by Anne Hampson
‘Don’t,’ she implored, finding herself carried away on the tide of his passion. ‘Let me go ... please!'
‘You don’t really want me to let you go. Be honest and admit it.’ His accents were lowered to a throaty bass tone, which vibrated with suppressed passion; his lips caressed her cheek with a sort of tantalizing persuasion that was an art in itself, forcing a warm glow to spread through her whole body. ‘Stop fighting and come to me—’
‘Never!’ she cut in with the desperation of a last defensive stand. ‘Never - not willingly, that is!’ She managed to pull herself away, hitting out at his chest with her small clenched fists. Not in her wildest imagination could she have seen herself in so precarious a position as this. Nothing could save her. Resignedly she admitted this even while she alternately threatened and pleaded, tears blurring her vision. ‘I scarcely know you - it’s ridiculous that you could even suggest that I - that we—’ Her words were smothered by his lips; she came close unresistingly as his arms tightened like hawsers round her small slender body. What was the use of exhausting herself by pitting her strength against his? He must be laughing inwardly at her — or perhaps he was merely filled with the exultancy of the conqueror. ‘Let me go,’ she pleaded in a very small voice. ‘I implore you, Julius—’ His lips had released hers long enough for her to say this, but they denied her the time to finish. His kisses were sensuous, demanding and ruthlessly masterful, his eyes dark with the embers of desire, and the glow suffusing Gale’s body was fanned into a flame. Was she so easily to be overwhelmed by the heat of his ardour? She would not reciprocate, she vowed fiercely.
Julius should not be given the satisfaction of having subdued her to the point where she was mere putty in his hands. ‘Let me go,’ she begged again, wondering why she bothered, since she was quite resigned to her fate.
‘It’s too late, Gale; you’re asking too much. I would have preferred you to abandon such foolish resistance, but you’re far too stubborn, which means that you won’t be as happy as I could make you. However, this is how you want it to be—’ He broke off as she pleaded again, but instead of listening with any attention he picked her up, standing by the bed a moment, looking into her face. At last he spoke, telling her she was wasting her time. ‘You seem to expect the impossible,’ he whispered hoarsely. ‘You’re altogether too tempting, as I told you once before. On that occasion I had to be satisfied with a kiss, but now ... now, my beautiful Gale, I shall take much more—’ Abruptly he stopped, ears alert, his eyes moving from Gale’s pallid face to the bathroom door, which was slightly ajar. ‘What the devil’s happening?’ Putting her down, he strode across
the room and pushed open the door. Gale followed and they both stood there, staring in disbelief at the great gush of water issuing from the pipe running along one wall of the bathroom.
‘A burst,’ said Gale unnecessarily and a laugh escaped her, a cracked and faintly hysterical laugh which brought her companion’s eyes back to hers.
‘How opportune — for you,’ he commented tersely, his dark eyes roving over her scantily-clad body as if even now he would snatch a last appreciative glance at her alluring curves. ‘Saved,’ he said crisply, ‘and by so unromantic an incident as a burst pipe!’ An enigmatic smile appeared, to hover on his lips. His expression was one of wry humour not unmingled with regret. ‘You should be blessing fate for this timely deliverance.’ The merest pause. Gravity replacing the humour, he murmured in gentle and subtle tones, ‘Are you, my dear?’
Colour rushed to her cheeks at the oblique suggestion that she also experienced disappointment. She was saved the effort of finding some caustic retort by the sudden increase in the flow of water as the gash in the pipe widened. Julius moved swiftly as a stream formed by his feet, but Gale’s light slippers were soon soaked. Water continued to pour from the pipe and ran through the bathroom into the bedroom. Julius became brisk, grabbing his dressing-gown and flinging his arms into it.
‘I don’t suppose you know where the stop-tap is?’ And, when Gale shook her head, ‘I’d better go and find it, otherwise we’re very soon going to be knee-deep in water.’
She stood motionless after he had gone, fascinated by the gushing water and oblivious for the present of the discomfort of wet feet. Why should she feel like
this — sort of empty and suspended in limbo? That ancient pipe over there had proved to be her salvation and she was inordinately relieved ... or was she? With swiftly rising colour she recalled Julius’s subtle insinuation, then instantly put it from her. Of course she was relieved by the timely intervention of fate.... And yet why wasn’t her relief more satisfying? - her mind and body more relaxed? Twisting her head as Julius returned, she noted the heavy frown that had settled on his brow.
‘The damned tap must be outside.’ He appeared unaware of the fact that she had not moved since he left the room as, thumbing towards the door, he added, ‘Buzz off while I get dressed. And when you’re dressed you can busy yourself in the kitchen. You’ll find bacon and eggs in the fridge; I brought them with me. And you had better fill up a few containers before I turn the water off'.’
‘Yes, I’ll do that.’ For one profound moment their eyes met, and Julius laughed.
‘Off you go,’ he ordered good-humouredly, and she made a move then, out of the room, closing the door softly behind her.
Over an hour passed before they sat down to breakfast, having spent almost half that time mopping up the water and hanging the rugs outside to dry. They sat at a small table in the kitchen, facing one another as they ate the bacon and eggs which Gale had prepared.
‘And she can cook as well,’ observed Julius with some amusement. ‘I usually find that the beautiful ones are pretty helpless when it comes to domesticity.’ Reaching for the condiment set, he helped himself to pepper and salt.
‘You mean,’ Gale could not resist saying, in distinctly acid-sweet tones, ‘that mostly you are compelled to go without your breakfast?’
He glanced at her, the glimmer of amusement in his eyes deepening.
‘A bite as well, eh? As a matter of fact it might surprise you to know that I’m not a bad cook myself.’
‘It certainly does surprise me.’ Gale was now in a state of fully restored confidence and she gave him smile for smile. ‘I always believed Greek men considered themselves far too superior to indulge in what for centuries has been considered woman’s work.’
‘In general that is correct; Greek men do consider themselves superior.’ Picking up the toast-rack, he held it out to her. Gale helped herself and thanked him. ‘You’re a strange man, Julius.’ Gale spoke after a small silence during which he had sparingly spread butter on his toast while she had merely sat and watched him. ‘Have you never had any desire to marry?’
He looked up.
‘The desire to marry comes only with the appearance of the right woman.’
‘So obviously you’ve not met the right woman yet.’
‘A brilliant conclusion,’ he could not help saying, and enjoyed her discomfiture as she blushed at his mild sarcasm.
‘I suppose that was a rather stupid thing to say,’ she admitted, concentrating on her food.
‘What about you? Are you quite determined never to marry?’
‘Quite.’
‘A decision reached solely because one man let you down. Very silly, Gale; all men are not alike.’
She hesitated a while and then, with sudden decision, ‘Father’s letting Mother down all the time. Also, I could mention several broken marriages among people I know.’ She shook her head. ‘It isn’t worth the risk.’
‘I agree with you that marriage is a risk,’ said Julius quietly, and a little gravely, she noticed. ‘But if one is exceedingly careful, searching well before allowing oneself to fall in love, then marriage can undoubtedly be the ideal state in which to live.’
Gale stared at him in surprise. So serious he was now
— far, far different from the man who only a short while ago had such m
ischief in mind. Lightly he had meant to seduce her, and just as lightly he could have said goodbye - unless of course she had agreed to continue the affair, as he had hoped, apparently. How long would it have lasted? Perhaps a month or two, or perhaps a year at most. Supposing she had agreed; would she have emerged from it heart whole? Gale found herself shirking the answer, a circumstance which in effect was an answer although she refused to acknowledge it.
‘You,’ she began, sweeping him a glance from under her long curling lashes, ‘You, Julius - would you like eventually to enter into this idealistic state of which you talk?’
His fine lips curved even while his eyes remained grave. Gale owned to herself that this serious mood was enormously attractive.
‘You’re asking me if I’d like to be married?’
She nodded, a smile fluttering.
‘Yes, as a matter of fact I was asking that.’
A moment’s silence followed; Julius was deep in thought, and for no definable reason Gale’s mind went back to the night of the barbecue and with a dart of memory she heard her brother saying,
‘Our Greek friend seems to be affected by your beauty; he hasn’t taken his eyes off you the whole evening.’
Desire, obviously, nothing more, Gale now decided, lifting her eyes to glance at him across the table.
‘I must admit that until a short while ago I hadn’t given much thought to the idea of marriage—’ He broke off and for one fleeting second his lips curved in contempt. ‘A man doesn’t really need to these days — when women are so cheap. If he should desire a woman he can almost always have her without much trouble.’ ‘You’re certainly outspoken,’ swiftly and with an edge to her voice. And her violet eyes glinted as they continued to meet his. A moment’s hesitation followed and then, unable to resist it, she said, ‘You find women boringly easy to - er - conquer, I believe?’ and naturally he gave a start, the knife he had been using idle in his hand.
‘Where did you hear that?’
‘You don’t know?’ she inquired sweetly. ‘Then you must be in the habit of repeating it.’
A dangerous gleam entered his eyes. He said softly,
‘I asked you where you’d heard it?’
‘At the barbecue,’ she admitted after a small pause during which she admonished herself for speaking about the matter at all.
‘I see,’ he murmured thoughtfully, and added on a note of perception, ‘It was not all you heard me say?’
Gale flushed in spite of her challenging air and inner determination not to allow this man to disconcert her. ‘No,’ she confessed quietly, ‘it was not all I heard you say.’
Julius fell silent, his eyes flickering in a preoccupied kind of way. His voice held censure when at last he spoke.
‘Are you in the habit of eavesdropping?’
Her flush deepened.
‘I had no idea you two were on the other side of the
rose hedge,’ she returned defensively.
‘But having discovered we were, you remained, in order to listen?’ Glinting expression and a crisp edge to his voice. His mouth when he stopped speaking became stern and compressed. Gale noted the cold austerity of his features and thought how very Greek he looked at this moment, with his dark skin, and eyes that were almost black.
‘I couldn’t help hearing some of what was being said. But I didn’t deliberately stay there in order to hear more—’
‘You heard enough, apparently?’ It was a subtle question and Gale looked down at her plate wondering what he would say next. ‘You heard me say I’d prefer a fight?’ Gale nodded and he then asked, ‘And you also heard what came next?’
She looked at him, remembering with vivid force that, just a short while ago, he had managed to place his hand on her heart.
‘Your boast was pompous and arrogant, and not what one would expect of a gentleman.’
He smiled then, in some amusement.
‘It was man’s conversation, remember, and not meant for woman’s ears.’
Her eyes swept him with quick contempt.
‘Men are despicable the way they talk together about women!’
‘Don’t women talk about men?’
‘Not in the same way. You are always boasting about your conquests, and declaring that women are frivolous and - and lacking strength of character,’ she added, trying to recall the Professor’s exact words.
‘We only speak the truth,’ and, when she remained silent, ‘If you heard all that it must have been a most unpleasant few minutes you went through.’
‘I was furious,’ she admitted, glaring at him and
receiving only a smile of amusement for her trouble. ‘I could have come round there and told you both what I thought about you.’ With an angry movement she picked up the coffee pot and added, ‘Do you want some more?’ He nodded, his eyes on her flushed face.
‘Thank you, Gale.’ There was a pronounced alteration in his tone as he added, ‘I’m sorry you overheard all that; it’s given you a bad impression of me.’ Half question half statement. She said crisply,
‘Does my opinion of you matter, Julius?’
‘Perhaps you won’t believe me, but it does.’ Suspiciously she eyed him as the coffee pot was returned to its stand.
‘You didn’t worry about such things just now, when her words, but there wasn’t really any delicate way you tried to - to—’ She stopped, in order to re-phrase of putting it and what she eventually did say only made him laugh. ‘When you began trying on your tricks.’
‘I must admit that my mind was occupied with matters very different from concern about your opinion of me,’ he owned with candour, his laugh reflected in his eyes. Gale merely sent him a speaking glance which to her chagrin seemed to afford him a mild sort of pleasure not untinged with satisfaction. Perhaps he was concluding that her mind had been similarly occupied by matters far removed from anything even remotely akin to the prosaic. ‘What an unromantic climax it turned out to be,’ he continued, his expression a mixture of amusement and regret. ‘What makes it all so much more vexatious is that you were there, in the other bedroom - all night. What a missed opportunity!’
Her suspicions returned, this time for a totally different reason from that of a moment ago.
‘Obviously you’re teasing me, Julius, and this makes me wonder if you really were intending the mischief you threatened ... or were you merely trying to frighten me?’
At that the dark eyes opened very wide.
‘My dear Gale,’ he said in tones of smooth candour. ‘My intentions could not have been more dishonourable. I’ve told you more than once that you’re tempting — and that means desirable. I could not possibly have let you leave without learning more about your charms.’ He stopped and slanted her a warning look. ‘This time you were saved by that damned burst, but should there ever be another occasion when such an opportunity comes my way, then you can be sure you’ll not escape a second time.’
‘It’s most unlikely that there’ll ever be another occasion such as this,’ she retorted with confidence, and Julius nodded in agreement. ‘You haven’t answered my question about marriage,’ she reminded him, anxious to veer the subject into slightly less personal lines.
‘Ah, yes. I was saying that I hadn’t given it much thought until recently.’ He stopped and she was surprised to discover that he appeared to be searching for words. She was even more surprised to learn that he
did not find them, for he merely said, without much expression, ‘Let’s change the subject, Gale. My marriage prospects can’t be of any interest to you.’ And he allowed his eyes to flicker over her, in an indifferent sort of way, before giving his full attention to his breakfast.
CHAPTER FOUR
Having emerged from her escapade with nothing more serious to remember than her failure to punish apparent when, in a letter to Tricia, he denounced her within a reasonably short space of time. That Trevis had learned all about the attempt to frame him was apparent when, in a letter to Tricia, he den
ounced her conduct, saying she need not deny hatching the plot as there was no one else to do so. He went on to say that the girl at the lodge was obviously a friend and if ever he should find out who she was it would be the worse for her. Gale merely shrugged the threat from her mind, since she could not visualize any way at all in which Trevis could be revenged on her.
‘Just imagine his writing like this.’ Tricia was tearful and unhappy as she read the letter to her friend. ‘So cold and - and accusing.’
‘Isn’t that to be expected?’ Gale felt forced to ask. ‘He’s been tackled by Louise’s father, and although he was fortunate enough to miss what was planned for him it’s only natural that he should be angry over it. I don’t suppose you’ll hear any more about it, though,’ she added in a tone of absolute confidence.
‘I’m glad he doesn’t know who it was,’ said Tricia with a frown. ‘It seems he could be vindictive after all.’ Gale said nothing, being indifferent because she could not see Trevis bothering his head about the matter, and in any case there was not the remotest possibility of his discovering who had been at the lodge, for Julius would never divulge her name. Gale was
confident of this, since whatever his morals Julius had about him a gallantry that could not be denied. Moreover, he had returned to Greece and Gale had heard from her brother that he was not expecting to be back in England until the late autumn, which was roughly three months ahead, and by this time Trevis would most likely be married and have forgotten all about the episode in which he himself was to have been the chief actor.
And so it was with a sort of astounded disbelief that, only a week later, Gale was listening to her mother telling her that she had received a telephone call from Tricia’s fiance, who had informed her that her daughter had spent the night with a foreigner at the fishing lodge in Cumberland.