A Reckless Affair. Alexandra Scott

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СКАЧАТЬ of regret. ‘But I’m afraid I know of no connection with the State. My parents, as far as I know, chose the name simply because they liked it.’ Lies came so easily to the tongue when they were so assiduously practised.

      ‘Well, I’m real sorry about that.’ His cheerful expression was a comfort. ‘I was about to ask Hugo...’ His eyes narrowed, became more searching. ‘You remind me... I don’t suppose you and I have met before, have we?’

      Ginny’s heart gave a great leap. She breathed in slowly, then quite deliberately she raised her glass and sipped from it before replacing it on a table. ‘Colonel...’ There was a gurgle of humour in her voice, and she shook her head with another regretful smile, ‘I should certainly have remembered if we had. You are not the kind of man I should have been likely to forget.’

      A practised flatterer himself, he was able to smile when he saw the tables turned. ‘How very disappointing.’ The appreciative eyes sparkled down at her.

      ‘Colonel.’ The deep voice from behind made Ginny turn as Jake put a possessive hand on her elbow. ‘Why is it you always monopolise the prettiest girl in the room?’

      ‘I suppose—’ the older man shrugged modestly ‘—you could put it down to practice.’

      ‘More than likely.’ Jake grinned. ‘I’ve been looking everywhere for Ginny, then I caught sight of you out here and I knew where she would be. Do you mind if I steal her away for a few moments?’

      ‘I mind, darn it Of course I mind. But I can quite see she might prefer your company to mine.’

      ‘You mustn’t say such things, Colonel, I’ve loved talking with you.’ It was more a desperate gesture towards common sense than the strict truth.

      ‘Thank you, my dear, you are very kind—but an old campaigner knows when the time has come to make a tactical retreat. I fear I stand little chance with Jake around—though if I had been twenty, or even ten years younger, I might have given him a run for his money. But off you go.’ He was being mockingly flirtatious. Raising Ginny’s hand, he took it to his lips, and she felt the brush of silky hair against her skin. ‘I hope to see you before you leave for England, Miss Virginia. And in the meantime...’ He frowned, searching her features closely. ‘I shall try to remember.’

      As they crossed the lawns Ginny felt her agitation mount. Suppose he did remember...suppose he had at some time met her mother, and began to jump to conclusions. Suppose...

      ‘The Colonel,’ Jake said softly into her ear, ‘is the local “Don Juan”—a great ladies’ man.’

      ‘I think I guessed as much.’ She was surprised her voice sounded so calm, so unruffled, but the opportunity was too good to miss. ‘But he is a bit older than your father?’

      ‘Mmm. Considerably.’

      ‘So... did he serve in Vietnam as well?’

      ‘Oh, no. He had retired long before that. But you must ask Dad if you want to know more about that.’

      ‘Ah.’ So he could not have known her mother. She hurried on. ‘And is there a Mrs Colonel?’

      ‘No. He has been chased from one end of the county to the other but no one has been skilful enough to catch him. Come on—’ seizing her hand, he hurried her towards a clump of trees ‘—I want to show you the lake.’

      And, in spite of everything, in spite of knowing all the risks, as she did, she allowed herself to be guided along a path through the wooded area well away from the house, and there, wandering among the trees in the dappled heat of the perfect afternoon, she lost all the will to resist.

      She would not close her mind to the dangers—that was a promise fervently made—but what was wrong with enjoying the touch of his fingers on her inner wrist for a few brief minutes? It was such bliss, and there was no harm when...

      ‘Ginny.’ They had reached the edge of the small lake, and stood together for a moment watching flies dance on the golden haze above the surface. Occasionally there was a widening ring on the water, streaked pink and gilt by the late sunshine, while at the far side, among clumps of sedge, a family of water fowl floated, preened and dived. It might have been the Forest of Arden, certainly it had that same air of enchantment, and for a moment it seemed possible to enter that magic world, to find solutions to what was insoluble.

      And Jake was turning her towards him, his index finger lightly tracing the line of her jaw. ‘Virginia.’ The name lingered on his tongue, mingling with a groan, as if even its familiarity had taken on a whole new meaning. ‘I can hardly believe we’ve known each other for just two days and yet...and yet...’ Intense blue eyes burned down into hers, his voice deepened. ‘I feel I’ve always known you. At least, I’ve suspected, hoped you were out there somewhere, waiting for me to find you.’

      His words were such an echo of her own feelings that she knew a moment’s sheer exultation, so intense and powerful as to frighten her after a moment into sense and even banality. ‘Yes.’ Her tone was considering, slightly doubtful, and her jaw was rigid with the strain of her false smile. ‘Well, what I find so marvellous is that everyone is so friendly. Your mother didn’t even blink when we arrived today, right in the midst of the preparations for the party.’

      ‘Well, Mother takes everything in her stride. She is the world’s best organiser.’

      Not unlike her own mother. The bleak thought was like another reminder. ‘You realise, of course, that if I had known about their anniversary before you popped it out at me on the plane nothing would have persuaded me to come?’ Hard to imagine a less appropriate visitor at their family celebration, on the tines of the wicked fairy at the christening, though maledictions were not in her plan.

      ‘Nonsense.’ He dismissed her protestations with easy confidence. ‘They are all thrilled to have you, though I confess they’re going to be taken aback to discover you’re not exactly what you appear to be.’

      ‘What?’ His words caused a throb of anxiety bordering on real fear. She was becoming so enmeshed in deceit she would soon be unable to pick her way through all the lies. ‘What on earth do you mean?’

      ‘Well, I suspect—’ he grinned ‘—in fact I’m sure they’ve got the idea that you and I are... Well, I’m not in the habit of flying down from New York with girls in tow.’

      ‘Oh, I’m sorry. I hope it won’t make things difficult for you when they find out the truth. I mean...’ She felt colour rise in her cheeks. ‘I mean when your father knows it’s really him I came to see.’ She hoped her detached tone might cool the situation just a little, and certainly when he answered he was a little more thoughtful.

      ‘Funnily enough I don’t think he has the faintest idea. Certainly he showed no sign when he heard your name, though Browne, even with an e, is fairly common.’

      ‘Oh.’ Now was the moment to begin to clear up at least a minor deceit. ‘Maybe I can explain that. He would know my...my parents as Martyn-Browne, but when Dad left the army he dropped the first part. He thought it was pretentious and had been tacked on just a generation or so ago. A bit of a relief, really—some of these double-barrelled names can be quite a mouthful.’ Her smile was tentative, apologetic, even. ‘Can you imagine, “Virginia Martyn-Browne”?’

      ‘Ah.’ He looked steadily down at her for what seemed a long time. ‘And what other secrets have you been СКАЧАТЬ