The Desert Castle (20 page)

‘
You
manage
to amuse me more
than
most,
’
he said,
beginning to laugh.

S
he glowered at
him.
It was not the emotion
she
would
h
ave chosen to inspire in his breast.
‘
I
know that
!
’

H
e raised his eyebrows, his eyes holding a merciless gleam that wa
s
very disturbing to her.
‘
If you
’
re going to stay, why don
’
t you sit down
?
’
he asked.

B
ut
she
was in no mood to settle anywhere. She knew she ought to go back to the drawing-room and Jean-Pierre, but
she
couldn
’
t bring herself to go. She bit her lip, whipping up her independent spirit from the withered, craven
s
tance that it wanted to adopt in his presence.

‘
Why don
’
t you come to Beirut with me
?’
he shot at her.

Oh, Denise would love that
!
Marion had no difficulty in imagining the French g
i
rl
’
s reaction to an additional passenger, and a female one at that, when she thought she was going to have Gregory all to herself.

‘
I can
’t.
I can
’
t leave Gaston and Lucasta alone together. Besides, they
’
re only going to Petra because I want to go. Gaston
’
s booked a couple of rooms at the Rest House for tomorrow night. I have to go now
!
’

G
regory considered her thoughtfully.
‘
I don
’
t like the sound of it,
’
he said.
‘
Never mind, don
’
t you worry about it.
I’l
l have a word with both Gaston and Jean-Pierre.
’

H
is gesture was dismissive, but still she lingered.
‘
It isn
’
t Jean-Pierre
’
s fault,
’
she
said after a while.

‘
I’
m well aware of that
!
’

‘
He may want to go to Petra as much as I do,
’
she reasoned.

‘
I doubt it
’
He put his hands behind his head and looked at her
thoughtfully.
‘
Forget it, Marion, and
si
t down! Abou Hanim says Zein has taken to wearing lipstick—yours, I suppose
?
’

S
he nodded.
‘
I
hope it didn
’
t get her into any trouble
?
’

‘
Not with her husband. He
thinks
it
’
s fine! But Basina, Umm Hanim, is rigid with disapproval. It isn
’
t always easy to be the older and less attractive wife. Couldn
’
t you give her a lipstick too
?
’

M
arion peeped at him through her lashes.
‘
If I do, you
’
ll have to bring me back a replacement from Beirut
.
I only have a couple left.
’

H
is own eyes narrowed.
‘
What colour?
’

‘
Something like the one I
’
ve got on,
’
she murmured.

H
e stood up slowly, moving closer to the window
and beckoning to her to join him.
‘
I can
’
t see it if you will stand over there
in
the shadows. Come a bit nearer and let me see.
’

B
ut
she
took fright
.
‘
Any colour will do,
’
she assured
him.

H
e beckoned again and she found herself going to him like metal to a magnet
.

H
e put his fingers under her chin and raised her face to his.

‘
Very pretty,
’
he commented.
‘
You may be small, but your proportions must be nearly perfect, yet you
’
re not a vain person, a
r
e you?
’

T
here was no answer to that. She pulled away from him, unable to bear his touch a moment longer.
‘
I can
’
t help b
ei
ng small,
’
she said.
‘
It has all sorts of disadvantages.
’

‘
Does it
?
’
His eyes flickered over her and he smiled.
‘
It has its attractions too. Can I trust you to share your room with Lucasta on this expedition to Petra? She and Gaston may well try to talk you into some other arrangement.
’
He saw her outraged expression and laughed at her, giving her an affectionate pat on the behind.
‘
Oh, Marion, what a delight you are! As if you would permit Lucasta out of your sight while she
’
s in your care! But, like Bo-Peep
’
s sheep, you don
’
t have to worry about that niece of mine, Leave her alone, and she
’
ll come home, bringing young Gaston behind her. Forget all about her and see all you can of Petra while you
’
re there
!
’
A
nd he bent his head and kissed her gently where the dimple came and went in her cheek.
‘
You
’
ll like Petra,
’
he said.
‘
But look after yourself
!
’

‘
Well, well,
’
Lucasta murmured,
‘
now we see
him,
now we don
’
t! What did you do to
him,
Marion
?
’

M
arion looked blank. She had been as surprised as anyone when Jean-Pierre had marched across to Denise
’
s tiny Piper and had swung himself on board. She thought she had been in the Frenchman
’
s pocket every waking moment since she had wrested herself away from Gregory
’
s study and the dangerous delight of
hi
s undivided attention on herself.

‘
I didn
’
t do anything,
’
she denied.

‘
No,
’
said Gaston,
‘
she
did not
.
He told me he would be leaving today. Some of the people who are going to be at Denise
’
s party are friends of his people in France. They have daughters—
’
He cast an apologetic look at Marion.
‘
His family approve of them, you understand? Jean-Pierre
’
s family are like
that. I
t is an old family, and most of the old families of France only know each other.
’

‘
And Marion isn
’
t suitable
?
’
Lucasta demanded, bristling with indignation.

G
aston shrugged.
‘
There is no title,
’
he said simply.

L
ucasta looked really angry.
‘
There
’
s no title in my family either,
’
she informed him.
‘
Perhaps I should have told you sooner
!
’

G
aston gave her a quick hug, smoothing the cross lines from her face with his lips.
‘
It means nothing,
ma mie.
There is no title in my family either. But Jean-Pierre
’
s family is very different. Even the Napoleonic titles are too
nouveaux
for them. It is not his fault.
’

‘
Oh, isn
’
t it? Well, he may be an aristocrat, but I don
’
t think much of his manners
!’
Lucasta rounded
on him.
‘
I had no idea the French are like that
!
’

‘
They
’
re not,
’
Marion put in peaceably.
‘
Your un
cl
e thought it better i
f
Jean-Pierre w
ent
to Beirut—
’

‘
What
?’

M
arion wished she had kept quiet as the other two stared at her with a mixtures of curiosity and disbelief.

‘
What happened
?
’
Lucasta asked, quivering with inquisitive interest
.
‘
Did he catch him making a pass at you, or what
?
’

‘
Certainly not
!
’
Marion said indignantly.

G
aston gave Lucasta a little shake.
‘
Of course not
,
’
he said.
‘
You must not question Marion any more. How would she know why your un
cl
e does anything?
’

‘
Do you
?
’
Lucasta insisted.

M
arion shook her head, crossing her fingers surreptitiously. It wasn
’
t quite a lie because
she
didn
’
t know why he had done it, nor was she absolutely certain that he had. It was just possible that Jean-Pierre had de
ci
ded to go without any help from anyone.

‘
I don
’
t believe it
!
’
Lucasta exclaimed.
‘
I saw Gregory watching you at lunchtime yesterday and he didn
’
t look at all pleased—
’

‘H
e often looks disapproving,
’
Marion said.
‘
He can
’
t help it
.
’

‘
Well, I still think something
’
s going on! Was Jean-Pierre making a nuisance of himself
?
’

‘
Lucasta, that is not a proper question,
’
Gaston rebuked her.

‘
Marion doesn
’
t mind, do you? It must have been that! Gregory never interferes with anyone but if he thought Marion was having a raw deal, he might easily come the perfect host and do something about it. Why should he bother otherwise
?
’

T
here was no other reason. Marion admitted it, forcing herself to meet the truth head-on. Illusions could only hurt her more in the end.

T
hen Gaston laughed, and the illusions came rushing back to mock her.
‘
I too have seen the way Mr
.
Randall looks at our little Marion,
’
he teased her.
‘
He wished to remove the opposition, no
?
’

‘
No,
’
Marion sighed.
‘
He says himself he doesn
’
t like me.
’
And, when Gaston went on
laughing,
she wondered what could possibly be so funny about
that.
She might have summoned up her courage and asked him, but she was afraid of the answer. There were some things it was much better not to know.