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Susan felt suddenly annoyed with him. Did he know how inexperienced David was at smoking? Had Amanda told him he was both a teetotaller and a non-smoker? If he did know, he was being deliberately provocative. Amanda, apparently unconcerned, said, ‘How's Jon these days?'
‘He's fine, thanks. He's looking forward to seeing you. I told him I would bring him to lunch with you some time next week. I'm sending him to Fay's in a few days. He can stay there for a week or so. I know he doesn't like going, but it will do him good to get with children of his own age. He's far too precocious. That's what comes of always being with adults.'
Susan listened to this conversation with interest. Who was Jon? Her question was soon answered as Amanda said, by way of explanation:
‘Jon is Dominic's son. He's fifteen, and he lives in England most of the time. Dom doesn't take him with him on his travels, do you, Dom?'
Dominic's eyes narrowed. ‘Unfortunately not. I feel I'm neglecting him at times, but at others I realize that were we together more we would probably get in each other's way.'
Susan looked aghast. ‘What a thing to say!’ she exclaimed, before she could stop herself. ‘Poor boy!'
Dominic's eyes were mocking. ‘There's nothing poor about Jon, believe me,’ he remarked coolly. He looked at Amanda. ‘Is there, A.B.?'
‘No, I suppose not. But I can understand Susan's feelings. She has never known a parent's love; she was brought up in an orphanage. To hear you speak of Jon you would imagine he was an encumbrance to you.'
Dominic sighed, and drew deeply on his cigar. ‘Let's say Jon and I are too much alike to get along well together,’ he remarked. ‘We both like our own way too much.'
‘Besides,’ said Amanda dryly, ‘the kind of life you lead is not fitting for a child of that age.'
David, who had not been taking any part in this conversation, looked appalled at Amanda's candid manner of speaking. He was already looking a little green, and had stubbed out the cigar.
Susan, seeing this, said quickly, ‘Is that meal ready yet, Amanda? I'm starving!'
The meal was delicious and David soon lost his pallor. After dinner was over they returned to the armchairs, and everyone but David had brandy in delicately cut glass goblets, warmed to perfection.
Amanda began asking Dominic about his travels abroad and for a long while they listened while he recounted anecdotes about the people he had seen and the places he had visited.
He was a fascinating raconteur and Susan sat listening to him as though hypnotized by the sound of his deep, relaxed tones. She avoided looking at him as much as possible, but occasionally her eyes strayed in his direction and she discreetly studied the strong line of his jaw and the thick richness of his hair. His linen was immaculate and accentuated his dark colouring, and the lashes which veiled his eyes were long and thick.
But it was not his looks which attracted Susan. She had seen many handsome men who caused her not the slightest reaction. It was something more; a kind of animalism, which made her aware of the primitive emotions that run just below the surface of modern man. From Amanda's remarks she had gathered that, married or otherwise, Dominic Halstad was no saint, and the knowledge merely gave him an added attraction, a kind of dangerous temptation.
Realizing where her thoughts were leading her, she quickly brought them back to normalities. Why could not she remember she was an engaged woman, and act accordingly? She felt she was behaving, or feeling, like a schoolgirl with a crush on the headmaster.
It was eleven o'clock when David said, ‘I think we ought to be going, Susan. It's getting late.'
Amanda stretched. ‘It's only eleven, David.’ She shrugged. ‘But if you must, you must.'
Dominic rose to his feet. ‘Can I give you a lift anywhere?’ he asked.
‘Thank you, but I have my car outside,’ replied David. ‘And thank you, Amanda. I've enjoyed myself enormously.'
Amanda stood up also. ‘I'm so glad. We must do it again, eh, Susan?'
Susan nodded, and allowed David to wrap her cape about her.
‘Yes, we must,’ she said. ‘Mr. Halstad's conversation was quite fascinating.'
‘Yes, Dom ought to write a book,’ said Amanda, looking playfully at Dominic. ‘How about that, Dom?'
‘Well, I will if I can borrow your secretary to do my typing for me,’ he replied, watching Susan and seeing the hot colour surge into her cheeks.
David, too, saw his fiancеe's embarrassment, and hastily drew her to the door.
‘We must go. Good night, Mr. Halstad. Good night, Amanda.'
Outside the air was freezing, and Susan shivered. ‘Central heating certainly makes you more vulnerable to the elements,’ she said. ‘Hurry up and let's get home, David.'
David put her into the car and then went to start it, but to Susan's dismay it would not start.
‘Oh, lord,’ muttered David. ‘What a thing to happen on a night like this! It must be the cold air. It seems to have knocked all the life out of the battery.'
Susan saw the funny side and giggled. ‘Well, shall I push, or will you?'
‘Don't be ridiculous,’ snapped David, unable to see anything amusing in their predicament.
‘All right, all right. I was only trying to cheer you up.’ Susan hunched her shoulders, and waited while David cranked the engine furiously.
‘Shall I try and catch it on the accelerator?’ she ventured, a few moments later.
‘No.'
David was fuming, and Susan sighed. This would have to happen. Just when David was seeming a little more human, this occurred, and now he was sure to find it Amanda's fault in some way.
‘If we hadn't spent so long in there, the damn car wouldn't have frozen like this,’ he muttered, and Susan sighed again. Here it came! The same old story of recriminations. Anything but the real reason the car had defaulted.
Suddenly, the swing doors of the apartment building opened again, and a tall figure emerged, dressed in a thick fur-collared overcoat. It was Dominic Halstad, and Susan groaned inwardly. This would really settle things. David hated seeming at a disadvantage.
Dominic merely nodded to them and walked across to a dark-green Mercedes saloon that was parked just ahead of them.
David straightened up and looked at Susan. ‘Shall I ask him if he will give you a lift?’ he asked abruptly.
‘No, of course not. I'll wait and go with you. We'll get away soon.'
David looked relieved. ‘I'm sorry I bellowed at you,’ he said awkwardly. ‘I'm a bad-tempered cuss.'
‘Don't be silly,’ said Susan, smiling. ‘Just hurry up and let's get going.'
Dominic Halstad had now opened the boot of his car and was producing a coil of plastic-covered rope which he brought to David, saying casually:
‘Would a tow be of any use?'
David lifted his head. ‘Why … yes, it would. It's just the battery, I think. It's a bit flat.
‘Okay. You fasten your end and I'll fasten mine. Give me a blast on your horn when you start up, right?'
‘Right.'
David hastily tied the tope to his car, while Dominic connected the other end, and nodded briefly at Susan before sliding into the driving seat and starting up.
It only took a couple of hundred yards before David's engine fired and he tooted his horn to tell Dominic Halstad that he could continue under his own power.
The cars halted, the rope was put away and Dominic raised his hand in farewell, before re-entering his car and driving away.
‘Good chap!’ remarked David warmly. ‘Not many men in his position would have been so helpful.'
‘No,’ agreed Susan. ‘He didn't waste any time either.'
David nodded, and putting the car into gear they drove on to Susan's flat.
After arranging to spend the following day with David, Susan left him to enter the flat, which seemed very lonely tonight, knowing that Delia would not be returning.
She made herself a cup of cocoa, and carried it into the bedroom to drink while she undressed. But once in bed sleep was far from soon in coming. Her thoughts were too chaotic to allow her any peaceful rest, and restlessly she switched on the light again and reached for a half-finished novel she was rеading.
As she read the words, however, they meant little to her. She found her mind drifting off at a tangent, and she found herself wondering again where Dominic Halstad's wife could be. He had not mentioned her and neither had Amanda.
Amanda had mentioned the life Dominic led as being unsuitable for a child and that could only mean one thing, surely! It was very puzzling.
Susan felt suddenly angry. It was not like her to indulge in idle speculation about anybody, least of all a man who could not possibly be of any importance in her life.
CHAPTER THREE (#ulink_04c3f83b-1baf-50b3-b7e7-add78b4f420e)
THE following week passed uneventfully until Friday. Delia had arrived back from Bristol full of excitement. Alan's parents had been dears, and had made her feel completely at home.
‘I'm sure everything is going to turn out right for us,’ she exclaimed on Monday morning while they were having their breakfast. ‘Alan was marvellous to me and I really felt as though his parents liked me.'
‘And why shouldn't they?’ demanded Susan. ‘You're a very likeable person.'
Delia sighed. ‘Yes, but I mean, really liked me. You know … as a daughter-in-law. I'm sure Alan is going to ask me to marry him. Oh, Susan, wouldn't it be divine?'
Susan herself felt rather envious. If only David's mother had been like that, warm and welcoming. But she was glad for Delia's sake as Delia always seemed afraid that people would not like her.
When she arrived at the apartment on Friday morning, Amanda was not seated at her desk as usual. She always did her correspondence first thing in the morning, and Susan was surprised.
‘I've arrived,’ she called, before walking over to a radiator and warming her cold fingers.
She had not done much typing this week, apart from Amanda's letters, as Amanda had not yet begun a new novel and there was nothing else for her to do. They had spent most of the week driving in Amanda's car, sometimes with Susan at the wheel and sometimes with Sarah's husband, Bill, driving them. Bill had a regular job but acted as chauffeur for Amanda when she required him.
Amanda appeared just then from her bedroom and said, ‘Hello, dear. I'm glad you're early. We've got a lot to do. Now, how would you like a trip to Paris?'
‘Paris?’ echoed Susan blankly.
‘Yes, darling. Both of us, of course.'
‘But when?’ Susan was puzzled.
‘Well, darling, we'll fly out this afternoon, spend the weekend in Paris and return home on Monday.'
Susan was still uncomprehending, and Amanda smiled. ‘You know I had dinner with Dominic and Jon last night, don't you?'
‘Yes.’ Amanda had had dinner at Dominic Halstad's apartment here in town. Apparently he had a penthouse which he used whenever he was in London. Although he had intended bringing Jon for lunch one day, he had not found the time, and consequently he had invited Amanda to have dinner with them instead. Susan had been rather disappointed as she had been looking forward to meeting Jon, and to seeing Dominic Halstad again, although she did not like to admit the latter was true.
‘Well,’ continued Amanda, ‘Jon is flying out to his aunt's today, to spend a week or so with her. Fay, Dom's sister, is married to a French count. They have a ch?teau near Fontainebleau, and although Jon is quite capable of conducting himself there, Dom has to be very careful that he's properly chaperoned.'
‘Why?'
‘Well, occasionally there've been threats of kidnapping and so on, and a man as powerful as Dominic is bound to have enemies, don't you agree?'
‘But he has no bodyguard.'
‘No, I know. But that's not to say he shouldn't have. At any rate, Dom is rather a different kettle of fish. We're only concerned with Jon here. Well, what do you think?'
Susan sighed. ‘I don't know what to think.'
‘Why? Don't you find the prospect of a trip to France stimulating?'
‘Of course, I do. It's just … well … it is the weekend, isn't it? And David is bound to expect me to spend my free time with him. I know he usually works on Saturdays, but there's all day Sunday —'
Amanda shrugged impatiently. ‘It's only one day, Susan. Anyway, think it over for a few minutes while I go and help Sarah with my packing, and you can let me know your decision when I return.’ She felt the coffee percolator on a nearby table and continued, ‘The coffee is lovely and hot. Help yourself. I won't be long.'
Susan poured a cup of coffee, and sank weakly down on to a low chair. Here was her opportunity to get to know Dominic Halstad's son, at least. The prospect was exciting, and she felt her pulse leaping at the thoughts that invaded her head. It was all too tempting and Amanda was well aware of it.
Susan bit her lip hard. But what about David? Truthfully, he would only have one day to fill in, and anyway, last Sunday had been spent mainly in Medlar Grove and she could not face another day there in a hurry.
His mother had found fault with everything she had done, and as David spent most of the day working in the minute garden at the back of the old house, she had not seen much of him. Surely he would not mind if she went away, just this once, when he seemed to find plenty with which to fill time.
When Amanda returned, Susan said, ‘I'd like to come. But what about reservations and things?'
Amanda smiled. ‘They're already made. Dominic arranged it all last night.'
‘You were sure I'd agree,’ murmured Susan dryly.
‘Well … yes, darling. After all, if you don't see the world while you have the chance, once you're married to David you won't get a great deal of time. I can see that young man tying you down with an armful of children and then taking himself off to enjoy life. His type always do. He's very possessive, you know, and that way at least you aren't free to go wandering off if the fancy should take you.'
‘Amanda, you're incorrigible!’ exclaimed Susan helplessly, although she wondered if there was something in what Amanda said. David did tend to dwell often on the prospects of a family, and although Susan wanted children, too, she did not want to start a family straight away. ‘Anyway,’ she went on, ‘why isn't his father travelling with him?'
‘Oh, Dom isn't keen on acting as nursemaid.'
‘To a fifteen-year-old? Good heavens, he doesn't need a nursemaid!'
‘I know, but Dom has his work, too, you know.'
‘Excuses, excuses,’ said Susan, sighing. ‘It seems to me your friend doesn't take his duties as a father seriously.'
Amanda shrugged. ‘I wouldn't say that, Susan. Dominic and Jon are great friends. It's simply that Dom can't be bothered with the little things, the trivialities which some men enjoy. When you know him better you'll realize that for yourself.'
‘I'm not likely to know him better,’ remarked Susan, and sipped her coffee speculatively.
‘Well, you'd better contact that young man and warn him that you won't be available until Monday evening,’ said Amanda, changing the subject firmly.
