Luke gave her a strange look. "He is a very mixed up man emotionally at present. Just keep your cool and let's see what happens."
"What do you mean? See what happens?"
"Time, my dear Kris, time...it does great things." He changed the subject. "If I can't court Marie here, I'll not be able to do it anywhere. Thank you for this." He took the keys and slipped them into his pocket. "And don't you worry about a thing. See you."
Then he was gone.
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* * *
Chapter Four
Everything was ready by Wednesday afternoon, and there seemed no reason for them to stay over until Thursday. Kris was also anxious to get the hang of her surroundings and be on the spot to plan the weekend. She felt a pleasurable anticipation as her old car rattled along. PJ chatted non-stop, blissfully unaware her words were going over the top of Kris' head.
The other reason for leaving Wednesday was that Mrs. Cree had phoned to say she would like to leave on Thursday because she wanted to stay at home. Other than that, the nurse told her that her husband had come down with the flu, and at his age, she worried that it would turn into pneumonia.
The old woman had greeted them rapturously. "Come into the kitchen and have some tea, m'dear. I am sure you don't mind if I go tonight. I've made a pie for your dinner so you can heat that when you are ready. Dan's not doing well; I don't like leaving him alone. It's kind of you to come back -- I've been really worried. Now, let me show you what I have been doing. I thought you might like to know a few things. Of course, you can get me on the phone, but these might help you." She proffered a sheaf of copious notes. "I've known Mr. Metier for a long time, and I thought you'd better know about some of the things he dislikes. He's not really fussy or difficult, it's just that he knows what he likes and dislikes. His wife used to say that for someone who professed to have simple tastes, he was most complicated." She reflected. "Poor man, he doesn't laugh as he used to, but then it's no wonder." She brought herself up sharply. "No good mooning over the past. I am sure you will bring some sunshine into this house again, and I know you will be good for PJ. I've grown too old for this sort of thing. Still, it helped him through a bad patch."
...x...
The next day, with PJ in tow, Kris conferred with the staff and finalised plans for the weekend. There were enough provisions for her to work on without having to suss out the local shops, which could wait until next week.
Kris had been a past master at blending formal business functions with just enough informality to turn them into memorable and enjoyable occasions. As a hostess she made entertaining seem easy, putting her guests immediately at ease with her charming unflustered manner, and obvious enjoyment of the occasion. Other women had tried to copy her style, but they never seemed able to pull it off, and they would question her about where they had gone wrong and what made her parties such a success. "Flair," they had said, but it was not simply that. Her secret was to make it appear as though it happened naturally. However, it took a great deal of meticulous planning and attention to detail, with complete preparation and perfect timing, and generally never having to fiddle with finicky last minute touches.
Kris felt a thrill of anticipation. She was expecting eight businesspeople, five accompanied by their wives, and of course, Luke, Raoul, and the omni present da Costas. Without question, it was all up to her. Luke had told her that her appointment as official hostess had caused quite a stir and set tongues wagging. She desperately wanted her debut to be a success. More importantly, she wanted Raoul's approval. In a purely female way, scoring a triumph over Isabella.
Upon scouting around the attic, and in an old storeroom, she came across several small tables and chairs. She figured that they would be ideal to place on one side of the huge airy veranda where they could eat their meals during the day. And at night, candles and bright tablecloths along with the semi-al-fresco atmosphere, would set precisely the right casualness she was looking for.
She planned to turn the beautiful paneled dining room into an impromptu boardroom, and there the men could spread themselves out and work undisturbed, no matter what hours they kept.
While in the attic, she came across some unusual handmade pottery vases, carefully wrapped in tissue paper and packed in an old tea chest. She wondered why such beautiful things were stored and hidden in such a way. They deserve placement in the grand house, she thought. One in particular caught her attention. It was large and ornate, but she felt the clever colouring of the glaze would do something for Raoul's masculine, and rather austere study. She placed it on a pedestal near the light filled with lots of greenery and long-stemmed orange flowers. It looked stunning, almost as though the artist had made it just for that room. The glow brought the whole room to life, and she felt strangely satisfied with the result.
Despite her preoccupation with her planning, Kris still found time for Penny Jayne. They went barefoot to the lake, and laughed as they ran through the shallows, gathered armfuls of the golden yellow flowers on the way back; they filled the house with their cheerful freshness.
She also found the time to phone the local postmistress, rightly assuming that in such a small village she would be a mine of information.
"My name is Kris Castell. Mrs. Cree may have told you I have come to look after Raoul Metier's daughter. To whom am I speaking?"
"Mrs. Edwards. Indeed, Edna did tell me something. She and I play bingo together every Tuesday. How can I help you?"
"I'm looking for somewhere I can take Penny Jayne to meet other children. Do you know of a play group or something of that nature?"
"Funny you should ask...I was talking to Miss Dillon the other day -- she used to teach botany at the local high school before she retired -- and she told me she was getting bored. She has opened her house for four to six year-olds on Tuesday's and Friday's. She loads them up in her little car and takes them on what she calls "observation" trips into the countryside. She lets them all run about letting off steam, and at the same time shows them nature in its unspoiled form. She says that on rainy days she lets them do finger painting and other handwork in her kitchen. Is that the sort of thing you want?" Not waiting for an answer, the postmistress continued. "Miss Dillon's such a nice lady...loves kids. She never married, though, poor thing. She has a new number, can't recall it off hand. Oh, I have customers that just walked in. I know the Metier number, so I'll call you. I won't be long. Goodbye."
Kris was elated; it was more than she had hoped for. As soon as she had the number, she gave Miss Dillon a call.
"They are a good bunch of kids," Miss Dillon said when she had heard the story. "Rowdy, but normal. It can only do Penny Jayne a world of good. I look forward to meeting you on our next outing, weather permitting, on Tuesday. How clever of you to think of Mrs. Edwards; she knows everything that goes on, of course. She never misses a trick."
...x...
Guests started arriving at four o'clock in the afternoon. Kris welcomed them and introduced herself at the same time before she showed them to their rooms. She was conscious of the open admiration in the eyes of the men, and the frank inquisitive looks she received from the women in the party. She had always got along with both men and women, and by the time Raoul and Isabella arrived, her unaffected charm had them relaxed and companionably chatting on the open patio.
His eyes found hers the moment he came through the French doors. My God, I hope no one can see the effect he has on me, she thought. Here I am being sophisticated and efficient, and he makes me feel like a gangly schoolgirl, it's ridiculous. Pull yourself together. She gripped the veranda rail to hide her unsteadiness. Without expression, he took in the scene before him, and then a little smile played around his mouth. After a general greeting, he strolled over to her.
"I'm sorry we are a bit late. I had planned to be here earlier to help you with the introductions, but I see you have managed admirably. How's Penny Jayne?"
"Raoul, darling, I am sure she is fine, but Isabella's
not. Kris, be a dear; I am dying of drought. Get a Campari and soda for me, please."
The sleek woman had sidled up to Raoul's side, and as she gave a honeyed smile, Kris saw through the move to get her away from Raoul. She smiled back sweetly.
"Isabella, Mr. Nathan has kindly offered to help the ladies with their drinks. He will be delighted to help you. I want to fill Raoul in about what I have done for PJ before I go and call her." She pretended not to see the venomous look in the flashing dark eyes as the raven-haired beauty turned and flounced away. Obviously, battle had begun.
Her composure had returned. "I'm taking her to play with other--"
"Ah-ha! There you are, my friend." Philippe's arrival shattered the calm as he dashed up to Raoul and slapped him on the back. He put Kris' hand to his lips and gave her a wink. "I wondered if the lovebirds were going to arrive soon. I was supposed to have lunch with them, but a secretary bird gave me marching orders and told me to proceed here without them." Turning back to his host he said, "So, where were you then?" The two men laughed and went towards the bar.
Luke was the last to arrive.
"Hi," he said. As he brushed her cheek with his lips he whispered, "Things are going great. Later, I'll tell you more." She grinned, happy for this genuine guy. Looking across the room, she was surprised to see Raoul watching them, a sullen scowl and the hard set of his jaw clouding his handsome face. As she caught his eye, he shrugged off the simpering Isabella and strode into the darkening garden.
Ordered to take a bath, Kris found PJ in the upstairs bathroom. Afterwards, the two of them descended the stairs hand in hand to find Raoul. They found him on the veranda. Even though he spoke to her in a sarcastic tone, over the child's head, she was pleased that he showed PJ no contempt.
The informality of the evening was proving to be a great success and the flickering candles cast their seductive spell on the atmosphere. There was easy conversation and lots of laughter. The food was good and the wine flowed, and Kris was able to relax knowing her first occasion had come up to expectation.
She moved into the darkened lounge, wanting to be alone for a few minutes, when she noticed the light on in the study. Thinking she should turn it off, she stepped inside and was embarrassed to find that she was not alone. Raoul was standing by the vase of flowers and one hand stroked the beautiful surface. He turned sharply.
"I...I'm sorry. I didn't know you were in here. I was only going to switch off the light."
He turned back to the vase. "Where did you get this?"
"In the attic along with several others; they were all in a box. It is all right to use them, isn't it? They are so lovely."
He turned back to her and she was surprised to see a gentle, almost far away look on his handsome face. His voice was low when he spoke and his accent seemed more marked than usual. "I had forgotten about them, it has been a long time. You see, my wife made them and Mrs. Cree put things like that away after the accident."
Kris was about to say she was sorry when he cut in again.
"It is very strange, but she used to put this one here, too, and fill it with the same flowers."
As he looked at her, she realised he seemed vulnerable and alone. The familiar hardening of his mouth and the arrogant tilt of his head were masks behind which he could hide.
"I would like you to keep it here, like this, all the time." His voice changed, the conversation was over. He was abrupt as though he had already exposed too much, and he strode out of the room.
Her heart thumped as she switched out the light and closed the door. She'd had an urge to cross the floor, press his head into her shoulder and stroke the soft hair on the nape of his neck, and try to make the pain go away.
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* * *
Chapter Five
After several successful weekends, Kris felt more self confident and relaxed in her role as hostess, and Raoul's guests were generous in their praise of her abilities.
One afternoon she decided to have a good chat with Lauren; it had been a while since she had seen her old friend.
"You know, an invitation from Raoul is considered high on the one-up man's calendar. I've heard it often that they are clamouring to be on his guest list," Lauren said, smugly.
"You are joking, of course."
"No, I'm not. And I'll tell you something else that will surprise you, too. There was nothing catty said about you. Bet that's a feather in your cap."
"Ah-ha, there you are wrong. Isabella still can't stand anything I do; she just clings like a limpet to Raoul and swans around as though she has done the organizing. Whenever she speaks to me, it is as though I'm a menial. But, take it from whence it comes, I suppose."
"Kris, don't forget what I told you at the very beginning. She has been around Raoul for a long time and she looks upon you as a threat. So, don't you start getting any ideas. You have no need to play the role of the rags-to-riches Cinderella. Why, you don't even need this job!"
"I never said anything like that Lauren. How can you say--"
"I know you better than you think, kiddo," Lauren laughed. "I can see the signs. Anyway, think about it. I must fly. Oh, by the way, can't you get down here for a couple of days? There is a fabulous show coming soon and it would be like old times if you joined me and the gang."
"I would love to, but it depends. I'll let you know. Bye."
She didn't say on what it depended, but as she thoughtfully looked out over the rolling lawns and the calm lake, watching the romping children play with the little girl that had come to mean so much to her, she wondered if she had become too attached to the place. And to the intimate thoughts she had for Raoul Metier. Even as she thought about him, her body felt an aching need to be touched by him. Oh, what it would unleash in her to feel his strong arms tight around her, his lean hard body urgent against hers, his lips....
Enough! She shook her head slightly as if to come back to earth and quickly went outside to join the noisy gaiety to dispel her sensuous thoughts.
While she watched the children, the idea of buying a puppy came to her. She'd read somewhere that owning an animal was a good thing for growing children. Talking to the elderly gardener, she found out where to purchase a loveable Rottweiler puppy. With PJ's birthday two weeks away, she decided they would go to the gardener's house the next day and choose one as a birthday present.
She told PJ at breakfast and her face was a study in delight. She couldn't keep still in the car as they drove to the little cottage about three miles away. The motherly woman who met them at the door was bursting with pride when she discovered that Raoul Metier's daughter would have one of her babies.
The little girl was ecstatic as the puppies swarmed around her, but one was persistent in pushing his head under her arm whenever she sat down on the ground. His soulful eyes gazed up adoringly at her.
"That's the one," said Kris. "I don't care if it is a stud or a bitch; I like them when they take a fancy to you straight away. We'll have him."
PJ held the warm cuddly mass as it licked her face. "Can we take him now? Do I have to wait for my birthday?"
Kris laughed. "Of course, we are taking him home. We'd break his heart if you left him here." Kris turned to the old lady. "May I give you a cheque?"
"Oh, no ma'am!. It would be our privilege to give one to Mr. Raoul."
"No, really, it is very kind of you, but I must pay for him. These are hungry little brutes and it must cost you a lot to rear them and make them sturdy. Of course I must pay you. Anyway, it's my present to Penny Jayne. Mr. Metier knows nothing about it."
As the woman protested, Kris wrote out a cheque and pressed it into her hand. "You wouldn't like me to give all the money to your grandchildren for sweets, would you? I'll do that if you won't take it." She grinned as the old lady's eyes widened.
"Oh, don't tease me that way." Shyly she said, "Won't you stay for a cup of tea?"
The two women sat in the homely lounge chatting while PJ sat quietly with a heavy sle
eping pup in her arms and a proud possessive look on her face.
...x...
The next day was bright and sunny and Kris packed a picnic lunch and took PJ and some friends to a small sandy bay on the lake. While there, they all enjoyed playing with the boisterous pup that PJ had named Jump because he always jumped about. Kris had her bikini on underneath what she called her tatters, which were faded old jeans cropped off short that frayed at the edges. She also had on an old rugby jersey that belonged to her brother. And for the hell of it, she had her hair in two pigtails. Apart from mauve lipstick, she wore no makeup. While PJ played, she lay soaking up the sun, adding a deeper shade to her already golden skin.
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