Encounters. Barbara Erskine

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СКАЧАТЬ she poked her nose in where it wasn’t wanted just once too often and Simon got shot of her.’

      ‘Jocelyn,’ I looked up at him searchingly. ‘Exactly why did he marry Davina? She’s hardly his type.’

      He gave a small hard smile at that. ‘Why, my dear young lady, does any man marry at all?’ He looked rather pointedly at my husband.

      I swallowed, hoping the wave of bleakness which swept over me did not show in my face as I turned away from him and walked back to the drinks table. I was not going to let Davina see that I cared. I refilled my drink with an unsteady hand and then I saw Nigel appearing from the house at last; he came over to me at once and gave a small smile.

      ‘So, the cast is assembled,’ he commented quietly.

      I sipped my drink. ‘To play tragedy or comedy, I wonder,’ I said bitterly.

      On the lawn the sets of couples had changed. Sarah had wandered across to join Tim and Davina, and Maggie and Simon were walking back to join Jocelyn on the terrace. Maggie was smiling as she looked up in our direction.

      ‘Nigel, come and tell my husband about that painting you mentioned to me, my dear. I would so love him to buy it for me.’ She came up and slipped her arm through his, edging him away from me.

      I didn’t mind. I knew her for what she was now, a bored rich manipulator who made up for her own lack of love by playing with other people. I just hoped that Sarah’s presence would deflect Davina’s attention from Tim when and if Davina found out who she was.

      Time passed; drinks were replenished. Nigel made one rueful face at me behind Maggie’s back and then settled into conversation. On the horizon behind the pointed cypress trees the rim of the moon floated suddenly into view, pale lemon in an aquamarine sky. I felt myself shiver.

      ‘Celia, are you all right?’ I hadn’t seen Sarah approaching.

      I smiled. ‘A footstep on my grave, that’s all.’

      ‘You must be careful not to chill. I’ve just been talking to your husband and I hear he is to sculpt your sister’s bust. Do you think I dare ask him to do mine?’ Her laugh was a silver bell in the thin evening air as she ran the fingers of her left hand over the line of her breast. It was somehow an obscene gesture. She had been drinking heavily since six, and her thick make up could not quite conceal the blurring of her features.

      ‘I’m sure he’d love to …’ I hesitated. ‘He is very booked at the moment though …’

      ‘I can believe it.’ She was watching me with an intensity which made me uncomfortable. ‘Your sister is very beautiful.’

      ‘Yes, she is, isn’t she?’ I took a sip at my glass with stiff lips.

      ‘I can see how easily she must have captured Simon; he wouldn’t have stood a chance.’

      ‘No.’ I didn’t know what else to say.

      ‘And now she’s captured your husband,’ she went on quietly. ‘Do you mind? Or does he always sleep with his models? Perhaps an artist’s wife gets used to it?’

      ‘No, you don’t get used to it,’ I had replied with more feeling than I intended and I hastened to cover up. ‘There’s no need. His interest is purely professional.’

      ‘Although there are exceptions.’ She was still watching me as she drained her glass. She refilled it from the table and I saw she was drinking neat vodka.

      I gave what I hoped was a worldly smile. There are always exceptions to everything,’ I said, but I was aching with unhappiness as we both turned and saw Tim slowly leading Davina back towards the terrace. Their footsteps left a dark track on the grass where the dew was lying and she was leaning on him slightly, her arm through his.

      They walked slowly up the steps towards us and I saw that she was talking quietly so that he had to lean towards her slightly to hear what she was saying. I felt a sudden surge of anger. I turned and, putting my glass down on the table, I walked towards them, conscious as I did so of Sarah’s eyes watching me. They stopped, still engrossed in one another and for a moment I don’t think either of them realized I was there. Then they were both looking at me and I was sure that I saw guilt on their faces. I forced myself to smile.

      ‘You look so cosy there is speculation on the terrace about when you’re moving in together,’ I said with a laugh which came out far too brittle. Davina released his arm abruptly, but I saw the quick anger on Tim’s face and I cursed myself for having said anything at all. But I couldn’t stop myself. ‘You’re in demand, darling,’ I said to him lightly. ‘Sarah is wondering if you will have time to sculpt her bust too.’ I knew she could hear every word I said. ‘I told her you come expensive.’

      Davina had opened her mouth, but her retort was lost in the sound of the phone relayed out onto the terrace by an outside bell. There was dead silence, then Simon began slowly to walk towards the french windows. Behind him Jocelyn put down his glass and followed.

      ‘Well!’ Davina laughed abruptly. She walked across to the drinks table and began rather obviously to tidy the tray and screw the caps onto various bottles. ‘I suppose this means we’ll be late for dinner and Stephano will hand in his notice again. It happens about once a week I’m afraid.’

      ‘Business calls?’ It was Nigel’s voice from the shadows. Davina tensed. ‘I expect so. Business can’t be left at home even here.’

      I recognized the strained note in her voice and instantly my hostility lessened. I thought I recognized her play for Tim as a plea; a cry for help. I wanted to reach out my hand, to hug her as I used to do when we were children and would comfort one another when things became too bad to be borne alone. But the eyes she turned on me were hard and rejecting and I took a step back as if she had slapped me.

      Tim came forward. He smiled at me, his usual warm special smile as though nothing were wrong. ‘We can’t ask Davina to risk losing so great a treasure as Stephano; I suggest we go in and start to eat without Simon. I’ll take the blame if he gets violent.’ His smile took in everyone as he gestured to Davina to lead us into the candlelit dining room. There was no sign of Simon and Jocelyn. The double doors to Simon’s study were closed; when we had come down earlier they had stood open.

      We had finished the Parma ham garnished with figs and had already begun on the veal escalopes before the doors opened and Simon and Jocelyn reappeared. They both looked angry as they took their places and I found myself unwillingly catching Nigel’s eye. He winked at me.

      ‘Bad news?’ he asked innocently.

      Sarah laughed. She had already finished a second glass of Chianti. ‘It must be bad,’ she said, slurring her words slightly. ‘It takes more than a bear market to make our Simon flinch.’ She leaned forward across the table to put her hand on his. Her gold bracelet clanked heavily against the cut glass. ‘That’s right, isn’t it, honey bunch?’

      I was watching Davina’s face. She had refused to look up as her husband came in, toying with her food with her fork, but now I saw her staring at Sarah in disbelief. She opened her mouth to say something but before she had the chance her husband spoke.

      ‘I’m afraid it looks as if I’ll have to nip back to London for a couple of days.’ He cleared his throat. ‘Awful bore. Sorry. But Davina will entertain you all.’

      ‘And СКАЧАТЬ