The Tempestuous Flame. Carole Mortimer

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      ‘You’re what!’ he exploded. ‘What the hell are you doing there on your own this time of year? You know you aren’t strong enough to chop wood and carry in the coal, and it’s damn freezing there now.’

      ‘I didn’t need to chop wood and carry in coal,’ she told him calmly, ‘there was some already in the cottage. But as it happens, I’m not here alone, I have a man here who can do all that for me.’ She grinned wickedly to herself as she imagined his anger.

      ‘You have a what! What are you doing there with a man? You’ve always told me that sort of thing wasn’t your scene, and now you calmly announce to your own father that you’re staying alone in a secluded cottage with a boy-friend!’ he predictably lost his temper.

      ‘Calm down, Daddy,’ she chuckled. ‘You misunderstood what I said, I didn’t say he was a boy-friend, merely that he was a man.’

      ‘Same thing,’ he cut in. ‘I will not allow—–’

      ‘Daddy! Will you let me finish. The man staying here is called André Gregory, and he says he’s a friend of yours’.’

      ‘Gregory? André—–? André! Oh God,’ he sighed deeply. ‘Did he arrive late last night?’

      ‘So late it could almost have been this morning. But how did you know?’

      ‘Because I told him he could use the cottage for as long as he liked. At the time I didn’t realise you were going to walk out on me in a childish temper and take up residence. You’ll have to come home, of course.’

      ‘I will not! Why should I! This is my cottage, you’ve always said so. And I did not walk out on you in a childish temper,’ she said with disgust. ‘You forced me to leave by inviting that man to stay for the weekend.’

      ‘Yes, well, as Greg couldn’t make it you can come home now.’

      ‘What do you mean he couldn’t make it?’ Caroline almost laughed. ‘Do you mean to tell me that after all that sales talk you did on his behalf he didn’t even bother to show up?’ she couldn’t hold back her laughter any longer. ‘Oh, Daddy,’ she chuckled, ‘that’s really funny!’

      ‘Hmp. I’m glad you seem to think so. So now you’ll come home?’

      She shook her head, suddenly realising he couldn’t see her. ‘No, I’m not coming home. I came down to the cottage to stay for a while, and I intend doing just that. Do you have any objections?’

      ‘Plenty,’ he said impatiently. ‘But I don’t have the time to tell you all of them right now. I have to get to the office, but I’ll call you from there, okay?’

      ‘Okay,’ she agreed. ‘But, Daddy—if Mr Gregory picks up the telephone don’t ask for your daughter, just ask for Caroline. All right?’

      ‘Now listen to me, young lady, I don’t know what’s going on there, but I want you home here by the time I return this evening,’ she heard him mumbling to himself. ‘Do you hear me, Caroline? I’m ordering you to get yourself home. Understood?’

      ‘I understand you,’ she agreed calmly. ‘But I’m not going to do as you say. I have a perfect right to be here.’

      ‘Must I remind you that the cottage belongs to me and I have invited a friend of mine to make use of the facilities there? And you’re not one of them.’

      ‘You’re damn right I’m not! But if this man is a friend of yours surely you trust him not to make a move like that?’

      ‘Caroline, you’ve met André, and you should have realised by now that I wouldn’t trust him with any woman, let alone my own daughter. He has a very potent effect on women, and although you profess to be indifferent to his charm I know it wouldn’t be long before you succumbed like most other women do. Am I right?’

      ‘No, you’re not,’ she denied adamantly. ‘I’ve yet to meet the man who could affect me like that, and from what I’ve seen of Mr Gregory he certainly isn’t the man to do it. He’s egotistical, pompous, and—–’ she broke off as she heard a chuckle from behind her and swinging round she saw the man she had just been describing leaning casually against the door jamb watching her. How long had he been standing there? The words screamed into her brain as she clutched frantically at her open housecoat.

      André Gregory moved forward with a feline grace she found unnerving, his mocking eyes never leaving her face. ‘Don’t mind me, Miss Rawlings, you just carry on with your conversation. So far I’ve found it very enlightening.’ He sat down opposite her, toasting his bare feet before the crackling fire.

      Strange, she hadn’t noticed that the fire had been lit when she came down. André Gregory must have been downstairs before her and lit it.

      ‘Caroline? Caroline!’ her father’s voice crackled angrily down the line. ‘Caroline, what’s going on there?’

      ‘Well—er—–’ she hesitated, conscious of the man sitting in the room with her. ‘I’m sorry your daughter isn’t there, Mr Rayner, but I really would like to talk to Cynthia some time today. Could you ask her to call me back?’

      ‘Cynthia? Mr Rayner—–?’ Her father’s puzzlement sounded quite clearly down the telephone. ‘What the hell is going on there now? Why are you—–Oh, I get it. André just walked in, right?’

      ‘Right,’ she agreed with relief. ‘So if you could pass on the message to her I would be very grateful.’

      ‘All right, I’ll call you later and then we can sort this thing out.’

      Caroline looked up as André Gregory came to stand beside her, his hand outstretched for the receiver. ‘I would like a word with Matt if you don’t mind.’

      ‘Oh—oh yes, of course. Mr Gregory would like a few words with you, Mr Rayner.’ She crossed her fingers behind her back in the hope that her father wouldn’t give her away. She handed the receiver into that slim tanned hand, careful not to come into contact with him.

      He looked at her pointedly. ‘This is a private conversation,’ he said bluntly.

      Caroline’s eyes sparkled angrily. ‘I didn’t notice that I received privacy while I was on the telephone. You made no secret of the fact that you were listening.’

      ‘I didn’t notice you asking me to leave,’ he said patiently. ‘Now would you mind?’

      Put like that she had no other choice. She glared at him resentfully before doing as he asked, slamming the door loudly behind her. A quick look in the open doorway of his bedroom confirmed her suspicion that he hadn’t made his bed, probably because he had no idea how to. She straightened the sheets before tidying the scattered blankets. He seemed to be a rough sleeper, all the bedclothes were pulled out and it took her quite a few minutes to get them in order again.

      ‘As one of Matt’s daughter’s friends I wouldn’t have thought you capable of doing anything as mundane as making beds, but I’ve been proved wrong, you’ve done it twice now,’ remarked the cynical voice that was slowly beginning to annoy her.

      ‘Well, as you don’t seem to be capable…’ she trailed off, СКАЧАТЬ