Part 8 (1/2)

'Not here?' Catherine couldn't prevent the automatic rejoinder.

'No, Miz Fulton.'

'Then where is he?' Memories of Jared standing alone in the middle of that lonely road came back to torment her. Nothing had happened to him, had it? She would never forgive herself...'I-have you seen him this morning?'

Susie regarded her curiously. 'Yes, Miz Fulton.'

She paused, frowning. 'You want to see him?'

Catherine wondered how much of what had happened last night had filtered through to the kitchen. Probably enough to arouse conjecture among the other servants. It would not do to supplement that speculation by revealing so intent an interest in Jared's affairs.

'Not now, Susie,' she said quickly, hoping to divert the girl.

'Mmm, this looks appetising. How did you know I wouldn't want anything to eat?'

'I don't know, miz.' Susie looked pleased. 'Shall I tell Miz Prentiss you'll be down directly?'

'Yes, you do that.' Catherine forced a lightness to her tone.

'Where is she?'

'On the patio, Miz Fulton. I'll tell her.'

After the maid had left, Catherine put the tray aside and slid out of bed. Surrept.i.tiously, she opened the balcony doors which she had locked the night before, half afraid that Jared might use this method to try and reach her after he got back. But she had fallen asleep without hearing anyone enter the house.

Laura was sitting disconsolately on one of the colourful lounges, watching Henry disconnecting coloured bulbs from the trees around the pool area. Her body was hunched, spine curved, elbows resting on her knees, chin cupped in her palms. She looked low and dejected, and Catherine felt the full weight of her own treachery. Whatever Jared's motives for abandoning their lovemaking the night before, the end result had achieved something which she should have wanted in the first place. She didn't know what had possessed her, and the memory of that abandoned embrace brought the blood rus.h.i.+ng to the surface of her skin all over her body. She guessed she had destroyed any faint hope of convincing him that she was not the free-loving individual he thought her, but in the circ.u.mstances, perhaps that was just as well. What had begun as a game had drastically altered, and although sooner or later he was bound to discover she was not pregnant, he would doubtless consider that to be more good luck than management. What an awful cliche that was, she thought disgustedly. But it contained the essential truth of the situation, and she had no one but herself to blame....

With a sigh, she poured herself a gla.s.s of freshly-squeezed orange juice, and carried it into the bathroom. A warm shower cleansed the salt from her hair and her skin. The night before, she had only taken the time to rub her hair almost dry with a towel before tumbling into bed, but now she emerged feeling fresher, and more ready to face the day.

She dressed in a simple halter-necked s.h.i.+ft, and secured her still damp hair in a ponytail with a sea-green ribbon, the exact colour of her dress. Eye-shadow did not take long to apply, and her honey-tanned skin required no further adornment. With dark gla.s.ses swinging from her hand, she felt remarkably composed as she went downstairs, but this soon dissipated beneath Laura's reproachful stare.

'h.e.l.lo, Catherine,' she greeted her coolly. 'You must have been tired.'

'I was.' Catherine lifted the gla.s.ses as if to put them on her nose, and then let them fall again. She would not hide behind smoked lenses. 'Weren't you?'

Laura shrugged. 'I don't suppose I worked as hard as you did,'

she remarked, and Catherine was disconcerted.

'No?'

'At organising the party.' Laura's explanation came as a disappointment; Catherine hated verbal fencing with other women. 'I expect you and Elizabeth helped one another.'

Catherine sighed and sank down into the cus.h.i.+ons of a chair nearby. 'Why don't you say it, Laura?' she asked impatiently.

'Why don't you come right out and tell me what you really mean?'

Laura licked her lips., straightened her spine, and held her knees tightly together. 'I don't know what you mean.'

'Yes, you do.' Catherine leaned towards her. 'Why don't you tell me to lay off Jared? That's why you're here, isn't it?'

'No!' Laura was obviously horrified. She got abruptly to her feet, staring at Catherine in dismay. 'I-I came to see whether you would care to lunch at Fourwinds, that's all. Why should I want to cause a scene?' She squared her shoulders. 'If you're worried about dancing with Jared last evening, I think you're exaggerating its significance. Jared dances with tots of other girls, and besides, he explained how Johnny wanted to change partners. I'm not jealous! Don't be silly!'

Catherine rested her head back against the latticed upholstery.

She had to accept what Laura was saying. What else could she do? Whatever her feelings, Laura was not about to unburden herself to a virtual stranger.

'Fourwinds?' she said now, questioningly.

'My home.' Laura linked her fingers together. 'As Jared isn't here, and Elizabeth is busy, I thought you might enjoy an outing.'

Catherine got reluctantly to her feet and paced over to stare down into the clear waters of the pool. The last thing she wanted was to spend the day in Laura's company, but if she refused and it got back to the servants, it would only give more room for gossip in the kitchen.

'Where is Jared?' she inquired, despising herself for doing so.

Laura adjusted the cus.h.i.+ons on the lounger where she had been sitting. 'Down at the beach house, I understand.'

Catherine swung round. 'Flintlock?'

Laura nodded, straightening. 'Have you been there?'

'Once.' Catherine turned her back again.

'I don't expect we shall see him for a few days,' Laura commented, her casual words bringing a tightening to the nerves throughout Catherine's body.

'No?'

'No.' Laura picked up her handbag. 'Henry told me he loaded the car with his equipment first thing. We all know what that means.'

Catherine turned again. 'What does it mean?'

'It means he's finding it impossible to work in the house. After all, he does have this commission to finish for the legislative building.'

There were pockets in Catherine's dress, and she pushed her hands into them. 'What commission?'

'A portrait of the governor-general's wife,' said Laura proudly.

'But. . .' Catherine looked bemused. 'Has she been here? I haven't seen her.'

'Oh, no.' Laura shook her head quite scornfully now. 'Jared works from sketches mostly. All painters have their own particular style, and Jared finds he works best without human distraction.'

'Does he?' Catherine was impressed in spite of herself.

'Yes. Haven't you noticed that portrait of his mother in the dining room? Jared did that. After she was dead, of course. He was very young when she died.'

Catherine remembered the portrait very well. She had admired it on a number of occasions since she had first noticed it. 'He's very clever,' she said rather flatly, and Laura nodded, her expression quite smug.

'Yes, he is, isn't he?' Her fingers moulded the wood back of the chair 'You've no idea how marvellous it is being engaged to someone like that.' She held out her left hand, so that Catherine could admire the solitaire diamond on her finger. 'Jared used to be so-well, I believe he had quite a reputation when he was younger. But since we got together...' She smiled, but Catherine had turned away, hating herself for the emotions she was experiencing. Laura wasn't deliberately boasting of her achievement. It just sounded that way.

'Well?' Laura was speaking again. 'How about it'.' Lunch with my parents? You will come, won't you, Catherine? I know they'd love to have you.'