

  She had decided to be honest with them and explain about the night she had spent at the house with Alexis. Her mother for one might support her, and surely if she assured her father that in future she intended to have nothing more to do with Alexis, he would not be too distressed.

  She sighed. But it was going to be difficult. And there was still Ray and Shirley to consider. If only she was young again, she thought futilely. If only she could have left Wakeley altogether and gone to her aunt’s in Keswick as she had done before. How much simpler life would be.

  But one couldn’t go on running away for ever, she realized, and although she did not regret leaving Falcons so precipitately, nevertheless, this had been another example of trying to escape from her own foolishness.

  It began to rain as the bus neared Wakeley and by the time it set her down in the High Street it was pouring. She had not taken an overcoat with her, only a suède jacket she wore with her trousers, and this was hardly adequate covering in this downpour.

  Hugging her case, she ran along the High Street to Norfolk Road, and then, out of breath with the weight of the suitcase, she plodded more slowly up the street to her parents’ house.

  When she entered the hallway, her mother came out of the living-room to see who it was, and gazed in consternation at Karen’s soaked appearance.

  ‘For heaven’s sake!’ she exclaimed. ‘Where have you come from?’

  Karen was shivering by now, and her teeth chattered as she tried to speak. ‘I – I got off the bus – in – in the High Street. Gosh, I’m frozen!’

  Laura Sinclair clicked her tongue impatiently. ‘What were you doing getting off the bus in the High Street? I thought you were in London!’

  The living-room door opened wider and Karen’s father appeared, the Sunday newspaper tucked under his arm. ‘Good God!’ he ejaculated. ‘It’s Karen!’ His expression darkened angrily. ‘What’s been going on? Where’ve you been?’ He gave his wife an accusing stare. ‘Didn’t I tell you, you should have told me before letting her go off with that scoundrel?’

  Karen shivered uncontrollably, but she looked uncomprehendingly at her mother. ‘Who – who does he mean?’

  ‘Whitney, of course,’ snapped her father, and her mother gave an expressive little shake of her head.

  ‘I told your father last night,’ she explained quietly. ‘I thought it was best.’

  Karen nodded. ‘It – it was.
Bu – but could I go and get these clothes off before either of you starts, because I – I’m so – so cold!’

  Laura seemed to come to her senses and realized her daughter was visibly shrinking before her eyes. ‘Of course, of course,’ she said at once. ‘Dan, go and put on the kettle while I help Karen off with these things.’

  ‘But what about—’

  ‘Later, Dan, later.’ Laura squeezed his arm reassuringly and then indicated that Karen should lead the way upstairs.

  In the bathroom, Karen stripped off all her clothes and her mother towelled her vigorously. Then she said: ‘You know, I think you’d better get in the bath. Your skin’s so cold. I’m afraid you may have caught a chill.’

  Karen nodded, unable to stop shivering, and with an anxious expression on her face, her mother turned on the bath taps. Half an hour later, Karen had stopped shivering quite so convulsively, but she still couldn’t get warm despite the warm pyjamas of her mother’s she was wearing, and the enveloping folds of her father’s dressing-gown.

  She sat beside the fire downstairs, especially built up for her benefit, and sipped the tea her mother had made with real enjoyment. She felt mentally warm and cosseted, and ashamed that she had not been honest with her parents all along.

  ‘Now,’ said her father with obvious impatience, ‘what were you doing getting off the bus in Wakeley? Haven’t you been to London? Or didn’t he bring you home?’

  Karen took a deep breath. ‘Yes, I’ve been to London, and yes, Alexis would have brought me home. At least, I suppose he would. But – but I didn’t want to stay.’