Bond of Fate (14 page)

She really ought to have known better. There might be a lot that she didn't know about Julian Cridell, but one thing she did know, and that was that he liked his own way. 'Nonsense!' he said crisply. 'You must learn to swim before you develop a fear of the water, so the sooner you start, the better. Celia will keep herself occupied with her books.' He glanced at his watch. `We'll start in about an hour's time,' he announced grandly.

Melanie, about to swallow some coffee, nearly

choked at this bald announcement, and was just about to come out fighting when she noticed the way Celia was looking at her father, and her expression showed that she was as nonplussed as Melanie was, but for different reasons. She agreed entirely with her father's decision to force the issue on Melanie's learning to swim, but it was quite plain that she had expected to be included in the instruction, in the role of supporter if nothing else, yet it was equally plain that her father had other ideas.

It was this last thought of Melanie's that stopped her from arguing against his decision, and gave her a little ray of hope that perhaps he had thought things over and decided to release her from her commitment. With Celia otherwise occupied, they could talk without fear of being overheard, for the pool was well away from the villa and well screened. With these thoughts in mind, Melanie allowed the arrangement to stand, and was glad to note that after the initial disappointment, Celia took it in her stride, advising Melanie just before they set off for the pool that she wasn't to worry, she was in good hands.

JULIAN led the way to the swimming pool, his tall, lithe form clad in swimming trunks, with his towel slung over his tanned shoulders. He strode ahead of Melanie, making her feel like a Red Indian squaw keeping a respectful distance from her brave.

As soon as they reached the pool, Melanie, who had expected them to sit down to a pow-wow—she was still playing the role of the squaw—was surprised to see Julian throw his towel down on a chair and dive into the water, and with a few expert strokes make his way down to the shallow end where he waited for Melanie to join him, indicating that she should use the steps to enter the water.

She was not only disappointed that things were not the way that she had hoped, she also felt gauche and foolish, and her temper flared at finding herself once more on the receiving end where this man was concerned. She wondered if he did it deliberately.

She had almost reached the last step down to the water when her annoyance overcame her earlier submission in allowing him to teach her to swim. 'I've changed my mind,' she said abruptly. 'I don't want to learn to swim,' and she turned to go back up the steps.

At least, that had been her intention, but she didn't get very far; in fact, she didn't even reach the top step before she found herself hauled back down and into the water by a determined Julian, who kept his hands firmly planted around her slim waist as the movement of the water sent her slightly off balance. 'If you're

trying to tell me you're afraid of the water, then you'll have to think up a better excuse,' he said softly, his eyes holding her angry ones. 'Cowards don't plunge into raging seas on mercy missions, particularly if they can't swim,' he added pointedly. 'Just catch hold of the side of the pool,' he ordered, as he pushed her gently towards the edge.

Melanie knew when she was beaten, and was in no position to put up any further opposition to his dictates.

`Now keep hold of the sides, and let your legs leave the floor of the pool, as if you were lying flat on the floor,' he ordered and, placing his hand against her stomach, lifted her up into position. 'Let the buoyancy of the water support you,' he said.

Melanie was not too sure about the buoyancy of the water; she had sunk before, hadn't she? She was grateful for his supporting hand.

`Now start kicking,' he said, 'but keep your legs straight. That's it. Try to keep to a rhythm.'

After what seemed a very short time to Melanie, she found that she was able to practise this exercise without Julian's supporting hand, and she felt vaguely pleased with herself and a little disappointed when Julian called a halt to the proceedings. 'You've done very well,' he said, 'but that's enough for a start. We'll move on to the next step tomorrow. The main thing is to give you confidence that the water will support you. Now we'd better get back before Celia feels neglected,' he added with a brief smile, as he threw Melanie her towel to dry herself with.

So much for her hopes that he had changed his mind about letting her go, she thought despondently as she followed him back to the villa. It was as if that earlier conversation had never taken place. She could see no

chance now of any private tete-a-tete. Celia wouldn't expect to be left behind tomorrow, and she might just as well have come today, Melanie thought.

In this thought, however, she was proved wrong, for the following morning there was no attempt on Celia's part to accompany them, and Melanie suspected that she had been given her orders to stay behind. Why, she couldn't imagine; perhaps he thought that if Celia were there, Melanie would feel even more gauche than she already felt, but had he but known it she would have welcomed Celia's presence.

This time, Melanie found herself being presented with a rubber float, and was told to hold on to it and make her way across the width of the pool, her kicking legs providing the impetus for the short journey.

All went well until she was half-way across the pool, when she suddenly lost a hold on the float, and in her attempts to retrieve it, felt herself sinking to the bottom, arms and legs flailing in a most undignified manner. But her immediate thoughts were not on deportment, only that she was in the middle of the pool and not at the shallow end.

One minute she was fighting for air, the next she was swept to the surface by a pair of very strong arms, and while she gasped for breath, Julian's voice came close to her cheek. 'I've got you. You're quite safe.'

It was then she realised they were standing at the shallow end, and Julian's arms were around her, supporting her while she recovered her breath.

At that precise moment in time, Melanie knew that she loved Julian Cridell. She knew a sensation of wanting to cling to his strong body so close to hers, to receive his love and protection for the rest of her life, but as the thought was there, he stood away from her

and, picking her up, placed her by the side of the pool, then climbed out himself.

Melanie felt that she couldn't look at him. If he should even suspect her feelings in that rash moment of hers—she couldn't bear it, and took refuge in raillery. `I do seem to have a habit of living dangerously,' she commented lightly. 'I suppose now we'll have to go back to the drawing board ?' she added, but her voice shook a little, not so much over her unexpected ducking, but over what had ensued afterwards, that sudden surge of emotion towards the man now watching her with those enigmatic grey eyes of his.

`You panicked, that was all,' he said. 'You should have remembered what I told you about the water supporting you. If you had just gone on holding your arms out in front of you and continued to kick your legs you would have got to the end of the pool without the aid of the float.'

Melanie managed to give an offhand shrug. 'I'm not a very good pupil, I'm afraid.' She took a deep breath. `Look, I really don't care if I learn or not, and I'm sure you must have better things to do with your time. I'll just keep practising what you've taught me, and go on from there.'

Julian's grey eyes narrowed. 'Afraid?' he challenged softly.

Melanie's blue eyes opened wide. Instinctively she knew that he wasn't referring to her fear of water. Had he sensed her feelings earlier? There was a slight flush on her cheeks as she forced herself to meet his eyes. He might have guessed, but he was never going to know for sure. 'Of course not!' she got out indignantly. 'It's just that I feel you're wasting your time, that's all.'

Julian's eyes continued to bore into Melanie's. 'Am I?' he queried gently.

Again Melanie was sure he was quite deliberately misinterpreting her words. He had taken advantage of her, of course; she had no experience to fall back on, only her own common sense, although she could rely on that if nothing else. She got up abruptly and, collecting her towel, started to dry herself. 'Well, it's up to you, of course,' she said, in a matter-of-fact voice, 'I've admitted that I'm not a good pupil,' she smiled, but the smile did not reach her eyes. 'That's a sad thing for a teacher to admit, isn't it? As far as swimming goes, I'm a complete dunce, and that's all there is to it,' she ended flatly as she shook out her damp towel and folded it over her arm as she prepared to leave the pool.

`Giving up again?' said Julian mockingly, yet there was an underlying hint of annoyance in his voice that didn't escape her.

He was so used to getting his own way, she thought angrily, that he turned positively mean when crossed.

`There's a lot to be said for commonsense,' she said quietly, her angry eyes meeting his challenging ones.

`It depends on which side of the fence you're standing,' Julian said casually, giving her a look that made her go weak at the knees. 'You're the one who's building the fence, but I'm afraid you're going to find that it's not quite as durable as you're hoping it'll be. Nor will any barrier be. Not in the long run.'

Melanie stared at him. He most certainly was not referring to any swimming lessons now, as indeed he hadn't been before, but to actually give notice of his intended assault on her defences like that was surely beyond the pale! 'I've no idea what you're talking about,' she got out, trying to inject some indignation into her voice, which wasn't too hard to do, as she was still suffering from shock.

`Of course you don't,' said Julian with a touch of amusement in his voice. 'I was forgetting your commonsense outlook,' he added, as he jumped up and quickly towelled himself down, then, with a wicked side glance at the still stunned Melanie, led the way back to the villa.

When they got back, Melanie was devoutly grateful for Celia's company at the lunch table, and her animated chatter brought back some semblance of sanity after the morning's shocks. 'How did you get on?' she asked Melanie.

Melanie sent a quick glance towards Julian before replying, 'Not so well. I got a ducking after losing one of the floats '

Julian interposed here, with, 'She's giving up. How many times did you go under, Celia ?' he asked.

`Heaps of times!' said Celia with a grin. 'I wanted to chuck it in too, but Dad wouldn't let me. He won't let you either, Melanie, you'll see,' she added earnestly. `You won't want to sit on the beach all the time when everybody else is in the water, will you?' Her argument was reasonable.

Melanie felt she was being pushed into a corner from where there was no retreat. She knew that Julian was watching her with those all-knowing eyes of his, and wanted to protest that Celia didn't know the half of it. She sighed inwardly. It was no fault of hers that her father had some devious plan in his head to keep her with them until such time as he deemed her presence unnecessary, and that could be a very long time indeed. If she stuck to her guns, and said she was quite prepared to sit on the beach, she didn't see what anybody could do about that. It was up to her, and she was fighting for her future. 'I shall do very well on the beach,' she replied primly. 'I'm not the sporty type,

you know,' she said to Celia, with a smile to soften the disappointment.

`She's a coward, I'm afraid, Celia,' said her father in mock solemnity.

`She is not!' Celia leapt to Melanie's defence like a tigress defending her young. 'You're not a coward, are you, Melanie? You show him by learning to swim. If you still want to sit on the beach afterwards, then it's your choice, isn't it?' she demanded fiercely.

There couldn't have been many occasions when Celia ganged up against her father, but this was certainly one of them, and Melanie could feel the net being drawn tighter around her. Celia was playing directly into her father's hands, as he had known that she would. It was a case of no holds barred where this man was concerned, she thought despairingly. 'Perhaps I need some support from a friend,' she said lightly, conquering the impulse to scream in frustration at the easy way Julian had got what he wanted. This time he wasn't having it all his own way. 'Come and hold my hand tomorrow, Celia,' she said, darting a baleful glance towards Julian, whose bland expression of self-satisfaction made her want to retract her words.

Celia blinked and stared at her father. 'You've been bullying her, Dad !' she said accusingly, and looked back at Melanie. 'He bullied me, too, you know, but you're different,' she added with an indignant look towards her father.

Julian's brows shot up, and his handsome features took on a pained expression. 'I hardly think "bullying" is the word. Firmness would be more apt. How far do you think you would have got if I had turned soft when you tried to throw in the towel?' he asked his daughter.

Celia's dark eyes acknowledged the point, then she laughed 'Okay,' she said, and turned to Melanie. `What he means is, it's all for our own good,' she explained with a twinkle in her eyes. 'Don't worry, Melanie, I'll come with you tomorrow,' she promised.

`You'll do nothing of the sort!' Julian said firmly. `The last thing Melanie needs at the moment is an audience, and I'm certainly not having you two ganging up on me when she gets faint-hearted again.'