Semi-Detached Marriage (15 page)

She changed the subject then, and Tom left
soon after to go back to his hotel to change for the party, but when he had
gone, as she was herself getting ready,

Cassie looked at her reflection in the mirror
and wondered why he'd said that. Was she vulnerable? She'd never thought so
before. But then she had never been alone for any length of time before; she
had lived with her parents right up until her marriage and since then had only
been by herself on the occasions when Simon had been away on business for a few
days at a time. Never long enough for her to have to rely on her own resources
or to get lonely or bored. Is than what's wrong with me? she wondered, her
green eyes staring back at her from the mirror shadowed by doubt. Am I
incapable of being alone? Do I need someone, a man, to take care of me?

Then she made a face at herself in the
mirror, shrugging off the idea. Of course she didn't need anyone, she could
manage perfectly well by herself. But even so the thought came to her that the
first three months without Simon had been almost unbearable, so what would the
rest of the three years be like?

The party was as successful as any party can
be when the guest of honour doesn't turn up. Everyone Cassie had invited came
and they all brought birthday presents for Simon. She told them all that he
would be there later on and concentrated on being the hostess.

Julia and John Russell were there, of course,
Julia looking young and sparkly and flirting openly with her husband, teasing
and laughing at him, so that John, too, looked happier than he'd done for some
time. At first Cassie thought that this must be because Julia had given up her
affair with another man and turned her attention back to John, but then she
realised that it was because the affair was still going on that Julia was so
vibrant and alive, and that some of her happiness had rubbed off on to the
husband who now looked at her with such pride and pleasure. Cassie watched them
both and wondered how on earth John could be so blind, so complacent.

Determinedly she switched her attention to
the other guests, putting on a happy face and trying to take their sympathy, as
the time went on and Simon still didn't show up, with as much bravado as she
could muster.          

'Never mind, Cassie, perhaps he got caught up
in another strike at Heathrow, or something. I'm sure I saw something in the
paper about some kind of disruption that was threatened there,' Sue Martin told
her.          

'Yes, I expect it's something like that,'
Cassie agreed, but not really believing it. She poured Sue another drink and
one for herself. Although they didn't know Simon particularly well, she had
invited the Martins to the party because Sue had seemed so down lately; she looked
a little happier tonight, with her husband by her side, but she still had a
lost, almost frightened look behind the social smile. Chris, though, seemed to
have changed since Cassie had last seen him, he appeared to be far more
confident and self-assured; evidently his new responsibilities at work had been
good for him.

Tom came up to Cassie then and demanded that
she dance with him. Cassie took a long swallow of her drink and stopped
thinking about Simon and gave herself over to just plain enjoying herself. The
music was good, there was plenty of food and drink, her guests were having a
good time to judge from the talk and laughter, and Tom was being as attentive,
and looking at her with as much admiration as any girl could wish. So what the
hell did it matter if her husband cared more about working out some damn pay
scheme than coming home to his own birthday party Cassie looked up at Tom and
gave him a brilliant smile as she moved into his arms for a slow number.

He had a great sense of rhythm, moving to the
music, taking her with him. Cassie could smell his aftershave.

It was different from Simon's, he used a
tangy-smelling one, whereas Tom's had a more subtle, musky aroma. He held her
close, but not too close, his hands an her back, warm through the thin material
of the black harem outfit she was wearing. The room was rather crowded and
Cassie stumbled against him as someone knocked into her. Tom's hands tightened
and she felt the hardness of his chest against her breasts. She muttered an
apology and went to draw away, but he held her there and she felt his face
-against her hair. Quickly she looked up and found him gazing down at her. For
a long moment their eyes met and held, then Tom smiled at her and she relaxed
against him, gradually letting her arms move upwards until her hands were
resting on his shoulders.

The record came to an end and someone put on
an aggressive reggae disc, changing the mood of the party completely for a
while. Afterwards Cassie was busy serving the hot moussaka she'd made for
supper while the guests helped themselves to the French bread, salad and other
cold dishes that she'd set out beforehand. There was also a birthday cake with
thirtythree candles around it, but this she took back into the kitchen and
pushed into a corner. For a minute she stood looking at it, her mouth set into
a bitter line, but then Tom came in looking for clean glasses and she switched
back into the party again.

It was nearly three before the first people
began to leave. Cassie had expected John and Julia to be among the first to go,
but Julia had explained that they'd got a baby-sitter who was willing to stay
overnight and so they could stay out late for a change. John, though, had begun
to wilt earlier, sitting down in an armchair to watch while Julia danced with
Chris Martin or some other man, and looking more frequently at his watch, then
muttering about the golf tournament he was to play tomorrow.

By four there were only half a dozen couples
left.  The music was low now and smoochy for fear of waking people in the other
flats. John had gone to sleep in his chair and Chris was dividing his time
between his wife and Julia and evidently enjoying himself. Tom had taken
Cassie's hand an hour ago and they had been dancing together ever since, except
when they stopped to drink or say goodbye to people who were leaving. And it
had seemed natural, after the way they had danced before, for him to draw her
to him, his arms round her, her head on his shoulder.

At five Cassie rather blearily made coffee
and every-one sat around and talked for a while until three of the last couples
left, leaving only John and Julia, Sue and Chris and Tom and herself. It was
quite obvious that John wanted to leave, and Sue, too, looked as if she was
going to fall asleep any minute, but Julia and Chris were both still full of
life and drink, laughing and .making outlandish suggestions about what they
should do next.

'I don't want to go home,' Julia was
protesting. 'We ought to do something to make this party really memorable.
Something like-oh, I don't know-like driving the wrong way up Oxford Street or
flying up to Scotland to see Simon.'

Her husband grunted scornfully. `You'll only
end up in a police station by driving the wrong way along a one-way street, and
as for going up to Scotland I've never heard anything so ridiculous!'

'All right, maybe it is ridiculous!' Julia
turned on him in annoyance. 'But at least it's something alive, something
exciting. But then what would you know about life or excitement?' she added pettishly.
All you ever think about is the office or golf. Anyone would think you were
sixty instead of forty!'

There was a short, awkward silence, the kind
there always is when outsiders get involved in a married couple's quarrel.
Cassie looked away in embarrassment and saw that Sue was doing the same, but
she noticed that Chris was looking openly at Julia with a small, amused smile
on his lips. Even as Cassie began to wonder how on earth he could find
amusement in someone else's marital scrap, she saw Julia turn her back on John
and smile at Chris, a slow, secret smile of knowledge and understanding.

Cassie drew in her breath sharply, realising
all too clearly just who Julia's lover was. A sound of protest came to her
lips, but before she could utter it, Tom broke into the silence by saying,
`Hey, if we want to keep the party going, how's this for an idea? It's almost
six o'clock; why don't we all go to the Savoy and have an early breakfast?'

Immediately Julia was all excitement again.
`Why, yes, that's a wonderful idea. Don't you think so, Chris?'

`Yes, sounds great,' he agreed. 'How about
you, Cassie?'

For a moment she hesitated, but Cassie had no
wish to end the party, to be alone in the empty flat with an uncut birthday
cake, so she said with almost as much enthusiasm, `Yes, I'd like to. It will be
fun.'

'I'll need to freshen up first, though,'
Julia said, and went off to the bedroom. John followed her and Sue determinedly
drew Chris into the kitchen and shut the door, presumably to remonstrate with
him if the sound of their raised voices was anything to go by.

Cassie walked over to the
window, feeling suddenly depressed by what she had seen and by Simon's non arrival.
She reached up and drew the curtains, letting in the pale sunlight. It was the
middle of June now, well into the spring, and it looked as if it was going to
be a lovely day. Tom came up behind her, put his hands on her shoulders, then
turned her slowly to face him.

'Cassie,' he murmured, his eyes exploring
each feature of her face. 'I don't think I've ever seen you look lovelier than
at this moment, with the light behind you, creating a halo round your head.'

His fingers tightened on her shoulders and he
drew her slowly towards him. Desire flamed in his eyes and Cassie knew that he
was going to kiss her. She was filled, suddenly, with a strong blaze of intense
sexual awareness. She knew that she ought to move away, to speak, to do
something that would break the spell, but she felt mesmerised and powerless to
move, as if all her will-power had drained away. Her lips parted and she lifted
her head to meet his.   

CHAPTER SIX

'Cassie!'

They both turned, startled, to see Simon
standing in the doorway, a look of murderous anger on his face.

FOR a few seconds Cassie was too paralysed by
shock to move. She hadn't heard his key in the door, hadn't beard his steps in
the hall. She felt Tom give a jerk of surprise, then he quickly took his hands
from her shoulders and turned to face Simon. He started to say something, but
Simon was already striding across the room, his hands doubled into tight fists,
his mouth set into a snarl of determination and the look of savage rage still
in his eyes.

Realisation of what he was about to do made
her gasp with horror, but there was no time to do more than say his name before
he was across the room and had grabbed Tom's lapel, raising his other fist to
smash it into his face. Tom started to raise his arms in selfdefence, but he
had been taken by surprise and wouldn't have stood a chance. Then the bedroom
door opened and Julia exclaimed, 'Simon! So you did make it after all? How
lovely!'

A look of total astonishment came into
Simon's furious grey eyes and he hesitated for a second, his arm still drawn
back, and Torn had time to grab his fist before he could thrust it forward with
all the force of his arm.

'Hi, old buddy. How are you?' Tom pulled his
hand down and shook it as Julia came up to greet him followed by her husband.
Then Sue and Chris, hearing the noise, came out of the kitchen and everyone
seemed to be talking at once.

Cassie moved away, her legs feeling suddenly
weak and trembly. Tom looked at her quickly, but she avoided his eyes. Behind
her she could hear Simon saying that he couldn't get down by air so had
travelled on the overnight train. They were all commiserating with him on
having missed the party and he was agreeing, saying he was sorry he hadn't been
able to make it earlier. He sounded so offhand about it that Cassie turned
angrily on her heel and walked into the bedroom. Jerking open the wardrobe door,
she yanked out a black evening jacket, pulling it out so roughly that the
hanger fell off the rail. There was a mirror on the wardrobe door and in it she
saw that Simon had followed her into the bedroom. Renewed anger filled her at
his casual attitude, of the way he'd gone for Tom for no reason at all.

He came towards her, his face somewhat
guarded.

'Aren't you even going to say hello to me?'

Cassie made no move to go to him, instead looked
at him coldly and said, 'Hello, Simon. I suppose I ought to wish you many happy
returns of yesterday. Only you didn't return yesterday, did you?'

She went to walk past him, but he caught her
arm and stopped her. 'Cassie, wait.'

With a jerk of her arm she shook off his
hand. 'Sorry,' she retorted acidly, 'but I've waited long enough.'

An exasperated frown drew his brows together.
He began to say something, but Cassie ignored him and walked back into the
sitting-room. The others were ready to leave and Tom silently took Cassie's
jacket from her and held it while she put it on. She didn't look at him and he
didn't touch her, but both of them were intensely aware of each other.

'Where are you off to?' Simon had come into
the room and was watching them, the frown still between his eyes.
    

'We're rounding off the evening by having
breakfast at the Savoy,' Julia told him with a laugh. 'You are going to come
with us, aren't you? After all, it was your party.'