Summer Lightning (23 page)

“Now
I’m
going to be the one to say what we’ll do, my dear. I created this situation. I’ll decide how to deal with it. And I won’t marry you till you’ve seen this fellow...”

“Fellow?”

“This live-or-die man. This man you’re in love with...”

“Oh,” she said, subdued—but with the beginning of a sparkle in her downcast eyes. Her treacherous heart began to beat fast, faster.

“As soon as your three months are up I want you to go to him. You’re to tell him, ‘I’m engaged. I’m planning to marry almost at once.’ If anything will bring him into line, that will. But if he doesn’t react, if he just offers friendly congratulations and things, then you’ll know it’s no good, he doesn’t care. And in that case, you can come back here. There will be no need to ... undeceive my mother, Chloe.”

She lifted her eyes then and met his. They still held a mocking irony. She took a sudden resolve; another deep breath. Holding his glance with hers she said clearly, “Very well. I agree.” And after a tiny pause, “Dominic, I’m engaged, I’m planning to marry almost at once.” She waited, trembling.

His face seemed to come alive. He said slowly, “Chloe, you mean—
me
?”

“You, Dominic. Only you.”

“But when?”

“That first day—on the plane.”

His hands were on her shoulders now. His look was an open avowal. He said softly, “It took longer with me. My resistance was—pretty strong, I think it happened slowly, came to a head when I held you in my arms in the water, down in the cave...”

No summer lightning in his case. She gave her little spurt of laughter.

“All among the octopi and bats and things.”

He had her completely in his arms now.

“Darling. My darling.” His mouth sought hers, hard, hungry. Sea and sky swung dizzily, rapturously, before her eyes closed...

Time stood still. Sea gulls swooped and planed above them. A boat came and looked at them with demonic yellow eyes. A fisherman carried out his gear to a distant rocky ledge and began casting. They didn’t notice.

Finally, Dominic said, “Darling—let’s go tell my mother. That we’re ready to fix a date, I mean.”

“Are we?” Her eyes danced at him.

He kissed her again.

“Aren’t we?”

“Yes, Dominic. Just as soon as we can.”

“My darling!”

He was singing as they swooped around the wide curves of the coast road, and Chloe sang, too, softly, happily, starry-eyed. Everything had come right. Louise had gone, Dominic loved her, the contessa need never know. Everything was for the best in the best of all possible worlds.