The Desert Castle (33 page)

‘I
wouldn
’
t dare,
’
Gregory drawled, looking Marion up and down with appreciation.

Denise frowned, her eyes narrowing.
‘
But you dare to displease me! It is too bad of you, Gregory, to be so disagreeable. You ruined the party for me! There was no need for you to be late, and to leave like that was monstrous! None of the other guests could move their cars because you had left the Land Cruiser in the entrance to the drive and nobody could move it. Papa has been indulgent with your eccentricities because he likes you, but he was very angry to find you so inconsiderate.
’
She gathered herself up for the
punch line
, completely sure that she was going to get her own way.
‘
You will fly back with me now and move the Land Cruiser from the drive! It is the least you can
do!
’

Gregory opened his mouth to speak, but Marion was before him.
‘
Fly to Beirut now? I
’
ve never heard such nonsense! You can do as you like, Denise, but Gregory is going to bed and
nobody
is going to stop him
!
’

CHAPTE
R
XII

Denise stood up. She was several inches taller than Marion and she made the most of them, looking down her nose at her as if to make a point of the English girl
’
s insignificance in her scheme of things.

‘
Papa,
’
she announced,
‘
will not be pleased.
’

‘
I imagine he
’
s had worse disappointments,
’
Marion retorted, standing her ground.
‘
Besides, if he
’
s such a clever businessman, I
’
m sure he doesn
’
t allow personal matters to sway his business judgements. It
’
s ridiculous to expect Gregory to go miles just to move a car
!
’

‘
You don
’
t know what you
’
re talking about,
’
Denise told her, affronted.
‘
It was understood that Gregory and I would announce our engagement at the party yesterday. I had been looking forward to it!
’
She pouted at Gregory and the tears came running into her eyes.

‘
Understood by whom?
’
Gregory enquired, unmoved.

‘
Papa had heard from Felicity, and if your
sister
doesn
’
t know about your plans to get married at last, who does?
’

‘
You should have tried asking me,
’
Gregory said mildly.

‘
Then you do not wish to marry me?
’

Gregory shook his head.
‘
You
’
d hate it as much as I should, my dear. But if it will make things easier for you, I don
’
t mind telling Papa myself that Felicity was mistaken.
’

‘
If you wish.
’
Denise shrugged one elegant shoulder.
‘
What does it matter now? It is Felicity who will have to pay. Papa likes to get his money
’
s worth, and Felicity has made too many mistakes, no?
’

Marion bristled with indignation.
‘
But that
’
s blackmail!
’
she exclaimed,

Denise shrugged again.
‘
It is the way of the world. If you find the joker in your hand, you must make
him
count as much as possible. My joker is Papa. Can you produce something better?
’

Marion stood very still, squaring her shoulders, her eyebrows
s
lightly raised.
‘
I don
’
t play cards,
’
she said.
‘
Not unless I know the stakes in advance. Did you or your father bother to explain the rules to Felicity by any chance, or are you keeping that particular ace up your sleeve too?
’

‘
What ace?
’
Denise asked sulkily.

‘
The one called spite, that
’
s going to put her and her husband out of a job. Or have I misunderstood you? Mind you, I can
’
t help feeling they
’
d be much better off not to be on your father
’
s payroll, but that
’
s their business.
’

‘
It is certainly none of yours! It is necessary that one of us should marry Gregory and, if I am willing, why should he not be?
’
Denise made a restless movement, disturbed despite herself by Marion
’
s still dignity.
‘
I am beautiful, more beautiful than you, so why shouldn
’
t he want me?
’

What Marion might have said she never knew, for Lucasta weighed in with a grim determination to defend her parents.
‘
The Hartleys don
’
t need you!
’
she declared violently.
‘
And if you don
’
t know why Gregory should prefer Marion, you jolly well ought to! At least
she
loves him!
She
doesn
’
t weigh him up in terms of hard cash or—or anything like that. She
’
d be content to live with him in a Bedouin tent if she had to!
’

The silence that followed was something tangible in the room. Marion cast Gregory a stricken look and, turning on her heel, rushed out of the room. But Lucasta had not finished yet.

‘
Why is it so important for you or Judith to marry Gregory anyway?
’
she enquired.

Gregory gave his niece a wry smile.
‘
I
’
ve been buying up shares in the company. Perhaps I should have told Felicity what I was doing, but she has a
managing
streak that doesn
’
t invite confidences of that sort.
’

‘
Well, what if you have been buying shares? What does it matter?
’
Lucasta insisted.

Her uncle made a dismissive gesture with his hand.
‘
Last year I became the majority shareholder.
’
His smile grew wider.
‘
You may not read my books, Lu, but thanks to them I plan to offer Marion something better than a black tent to live in—
’

Lucasta gave a little skip of joy.
‘
And Mother needn
’
t worry, need she? That
’
s good! She
’
ll do anything for you now! Gregory, will you see Gaston now, and Marion too, because it
’
s frightfully important. Everything depends on your saying yes
!
’
She snuggled into his arm, smiling up at him.
‘
Marion
thinks
it
’
s a good idea,
’
she assured
him.
‘
I
’
ve already told her, you see.
’

‘
Baggage!
’
her uncle said with affection.
‘
Take Gaston and Marion into my study and I
’
ll be along in a minute.
’
He gave her a push in the direction of the door and then turned all his attention on to Denise.
‘
Your father will be wondering where you are. The weather seems to be clearing, but you may have to stay the night if the forecast doesn
’
t get better.
’

‘
I
’
ll drive up with Gaston,
’
she said stiffly.

Gregory inclined his head.
‘
As you like. I
’
ll get him to tell you when he
’
s ready to go. Goodbye, Denise.
’

But she would not answer. She longed for her father and for him to think of some way she could have her revenge on the man before here. Only this time, she already knew, her father
’
s money would avail her nothing, and that was a shock in itself. All her life there had never been anything she had wanted that had not been bought for her. And she hated Gregory Randall all the more because he had not been for sale.

‘
How could you,’ Marion wept. “How could you say such a
thing, Lucasta? I don
’
t love him—
’

‘
Of course you do,
’
Lucasta cut her off.
‘
We all know it,
so
why pretend about it?
’

‘
Because he might not want me! I
can
’
t
—
’

‘
Of course you can, silly. What are you waiting for? If he
’
s what you want, why don
’
t you tell him so? You may as well get it straight from the start that you
’
ll only marry him if he never looks at the Denises or the Judiths of this world ever again.
’

‘
Lucasta!
’
Marion wailed, scandalised.

‘
Not,
’
Lucasta went on ruthlessly,
‘
that he liked either of them much, but some of the others have been quite something, and he is madly attractive. You should see them all jostling for position at one of Mother
’
s parties. All he
’
s ever had to do is raise a finger and they
’
ve all fallen over themselves to oblige him.
’
She gave Marion an impertinent grin.
‘
That
’
s probably why he went to pieces over you! You
’
d never chase anyone in a million years
!
’

‘
Lucasta!
’
Marion said again, more faintly than before.
‘
I don
’
t think—
’

‘
Oh, Marion, you
’
re so
square
! Talk about a glimpse of stocking being something shocking! You should see your face! No wonder Gregory talks about candles and good deeds in a naughty world. It just shines out of you. It gives me a kick, so heaven knows what it does for him!
’

‘
Lucasta!
’
Marion breathed for the third time.
‘
I
can
’
t
see him again this evening, whatever you say. I have—I have a terrible headache, and he ought to go to bed anyway. He drove all through the night, and you know what the roads were like this afternoon, and—
’

‘
Coward,
’
said Lucasta with good-natured contempt.
‘
You no more have a headache than I have. Well, you can play ducks and drakes with your own future, but I
’
m not going to allow you to muck up mine! Gaston will be here in a minute and you
’
re not going until
after he
’
s spoken to Gregory if I have to hold you down in that chair myself! And don
’
t
think
I can
’
t,
’
sh
e added, laughing.
‘
I
’
m
much
bigger than you are!
’