A Girl Called Tegi (12 page)

Eating her solitary lunch, Tegi thought wryly that she might have had a good lunch with Tony had she not turned him down. She grew hot at the thought that she had not asked him who had won the races and he had not volunteered to tell her. At least he had not boasted about it. But she would not think of him.

The day was beautifully warm and sunny, and Tegi could have sat there on the front all day. When she reluctantly rose to her feet to return to work, she promised herself a swim and an evening on the beach that evening after work.

Beryl was quiet during the drive home. Adam, her
fiancé
, had gone back to his job and she missed him.

‘Strange,’ she mused, as they sped home at the end of the day. ‘Before I met Adam I could always find plenty to do in my leisure time. Now I can’t settle to anything since he’s gone back.’

Tegi said dreamily, ‘The time will soon go and you’ll soon be walking down the aisle with Adam on your arm.’

Beryl sighed at the thought. ‘I wish you were getting married, Tegi,’ she said. ‘What happened to Tony Mastroni? I thought he was keen on you?’

Tegi laughed scornfully. ‘Me and a dozen others, you mean! Tony is out for a good time. He isn’t interested in the likes of me.’

‘But you’re different from the other girls who run after him. I’m sure you’re wrong about him. Have you seen him since the party we went to?’

Tegi bit her lip, anxious to avoid any embarrassing questions.

‘I’ve other things on my mind at the moment. Dorothy is going to America with a girl friend with
prospects of a job. I’ve given her some money to help
her with her expenses and I’m wondering if I did the
r
ight thing.’

‘What does your mother say?’ asked Beryl.

‘She doesn’t know yet. I know she’ll be awfully
upset, but what can you do? Dorothy must have a
chance to make something of herself, and it might be
the best thing out for her to try her luck abroad.’

Beryl nodded. ‘I agree. Dorothy can take care of
herself. She’s the kind who won’t let her heart rule
her head like you would. I think you’ve done the
right thing. She’s lucky to have a sister like you.’

Tegi was only half listening to what her friend was
saying. She was wishing that Dorothy would tell her
parents about her intention to go to America, and get
it over.

Immediately her mother opened the door to her
ring, Tegi knew her wish had come true.

‘Hello, Mum,’ she said, kissing her cheek and ignoring the swollen eyelids. ‘How’s your back,
Dad?’ she asked, reaching the doorway of the lounge.

Her father was in his favourite chair, Gary was playing with one of his miniature racing cars on the
carpet and Dorothy was standing by the window, arms akimbo, looking sullen.

‘Great,’ her father answered. ‘I wish everything
else was. Did you know Dorothy is talking of going
to America? Such silly nonsense!’

Tegi looked knowingly at her sister as her mother came into the room.

She said frankly, ‘Dorothy did tell me. I think it’s a wonderful opportunity for her.’

‘Oh, you do, do you? Well, she’s not going. She
isn’t old enough to go abroad on her own,’ her mother put in angrily.

Tegi put an arm around her mother’s shoulders. ‘Oh, come off it, Mum. If Dorothy is old enough to work in London on her own, she’s old enough to go abroad. Give her a chance to make something of herself.’

Her mother turned on her in a fury. ‘I don’t know what I’ve done to have, two daughters like you,’ she cried. ‘Both of you have your heads full of romantic nonsense. The island isn’t good enough for you. You should both be married and settling down by now.’

Dorothy said, ‘If I’m old enough to be married, I’m old enough to go where I choose to work. I’m going, and you’re not going to stop me
!’

The next moment she had run from the room, and the front door slamming behind her galvanised Tegi into action. She had been looking forward to spending an evening on the beach and now seemed to be the time for it. What did it matter if she did miss her supper? She would not have much appetite for it, in any case, with her mother drifting around the kitchen like a martyr.

Outdoors a lovely summer’s night beckoned and she hurried to her room to grab a beach bag and push things into it. The sea and sky were a blue whole, the sand shimmered invitingly and the beach was warm beneath her feet.

Tegi walked some distance along the beach to the far end for privacy, since few people ventured that far to swim. On the way she carried her sandals, and in bikini and beach jacket she waded in the water. No use worrying about her mother. She would get over
Dorothy leaving the country for America. Tegi sighed, wishing that she was going with her.

She sank her teeth into the apple she had taken from a dish in the kitchen in lieu of supper and chewed it meditatively.

While the sunshine helped her to forget Tony, Tegi threw the core of her apple across the gleaming water, wishing she could throw all memories of him away with it. Did he have other women in Tuscany, someone waiting for his return with eloquent dark eyes and hair similar to his own?

She shed her jacket at a convenient spot and swam out furiously to sea as if by the very violence of her movement she would rid herself of him for ever.

She swam for a long while between floating on her back and enjoying gradually the buoyancy of the water. The sea was like a millpond and when she returned to the beach it was with the feeling of having worked off a certain amount of frustration brought on during the last week.

Picking her way along the sand and then the shingle, she made her way to where her beach bag lay along with her beach jacket and sandals. The continuous tides had hewn a cosy niche in the rocks into which she could snuggle, back-rest and all.

As she sat there, hands clasped around her knees, everything was peaceful around her, but there was no peace in her heart. She wondered if there ever would be again. The unrest was there not only because of the advent of Tony in her life, it was there because of the new Tegi Moore that flared to life when in his arms. And her real fear was the amount of strength she needed to repulse him. It was so terribly easy to take what he offered and so reap further and lasting unhappiness because of it.

Then she saw him striding along the shingle below the rocks to climb to her hideout. Her heart lurched and she hastily whipped a towel from her beach bag and dried her arms. She was taking off her bathing cap when he joined her and the auburn hair cascaded down on her bare shoulders in a mass.

She raked her fingers through it before throwing it back away from her suddenly flushed face, and railed against a fate that was so unfair as to allow Tony to accost her as he did.

His smile was white, his dark eyes mocking. He looked down at her with a nonchalant stance and spoke with the casual tones of one meeting an acquaintance in the street.

‘How nice to see you again,’ he said in that deep musical voice that sent ripples up her spine.

For several moments she looked up at the handsome face beneath a cap of crisp black hair, her eyes moved to the firm strength of his sunburned throat above, the open-necked Continental shirt, then rested upon his
well-cut
mouth.

He looked immaculate in expensively cut summer-weight slacks fitting snugly around his narrow hips, a playboy who lived dangerously and enjoyed it.

Clenching her hands, she asked, ‘How did you know where I was?’

Even as she asked the question, Tegi knew the answer. She had sneaked out of the house, but not quickly enough possibly to escape Gary’s sharp eyes. He alone knew where
she came to bathe in the sea.

‘Your brother Gary told me,’ he said simply. ‘I
called along with the boys to see how your father is. It was good news hearing that his back is better and that the trouble is almost certain not to occur again.’

Tegi was falling over herself to put on the beach jacket, feeling strangely shy in her bikini. In her haste she had it twisted around her back and was vainly fumbling for the sleeve when he bent over her and put it right for her to place an arm in.

The action brought him very close, too close, and as he met her startled upward glance there was a hint of laughter in his eyes.

‘I’ve seen girls in bikinis before,’ he reminded her mockingly. ‘But I would like to say, if you will permit me, that you have quite the most beautiful figure of them all—and believe me, I’ve seen a few.’

‘I’m sure you have,’ she replied with the feeling of breathing on one lung. ‘Have you seen Dorothy?’

He raised a dark brow. ‘No. Should I have?’

Tegi fastened the tie belt of the beach jacket with nervous force and pulled it tight around her trim waist.

‘I just wondered where she was, that’s all. She’s leaving soon, going to America to work,’ she said jerkily.

‘So your mother said. It seems she was upset, wanted you both to settle down and marry. I think she’s right.’

Bright spots of colour burned in her glowing cheeks. She glared at him.

‘Not long ago you were advising me to look around before I made my choice of a husband. Now you think I should marry Colin
!’

‘I think nothing of the sort. You could look around
with the view to matrimony. By the way, your mother wants you to return home for your supper. I gather you have not eaten since midday.’

‘Oh, go away,’ she snapped. ‘Go away and
fin
d Dorothy
!’

Tony frowned heavily. ‘What has Dorothy to do with it?’

‘Everything, don’t you see?’ Tears started in her eyes. ‘I’m partly responsible for her going to the States. I gave her enough money to tide her over for a while until she gets settled. I wanted her to have a chance to make good.’ She fought back the tears. ‘Now I’m wondering if I did the wrong thing after all.’

He took her hands. ‘If your sister intended going to the States she would have found the money from somewhere, and she does intend to go. She has done nothing else but talk about going abroad some day to the States.’

Tegi swallowed on a dry throat. Dorothy had never said anything to her about it, which only went to show how far they had drifted apart through the years. She tried to free her hands, only to discover how strong his light deceptive grip was.

Held a prisoner with the smell of the sea around them, Tegi sensed the danger and told herself to get away from Tony. In spite of her level-headed reasoning, she knew she was listening to the call of her heart which she was capable of following against every instinct of her pride.

She made one last desperate effort to free herself, saying huskily, ‘Please go and leave me alone.’

‘I can’t, for two reasons,’ he replied, gradually pulling her to him. ‘The first reason is that I don’t want to and the second is that you don’t want me to either.’

It was true. She knew it was absurd, and absolute madness, but she wanted his kiss. Her face lifted to his without volition and he bent his head.

His arms closed around her and the world was forgotten. Here was everything she had ever wanted, his lips merging into hers and the closeness of his body fiercely loving and demanding.

When at last she managed to find the strength to free herself Tegi was appalled at her own weakness. She had done the very thing she had vowed not to, and that was to succumb to Tony’s charm like endless other girls had done and would do in the future.

Moments ago she was in a world she never knew had existed. Now she was back with her feet firmly on the ground and a chill foreboding struck right through her.

‘No, Tony
!’
He was about to take her in his arms again and she stepped back. If she indulged her longing to be back once more in his arms the parting would be much more difficult.

‘What is wrong?’ he demanded. ‘Don’t you like my kisses?’

She said, a sharp edge of pain to her voice, ‘Have you ever met a girl who hasn’t
?’

He frowned, lifted her chin, and turning her face up, looked deeply into her eyes.

‘And what does that mean?’ he asked coldly.

‘That I enjoyed it.’ She steadied the wobble in her voice. ‘Only don’t keep turning up when I least expect you. It can be so unsettling.’

He was puzzled by her behaviour, she could tell. He was still frowning.

He gestured with a lean brown hand. ‘This rapport between us, doesn’t it mean anything to you?’

Tegi wanted to tell him that it meant everything to her; if only he could give her proof that the things she had secretly hankered after, like love and marriage, could really happen with him.

‘You’ve certainly got what it takes, Tony,’ she said. ‘I shall find it hard to forget you.’

‘Suppose
I
don’t want you to forget me?’

She looked away from his charming smile to think of the long vista of empty years without him.

Dully, she said, ‘I bet you say that to all the girls,’ and was unprepared for his sudden anger as he gripped her slender shoulders.

‘What’s got into you?’ he demanded. ‘It isn’t like you to be so difficult.’

She said, ‘Perhaps you don’t know me so well, after all. I’m tired, I’m going home.’

He forestalled her as she was about to pick up her beach bag, and picked it up himself.

‘What about calling somewhere for something to eat where we can talk? That country inn, for instance, just outside Ramsey?’

Tegi shook her head. ‘I can’t very well go wearing a beach jacket over a bikini. I’d rather go home.’

He said stiffly, ‘As you wish.’

Tegi’s tired feet dragged a little as they strolled back to where he had parked the car.

He drove the short journey back in silence, a silence Tegi wanted so desperately to break. But she was quite unable to do so. What with a hectic day at the bank, coming home to a family dispute, and missing her evening meal, she felt physically and mentally weary.

The emotional strain had been heightened by Tony’s unexpected appearance that had brought her almost to breaking point. She was very near to tears when he drew up at the garden gate.

Without looking at him she knew that his face was set and she kept hers averted as he turned to her with an arm on the car wheel.

He said gently, ‘I wish you would not look so unhappy. If I upset you that much think how much nicer it will be when I’m gone
.
’

She swallowed on a dry throat. ‘It isn’t like that at all. I’ve nothing against you personally,’ she said huskily.

Before he could get out of the car she had her door open.

‘Goodbye, and good luck,’ she said.

‘C
ia
o,’
he replied coolly, and drove away.