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‘Caroline? Caroline!’ her father’s voice crackled angrily down the line. ‘Caroline, what’s going on there?’
‘Well—er—–’ she hesitated, conscious of the man sitting in the room with her. ‘I’m sorry your daughter isn’t there, Mr Rayner, but I really would like to talk to Cynthia some time today. Could you ask her to call me back?’
‘Cynthia? Mr Rayner—–?’ Her father’s puzzlement sounded quite clearly down the telephone. ‘What the hell is going on there now? Why are you—–Oh, I get it. André just walked in, right?’
‘Right,’ she agreed with relief. ‘So if you could pass on the message to her I would be very grateful.’
‘All right, I’ll call you later and then we can sort this thing out.’
Caroline looked up as André Gregory came to stand beside her, his hand outstretched for the receiver. ‘I would like a word with Matt if you don’t mind.’
‘Oh—oh yes, of course. Mr Gregory would like a few words with you, Mr Rayner.’ She crossed her fingers behind her back in the hope that her father wouldn’t give her away. She handed the receiver into that slim tanned hand, careful not to come into contact with him.
He looked at her pointedly. ‘This is a private conversation,’ he said bluntly.
Caroline’s eyes sparkled angrily. ‘I didn’t notice that I received privacy while I was on the telephone. You made no secret of the fact that you were listening.’
‘I didn’t notice you asking me to leave,’ he said patiently. ‘Now would you mind?’
Put like that she had no other choice. She glared at him resentfully before doing as he asked, slamming the door loudly behind her. A quick look in the open doorway of his bedroom confirmed her suspicion that he hadn’t made his bed, probably because he had no idea how to. She straightened the sheets before tidying the scattered blankets. He seemed to be a rough sleeper, all the bedclothes were pulled out and it took her quite a few minutes to get them in order again.
‘As one of Matt’s daughter’s friends I wouldn’t have thought you capable of doing anything as mundane as making beds, but I’ve been proved wrong, you’ve done it twice now,’ remarked the cynical voice that was slowly beginning to annoy her.
‘Well, as you don’t seem to be capable…’ she trailed off, having successfully made her point.
‘Oh, I’m capable.’ He moved forward dangerously. ‘Very capable, as I’m sure some of my—friends would confirm.’
‘I’m not interested in your—in your sex life.’ Caroline moved away from him. ‘Now, if you’ll excuse me?’
André Gregory moved back to his former position, effectively blocking off her exit. He looked down at her defiant chin, a slight grin on his rugged features. ‘I didn’t realise I was talking about my—sex life,’ he paused as she had done, a purely mocking gesture, ‘but since we’re on the subject, just which one of the Rayner family are you a friend of?’
‘What’s that supposed to mean?’ she demanded icily.
His eyes flickered over her contemptuously. ‘What do you think I mean? Matt was singing your praises a few moments ago, with no mention of his daughter. Also he warned me off you, which in my estimation can only mean one thing. What I would like to know is what does the snooty daughter think of your friendship, if she knows about it, of course?’
Caroline couldn’t believe what she was hearing. She stared at him in horror. ‘How can you stand there and say something like that about a man you claim is a friend of yours? If—Mr Rayner has friends like you he certainly doesn’t need any enemies!’
His smile deepened with sarcasm. ‘Come on, girl! Matt may be a friend of mine, but he’s also a man, with a man’s appetites.’ He studied her appraisingly. ‘And you’re not bad to look at.’
‘Thanks for nothing!’ she snapped, intending to sweep past him but finding herself held in a vice-like grip. ‘Will you let go of my arm!’
His other hand came round to push up her chin, and it wasn’t a gentle gesture. ‘If I tell you that you’re unusually beautiful, will you calm down?’
She pushed his hand away. ‘No, I won’t! You see, I’m not susceptible to charmers like you. And after all the insults you’ve directed at—Mr Rayner and myself, I don’t see why I should bother to speak to you at all. Mr Rayner is a highly respected business man, and quite old enough to be my father.’
‘So am I—just. If I had a very misspent youth—which I probably did. But my own feelings towards you are anything but fatherly. You aren’t the type of girl to bring out those sort of instincts in a man—far from it. Especially dressed as you are now. Are you aware of the fact that on the two occasions we’ve met you’ve been dressed in a shimmering nightdress and a not very substantial wrap respectively, hardly the right attire to inspire mere friendship.’
‘I don’t happen to want your friendship,’ Caroline told him haughtily. ‘And as my clothing is so offensive to you I’ll go and dress.’
‘Oh, your clothing doesn’t offend me, on the contrary, I find it very—stimulating. But as I’ve had the warning off signal from Matt I don’t want to poach on another man’s preserve.’
‘I’m not any man’s preserve,’ she snapped angrily. ‘Especially not Mr Rayner’s. Now get out of my way!’
His hand tightened about her wrist and she winced with the pain. ‘Naughty, naughty, Caroline. Now say you’re sorry for being rude to me.’
‘I will not! Why should I?’
He raised his eyes heavenward as if losing patience with her. ‘Why indeed?’ he humoured before his face hardened and his eyes became like glittering emeralds. ‘Because I just said you should! One thing I cannot abide is rude little girls like yourself who should have had a few more beatings when they were younger, their parents leaving the task of taming them to the poor unsuspecting fool who marries them.’
‘Do you speak from experience, Mr Gregory?’
He laughed harshly. ‘Not exactly. I haven’t yet been stupid enough to get caught in that trap. But I’ve seen enough of my friends’ wives to know what I’m talking about.’
‘I’m sure you have,’ Caroline agreed bitchily. ‘From close quarters, no doubt?’
‘Very close quarters in some cases, but then I’m sure you’d already guessed that.’ He released her hand, unbalancing her with the suddenness of the movement. Caroline reached out to stop herself falling, and found herself held rigidly against this man’s warm body, his breath lightly fanning her hair.
She struggled in his arms. ‘Let go of me,’ she said through gritted teeth. ‘Take your—your hands off me!’
André Gregory let her go immediately, pushing her casually away from him. ‘I think I’m beginning to believe you when you say you aren’t Mart’s girl-griend—and I say girl-friend with the full meaning of the word. You can’t bear for a man to touch you, can you? Or is it only me you have this aversion to?’
She held herself stiffly, her blonde hair falling untidily about her shoulders. ‘I would like to say it’s only you, Mr Gregory, but I’m afraid it isn’t. I have yet to find the man who can raise me to the heights of passion or put me in the depths of despair—if such feelings exist, which I doubt.’
André Gregory’s attention seemed to be fixed on the ornaments on the dressing-table, as he picked up first one object and then another. ‘I think you could be right,’ he agreed, not bothering to look at her. ‘Oh, the heights of passion exist all right, but the depths of despair have so far eluded me. Possibly because so far, like you, I have no wish to give one single person the power to make my life either happy or sad for me.’
‘But then even in that we differ. You see, you don’t have one person in your life, but several, whereas I don’t have any.’
‘Don’t you believe in the old saying “safety in numbers"?’
She shook her head. ‘Not for me. Now I really do have to go and dress.’
‘As I recall, you haven’t apologised yet,’ he reminded her softly.
‘No, and I’m not going to.’
‘Oh, but you are.’ Steely fingers gripped her arm once again. ‘And right now. Go on, say you’re sorry like a good girl.’
Caroline’s eyes glittered resentfully. How dared he! Just who did he think he was! The impulse to tell him who she was was strong, but she resisted. He hadn’t been insulting enough yet to be intimidated by the knowledge that she was Matt Rayner’s daughter, and not his—not his girl-friend. Her temper kindled anew at this slight on her father’s conduct. Just because this man didn’t care who he made love to it didn’t mean her father was the same. ‘I have nothing to apologise for, you were obstructing my exit and I asked you to move.’
His teeth gleamed whitely as he grinned at her. ‘You didn’t ask me to do anything, young lady, you gave me an order. And I don’t like orders, especially from women. I’m still waiting,’ he said patiently.
‘Well, you can go on waiting,’ she fumed at him. ‘Because I’m never going to apologise to you—I repeat, never!’
André Gregory continued to look down at her, his expression just as unyielding as her own. ‘There was no need to repeat it, Caroline, I heard you the first time. But you will apologise,’ he looked about them pointedly, finally resting his steely gaze back on her flushed face. ‘You’re hardly in a position to argue. Must I remind you of your surroundings, and your dress—or in this case, undress? I could so easily take advantage of this situation—but I’m sure you wouldn’t like me to do that.’
‘You wouldn’t dare!’ she challenged.
‘Wouldn’t I? Well, perhaps you’re right. Matt’s a friend of mine, and you’re—–’
‘His preserve,’ Caroline cut in tautly. ‘But I’m not, Mr Gregory. Oh, all right,’ she sighed. ‘If it inflates your male ego to force a defenceless girl to apologise—I apologise. Satisfied?’
He released her arm. ‘For a moment there I thought you were going to admit your relationship with Matt, but perhaps you’re not the sort of girl to go around boasting of your conquests.’
‘Conquests!’ she scoffed, rubbing her bruised wrist where he had held her so tightly. ‘You call being the mistress of a middle-aged tycoon a conquest? I wouldn’t! I’d call it—–’
‘I think I can guess what you would call it, Little Miss Puritan. Where’s the harm in bringing a little happiness into someone’s life? Or do you also object to that? God, what a little prude you are! And what a curious combination, prudishness and promiscuity.’
‘Promiscuity? But I’m not—–’
‘Not you, Caroline, Cynthia or whatever her name is. Do you lecture her too?’
Caroline turned away. ‘She happens to be a friend of mine, and I speak with full authority when I say she is not promiscuous. Far from it, in fact.’
‘So the stories I’ve heard are unfounded, are they?’
She resented his taunting tone, shaking her long hair back haughtily. ‘As I have no idea what these stories are I can’t really say, but I would advise you not to listen to idle gossip, Mr Gregory. I would have thought you of all people would have known that what people don’t know they think they know, or simply make it up.’
‘Me of all people? Oh, I see—you mean someone of my tendencies, my friends’ wives and so forth? Mmm, well, in some cases perhaps what you say is true, but I happen to have received my information on good authority.
‘And what authority is that?’ she asked sharply.
‘Now that would be telling,’ he replied, infuriatingly calm, appraising her appearance once again. ‘And if you don’t go and dress in a moment I may take your reluctance to leave my bedroom as an invitation—and I may just accept.’
‘Don’t excite yourself, Mr Gregory, I wouldn’t invite you anywhere, let alone into my bed!’ and she made her escape before he decided to make her apologise for that remark too, locking herself safely in the bathroom. She leaned heavily on the door, listening for his movements. To her chagrin he was merrily whistling to himself as he went down the stairs. Did nothing ruffle that smooth surface charm he chose to emit? Well, she would do her hardest to find out. Mr André Gregory needed taking down a peg or two, and she was just the person to do it.
She could smell bacon cooking as she walked gracefully down the stairs—her bacon, no doubt. Really, that man had a nerve! ‘Hi,’ she smiled happily at him as she sat down at the kitchen table, showing none of the seething emotions that existed underneath. ‘Are you cooking enough for me?’
If he was surprised by her change of attitude he didn’t show it, but gave her a cursory glance before carrying on with his frying. ‘If you want some,’ he said noncommittally.
‘Thanks.’ Caroline leant her chin on her hands, her blue eyes full of mischief if he bothered to look at her, which he didn’t. ‘Country air always makes me ravenous, doesn’t it you?’
‘I suppose so,’ he agreed quietly. ‘I’m not usually in the country long enough to find out one way or the other.’ He turned to face her. ‘So—when are you leaving?’
Caroline’s pleasant manner almost deserted her at his audacity, but she managed to remain cool. ‘Leaving?’ she repeated. ‘Oh, I’m not leaving,’ she told him sweetly. ‘As you so rightly said last night, there are two bedrooms and I won’t bother you if you don’t bother me.’
He studied her for a moment, the expression in his green eyes unreadable. ‘Are you quite serious?’
‘Quite,’ she mocked. ‘Why not? It could work out very well if we let it.’
‘Caroline, I came here for peace and quiet. I’m hardly likely to get that with you walking about half undressed most of the time and in very revealing tight jumpers and denims at other times. Hardly conducive to a peaceful existence, hmm?’
‘Are you saying you find me attractive, Mr Gregory?’
‘No, I didn’t say that, not you especially. It would be impossible for any man not to be slightly disturbed by your appearance.’ He placed a laden breakfast plate before her. ‘So I repeat—when are you leaving?’
She tucked enthusiastically into the crisp bacon and perfectly fried egg. ‘And I repeat—I’m not. Look, Mr Gregory—André,’ she saw his start of surprise and the narrowing of those sea-green eyes, and smiled slightly to herself. ‘I’ll be in the studio most of the time, so you can do—whatever it is you want to do, down here. Surely that’s a perfectly feasible idea?’
‘Oh, it’s feasible all right, it’s just that I’m not agreeable to it. I came here to get away from—charming females like yourself, not to set up home with one. Anyway, why the sudden change of heart? A few moments ago you couldn’t wait to get rid of me.’
‘I’ve been thinking while I was upstairs, and I decided that there was no need for this unpleasantness. This cottage is big enough for two people—just, and we needn’t interfere with each other in any way.’
‘And what do you think Matt will say to that?’ he queried.
‘I’ve already told him. Ah, that surprises you, doesn’t it? Yes, I told—Matt, that I was staying on here, just as you probably told him you were. He wasn’t very happy about the arrangement, but he’ll come round.’
His mouth twisted. ‘Oh, I’m sure he will. You have your own little ways of getting to him, I suppose. Oh, eat your breakfast, and we’ll talk about it later,’ he added impatiently.
Caroline did as she was told, enjoying the meal he had cooked for her. Let him try and puzzle out her change of attitude for himself. She had deliberately chosen to wear a blue jumper that exactly matched the colour of her eyes and showed off her long blonde hair to advantage, intending to disconcert him. And she had succeeded! Well, watch out, André Gregory, because it had only just started. Before she had finished she would get him so intrigued by her behaviour that he would wonder what had hit him. And then would come the let-down. Oh yes, Mr Conceited Gregory, you’re time has come, she vowed silently.
She settled down in the studio to do some preliminary drawings. It was a long time since she had been to the cottage and she always found she could relax and paint better here than anywhere else. But this morning she seemed to be having some trouble settling down to any serious work, and put that down to the fact that she could hear André Gregory moving about downstairs. She wondered what he could possibly be doing. Finally, when she thought she could stand it no longer, he called up the stairs to her.
‘Caroline! Caroline, Matt’s on the telephone for you.’
She put down her equipment and rushed to the studio door. ‘Did you say Matt?’ she asked breathlessly.
He stood at the bottom of the stairs looking up at her. ‘I did, and I think it’s quite urgent.’
‘Oh, okay. Can you put the call through up here? Just press the switch on the side of the telephone,’ she explained.
‘Do you have any objection to speaking to him in front of me?’ his eyes taunted.
‘Certainly I do. My conversation with Mr Rayner is private.’
‘I see. And you still maintain there’s nothing between the two of you.’ His smile was frankly mocking as he moved out of her line of vision.
Caroline was tempted to flounce down the stairs and give him a piece of her mind, but was prevented from doing so by the buzzing of the telephone behind her. Bother the man! She snatched up the receiver, her mouth set in a mutinous line. It was going to be much more difficult to be pleasant to André Gregory than she had imagined. ‘Yes?’ she said sharply.
‘Caroline?’ her father’s gruff voice enquired. ‘Has something upset you?’
She laughed softly at his understatement. ‘Only your arrogant friend, nothing I can’t handle.’
Now it was his turn to laugh. ‘If you believe that, Caroline, then you certainly don’t know André very well. Some of the most self-assured women in the world have tried to manage him, and failed. I can’t see that you’ll succeed where so many others have failed.’
‘I’m not intending to marry the man, Daddy, just teach him a lesson he’s badly in need of.’
‘Caroline, you just don’t understand, or you don’t want to understand. André is not the man to try tricks like this on. And why did I have to just ask for Caroline and not for my daughter?’
‘Because for the moment that is the one thing I’m not, although according to your friend I’m plenty of other things.’
‘Like what?’
She bit her lip thoughtfully. ‘I know—your mistress, for one thing.’
‘My what!’
She laughed at his astonishment. ‘Your mistress,’ she repeated. ‘Besides being a member of the permissive society.’
‘Damn cheek of the man!’ came the mumbled reply.
