The Secret Father

by Kim Lawrence

  Sam made her wear a safety harness on the journey back. It was a good habit to get into, he said, when you sailed solo. Lindy might be a novice but Sam’s manoeuvres in the rapidly worsening conditions, to avoid the sand bar just visible under the wild white spray, looked impressive.

  Lindy slept for most of the hour’s car journey back to Hope’s cottage. She woke up as they negotiated the rough track leading up to the small scatter of houses, and was still rubbing her eyes when Sam’s exclamation of anger brought her fully awake.

  She peered out of the window to see what had brought the thunderous expression to his face. The rough parking area outside the cottage was crammed with vehicles and a mill of people, some bearing camera and sound equipment, were jostling to reach the crowded veranda.

  ‘Stay here!’ Sam’s expression was grim as he pulled the four-wheel drive up behind a startlingly flashy red limousine. He banged the car with his hand. ‘Dallas! I might have guessed!’

  Lindy didn’t even consider following this peremptory order. There had been none of the gentle lover left in his brief glance. Sam had already donned his professional director persona.

  She might easily have been invisible for all the notice anyone took of her, but Sam’s presence created an immediate impression.

  ‘Sam—Sam Rourke—did you know about Lacey and Lloyd? How long has it been going on?’

  ‘Sam, have you been covering for the lovers? Are you personally involved with Lacey?’

  ‘Is it true you and Lloyd have been living with Lacey?’

  ‘Is it true Lloyd only put up the money for your venture on the understanding Lacey got the lead?’

  Sam shouldered his way through the pressed figures and ignored the cries from all sides. He disregarded the microphones shoved in his face with the ease of long practice. Lindy followed in his broad-shouldered wake before the bodies closed in behind him.

  For the first time Lindy appreciated the extent of Hope’s acting ability. Her sister stood, a still, calm figure, smiling benignly at the chaos around her. Her face was free of make-up and, wearing a white tee shirt and bleached denims, she was a stark contrast to the female who stood opposite. The glowing natural appearance versus the painted, sexy siren look. Which one did men prefer? Lindy mused, staring at the tableau before her. Who could tell with men? Which did Sam favour?

  ‘Sam!’ The dramatic rich contralto tones alerted anyone who hadn’t known that he was there. The bosom which overflowed from the laced red velvet heaved effectively. ‘I can’t believe you’re part of this conspiracy.’

  Sam took a comprehensive assessment of the situation in one swift glance. ‘Hello, Dallas,’ he said drily. ‘Travelling light today, I see.’

  Lindy, caught up in the press of bodies, couldn’t catch the words but it was obvious from their body language that these two knew one another.

  The brown eyes of the singer narrowed in amused appreciation, none of which was apparent when she spoke. ‘I want the world to know what a cold-hearted, conniving little bitch this husband-stealer is!’ Her contemptuous glance flicked over Lacey.

  Lindy gave a gasp of anger and watched incredulously as her sister remained totally impassive. She’d expected to see the sexy siren laid out cold, but no, Hope just stood there with that sphinx-like smile on her lips.

  ‘I think they’ve got the idea now,’ Sam said. The glint of anger in his eyes was a warning. ‘When’s the new album out, Dallas?’ he asked, in a soft aside none of the listening ears could catch. ‘I think you’ve had enough free publicity for one day, don’t you?’

  Dallas laughed, throwing back her head and shaking back her mane of unexpectedly red hair. ‘Dear Sam, don’t worry, I’m about done here. I think she owes me this. I like to be the one to walk away from a man.’

  There was genuine vitriol in her glance as she looked towards Hope. ‘I almost feel sorry for you, you talentless clothes-horse.’ Her trained voice reached every ear which had been trying, with seething frustration, to hear what the two stars were saying. ‘There are thousands of little tramps out there who can act flat on their backs, honey. In a few years’ time you’ll be yesterday’s news and I’ll still have my voice. Don’t expect Lloyd to be around to dry your tears because you haven’t got what it takes to hold his interest.’

  You could have heard a pin drop.

  ‘Neither, it seems, have you.’

  Lindy wanted to applaud as her sister turned and, stately as a queen, retreated inside the cottage. Unhappy at not having the last word, Dallas flung a lengthy monologue of unladylike insults at the unresponsive wooden panels until Sam leant over and said something.

  Whatever it was it had the desired effect. Dallas turned and paused gracefully for the clicking shutters before retreating, flanked by two large bodyguards. Lindy found herself suddenly eye to eye with the woman. A wave of overpowering perfume preceded her and Lindy let her distaste show on her face. The singer’s brown eyes narrowed as she saw it.

  ‘And who might you be?’

  ‘How dare you speak to my sister like that?’ Lindy’s voice might not be trained to carry, but her posture was enough to tell the eager audience the show wasn’t over yet.

  ‘Rosalind, leave it.’ Sam shouldered his way to her side.

  She was too angry to hear the warning in his voice. She shrugged at the restraining hand on her shoulder. ‘My sister has more integrity in her little finger than the whole pack of you put together!’

  The brown eyes swept with amusement over the slim figure clad in chinos and a cotton sweater. Lindy’s cheeks, coloured to the lightest of honey shades by several weeks in the sun, were flushed with temper. The soft blue of her eyes had been replaced by a stormy grey.

  ‘Is this one yours, Sam?’ One pencilled brow rose in amused condescension that made Lindy’s blood boil.

  ‘Cut it out, Dallas,’ Sam snapped. ‘Come on, Rosalind. The show is over, guys.’

  Lindy spun around and glared furiously at him. Who did he think he was anyway? Telling her what to do!

  ‘Are you Lacey’s sister?’ Flashes of light blinded and disorientated her. ‘What is your relationship with Sam?’

  Lindy held up her hand to shield her eyes. She no longer fought Sam’s attempts to get her back to the house. It occurred to her, too late, that she’d only made matters worse.

  ‘Where do you live, Rosalind?’

  ‘Here—I live here,’ she mumbled. The crowd of bodies pressed around them was oppressive. The whole scene was approaching nightmarish proportions.

  ‘You live here with the two of them, Sam, is that right? How cosy.’ A nerve was ticking away in Sam’s lean jaw as he faced down the heavy-set reporter who blocked their path with his bulk. ‘Was Rosalind included?’ The insinuating smile he cast in her direction made Lindy feel sick. ‘Was she included in the deal when Lloyd financed the film? I can’t say I blame you…’ He got no further before Sam’s right fist shot out and floored him.

  Sam turned to Lindy, lifted her fireman fashion over one shoulder, and strode to the door which was opened by a wide-eyed Hope and swiftly bolted behind them.

  Hope looked silently from a grim-faced Sam to her sister, still hoisted over his shoulder, her fair hair flopping in her eyes. Laughter suddenly doubled her up and she slid to the floor, her back braced against the door.

  ‘Oh, boy, oh, boy…’ Hope moaned as the tears poured down her cheeks. ‘Lloyd always says he doesn’t know anyone who plays the media as well as Sam Rourke. He’s so…he’s so unflappable and controlled!’ Storms of giggles broke out again. ‘You upstaged Dallas; she’ll never forgive you.’

  Outside, the floored reporter picked himself up. ‘Jeez,’ he said, rubbing his jaw. A look of unholy joy spread slowly across his face. ‘Did you get that, Pete?’ he yelled, looking around for his photographer.

  ‘Sure I got that,’ his colleague confirmed, ‘but so did everyone else.’

  ‘I’ve got something they haven’t.’

  ‘What’s that
?’

  ‘Bruises!’

  CHAPTER FIVE

  AN HOUR after the last reporter had departed, Lindy joined Sam and Hope where they sat, talking in subdued tones, at the table. Fresh from the shower, she was wearing a striped towelling robe. She tucked her wet hair behind her ears and sat down.

  ‘Feeling better now?’ her sister enquired sympathetically.

  Lindy nodded. The other two, she reflected, seemed to have coped with the experience a lot better than she had. She’d felt grubby and shaken by the whole nightmarish encounter. She reached out to take the coffee cup Hope handed her; at least her hands were steady now.

  ‘Want some?’

  Lindy shook her head and watched with surprise as her sister glugged some spirit from the whisky bottle into her own cup. Perhaps, she reflected, she’d underestimated her sister’s response to the incident. It made her feel a little less inadequate to discover Hope wasn’t quite as invulnerable as she made out.

  ‘You get used to it,’ said Sam.

  Lindy wasn’t sure whether this remark was addressed to her or Hope, or perhaps both of them. ‘I’m not sure I want to.’

  ‘It’s fatal to let them needle you and lose your temper.’

  He’s telling me that? Lindy widened her eyes and stared at him.

  Sam had the grace to look self-conscious, but a stubborn light gleamed in his eyes. ‘The slob deserved it.’ His nostrils flared and his jaw tightened. ‘When he started pawing you…’ he recalled, from between gritted teeth.

  Actually he’d only touched her arm, but Lindy wisely didn’t correct him. Had it just been a matter of the final straw that had evoked his response? Or did Sam’s feelings really run as deep as it seemed where she was concerned? she wondered wistfully.

  Get real, Lindy, she told herself firmly. Get a firm hold on your imagination. Sam had never said anything to give her the impression he wanted anything more than a brief affair. She could still distinctly recall every word he’d said about casual affairs and film sets. She reminded herself of them frequently, just to keep her feet on the ground. They were both free to walk; he’d made that clear. The problem, she thought, is I don’t want to walk!

  Why did you do it, Sam? Do you love me? I love you. For an awful moment she thought she’d actually said the words that kept going round and round in her head. When he looked directly at her she flushed darkly and turned to her sister.

  ‘Are you going to tell us what this is all about?’ she said, a lot more sharply than she’d intended. ‘What is going on between you and Lloyd? I notice he wasn’t here when you needed him!’

  Hope looked miserably from her sister to Sam. ‘I promised not to tell anyone, but I suppose…’

  ‘You better had suppose,’ Lindy said indignantly. ‘One thing’s certain,’ she added darkly, ‘you’re not leaving this table until you’ve spilled the beans.’

  Hope gave a rueful grin. ‘I think Sam’s already guessed…’

  ‘Some,’ he confirmed.

  ‘Lucky him,’ Lindy said, casting a resentful glare in his direction.

  Hope rested her elbows on the table and positioned her chin on her steepled fingers. ‘Lloyd is leaving Dallas—but not for me. Lloyd is in love—but not with me,’ she explained wearily. ‘He and Shirley—Shirley in Continuity; you know her?’

  Lindy nodded. Nothing could astound her after today. Shirley, she could vaguely recall, was a woman in her late thirties with brown hair and a nice smile. When she screwed up her face to draw a mental image, Lindy had a general impression of serenity. Nobody could be more different from the dazzling Dallas!

  ‘They’ve been seeing one another for nearly a year now,’ Hope continued. ‘Lloyd and Dallas had been living their separate lives for ages before that. Lloyd predicted pretty much how Dallas would react, and he doesn’t much care—you know Lloyd, hide like a rhino—but there’s a problem. Shirley has a stepson.’

  ‘That’s a problem?’ Lindy began sarcastically. Why didn’t Hope just get to the point?

  ‘Shirley’s stepson is in politics, Rosalind.’ Sam took up the story as Hope glared at her impatient sibling. ‘He’s up for appointment to a very prestigious post. There’s some opposition to him and any breath of scandal could scupper his chances.’

  ‘So you’ve been a diversion, and you’ve known all along,’ she accused Sam, rounding on him furiously. It’s great to know how much everyone trusts me! she thought bitterly.

  ‘Not really, but as you were such an excellent advocate of Hope’s moral fibre I looked around for an alternative explanation. The only way anything made sense was if Hope was acting as a smokescreen. I mean, Lloyd may not be the most subtle guy in the world, but he was rubbing everyone’s nose in the fact he was supposedly having a hot affair with Hope, and it just didn’t ring true. What he was laying a smokescreen for, and why, I didn’t know until just now.’

  ‘You’re both sworn to secrecy,’ Hope said anxiously.

  ‘As if I’d go blabbing!’ Lindy cried indignantly. ‘You might have trusted me—I’ve been worried sick. I think Lloyd has used you shamefully!’

  ‘A bit of gossip never hurt anyone,’ Hope said with a grin. Despite her brisk denial, Lindy could see the lines of strain around her mouth. ‘Besides, the truth will come out in a few weeks and it won’t matter. I’ll ring Mum and Dad in the morning to warn them before the dirt hits the papers back home. I know how much they’ll hate it.’ She gave an anguished frown.

  ‘They’ll understand,’ Lindy responded with sympathy.

  ‘That’s the problem—they always understand. It makes me feel an absolute rat. Why couldn’t we have harsh and unpleasant parents?’ she asked with an ironical smile. ‘It’d be so much easier to let them down. Unconditional love is the very devil to live up to. I’m dead beat. Does anyone mind if I turn in?’

  ‘She’s feeling the pressure,’ Lindy said anxiously as the door closed behind her sister.

  ‘She’ll cope. She’s tough.’

  ‘You’re heartless.’ She rounded on him.

  ‘And you’re her sister, not her mother!’ Sam responded with brutal frankness.

  This comment wiped what little colour she had from her cheeks. The bruised expression in her eyes made him reach across and catch her small, cold hands between his. ‘What did I say?’ he asked in bewilderment.

  ‘Nothing…nothing,’ she denied, shaking her head. For a moment she almost told him. The sordid past nearly came tumbling out. She just couldn’t bear to see the distaste on his face. Besides, it wasn’t the sort of thing you went telling someone you probably wouldn’t see again in a few weeks. It wasn’t as if their professional lives were likely to cross again. Working on the film set had been an experience, but Lindy was anxious to get back to what she did best.

  ‘I think you and Hope should move out of here.’

  ‘Why?’ His words brought her back to the present with a jolt.

  ‘Now the media know you’re here you’ll never have any peace. I’ll talk to Lloyd. Under the circumstances, I think he should offer you sanctuary behind his security-guard-patrolled, ten-foot-high perimeter fence. The place he’s rented for the duration is like Fort Knox.’ He gave a decisive nod, narrowing his eyes as he considered the situation. ‘Yeah, that’s the best thing all round. He’s back from LA later tonight—I’d better bring him up to speed. I’ll get to him before the press do.’

  ‘It sounds awful,’ Lindy objected. ‘A prison! Will all this affect the film?’

  ‘A very luxurious prison,’ Sam assured her drily. ‘And you can be sure of no nasty surprises like today’s. As for the movie, there’s some truth to the old maxim that there’s no such thing as bad publicity.’

  Lindy wasn’t fooled by the words; she could see his sharp mind was still weighing the repercussions of today. If she’d held her tongue he would never have got directly involved. He certainly wouldn’t have punched anyone! It was bound to affect their relationship if this had a detrimental effect on the film, s
he thought miserably.

  ‘You’re not staying here tonight, then?’ She swallowed the awful sense of loss which abruptly threatened to overwhelm her.

  ‘I don’t think that would be a good idea.’ His azure gaze moved over her averted profile, but his attention seemed elsewhere.

  ‘Fine,’ she replied lightly. She wasn’t about to beg. She had some pride left! He could have asked her to move in with him on the yacht. The fact he hadn’t said a lot about the situation!

  ‘I can see why Hope needs protecting,’ she persisted stubbornly. ‘But why do I have to go? I could stay here.’

  ‘After my performance out there?’ he scoffed. ‘You’re not that naive, Rosalind! You know what people are going to be saying.’

  Stung by the fact he was leaving, and that she had a humiliating impulse to beg him to take her along, Lindy snarled sarcastically at him. ‘And what will they be saying? I’m not psychic!’ She had a sudden image of herself clinging to one of his long legs as he strode along, oblivious. A tiny hiccup of hysterical laughter welled in her throat.

  He flinched and his beautifully sculpted lips quivered slightly before he replied, in a totally expressionless tone, ‘They’ll be saying Sam Rourke is in love with you, of course.’

  Shock froze her as she searched his sardonic face. ‘And will they be right?’ she whispered hoarsely.

  ‘Yes.’ The mocking irony was absent from his face as he replied.

  Lindy was paralysed. By the time she could speak—a small, strangled croak as it happened—the only thing left to recall Sam’s presence was the draught from the slammed door.

  Elated, confused, she felt like crying and laughing at the same time. How could he? she silently raged. She paced around the room, unable to sit still. How could he say that and then walk away? It was inhuman! It was cruel! It was so like a man! She was oblivious to the pain as she wrung her slim hands.

  If the damned man loves me, why doesn’t he stay around to do something about it? she thought despairingly.

  She made her way to Hope’s bedroom.