Part 12 (1/2)
She moved away quickly, and sweeping her hair back from her face, she said: ”I don't care what you do, Mr. Mallory!”
Patrick watched her for a moment and then shrugged his shoulders.
”All right, let's go.”
His voice was cool again, and Samantha, attuned to his every nuance, felt herself grow cold. Why had she repulsed him like that? He had not tried to be rude to her. His words had been only gently jibing, with a world of warmth behind them. Now she had been rude and he sounded as though he had expected no better of her.
They walked along the corridor to the lift and on impulse she slid her arm through his. He looked down at her, his eyes unfathomable.
”I'm sorry,” she murmured quietly. ”I was b.i.t.c.hy, wasn't I?”
”Hm.” His voice was soft again, and his fingers slid down her arm until they curved round hers. His hand was cool and hard and she felt her bones beginning to melt. He drew her close against him for a moment and then he pushed her gently into the lift.
Samantha did not know what it all meant. She had wan ted to make friends with him and now this had happened. It was entirely unexpected and she supposed she was mak ing more of it than necessary. After all, he was only hold ing her hand, and as he thought she was a teenager, he probably saw himself as a father figure. Particularly with Barbara in the background.
When the lift halted at the ground floor, Samantha re leased herself and preceded him out of the hotel. A low-slung sports saloon was waiting for them, and she looked round at Patrick.
”Is this yours?”
”Yes. It's an Aston Martin. Do you like it?”
”Mmn, it's fabulous. Where do I sit?”
They had reached the car by this time and Andrew slid out of the front seat beside the driver's.
”Where would you like to sit?” asked Patrick, smiling slightly. ”Beside me?”
”If you want me to.” Samantha was unconsciously al luring and Patrick felt his senses beginning to swim a little.
”You ... you'd better sit in the back with Drew,” he murmured at last. ”Barbara will expect to sit in front.”
”All right.” Samantha shrugged, but she cast a strange look at Patrick before stepping into the car.
When they reached Belgrade Square, Patrick went up to collect Barbara and Samantha and Andrew were left alone in the back of the car.
Andrew slid his arm around her and said: ”This is cosy.”
Samantha smiled, a little wearily. ”Yes, isn't it? Howl long will they be?”
”Knowing Barbara,1 really couldn't say,” replied An drew, grinning. ”After all, she may not be ready.”
”But Patrick said six o'clock, and it's after that now.”
Andrew chuckled. ”How refres.h.i.+ng to meet a woman who doesn't know that she should keep a man waiting!”
”But why?”
Andrew looked thoughtful. ”Well, let me see... a man who has to wait for a woman is made more impatient and consequently when he sees her, her absence has made his heart grow fonder.”
”You're laughing at me!” Samantha was indignant. ”Not really, sweetheart. Anyway, I should think Pat will hurry her up tonight. He doesn't seem as enamoured of Barbara as he used to be. He went to Italy for a holiday, but primarily I think to define his feelings towards] your mother. She's made no secret of her feelings for him and Pat isn't one to rush into anything like marriage without due thought.” He laughed. ”After all, he hasn't stayed a bachelor all these years and remained a celibate. He used to be quite wild in his youth. Now he doesn't have to make any effort at all. His success as a writer has opened all sorts of doors for him. He was always ... well, quite wealthy, you understand, bur before becoming known in the theatre world, his friends were confined to the ... er .... upper bracket. You know what I mean?”
”Not really.”
Andrew stared laughingly at her. ”You mean you don't know?”
”Know what?”
”Well, I should have thought Barbara would have told you.
His father was a peer.” He shook his head disbelievingly ”Don't you know about Killaney?”
”What's Killaney?”
”It's in Ireland; His estate. He owns a large estate in bounty Galway. You've heard of Galway, I suppose?”
”Well, yes, vaguely.” Samantha was amazed. ”I didn't know.”
Andrew shook his head. ”If he knew I'd told you he would probably slay me. He hates any form of sn.o.bbery.”
”And does he go to Ireland much?”
”Well, the estate has a manager by the name of Michael O'Hara; a good old Irish name that! And Mike sees to everything for him. Pat spends most of his time in London, although I think deep inside of him, he'd like to liye in Killaney.
It's a beautiful place. All green gra.s.s and rolling hills, with the sound of water in your ears when you go to sleep.”
”You sound quite lyrical.”
”Killaney's like that. It's a poet's paradise. You must get Barbara to go there so that you can go with her.”
”Hm. That's highly unlikely.” She looked suddenly at him.
”Why didn't you telephone?”
”But I did! Twice!”
Samantha looked puzzled. ”But I don't understand. I didn't get your calls.”
”No. Your mother and grandmother respectively advised me you were not available. I decided you were giving pie the brush-off.”
”Brush-off?”
”You knew! Oh, telling me you didn't want to see me any more, in so many words.” ”But that's not true! I was quite hurt when you had said you would phone and you didn't, or so I thought. There were so many places I wanted to visit and now we're leaving for Daven in the morning, and I won't see them for goodness knows how long!”
”Well, I'm sorry, honey, but I did phone. Perhaps your relations didn't like the idea of your going out with me.”
”Apparently that's the case, but why ?”
Andrew shrugged and just then the car door opened and j Barbara stepped blithely into the seat beside the driver.
”h.e.l.lo, you two,” she said sweetly. ”How nice for you, here in the gloom. Have you been behaving yourselves ? ”