‘What do you think of this one?’ She didn’t answer and Sebastian looked up and saw her looking in the mirror. ‘Hey, you’re miles away.’
‘Oh, yes, sorry.’ She coloured a little and his eyebrows rose, but she quickly said, ‘Yes, I like that,’ and hoped that the moment had passed.
Sebastian glanced at his watch. ‘Well, if you’ve got everything you want, I think we have time to walk to the park and see our famous castle before we collect Paula.’
As they strolled through the town they passed several antique shops and Verity couldn’t resist looking in the windows.
‘You’re obviously keen on antiques,’ Sebastian observed as she looked into the third window. ‘Do you like antiques in general or anything in particular?’
‘I collect teapots,’ she admitted. ‘I’ve got quite a collection at home, but the first and nicest one is a teapot that I inherited from my grandmother. Nearly everything else was sold when my parents were killed, but that was put in store for me until I was eighteen. I like other antiques too, of course, especially furniture, but the teapots are about as much as I can afford after paying the mortgage, and they look good on my Welsh dresser.’
Sebastian was interested and asked her several questions, then flicked his fingers in remembrance as he said, ‘Got it! I knew I’d read something about teapots recently and I’ve been trying to remember. Seeing that auction notice outside the estate agents has reminded me. There’s a country house sale coming up in a few weeks. I think it’s in Longchester, which is about thirty or so miles from here. And I’m sure I read that there’s a large collection of china. How would you like to go? There might be something there that would interest you.’
‘Why, yes, I’d like to very much. I haven’t been to house sale before.’
‘Good.’ Sebastian smiled at her. ‘I’ll make sure of date and let you know. Perhaps we could make a day of it.’
She smiled in return, her eyes bright now that she as sure he intended to go with her. ‘I’d like that very much. Thank you.’
They walked on, then stopped to look in the window f a picture gallery, so they talked mostly about the _js as they sauntered through the park in the sun. Sebastian chatted easily on the subject and knew what he was talking about, but he didn’t have Verity’s advantage of living in London and being able to go to art galleries and the theatre every time there was a new exhibition or a new play, so he wasn’t so up to date. Many men might have dropped the subject then, not liking to be at a disadvantage, but Sebastian was plainly pleased that she was so knowledgeable and listened with interest to her descriptions and opinion.
Verity found her steps slowing and she began to wish that they didn’t have to meet Paula. She felt so much more in accord with Sebastian than any man she’d met in a long time. Living and working in London, she had never been short of dates; there had been many men who had been attracted by her good looks and shining intelligence, and several who wanted a more permanent relationship. But all the men that Verity met were heavily into their careers, and she always had the feeling that, although they might care for her a great deal, with them work would always come first. Perhaps she was being selfish or even unrealistic, but Verity felt that any man she loved would always come first with her and he ought to feel that way, too. Sebastian was describing a Turner exhibition he’d been to, but as she listened, her eyes on his face, Verity’s thoughts wandered. He was so different from most of the men she knew; they would have told her their name coupled with their career, as if the two were permanently linked, but she had lived in the same house as Sebastian for over a week and yet had only just found out that he had an office in
Melford—and she still didn’t know what he did there. He was very self-possessed, too, although she had an idea that he had a ruthless streak hidden away some where. And she liked the way his hair curled slightly where it met his collar, and the hard, clean-cut line of his jaw, and the way his mouth twisted a little when he smiled, and……
‘Here we are.’ Sebastian broke into her thoughts as he gestured towards some stone ruins. ‘The castle— or rather the remains of it.’
The castle was in the middle of the park and turned out to be more infamous than famous, having been the home of a particularly brutal nobleman in medieval times who seemed to take great delight in persecuting the local population. There wasn’t a great deal of it left now, just the gatehouse and the remains of a keep and a few towers. They walked round them as Sebastian described the way in which the townsfolk had finally turned on their oppressor. He told the story well, making her laugh as she listened to him, but then he broke off unexpectedly and she saw his face sharpen With tension. They had just emerged from the keep and he was looking ahead, down the path that led back to the town. Verity automatically turned to see what had caught his attention, but he took her arm and quite deliberately turned to go in the other direction, continuing the story as if nothing had happened, but lengthening his stride so that she had to walk smartly to keep up.
But they had only gone a few yards when a voice, a young, female voice, called, ‘Sebastian!’ and when he took no notice repeated his name insistently.
‘I think someone’s calling you,’ Verity pointed out.
He gave her a strange kind of look and his mouth thinned. Reluctantly he stopped and they turned to wait for the girl to come up to them. She was probably in her late twenties, a few years older than Verity, but shorter and with a more curvaceous figure. Her hair was blonde, but it had a metallic glint in the sun, showing that it had had help from a bottle, and she wore a short, tight red leather skirt, thigh-high boots, and a long, figure-hugging sweater. The girl was a little out of breath from hurrying and there was a glint of triumph in her heavily made-up eyes. Verity decided that she disliked her on sight.
‘Why, Sebastian, what a lovely surprise! It’s ages since we met.’ The giri’s voice was throaty, but she spoke slowly, as if she studied each word before she spoke, like someone speaking a foreign language. ‘How are you?’
‘Well enough.’ In comparison Sebastian’s voice was harsh and decidedly curt. ‘I’m afraid you’ll have to excuse us, we’re meeting someone.’
The girl gave a tinkling laugh. ‘My, my, what a rush. But I won’t keep you.’ But she came nearer and, putting a familiar hand on his arm, looked up into his face. ‘Besides you always know where to find me, Sebastian, sweelic. Just as I know where to find you, don’t I?’
The grip on Verity’s arm tightened so much that she winced, and Sebastian’s brows gathered into a dark, angry frown as he turned on his heel and strode briskly away, pulling Verity along with him. Behind them they heard the girl laugh again, a sound that somehow seemed to hold a threat in it, but Sebastian didn’t turn or stop until they were out of the park.
He slowed down then and Verity said sharply, ‘Can I have my arm back now?’
‘What? Oh, sorry.” And he let her go.
‘Thanks!’ She rubbed her arm and turned her head away from him, trying to hide the disappointment in her eyes. That nasty little scene with the girl in the park had been enlightening and all too obvious. She had spoken so familiarly that she could be nothing but an old flame, and one that he was evidently ashamed of, at that. That the girl was a man-trap was clear from the way she dressed and the way she looked at him, but Verity didn’t sec that that gave Sebastian the right to treat her like dirt or try to ignore her. But what hurt most was that he had lowered his standards enough to get involved with that type of girl in the first place. It made Verity’s own growing liking for him somehow feel cheapened and dirty.
They walked back to the solicitor’s office faster than they need have done, neither of them Finding anything to say. Sebastian still had an angry frown on his face and was obviously preoccupied with his own harsh thoughts. It wasn’t until they met Paula again that he made an attempt to hide his annoyance and be sociable.
‘I’ve booked a table at the Red Lion,’ he told them as he ushered them out of th
e solicitor’s. ‘It’s over there, on the other side of the market square.’ He pointed as he spoke and they both obediently looked in that direction, but as Verity’s gaze swept round a glint of blonde caught at the corner of her vision. Quickly she looked back and saw the girl they had met in the park. She was standing on the other side of the road, partly hidden by a queue of people who were waiting for a bus, but not a part of it, almost as if she had deliberately tried to conceal herself. If it hadn’t been for the sun shining on that impossibly bright hair Verity wouldn’t have noticed her; Sebastian certainly hadn’t, he was talking to Paula. She wondered why the girl was standing there watching them, but Sebastian and Paula had started to walk towards the pub and she had to turn away and catch them up.
The Red Lion was a large inn right in the centre of the town, with a pleasant panelled dining-room with hunting prints on the walls and Georgian bow-fronted windows looking out on to the street. But first they had a drink in the bar where Sebastian handed them menus to choose from.
‘I think you’ll find the food plain, but good,’ he told them.
Verity reached up to take hers from him and their hands touched fleetingly. ‘Sorry.’ She quickly drew her hand back, then glanced up and caught his eye. He began to smile at her, but she deliberately looked away and began to study the menu. Sebastian sat back, his face hardening and his mouth setting into a grim line.
Luckily Paula didn’t seem to notice anything amiss; she was bright and lively today, and full of interest for the samples they’d collected.
‘I’m afraid there wasn’t a huge selection to choose from,’ Verity apologised. ‘They could do with a really good interior designer in this town.’
‘I’m sure we’ll find something,’ Paula assured her. ‘I’ve never designed a nursery before; it will be fun.’
Verity smiled at her friend, pleased that she seemed happy. Paula didn’t mention her meeting at the solicitor’s during lunch, but it must obviously have reassured her or she wouldn’t have been so relaxed. And because Paula was in such a good mood Verity tried hard to put her own thoughts out of her mind and be cheerful, too. They were shown to a table in one of the windows, the sun slanting down through the little bull’s-eye panes and making weird patterns on the white tablecloth. As Sebastian had said, the food was very good. The inn specialised in home-made pies with crusts so light that they rose a couple of inches from the dish. ‘Mmm, lovely!’ Paula exclaimed. ‘I feel so hungry today!’ A remark which was so deep with feeling that they all laughed, and that helped to relieve the feeling of constraint between Verity and Sebastian.
‘This looks such a nice town,’ Paula went on. ‘I’m looking forward to exploring it properly. Did you manage to see much of it with Sebastian?’
‘Quite a bit. There’s a very old castle with quite an interesting history,’ Verity said drily. ‘You must get Sebastian to tell you about it some time. He tells it very well.’ She glanced at him as she spoke and saw a sardonic look come into his eyes.
‘I shall certainly do that, then,’ Paula said with a smile. ‘And I must go and see it, too. Where is it? Far from here?’
‘No, just through the park. Only about ten minutes’ walk away.’ Sebastian pointed out of the window, but then grew still, his eyes on the street. Verity looked out and saw what he had seen. The girl was there again. She was walking slowly along the pavement below, her head turned towards the inn so that she looked directly at them. When she saw them looking towards her she threw back her head and laughed. They couldn’t hear her through the window, of course, but Verity felt that unnatural laugh jangling in her ears. The girl continued to look at them for a moment, then, obviously satisfied that they’d seen her, quickened her pace and walked out of sight.
Paula was following Sebastian’s directing finger and hadn’t noticed anything, but Sebastian knew that Verity had seen. He turned to look at her, his eyes holding hers steadily, as if daring her to put any interpretation on it. Her chin came up and the air between them was suddenly alive with tension. But then Verity dropped her eyes; it was none of her business, and she had too much concern for her own privacy not to respect his.
They talked of other things, but as soon as the meal was over Sebastian said he was sorry, but he had to meet someone that afternoon, and drove them back to Layton House. He dropped them off at the entrance gate, and as soon as he’d driven away Paula began to talk about her meeting with the solicitor, saying, ‘Everything is exactly as Sebastian said it was, right down to the last detail. And the solicitor told me how marvellously Sebastian has looked after the estate, even before Simon’s father died. He said that it had become far more efficient since he took it over.’
‘Did you ask him whether Sebastian drew a salary?’ Verity asked curiously.
‘No, he doesn’t. Just expenses.’
‘I wonder what he does in his office in Melford, then?’
‘Why don’t you ask him?’
Verity shrugged. ‘Oh, I’m not really interested, it was just passing curiosity.’
‘Liar. I’ve an idea you’re quite attracted to Sebastian,’ Paula teased.
Verity’s face shadowed. ‘Somehow I don’t think that would be a very good idea.’
‘What do you mean?’ Paula demanded, immediately picking up the dry note in her voice.
For a moment Verity hesitated, wondering whether to tell Paula what had happened. Perhaps she shouldn’t—after all, it was only surmise on her part, and it wasn’t really their concern. But her own inner disappointment was so great that she had to tell someone, so she said, ‘Because I met one of Sebastian’s old flames today.’
‘Really?’ Paula’s elegantly arched eyebrows rose. ‘Well, go on, you can’t just stop there.’
‘She looked—cheap. Peroxide and leather. You know the type I mean.’
Paula stared at her. ‘Sebastian? Going out with someone like that? I just don’t see it.’
‘Nor would I have done. Still, there’s no knowing how people get their kicks. You only have to read the tabloids to find out how perverted some men are/ ‘Yes, but Sebastian…’ ‘I know.’
They both fell silent until Paula said, ‘Are you sure she was an old flame?’
‘She called him “sweetie”
‘Yeukl I’d love to have seen her. Was she really ghastly?’
‘No.’ Verity felt a sudden surge of anger. ‘She was just brought up differently and doesn’t know any better, I suppose. And who are we to criticise, anyway? And Sebastian evidently fancied her at some point, although he couldn’t get away fast enough this morning. He even tried to ignore her.’
Paula gave her a swift look. ‘Perhaps he didn’t want to own up to his—weakness in front of you.’
‘Oh, I’m quite sure he didn’t. He was obviously ashamed of even knowing her. But I’d have admired him more if he’d had the courage to face up to her instead of trying to run away.’
‘It’s strange,’ Paula said musingly. ‘I’d never have put Sebastian down as the type who was afraid to stand up to anything.’
‘No,’ Verity agreed, her voice heavy. ‘Nor would I—until now,’ They were both silent, thinking their own thoughts, until Verity said, ‘And I don’t think he could have handled the affair very well, because after she saw us in the park the girl followed us, and then walked by when we were having lunch in the inn. I think she did it deliberately to try to embarrass Sebastian.’
‘Really? I didn’t see her.’ Paula’s steps slowed as she looked at Verity. ‘And was he embarrassed?’
‘No, I don’t think it was embarrassment he felt,’ Verity said with a frown. ‘He was angry, mostly. And he didn’t make any attempt to be even civil to her.’
Paula’s delicate nose wrinkled in distaste. ‘It all sounds rather nasty.’
‘Yes, it was,’ Verity agreed. ‘But you’d think Sebastian would be experienced enough to know how to end an affair without making an enemy of the girl.’
‘Yes. Do you think he’s very
experienced?’ Paula asked speculatively.
They looked at each other, then grinned. ‘That was a very feminine question.’
‘Yes, wasn’t it?’ Paula agreed. She paused and then said, ‘I think I might go up to London one day soon and buy myself some maternity outfits.’
‘Am I invited along?’
‘Of course. But my old boss at the interior design company has invited me to have lunch with him the next time I’m in town.’
‘Well, that works out all right, because it will give me a chance to go to my house and make sure it’s still OK.’ Verity glanced at Paula and smiled. ‘You’re starting to come alive again.’
‘Am I? I must admit I feel better now that I don’t have to worry about the house and estate any more. It’s wonderful to know that the baby’s future is taken care of. And Maggie has been so kind. And Sebastian. And you, of course.’ She put her hand on Verity’s arm. ‘That goes without saying.’
‘And you know you don’t have to say it. But thanks anyway.’ An idea came to her and she said, ‘When we’re in London we can go and look at those nursery wallpapers ! was telling you about; the selection in Melford wasn’t nearly as good. They really need a good design shop there that covers all aspects of decorating. Sebastian said that there isn’t one in any of the surrounding towns, either, just shops that special-tee in different parts of the trade, like curtain-making or selling ceramic tiles.’
‘Really?’ Paula gave her a pensive look and became lost in her own thoughts for the rest of the walk to the house.
They decided to go up to London a week or so later, on a Monday, when the shops wouldn’t be too crowded, and to stay overnight at Verity’s house.
Lord of Misrule Page 7