Valentine Present and Other Diabolical Liberties (22 page)

      You could cut the tension at dinner with a knife. Melanie looks more strung than a violin. She always looks edgy but tonight even more so. She spends the first course wringing her hands. Sebastian has great difficulty keeping his eyes off Fiona, who, I have to say looks sensational in a long Monsoon Indian-style dress. Her face glows and her thick chestnut hair hangs in delicious waves behind her ears from which hang large ethnic earrings, giving her an oriental look. She looks stunning, and I can understand Sebastian being mesmerised. Hamilton is spending most of his time giving me piercing looks which I ignore, and Brice gives me an occasional sideways glance. He is sitting beside me and it is making me feel decidedly uncomfortable.

     
‘How’s the foot?’ he asks. ‘You’re very quiet, is it painful?’

     
‘The foot is fine thank you. Something else is giving me a pain,’ I say looking pointedly at Hamilton. Margarita sits beside him and looks like a woman in the first flush of youth rather than one at death’s door. She looks better than me. I’d like to know what she’s up to. She meets my eyes and nods.

     
‘Nice dress Harriet. Black suits you,’ she says. ‘I have a beautiful set of pearls that would complement that dress perfectly,’ she adds clicking her fingers for Emily.

     
‘Fetch them would you dear?’

     
‘Yes madam,’ says Emily, giving me a sly wink.

Hamilton looks appalled and turns to his grandmother.

      ‘Really Grandma, that’s not necessary. Harry wouldn’t want to take family pearls would you Harry? I’ll buy her a nice set for the wedding.’

I stroke my forehead with my middle finger while looking at Hamilton in the manner of
up yours you wanker
. His mouth tightens.

     
‘Actually, that would be lovely Margarita, thank you so much. It means a lot to wear something that has been in Ham’s family for years.’

     
‘Ham?’ questions Sebastian, his eyes widening.

     
‘It’s my little pet name for Hamilton, isn’t that right sweetheart?’ I say, kicking his shin under the table.

     
‘Yes, it’s quaint, don’t you think?’ he says through gritted teeth.

     
‘Makes you sound like a leg of meat,’ says Brice leaning across me for a bread roll.

     
‘Be careful you don’t kick him with the wrong foot,’ he whispers. ‘You want
him
to feel the pain.’

I stifle a gasp as his hand with the bread roll
accidently
strokes my arm.

     
‘Your father gave me these after your birth,’ she says to Sebastian as she takes the pearls from Emily. ‘They should be around a young woman’s throat, don’t you agree?’

     
‘Absolutely,’ replies Sebastian with his eyes fixed on Fiona.

I watch fascinated as Gregory steps forward with a silver platter of venison. He places it carefully onto the table and strokes Melanie’s neck as he pulls back. It is almost imperceptible but it definitely happened. Oh my God. She picks up her glass with a trembling hand. Talk about
carry on with the aristocrats.
How have I managed to miss this stuff?

     
‘Meat from the stalk, excellent,’ cries Margarita, seemingly oblivious of the tension at the dinner table.

     
‘By the way Fiona, excellent horse riding today, do you not agree Sebastian?’

     
‘Outstanding. You look splendid on horseback,’ he says dreamily.

Melanie’s head snaps up. She glances at Fiona curiously before resuming the picking at her bread roll. Jesus Christ, these people are unbelievable. How the other half live or what?

      ‘Are you joining us for the shoot tomorrow?’ asks Sebastian.

     
‘Oh yes,’ says Fiona.

She is practically panting. If only it was Sebas
tian who needed the future wife and Alistair the one in debt. Ignoring the fact that Sebastian is old enough to be her father, but how easily that could have been sorted. I could go back to my nice little life as a laundrette manager and finish my studies, and perhaps just perhaps I could one day follow my dream and do charity work in a third-world country.

     
‘Will you be able to manage the shoot with that foot?’ Margarita says grimacing.

     
‘Absolutely,’ I say. ‘I hope to hit something this time.’

I glance casually at Hamilton. Margarita pushes the pearls across the table to me.

      ‘Wear them at the party on Friday,’ she says casually.

I glare at Hamilton. What the hell? When did the party get to be on Friday?

      ‘Didn’t he tell you?’ barks Margarita, seeing the surprise on my face.

     
‘Actually, no he didn’t,’ I say angrily. ‘Ham sweetie, did you forget to mention it?’

     
‘Oh dear,’ says Brice under his breath.

     
‘You can zip it too,’ I hiss.

He laughs.

      ‘I can assure you madam it isn’t unzipped yet,’ he whispers. ‘But just say the word.’

I feel myself blush.

      ‘Grandmother thought it would be good to have the engagement party on Friday. We always have a ball the last Friday before we leave so …’

     
‘So you and your grandmother decide to change the date without telling me,’ I say angrily banging my glass onto the table.

     
‘Well …’ begins Hamilton.

     
‘Shut up Hamilton unless you have something worth saying, which I doubt you have. Margarita, don’t you think you should have asked,
rather than told me?’ I say, meeting her steely unfaltering eyes.

     
‘I rarely discuss things my dear because I’m always right.’

Fiona shifts in her seat and says softly, ‘Harriet, don’t overreact.’

      ‘Overreact?’ I snap. ‘You haven’t seen me anywhere near overreact yet.’

     
‘Harriet darling, we all realise you’re in pain but it isn’t like you to get so upset,’ says Hamilton in that lovey-dovey voice that I’m growing to detest.

I push my plate away.

      ‘If you’ll excuse me, I really don’t think I can eat anything. Thank you for the pearls Margarita,’ I say, snatching them before Hamilton can grab them. ‘We can discuss Friday’s engagement party sometime tomorrow, and we can then see if you have made the right decision,’ I finish firmly. I don’t give a damn if the old girl is on her last legs. Frankly, I hope I have her bleeding legs when I get to her age.

     
‘Yes of course dear,’ interjects Melanie. ‘You go and have a rest. We can all chat over breakfast. Isn’t that right Hamilton?’

Hamilton forces a weak smile but his eyes are cursing me. Fiona grasps my hand as I pass.

      ‘Do you need me?’ she asks quietly.

     
‘I’ll be fine.’

     
‘Let me give you something for the pain,’ adds Brice.

     
‘Oh really, this is ridiculous,’ moans Margarita. ‘We have decent venison here.’

     
‘It can be kept hot. I’ll be back. Don’t get your blood pressure up over a piece of venison old girl,’ he smiles. ‘I’ll just give Harriet something to help her feel better and I’ll be back.’

There’s only one thing he can give me to help me feel better, and if he’s that quick maybe it’s not worth it. Oh well, I at least still have my sense of humour. I hobble on my crutches. As I reach the foot of the stairs his hand touches my arm.

      ‘Let’s go for a hobble outside shall we?’ he says pleasantly. ‘There’s a bench by the rose garden. We can sit there.’

     
‘Weren’t you ordered to get back to the venison as soon as possible?’

     
‘Grandma knows I don’t obey her or anyone else’s orders come to that,’ he says, offering his arm.

I exhale and accept his offer feeling that little tingle of pleasure as soon as I touch him.
We walk slowly to the bench and he takes one of the crutches before helping me sit down. The sky is clear and the stars twinkle above us. He drops my shawl around my shoulders and lets his hand rest there for a few seconds before taking the pearls from my hand and sliding them sensually around my throat before clipping them at the back.

     
‘She’s quite right,’ he says softly. ‘They go perfectly with that dress.’

I stroke my neck and look up at the stars. We are silent for a while and I stretch my foot out and study the bruise. I’ve never felt so helpless in my whole life. I feel so angry with this stupid foot and knowing Hamilton has got me over a barrel makes me fume. I really cannot believe how foolish I have been. Trusting Julian was the biggest mistake of my life. What in God’s name made me sign things without reading them? How could I have been so easily deceived? I always thought of myself as a sensible person. How did this ever happen. I’d kick myself but it would hurt twice as much. Fuck it all. If trusting Julian wasn’t bad enough I then went and trusted that bugger Hamilton Lancaster, and now look at the mess I am in. I feel Brice’s eyes on me and sigh heavily.

      ‘So, you had a girlfriend that couldn’t hack your life in Laos,’ I say, just as something to shift the thought of wanking Hamilton and cocking Julian from my mind.

I feel him nod beside me.

      ‘She didn’t get off on
rickety boats and maggot-infested open wounds
, her words not mine. She didn’t like exposing herself to the sun too much either, and considering the sun is always out and always hot, it got a bit awkward.’

     
‘She sounds just your type,’ I smile.

He nods.

      ‘She pretended to be but when she came to Laos wearing her Christian Dior swimsuit and Jimmy Choo sandals I felt the first stirrings of doubt.’

I laugh and turn to see him looking at me and my heart flutters at the naked desire that flashes in his eyes.

      ‘I’d like to go to Laos,’ I say quickly turning away. ‘I always wanted to nurse abroad and help those less privileged than myself.’

Oh God, what am I saying now? Blood suffuses my body and I feel on fire. I so wish I had brought my vibrator. There is a lot to be said for BOBs. Although a battery operated boyfriend I feel would be no substitute for Brice Edmunds. With a fierce determination I push the image of Brice Edmunds in my bed from my mind and attempt to stand up
, but my feet seem rooted to the spot.

     
‘We should get back,’ I stammer, making another fruitless effort to get off the bench.

     
‘Why?’ he says, raising his eyebrows. ‘Are you afraid of something?’

I shake my head and push my hand onto the bench to lever myself up and find I am leaning on his knee.

      ‘Maybe this,’ he whispers huskily, leaning towards me. I let out a shuddering breath as his body connects with mine.

     
‘This thing between us that we’re both trying to ignore?’ he whispers into my ear.

His eyes travel flirtatiously over my body before his lips reach hungrily for mine.

      ‘Brice we mustn’t, we can’t.’

A deep instinct tells me I have to pull away, but I’m not able. As his body moulds against mine I lose all resistance and meet his tongue with my own. I feel sure I hear all the stars burst above me. My heart pounds in my ears and his lips taste like honey. My breath becomes ragged gasps. God, I have no control when this man touches me. I feel his hand slip down the front of my dress and gently cup my breast, and I fight the urge to call out. I need to think clearly but the scent of him is invading my nostrils and numbing my brain. My breasts ache for his touch and I arch myself towards him. At that moment there is the sound of a door slamming and reality strikes me like a bolt of lightning and I push him away from me roughly.

      ‘What are we doing? I’m engaged to your cousin and and …’ I say breathlessly.

     
‘You’re not really with Hamilton. If I believed that for one minute I wouldn’t be sitting here now. I don’t flirt with other people’s fiancées, it really isn’t my style. I believe you have a boyfriend. If I remember correctly his name is Julian, and I think somehow he has got you into this fix. I could be wrong. You could just be a gold-digger and a con woman. But I don’t think I could feel this for someone like that. I believe you are a genuinely nice person and that’s why I wish you would tell me what’s going on. I’m drawn like a magnet to you. I have been since Hugh’s wedding. There is something special happening between us, don’t you feel it?’

     
‘I can’t,’ I whisper, tears springing to my eyes. Damn and blast Julian and his goddam stupid restaurant.

     
‘I’m not good enough for you.’

     
‘That’s rubbish. You’re perfect for me. Just tell me what’s going on.’