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assured me that there was no need for me to feel
alarm on your behalf. They said you had been
friends with the two dancers for a long time.
They made me feel happier about you."
It was as if she had been running for a very
long time and could not find her voice.
"You had no right to go and see my parents."
The angry indignant words suddenly tumbled out
of her mouth. "I'm not a child. You have no
right to treat me as one."
He swung around to stare at her.
"I have every right. While you are here, I feel
responsible for you. Although your parents as-
sured me that you could look after yourself, I
doubted it. I doubt it still more now," he said
harshly, his eyes bright with anger. "In fact, I
bitterly regret agreeing that you could stay on."
Her hand flew to her mouth. Above it, her eyes
were wide with distress. "You regret it?"
"I most certainly do. Because now I remember
that you told me that you were a woman, and
ready for love." The words, as he flung them an-
grily at her, sounded ugly. He came closer and she
stared up at him, unable to move away. "Have
you forgotten, Miss Roubin," he said and now his
voice was calm, the calm of a man battling to dis-
cipline his anger, "have you forgotten that Nicho-
las Natal is a married man?"
112
CHAPTER EIGHT
THERE was a moment during which the whole
world seemed to stand still for Lauren, as she
stared 'up into the eyes of the tall, powerful, an-
gry man. She understood now. It was that inno-
cent kiss of Nick's that had spoiled everything.
"Of course I haven't forgotten that Nick is
married," she said, clenching her hands, trying to
keep her voice steady. "His wife is a friend of
mine."
The rugged stern face above her did not relax.
"What difference does that make?" he demanded.
Her face burned. "You don't fall in love with
your friend's husband," she told him angrily.
"Don't you?" Roland Harvey asked, his voice
amused.
She saw that the anger had left him now. In a
way, she was sorry. At least he had been angry
with her, as a person. Now he had put her back
in her old place, as a very young girl. "How do
you stop yourself?" he asked lightly.
She stared at him, swallowed, tried to find the
right words. Suddenly there were none. Nor
could she think of an answer to that simple ques-
tion. If Roland Harvey had been married to her
friend, would that have stopped her from falling
in love with him? It all seemed so straightfor-
ward and easy until it happened to you.
She ran her tongue nervously over her dry lips.
"I ... I ..." she faltered.
He looked down at the heart-shaped, flushed
face, at the puzzled, frightened eyes. "Well, go on
and tell me," he said encouragingly. "What would
113
you do if you found yourself in love with a mar-
ried man? I'm interested."
She was twisting her hands together. "I'd . ..
I'd go away. Right away." She stared up into his
amused eyes unflinchingly.
He lifted his eyebrows. "I see. And if, as in
this case, you could not run away?"
She suddenly realized she was doing what Nick
and' Deborah called her "stork trick". Hastily she
lowered her foot and saw by the amusement on
Roland Harvey's face that he had also noticed.
Why had he the power to make her feel so stupid
and childish? '
"My dear child," he said slowly in the voice she *
hated most, the voice of an indulgent parent, "I
doubt very much if you know what love means."
She took a long deep breath. In that moment,"
she hated him with all her heart and, at the same
time, loved him to despair. She stared up into his
amused eyes, and her hand ached to smooth his
dark red hair . . . she longed to fling her arms
round his neck and confess the truth.
Love!,
Was this what every girl dreamed about? What
the poets wrote about? What gained fortunes for
song-writers? Was this sick, stabbing, hopeless
pain, this aching to be loved . . . was this love?
She blinked her eyes, looking away from him.
"I do know what love is." She knew that she
sounded like an emotional teenager battling with
her first problem, sulky, difficult.
"You're in love with someone?"
His voice was so gentle that, for a moment, she
was deceived, but when she looked up at him, she
saw that he was laughing at her.
She lifted her chin. "Yes, I am in love with
someone," she said, the words starting off defiant-
ly but somehow growing sad. It was true. She
loved him. But what was the good?
114
 His face seemed to alter in a second, almost as
if a shutter had closed down over it. He turned
away and spoke over his shoulder:
"I would like you to be happy, but not at some-
one else's expense."
Her face felt as if it was on fire. He thought
she meant that she was in love with Nick.
"Mr. Harvey, I'm not " she began, worriedly,
moving towards him. Whatever happened, he
must not believe that! *
He looked at her, his face cold with displeasure.
"I don't think we need discuss the matter, Miss
Roubin." He frowned. "And now if you will ex-
cuse me ..."
He moved with his usual swift grace to the door
and opened it for her.
"You won't give me a chance to explain?" she
asked him. »
He frowned. "I don't think there is anything to
explain." ' ;
There was nothing else she could do but leave
the room. Once the door was closed behind her,
she lifted her hands to her hot face. She felt ut-
terly exhausted.
"Please let me pass, Miss Roubin," a crisp voice
said.
Lauren lowered her hands and stared at Miss
Hunter.
"I'm sorry," she murmured, and moved aside,
uncomfortably aware that Miss Hunter had no-
ticed the flushed cheeks, tear-filled eyes and droop-
ing mouth before she opened the door of Mr:
Harvey's office and went inside.
Hurrying to the sanctuary of her room, Lauren
thought how often it happened that Miss Hunter
was on the scene when anything went wrong. If
she missed a step in the dance practice, you could
be sure Miss Hunter would be passing through
the ballroom. If she had a difficult partner to cope
with during the evening's mixing with the guests,
115
 there would be Miss Hunter, with her cold critical
eyes. It was as if Miss Hunter was always watch-
ing her which was absurd.
She had just bathed her face in cold water and
was trying to hide the traces of tears when the
bedroom door suddenly opened and Miss Hunter
walked into the room.
Dismayed, Lauren. looked in the mirror and
saw Miss Hunter's reflection. She turned round,
still holding the lipstick in her hand.
Miss Hunter looked regally beautiful in a de-
ceptively simple lime green shantung suit, a dia-
mond cluster brooch on one lapel. Her eyes were
unfriendly.
"I think. Miss Roubin, that you owe me an
apology" she said.
"I do .. ." Lauren felt flustered. "I'm sorry if
I have.,.."
Miss Hunter came closer. "You have put me in
a very awkward position with Mr. Harvey. He
considers that it was my duty to tell him the
truth. I supposed you preferred to wait until you
had wormed yourself into his confidence." Her
voice was ugly as she went on. "Sly that's the
only word to describe you. So sweet and innocent-
looking, underneath so sly and cunning. Sucking
up to Roland Harvey, using that impossible child
as a weapon. I wouldn't be surprised to learn that
it was all a put-up job and that you arranged
with Natalie Natal for her to be ill so that you
could come here in her place and get your hands
" on the wealthy and famous Roland Harvey." Her
voice had been steadily rising as she spoke.
Lauren took a step back with the shock of the
unexpected attack. "That's not true," she whis-
pered.
"Truth what do you know or care about
truth?" Miss Hunter almost screamed. "Lies,
lies all the time. But I tell you one thing, my girl, [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]