Unguarded Moment (19 page)

Whatever decision she came to, it could only be second-best, she acknowledged bitterly, even though she knew there was no future for her with Liam.

But she wasn't the only unhappy occupant of the villa. Leon seized every opportunity to borrow one of Carlo's cars and get away on supposed sightseeing trips, although he admitted to Alix that he rarely went farther than the village where he discovered the parish priest was a keen chess player.

'He beats me every time,' he said ruefully, 'because I can't keep my mind on the game. Bianca asks me every day when the contract for the film is going to be ready for her to sign, and I keep stalling, saying there are stilt a few details to be finalised, but she won't accept that for ever. I sensed yesterday when I talked to her that she was getting impatient.' He groaned. 'She keeps the damned script on the table beside her bed.'

'Why don't you tell her what's going on—break the conspiracy of silence?' Alix asked.

'Because I'm a coward,' he said frankly. 'Veronese insists that he'll tell her in his own good time, and he's welcome.' He sighed heavily. 'I've been doing my best, of course. I've told her that the script doesn't impress me on a second reading, that the part's badly written, that she oughtn't to rush into anything. She's started to eye me as if I was mad.'

Alix hesitated. 'You remember you told me that Lester was involved somehow. I—I was talking to Liam Brant, and he more or less confirmed it. What's more, Lester's supposed to be arriving here himself any day now.'

Leon groaned. 'My God, that's all we need! Well, he has guts if he's prepared to face Bianca after what he's done to her, I'll say that for him.' He gave her a wan smile and departed, presumably in search of another escape route, but not this time through a bottle, Alix found herself hoping. She didn't want Leon's wife to find she had an alcoholic on her hands when he returned to England.

When the storm finally burst over them, it was out of a dear blue sky. She had sensed when she arrived at Bianca's suite that afternoon that the star was restive, and on edge. Monty came in just as Liam began the interview and Bianca snapped at her in a way that made the older woman's mouth tighten grimly as she made her way to the door.

Alix made herself as inconspicuous as possible. There could be any number of explanations for Bianca's sudden ill-temper, she thought. But the uncertainty over the contract had to come top of the list, not to mention Leon's hints which might be beginning to bear fruit.

'Shall we get on before there are any more interruptions, and if Alix can be persuaded to come out of her dream world.' Bianca shot her an acid look. 'I'm sorry, Liam. What were you saying?'

'I said today we'd start to fill in some of the early details.'

Bianca pulled a face. 'Darling, people don't want to read that sort of dreary rubbish. It's all too David Copperfield.'

'You'd be surprised what people want to know about their idols.' The charm of his smile softened the usually cynical lines of his mouth. 'What you've told me so far is fascinating, but there are gaps, as I'm sure you're aware.'

There was a pause, then Bianca said petulantly, 'Don't be a brute, Liam. I'd really much rather talk about something else. My first film, for instance. I was thinking about that last night, and really the way it happened was quite amazing…'

He said pleasantly, 'Some other time, Bianca. We've yet to reach that point.' Their glances met and clashed, and Bianca threw herself back on her cushions looking sulky.

She said ungraciously, 'As you wish, then. But don't expect a glowing account of my childhood. I can barely remember a thing that happened.'

'I'm sure you can remember enough.' He leaned for-ward and touched a button on the tape-recorder. 'Your parents, for instance—who were they? Are they still alive—do you see them? What other family do you have—sisters—brothers?'

There was a long silence, then Bianca said slowly and reluctantly, 'My father was a civil servant. I believe my mother worked in the same department as a typist, and that's how they met. She didn't work after they were married, of course. I don't think women did then.'

'And she had children to look after,' Liam suggested.

'Yes.' Another silence. 'There were two of us, my sister and myself.'

'Your sister was older than you?'

'Of course,' said Bianca with something of a snap.

'Was there a great gap in your ages? Were you close as children?'

'She was five years older, and no, we were not.'

'Do you ever see her now?'

'As seldom as possible.' The snap was even more evident 'We have even less in common as adults. Margaret is a suburban housewife without a thought in her head beyond the needs of her family.' She added brusquely, 'I'm sorry, Alix, but I didn't instigate this conversation.'

'Alix, of course, being the daughter of this suburban Margaret, rather than your cousin.'

She said impatiently, 'Yes, if you must know. Does it matter? It didn't suit me to have a grown-up niece. Why the inquisition over a piece of harmless vanity?'

Liam lifted a hand half-deprecatingly. 'Yet you haven't always avoided your sister. There was a time when you spent quite a long period in her company. In fact you took her .abroad with you—to Spain, wasn't it?'

Bianca sat up abruptly, letting one of the cushions which supported her fall to the floor. 'She'd been ill. She needed a break. And I'd been overworking. There'd been difficulties over the film I was making around then.'

'
Starlight Madonna
, wasn't it,' Liam prompted casually. 'With Stuart Lisle? I'm not surprised you had problems. He was in the process of drinking himself to death at the time.'

There was another silence, then Bianca said thickly, 'Is there anything—is there—any—damned—thing that you don't already know?'

'Not a great deal,' said Liam. 'As I mentioned, I'm hoping that you'll fill in the missing details.'

'You can hope!' Bianca snapped. 'Switch that bloody, machine off. I refuse to answer any more questions.'

Alix stared at her in amazement. She had gone very pale, and the carefully applied blusher stood out vividly along her cheekbones. She was staring at Liam as if she hated him.

'I won't answer another question. Not today, not ever. I've seen through your little game!'

'Its name,' Liam said calmly, 'is reality. Something you may have lost touch with over the years.'

Bianca stared at him, her eyes glittering, her breasts rising and falling. 'Get out, Alix.'

Helplessly Alix rose Jo her feet.

'What's the matter?' Liam gibed. 'What are you afraid she might hear?'

'Didn't you hear me? I said get out!' Bianca turned on her like a virago.

Alix still hesitated. 'These notes…'

'Destroy them,' Bianca ordered. 'Tear them up. Not just these—but all you've done. I don't want to hear another word about them!'

Alix closed the door of the suite behind her and drew a deep breath. What was there between her mother and her aunt, she wondered, that could still evoke such bitterness so many years afterwards?

When she reached her room, she took out the file of transcribed notes and stared at it She was reluctant to destroy them, because Bianca's viewpoint about the book had already veered several times. The scene she had just witnessed might be just a temporary tantrum, brought on by other frustrations, and tomorrow Bianca might be all smiles.

Liam would get round her, Alix thought with a sigh. He'd done it before.

She took off the blouse and skirt she was wearing, and put on her cotton robe before lying down on her bed. Her head was aching slightly, and the pillow felt cool. Gratefully she closed her eyes. Her restless nights had caught up with her with a vengeance, and it would be easy, so easy just to drift away, and let all her problems and confusions drift with her.

The next thing she was aware of was a hand shaking her shoulder violently. She came awake with a start and sat up to see Monty leaning over her looking distraught.

'What is it?' she asked, pushing her hair back from her face.

'All hell's broken loose, that's all,' Monty retorted. 'She's been working herself into one of her rages since early this morning. I tried to persuade her to leave the villa for a while—go for a drive with Leon, maybe— anything, but she bit my head off. Then she had a row with that Brant fellow over something, and then nothing would do but Signor Veronese must come to the suite to talk to her about the film. She said she was sick and tired of all this pussyfooting around, and where was her contract.'

'Go on,' Alix said tensely.

Monty closed her eyes for a moment. 'He was very civil. He said he would be happy for her to sign a con'tline tract to play in the film when a final decision was reached on which part she would play.'

'Oh God,' Alix said hoarsely.

'For a moment,' Monty went on, 'I don't think she understood what he was saying. And then she started to stiffen. She said, 'I'm going to play Francesca, of course. It might have been written for me.' And he didn't say a word, just stood there watching her. After a minute she said, 'I am going to play it. Tell me so, damn you!' And he gave a little bow and said '
Ca
ra
, I regret that it is impossible!'' Monty shuddered, 'I thought she was going to have a heart attack. And then she flew at him. That Brant man grabbed hold of her, and held her off, and then Leon came in not before time, and they made her sit down. She was crying and swearing, calling them all the most terrible names. At the end Signor Veronese slapped her face, and she quietened down. Now she wants to see you.'

'I'll come at once.' Alix swung her legs off the bed, tightening the sash of her robe.

Bianca was lying face downwards on the chaise-longue. As Alix knelt down beside her, putting a tentative hand on her arm, she lifted a ravaged face and stared at her. Her eyes were red and swollen, and there were faint marks on her cheek where she had been slapped. Her usually immaculate hair was dishevelled and coming free from its elaborate chignon.

She said like a child might do, 'They're not going to let me play Francesca. He's going to give it to that bitch, his mistress. I was afraid when I saw her, but I told myself she was just around to keep him amused. But I was wrong. She's going to be Francesca—and do you know what they've offered me. The part of the mother.' Her voice began to rise hysterically again. 'Do you hear me? The mother!'

Alix tried to sound soothing. 'Darling, it isn't the end of the world…'

'It's the end of my world,' Bianca whispered. Her hand closed round Alix's, gripping it so tightly that Alix winced. 'I will never—ever—play the part of anyone's mother. Never, do you hear me. I won't! I can't!'

'But why is it so impossible?' Alix asked gently. 'You love the script, you know you do. Can you really bear to say goodbye to it altogether?'

For a moment Bianca stared at her, her feverish gaze narrowing, then she flung Alix's hand away from her.

'You sound like Leon,' she said accusingly. 'I've sacked him. He's packing his bags at this very moment. Thanks to his bungling I've been subjected to the most horrifying humiliation of my career.'

'But no one intended that,' Alix said, hoping desperately that it was true.

Bianca went on staring at her, then slowly she levered herself into a sitting position, and swung her legs to the ground. And all the time her eyes never left Alix's face, eyes that were suddenly as cold and hard as marble.

Her lips stretched in a mirthless smile. 'Your opinion fascinates me, darling. Is that a wild guess, or, like Leon, did you have advance information?'

Alix realised that she had blundered badly. She said quickly, 'Bianca, please listen to me. It isn't as you think…'

'Then how is it?' Bianca asked softly and dangerously. 'It seems like deceit and treachery and lies from people who were close to me, people I thought I could trust.' Her voice was rising. 'You knew, didn't you, Alix? You knew?'

Alix bent her head unhappily. She didn't have to speak.

'Snake!' Bianca accused on a sob. 'You—my own flesh and blood. You little bitch!' Her hand flew out, striking Alix full across the face. Caught off balance, she half fell sideways.

'Bitch!' Bianca shrieked again.

Half dazed by the blow, Alix heard Monty mutter, 'Oh, my God,' and was aware of strong arms lifting her from the floor.

'Get her out of here,' Bianca ordered. 'She's fired! I never want to see her again. Let her go back to London with that other treacherous swine. Get your things from my house and go back where you came from—where I should have left you.'

Alix heard the words as if they were coming from a distance—as if they had no actual relation to herself. She had been going to give Bianca her notice, she thought, but now it wasn't necessary, because she was leaving anyway. So she didn't have to worry any more, and that was funny, so funny.

She began to laugh, and checked abruptly, as someone shook her sharply.

'That's enough,' ordered Liam. 'One raging hysteric is enough to cope with.'

She was in his arms and he was carrying her. She pushed at his chest.

'Put me down! I can walk.'

'Don't be a fool,' he said crushingly. 'I doubt if you could even crawl.'

He shouldered his way into her room, and put her down on the bed.

'I'll send Graziella to you,' he said curtly, turning away.

Alix said, her voice shaking, 'Liam—don't leave me. Please don't go.'

She needed the warmth and strength of his arms around her, because she was trembling like a leaf, feeling lost and afraid. She had seen Bianca in tempers many times before, but never—never looking as if she hated her. She shuddered, lifting a hand to her throbbing face.

'The sooner you pack and get away from here, the better,' he told her. 'I'll get Carlo to ring the airport and try and get us on the next flight.'

'You—you're coming too?' she asked.

He shrugged. 'There's nothing I can do here. And Marchant is on his way. Let him make her face reality. He should be able to do it, if anyone can.' He paused, then said roughly, 'Don't look so stricken, Alix. You may find it hard to believe, but there's every chance that everything's going to be all right. Now I'll find Graziella, and she can help you pack.'