Wild Entrantress Part 15

'I've had a good teacher.'

'Who? Me? How can you say that? I didn't start this, you did!

Insinuating that I-I slept around. That that was what Daddy was concerned about!'

'Wasn't it?'

'No!' His contempt caught her on the raw. 'if you must know, it was Tony that Daddy was worried about. But not in the way you thought. Tony wants to open a rehabilitation centre for the physically handicapped. He's got some splendid ideas. I've been trying to persuade Daddy for ages--' She broke off as a wave of nostalgia swept over her. Then she went on: 'Anyway, he knew- he knew he wasn't well. That there was a possibility of him. . .' She drew an unsteady breath. 'He was afraid that if anything happened to him, I might give my inheritance away. Or most of it, at least. Money has never meant all that much to me. I can work, if I have to.'

Jared uttered a grim expletive. 'How touching!' It was obvious he didn't believe a word of it.

'It's the truth!' she cried desperately. 'Jared, I wouldn't lie about a thing like that.'

'Wouldn't you?'

For a long gripping moment, his gaze held hers, and then, with an impatient gesture, Jared walked away.

Catherine remained where he had left her. Her knees were knocking, and the weakness she had felt earlier had returned in full measure. It was useless trying to reason with Jared. He simply chose what he saw to be the truth, and stuck to it, ruthlessly. He was cruel and selfish and completely amoral where his own needs were concerned, and she wished to G.o.d she never had to see him again.

CHAPTER TEN.

'WE'LL have to be thinking of getting back to London, Manners and me,' said Tony quietly, levering himself up on his elbows and surveying the colourful patio area with reluctant admiration.

'Oh, no!' Catherine rolled on to her stomach on the li-lo beside him, staring at him in dismay. 'Tony, you can't!'

'I'm afraid I'll have to, old love. Do you realise we've been here over a week already? There are things I have to do, activities to be organised. You wouldn't want me to let my committee down, now would you?'

Catherine heaved a sigh. 'I can't bear the idea of what it's going to be like around here after you've gone.'

Tony grimaced. 'I've never been so popular,' he commented dryly.

Catherine looked half ashamed, getting to her knees and pressing her palms down upon them. I mean it, Tony. I don't know if I can stand it if you go.'

Tony reached out a hand and pressed her arm. 'Come back with me, then.'

Catherine's eyes flickered. 'Do you mean that?'

'Of course I do. You don't have to stay. You're not a ward of court or anything, are you? And by the time Royal could arrange something like that, you could be long gone.'

Catherine turned to sit with her knees drawn up, her arms wrapped around them. 'It's a temptation.'

'Hasn't he spoken to you?'

'Since the night you arrived? No.' She shook her head, only just managing to keep the tremor out of her voice.

Tony swore softly, an unusual thing for him, and she turned her head to smile gratefully at him. A week in the sun had done little to tan Tony's naturally fair complexion, but he had spent several hours with her here, beside the pool, sunbathing. She would miss his undemanding companionship, and the barrier he presented between her and Elizabeth's maliciousness.

Although the older woman must know that whatever had transpired between Catherine and her stepson-they were no longer speaking to one another-she obviously still regarded the girl as a potential rival. Or perhaps enemy was a better word, thought Catherine bitterly. Whatever Jared's feelings, or lack of them, towards his stepmother, Elizabeth still regarded, him as her personal property, only willing to lend him out to someone like Laura who would never make demands upon him.

Of Jared himself she had seen little. When he was not in his studio, he was down at the beach house, joining the rest of them only rarely even for meals. He and Tony did not like one another, and although he was polite, his courteousness was tinged with constraint.

Laura remained a frequent visitor, and now Catherine was almost glad to see her. She sometimes seemed the only sane one amongst them, and her admiration for Tony had not decreased.

They spent hours discussing the various aspects of disability in all its forms, and Laura had suggestions to make which surprised Catherine in their originality.

'You must come to London and visit the centre when it's completed,' Tony had exclaimed one afternoon, and although Laura had looked doubtful, Catherine had guessed she would really like to have accepted the invitation. But by then she and Jared would be married. . .

'Well, I think you'd better come back with me,' Tony was saying now. 'Royal's met me. He knows the worst. He must realise he has nothing to be alarmed about.'

Catherine made a stifled sound. 'He doesn't believe that either.'

'What?' Tony was surprised. 'About the centre?' She nodded, and he gasped. 'So why does he think your father wrote to him?'

Catherine shrugged. 'I suppose he still thinks I was fooling around.'

'With other men?'

She nodded again. 'I expect so.'

Tony seethed. 'As if your father would have cared about that,' he muttered. 'The man's a fool!'

'Don't say that. That's what he said. Oh, it's all my own fault. I shouldn't have let him-think I was-well, I didn't know what was going to happen, did I?'

Tony shook his head. 'Couldn't you tell him?'

'Tell him? Tell him what?' Catherine suppressed the emotion inside her. 'I have nothing to say to Jared Royal! I-I despise him!'

'No, you don't.' Tony was resigned.

'I do. I despise him. I despise everything he stands for.'

Tony heaved a sigh. 'So?'

'All right, all right. I'll come back to London.' Now that the decision was made, she was eager to leave. 'When shall we go?'

Tony frowned. 'I'l have Manners take a trip to the airport this afternoon. With luck, we might get a flight tomorrow.'

'Tomorrow?' Catherine was shocked.

'Is that too soon?'

'Oh, no-no.' But it was. And the idea of leaving and never seeing Jared again filled her with despair.

She met Tony in the library before dinner. They had arranged to meet there a little earlier than usual so that they had time to speak together before Elizabeth-and perhaps Jared-appeared.

'Six o'clock tomorrow,' he said, without preamble. 'We get into Heathrow just after six. The following day, of course.'

'Of course.' Catherine understood the time change. 'Six o'clock.

Was there nothing earlier in the day?'

Tony half smiled. 'Don't be so eager! Besides, it's the direct flight. I thought you'd prefer that.'

'Yes, I would.' Catherine moved restlessly, the skirt of the long amber-coloured caftan she was wearing swirling about her slender legs. 'I suppose-I suppose I'll, have to tell Jared.'

'No need. I already did.'

'What?' She stared at him.

'I did. He was sitting on the veranda when Manners got back this afternoon, and when I wheeled the old chair out to meet my man, he was there. So I told him.'

Catherine felt sick. 'What did he say?'

Tony frowned. 'He didn't say much at all at first, so I also told him what I thought of him for disbelieving all the work you've put in towards the centre-'

'Oh, Tony!'

'Well, why not? I don't see why he should go on hugging that particular belief. I told him he could verify everything I said by contacting the committee in London, but I don't think he'll do that.'

'Tony, you should have left that alone.'

'Why? I wanted him to feel bad. Why should you suffer all the humiliation for nothing?'

'So-so what did he say then?'

Tony shrugged. 'Not a lot. Actually, he asked some pertinent questions about what we're trying to do, and asked how much money we needed.'

Catherine folded her arms across her body. Although it was a warm evening, she felt chilled. Her last evening in Barbados, she thought bleakly. She should be feeling relieved, not devastated.

'So that's settled,' added Tony comfortably. 'And I've a.s.suaged my conscience. I couldn't leave here without telling Royal the truth.'

'Catherine!' She started, but it was only Elizabeth coming into the room behind her, holding out a hand. 'I've just heard the news! You're leaving us!'

Catherine turned to face the older woman reluctantly. She knew the triumph she would see in her eyes, and she was not disappointed. 'Did Jared tell you?' she asked tightly.

'Jared?' Elizabeth's eyes flickered. 'Is he here? I-no, he didn't tell me. It was Susie, actually. I understand you're leaving with Tony and Mr Manners. It was he who let it out to the servants. You ought to have told me,' she added reproachfully. 'I could have arranged a little going-away party.'

To replace the one Jared had cancelled, thought Catherine bitterly. Poor John had been most put out when she told him.

'I don't think Catherine would want anything like that,' put in Tony. 'But it was a kind thought. Is Jared joining us for dinner?'

'I don't know.' Elizabeth looked agitated for a moment. 'I haven't seen him today. I thought he was down at the beach house.'

'He was here earlier,' said Tony.

'I'm here now,' remarked Jared briefly, and Catherine glanced round as he walked into the room. 'Can I offer you all a drink?'

While he mixed their drinks, Elizabeth made small talk, mentioning the flight back to London, asking Catherine how long it would take to get from the airport to her flat.

'I expect you're looking forward to seeing all your old friends,'

she observed, still with a trace of malice. 'A girl like you must have lots of- friends.'

'Of course she does,' exclaimed Tony staunchly. 'And they're not all paraplegics either!'

Elizabeth's smile was forced. 'I can see you're very fond of her, Tony,' she told him coyly.

'I am,' he a.s.serted, reaching for Catherine's hand. 'I'd marry her tomorrow, if I was a whole man.'

'Tony!'

Catherine was embarra.s.sed, but he just squeezed her hand more tightly. 'What's the matter, old love? I'm only saying what's true.

You know I've always been your slave.'

'Dinner is served, Mr Royal.'

Lily's announcement could not have come soon enough for Catherine, and releasing Tony's hand, she moved round to take charge of his chair. As she did so, she encountered Jared's eyes upon her, but she looked away from the cold penetration of his gaze.

The meal seemed endless, and Catherine longed to escape to her room and do her packing. Even Tony's company had no appeal this evening, and as soon as she reasonably could, she excused herself, and left the room. But footsteps followed hers, and in the hall, Jared's voice arrested her.

'Catherine! I want to speak to you.'

She turned reluctantly to face him. 'Oh? Why? You haven't had anything to say all week.'

His brow creased angrily, 'You don't imagine I'm going to let you leave, do you?' he demanded.

Catherine swallowed convulsively. 'What do you mean?'

'I think we should go into the library. We can talk privately there.'

'I don't want to go into the library,' she replied tremulously.

'Nevertheless, you will,' he told her, and when she would have resisted him, he took her arm and half dragged her after him along the corridor and in through the open double doors. He closed them and then turned to face her. 'Now-I repeat: you are not leaving!'

Catherine was suddenly very calm. Tony was right. Jared could not force her to remain here. 'You can't stop me,' she said.

'Catherine, for G.o.d's sake-'

'I'm leaving, Jared. I should never have come here. You never really wanted me to. I've caused nothing but trouble. You should be glad to see me go.'