Betrayal (27 page)

'She's loopy!' jeered Louise. 'Completely round the twist. Tarantulas indeed!'

'Shut up!' shouted Rebekah. 'I said it was a dream. Besides, you're frightened of things too.'

'I am not.'

'Yes you are. You're frightened Daddy won't let you marry that disgusting Bishop!'

With a scream of fury, Louise grabbed Rebekah's long hair and tugged viciously at it. 'Shut up, pest! Why can't you go away to boarding school like Mummy wanted, then we wouldn't have to put up with your spying on us all the time. You're vile!'

Surprised by the noise, Neal swung round and saw the girls fighting. He grabbed Louise by the shoulders and pulled her away. 'Leave the child alone, Louise. Aren't you a little too old for playground scraps?'

Louise went scarlet with humiliation but kept silent, her look daring Lisa to repeat what she'd heard. 'Come on,' continued Neal wearily. 'We'll go down to the parkland.'

Although it was nearly dark, Lisa had time to take in the extent of the grounds. All the lawns were immaculate, the park and woods large enough for exercising horses. There was a beautiful rose garden with a wooden pergola that would be glorious in mid-summer, and a covered swimming pool by the large patio, situated in the best place to trap the sun. Unfortunately, Lisa realised that anyone in the annexe had a good view of people in the pool, and she didn't care for the thought of Bishop watching her swim. But then she probably wasn't going to be living here anyway.

For dinner she changed into a dark blue empire-line St Laurent dress that hung in soft pleats to mid-calf length, studded with diamante inserts across the bodice and round the wrists. After carefully doing her face and putting a heated brush through her hair she went down to the dining-room, hoping that Neal would be pleased with the way she looked.

She hesitated at the door. The girls' voices were raised in argument and all at once she didn't want to go in. She felt ridiculously afraid of facing them, especially without Neal. The sudden touch of his hand on her arm made her jump. 'Sorry, darling, I didn't mean to creep up on you. How about a drink before dinner? It isn't quite 'eight o'clock.'

'Perhaps we should join the girls? The weekend is for me to get to know them.'

'I wanted you to meet them but I've no intention of letting them monopolise you. I saw how Rebekah clung to your hand while we were outside.'

'Weren't you pleased? I thought it was nice that she wanted to be friendly, and it's obvious that with a little more attention she'd… ' 'She's got a perfectly adequate nanny. I'm the one who needs your attention!' Although he smiled, Lisa knew he meant what he said.

Her heart sank. If he was jealous of his own daughters, what on earth would he be like with Jessica?

'In that case, a small dry sherry please.'

Taking hold of her elbow he guided her into his study. 'We won't be disturbed here. No one comes in without an invitation.'

'You make it sound like a Royal Garden Party!'

He took her in his arms and began to kiss her. 'I'll be glad when it's time to go to bed. Oh, Lisa, if only you knew how much you meant to me.' And his kisses deepened, his tongue thrusting into her mouth as his hands began fondling her breasts.

Horribly aware of the proximity of the girls, she tried to relax against him, feeling his hardness pressing against her body. Then he started to lower her to the small sofa, and this time she managed to wriggle free, laughing nervously. 'Not now! I thought we came in for a drink?'

'I'm afraid I got carried away. Perhaps you should carry an addiction warning!'

'Louise isn't very enamored of me. I'm surprised I haven't already dropped dead from one of her looks! Was she very close to Naomi?'

'No, she's just trying to annoy me. Louise resents the fact that I've spent so much of her childhood away from home. She doesn't seem to appreciate that money has to be earned.'

'Maybe she isn't obsessed with money.'

'She's certainly good at spending it. The man who marries her is in for a shock. She spends more in one visit to Harrods than you've spent in all the time I've known you.'

Privately Lisa thought this was the girl's way of getting something from her father. If she couldn't have affection, and it didn't look as though she could, then she obviously used his money as a substitute, but Neal wasn't the type of man to understand her motives. To him money was the most important currency. She felt very sorry for the girls, growing up with an invalid mother and a father they scarcely saw.

'That sounds like the gong,' said Neal, finishing his whisky in one quick swallow. 'We'd better go through. I'm afraid I've crumpled your skirt at the back.'

'Never mind, I'll soon be sitting down so it won't show.'

'Not nervous, are you?' he asked as she slipped a cool hand into his.

'A little. They're so antagonistic. Not Rebekah, but… '

'Bugger the children!' he said shortly. 'If they can't be civil they'll be sent away to boarding school. Remember, you're not on trial, darling, they are.' Horrified, Lisa's thoughts flew once again to Jessica.

The girls were already seated when they entered the room. Ruth gave them a half-smile, Rebekah an eager glance, but Louise's gaze swept over Lisa's dress and she raised her eyebrows slightly.

'Is something wrong, Louise?'

'No, Daddy. I only wondered why Lisa was wearing dark blue. It doesn't really suit her.'

There was complete silence. The young maid who was bringing in the soup stood frozen in the doorway and waited. Neal reached for a roll from the basket in front of him and broke it as though it were Louise's neck. 'Such appalling manners certainly don't suit you, Louise. I'd prefer it if you were to leave us now. I don't wish to see you again until tomorrow morning.'

'I thought I was supposed to be getting to know Lisa.' Louise was nervous but apparently hell-bent on destruction.

'No, Lisa is here to get to know you. I imagine she now has your measure and your presence is therefore superfluous. We will see you at breakfast. Goodnight.'

Ruth and Rebekah had their heads bent. Rebekah was having difficulty in restraining her tears while Ruth's head shook spasmodically in a nervous tic.

'I hate you!' shouted Louise, all pretense at composure gone. 'How can you bring that thing here when Mummy's only just died? Don't you realise how horrible it is for us having to look at her, sitting in Mummy's seat, trying to be nice to us all when… '

'I don't imagine she'll bother with you any more. Now get out!' He was no longer calm and his face was filled with such contempt that Louise burst into tears.

'I hope you know what he's like!' she shouted, turning to Lisa and almost spitting out the words. 'He can't love anyone except himself. Mummy could have told you that, or Kay . But they're both dead now. Isn't that jolly lucky for you!'

Before anyone could reply she'd rushed from the room, banging the door behind her so that the family portraits hanging round the room swung slightly on their hooks.

'Better than Dallas,' murmured Neal lightly, and Lisa gave him a watery smile. She was acutely shocked both by Louise's distress and also by the force of her dislike. Ruth and Rebekah seemed as though they'd respond to normal kindness but Louise was plainly going to be an enemy should Lisa ever consent to marry her father. And Louise was in love with Bishop. Lisa shuddered at the thought of their combined hatred.

'You may serve the soup now, Ann,' instructed Neal. Looking at the wide-eyed maid Lisa wondered what Wakefield would say when he heard about the scene.

The rest of the meal passed off quite well. When they'd finished they all went into the small drawing-room and played bridge on a beautiful mahogany Pembroke table with an inlaid satinwood board. At nine, Rebekah was collected by her nanny, an elderly, hard-faced woman, and an hour later Ruth made her excuses and went to bed. Only when they'd finally gone did Lisa realise how tense she'd been. She slumped back in her chair with a small sigh.

'Tired?' Neal gave her a sympathetic smile. 'It's been rather a baptism of fire! Still, we're alone at last. How about a nightcap?' 'I don't think the baby likes alcohol!'

'You don't mind if I do?'

'Carry on.' She watched as he opened the drinks cabinet and took out the Napoleon brandy. He was so much more at home here than in his London flat. He suited the large house, the stables and the estate. His air of authority and power was still very obvious but even more attractive, and she knew that there must be a lot of women who envied her. Sitting with him now, she too was attracted yet knew that once they began making love the attraction would vanish and he'd seem like a stranger touching her.

'I've asked some friends round for drinks tomorrow morning. Only one or two neighbours. I thought you might like to meet them.'

'Did they know Naomi well?'

'Scarcely at all. I suppose she was round once or twice when we first came here. After that she took to staying in her room when we had company.'

'It must have made things very difficult for you.'

'A little. Lisa, have you thought any more about marrying me?' She didn't answer him. 'I realise I took you by surprise the other night but you've had plenty of time to consider it since then and quite honestly, darling, I don't want to wait any longer than necessary. I promise I'll do everything in my power to make you happy.'

'Perhaps I will have a drink,' she murmured, and then wrapped her hands round the glass. 'I'll be absolutely honest. I have thought about marriage and I appreciate how much you love me, but it simply wouldn't be fair to you if I accepted.'

'Why?'

'Because I don't love you. I like you and enjoy being with you but I don't love you. I don't think I've ever loved anyone. Perhaps there's something wrong with me and I can't, but what I feel for you isn't enough.'

'Enough for whom?' he asked quietly. 'For you!'

'Is it enough for you? I appreciate that in some respects our relationship isn't perfect but we can talk to each other. We share several interests and I want you as my wife even if you don't love me. If it's enough for you then don't hesitate to accept, but it isn't enough, is it?'

She thought of Renato Bellini in the park. Remembered his hand grasping hers and pictured the smile on his face as he played with his small son. She knew instinctively that if he were asking her to marry him she'd feel quite differently about the question, and because she was honest she regretfully shook her head. 'No, I don't think it is.'

Neal didn't move. He stayed in the shadowed corner of the room. 'What about our child?' he asked quietly.

'You'll see it as often as you like.'

'But he couldn't take over from me when he grew up. He wouldn't be my legitimate heir. I've always wanted a son.'

'It may be another girl,' she reminded him gently. 'What about Jessica?'

'To be honest, I can't see Jessica fitting into our marriage at all. You resent spending time on your own daughters, all perfectly normal girls. Don't tell me you'd welcome Jessica with open arms. She's another very good reason for us to let things remain the way they are.' 'I could pay for special treatment,' he said at last. 'I understand this touch therapy's had good results. Wouldn't you like Jessica to be given a chance to try that?' 'Of course I would!' 'Isn't it expensive?' 'Very!'

'I could give her that chance, Lisa.' 'When?' she asked sharply.

'After you'd given me a son.'

It was then that she knew his desire to make her his wife wasn't based solely on overwhelming desire. He too had a reason for choosing her. She was young, attractive, of child-bearing age and obviously fertile. Much as he might love her, he wouldn't have offered marriage without all those advantages. Suddenly, marrying him to give Jessica hope didn't seem nearly so bad.

'I'm beginning to think we understand one another,' she murmured. 'You want something I can give you, and I want… '

'I love you!' he interrupted. 'Of course I want a son, most men do, but I've known other women who could just as easily have given me one and I didn't marry them.'

'You couldn't, Naomi was alive.'

'Yes, but she could easily have been… ' Lisa sat upright. 'Been what?'

'Dead, of course. She might have died years ago.' 'But she didn't. She only died once I was pregnant.'

'A fact which I admit gave me great pleasure. It's probably the first time she's done anything right for the past ten years, but all I was saying was… '

She stopped listening because at the back of her mind was the terrible suspicion that he'd nearly made a mistake and said 'killed', as though her death would always have come at the most convenient time for him. If that were true then it wasn't very likely that she'd died of natural causes, whatever the inquest said.

Jessica! she reminded herself fiercely. He's rich, he's anxious to please me, I like him and he can give Jessica every possible assistance. If there are things about him that are dark and secret, I don't want to know. I have to think of Jessica.

'Lisa, have you been listening to me?'

She smiled up at him. 'I really am very tired. Could I give you my answer tomorrow night, when the weekend's over?'

'As long as it's yes!'

'And about Jessica,' she added as he helped her out of her chair. 'Whereabouts in the house would she live?'

'Once I've got my heir she can have the empty wing on the top floor. It's virtually soundproof and no one will bump into her by mistake. She'd have plenty of space to run around, and there's a bedroom and bathroom for her nurse as well.'

'She isn't a monster! People don't run screaming when they see her, you know.'

'Just the same, I'd prefer her up there. For her own sake,' he added unconvincingly.

'Where do you want her until the baby's born?'

'Until we have a son, I don't want her in this house at all. She can stay on in Chelsea with her nurse or she can go into a top-class home, but she's not wearing you out with her screaming and refusal to sleep until we've got a son and heir.'

'That could take years!'