She shooed them all into a living-room which was so brightly coloured it made Beth feel quite bilious. Light poured down from a mezzanine gallery overhead revealing a collection of furniture that was alarmingly futuristic. Over by one wall was a red padded couch which looked as though it had started out life as a weight-lifting bench or surgical trolley. In the centre of the room was a day-bed brightly upholstered in yellow and blue and sitting on a base of grey laminated material. A glass trolley with backward-tilted legs held a collection of objects that looked like spare parts from a motorcycle, but which proved on closer inspection to be a modern teapot and cups. On the far wall was a huge abstract painting in swirls of magenta and bright green and in front of the large bay window was a brightly coloured geometrical piece of furniture which Beth thought was probably a bookcase. The floor was made of hard black slate.
‘Well, make yourselves comfortable,’ urged Sunny optimistically. ‘And let’s get some drinks.’
She pressed something which looked like a piece of abstract sculpture and a loud buzzer sounded through the house. Moments later there was the sound of soft footsteps.
‘You rang, madam?’
‘Benson!’ cried Beth.
It was the English butler who had been aboard Daniel’s yacht at their first meeting. Beth had met him several times since then and they had struck up quite a friendship, based on a mutual interest in cooking. Finding him here tonight was like meeting a secret ally.
‘Indeed, madam,’ agreed Benson with a faint smile. ‘It’s good to see you again.’
While Benson was taking their orders for drinks, Beth sat down on the brightly coloured day-bed in the centre of the room and tried to get her bearings. Her initial pleasure at seeing Benson was beginning to evaporate as she wondered what on earth he was doing here. Didn’t it show a fairly intense level of intimacy between Sunny and Daniel if the butler flitted between one household and the other?
A sudden shriek of laughter from across the room caught Beth’s attention and she looked up. Sunny was evidently telling jokes to Daniel and had just collapsed with amusement all over his shoulder. Beth’s lips twisted at the spectacle. Not half so intense as the level of intimacy she’s reaching now, she thought coldly.
‘Gin and tonic, Beth?’
A tall, handsome man with brown curly hair was bearing down on her. He gave her a stunning smile and sat down beside her.
‘Thank you,’ she said.
‘I’m Lane Galloway,’ he explained. ‘I act in the soaps. And I hear you’re going great guns with this new fashion design business. Tell me all about it.’
Hesitantly Beth began to talk, but her mind wasn’t really on the conversation. She kept darting swift glances at Daniel and Sunny over on the surgical trolley. Sunny had slipped off her red satin jacket and her dramatic bustline was bouncing merrily with every gasp of laughter. Lane Galloway too seemed to be riveted by the sight.
‘Sorry?’ he said suddenly. ‘What were you saying?’
Beth sighed. ‘You don’t have to sit and entertain me, you know,’ she replied frankly. ‘It’s kind of you, but I’ll be fine on my own.’
‘Oh, that’s OK,’ insisted the actor. ‘I’m happy to do it. Besides, Sunny asked me to.’
That naïve remark made Beth’s cheeks burn and her brain work furiously. Why would Sunny ask another man to dance attendance on Beth? To keep her away from Daniel, of course! By the time they sat down to dinner, Beth was simmering with annoyance.
The meal itself was excellent. Seafood brochettes followed by seasoned pheasant with wild rice and green salad, and chocolate strawberries in toffee baskets accompanied by the best Californian wine. But Beth found the byplay among the guests nerve-racking in the extreme. The others were an oddly assorted group of people, obviously chosen for the purpose of helping to launch Beth’s designs. Alice was a gossip columnist, Nick a photographer, Scott a marketing manager and Leonie was Beth’s agent. Before long they were all deep in discussion about the best strategy for making Solo Designs a runaway hit. Beth knew she should have been grateful, but somehow she wasn’t. A lot of Sunny’s ideas were good. Very good. She had just suggested holding a charity auction of the wedding-dress from Beth’s upcoming winter collection and she was now in full spate about getting photos taken in British Columbia to advertise the cold-weather gear. Yet Beth found it impossible to join in the spirit of things. She hated the way Sunny kept throwing Daniel sly, intimate looks and asking his opinion on everything. And what annoyed her even more was the way Daniel refused to meet her eye. Whenever Beth looked at him, he simply gave a bored smile and returned immediately to watching Sunny.
Once the coffee and port were finished Beth made her escape with relief to the huge bedroom which Sunny had set aside as a cloakroom for the women guests. She was waiting her turn to use the bathroom when Sunny joined her. Beth gave her a frozen smile.
‘Thank you for the meal,’ she said stiffly. ‘It was delicious.’
Sunny didn’t give one of her shrill squeals of laughter. Instead she smiled soberly and put her hand on Beth’s arm.
‘Don’t be uptight about all this, Beth,’ she urged. ‘Once the business party leaves and there’s only Lane and Daniel and us, we’ll get along fine. You’ll see.’
At that moment Alice emerged from the bathroom and Sunny gave Beth a warning look. For a moment she wondered what on earth the actress meant and then shrugged. It was obvious, wasn’t it? Once everyone else had left, Lane Galloway would obediently fawn all over Beth, leaving Sunny free to grapple with Daniel. The prospect filled Beth with a leaden sense of dismay.
When she came out to rejoin the others five minutes later, this scenario already seemed to be well under way. Sunny, wearing a dramatic red brocade evening dress with cornelli trim, which Beth herself had designed, was posing for photos with Daniel. Beth sat down on a couch and watched with a sense of smouldering resentment as the actress draped herself slinkily all over him. For an instant Daniel’s eyes flickered to meet hers, then he looked back at Nick’s camera and smiled blandly. Lane Galloway suddenly appeared on the couch beside her.
‘Don’t take this too seriously,’ he muttered under his breath. ‘It’s just showbiz. Hey, how about a glass of port?’
Beth accepted a drink she really didn’t want and continued watching bleakly as Sunny twined herself around Daniel. After a moment, she decided she really couldn’t stand it and rose to her feet.
‘Watch out!’
‘Oops!’
‘Nick!’
‘Too late!’
There was a confused flurry as the photographer stepped backwards, Beth stepped forward and port went flying everywhere. Sunny gave a rueful gasp of laughter.
‘Poor Beth! Your dress is ruined. Listen, honey, go look in the closet in the green bedroom and find something to wear. I’ve got heaps of clothes there.’
Fuming, Beth made her escape. She felt humiliated and ill used as she gained the sanctuary of the bedroom and slammed the door. Was Lane Galloway right? Was this just showbiz or was Daniel calmly flaunting his relationship with another woman at her?
Angrily she pulled open the wardrobe door in search of some clothes and stopped dead. There were clothes there in plenty, rows and rows of them belonging to Sunny. But it wasn’t those that caught Beth’s eyes, it was the dinner suit Daniel had worn on the night of the fashion show at Cadogan Hall. And next to it, hanging in a neat row, were half a dozen other masculine outfits, which she had no doubt belonged to him too. For a moment Beth was too stunned to take in the implications. Then she gave a bitter laugh. If Daniel was sufficiently at home here to leave his clothes hanging next to Sunny’s, was it really likely that they spent their nights together discussing French philosophy and the meaning of life? Of course not! His pursuit of Beth suddenly took on its true significance. A cynical little fling on the side. Well, damn him! Beth wasn’t staying around to amuse him any longer.
Scarcely caring what she did, Beth chose an assortment o
f women’s clothes from the hangers. A shirt, jeans, a sweater. None of them fitted properly but it didn’t matter because she had no intention of going back and rejoining the party. When she was dressed she slipped out to the kitchen and found Benson alone there doing the dishes. In a few halting words she told him that she had a headache and asked him to present her apologies. Then before he had time to argue with her, she hurried out of the side door and climbed into her car. It took her over three hours to drive back to Buellton and she was in a rage the entire way.
Although it was midsummer the night air was quite chilly when Beth arrived home at the cottage. She paused for a moment looking up at the dark blue sky already studded with stars. A faint breeze stirred in the deodar trees, bringing a fragrance of pine to her nostrils. Somewhere across the valley a dog barked and then was silent. Beth stretched wearily and unlocked the front door. It was cold inside the cottage and she decided that a fire would be cheering. Switching on the light, she went out to the stack of pine logs which Daniel had left handy by the kitchen door. After a few minutes of fussing with kindling and newspaper the pine logs crackled up and filled the living-room with a cheerful glow.
Then, more to avoid the pain of thinking than for any other reason, she brewed herself some peppermint tea with honey. When the fire had settled down to a cosy red glow, she snapped off the light and sat in the big armchair looking into the flames. It would have been a wonderful way to spend an evening if only Daniel had been here with her. But that thought brought back the painful aching realisation that Daniel was with Sunny Martino.
Beth wondered miserably whether there was any way she could stop working for him, but a bargain was a bargain. She had made a commitment and it wasn’t only Daniel who depended on her to carry it through. Other women’s jobs and livelihoods were tied up with her ability to make the business a success. She had to keep going. All the same, it would be sheer torture to go on living so close to Daniel and to know that he would never give her the love and commitment she craved. Oh, he would have an affair with her readily enough, but that wasn’t what she wanted. If only she could cast aside her scruples, Daniel would probably be here sharing her bed tonight. But a faint vestige of sanity made her realise that the pain she was suffering now would be nothing to the pain that would cause her. Well, there was no point brooding over it; it would be much smarter to go to bed alone. Setting down her empty cup, she plodded across towards the stairs that led to her attic bedroom but just as she reached them there was an assertive knock on the front door. Beth froze in her tracks.
‘Daniel,’ she whispered under her breath.
It was hardly likely to be Jenny or Eric Kronborg, and nobody else would come visiting at this hour of the night. Had he followed her all the way from Los Angeles? And why? Her heart lurched wildly and she found herself drawn to the door as if by magnetism. But when she flung it open, a shock was in store for her.
‘You!’ she said in dismay.
CHAPTER TEN
IT WASN’T Daniel, it was Warren. He tossed back his silky brown fringe of hair and gave her a leering smile that was obviously meant to be the last word in sensuality.
‘Hello, Beth,’ he said huskily.
Beth stepped back a pace. ‘What are you doing here?’ she asked in dismay.
Warren smiled. ‘Come on, Beth,’ he said in caressing tones. ‘That’s not very friendly. Anyway you know damn well what I’m doing here. I came because I simply couldn’t stay away.’
‘Don’t be silly,’ said Beth sharply.
‘Aren’t you going to invite me in?’ asked Warren.
And without even waiting for an answer he stepped inside and shut the front door, leaning against it. Something about the look on his face made Beth feel deeply uneasy. There was a gloating look of anticipation in his eyes and around the corners of his mouth.
‘Please go,’ she said in a taut, nervous voice. ‘I’ve already told you, it’s over between us.’
Warren took a swaggering step forward.
‘You don’t expect me to believe that, do you?’ he asked. ‘We’ve had our little tiffs in the past, but they’ve always blown over. I couldn’t leave you forever, Beth. I love you too much.’
Beth felt a cold chill settle in the pit of her stomach. Once this declaration would have touched her, but now it only filled her with despair. As he took another two steps towards her she retreated hastily behind the coffee-table.
‘You’re wasting your time, Warren!’ she exclaimed.
‘I get it,’ said Warren. ‘You’re still angry about that girl I went to bed with in Los Angeles. But that didn’t mean a damn thing, Beth. It’s you I’m in love with, not her, and I’m going to prove it to you.’
His eyes in the firelight had a strange glint and too late Beth regretted that she had not switched on the overhead light, but now there was no way she could reach it without passing Warren. And Warren no longer seemed like the petulant boy she had once known. There was a new aura about him that was not only vicious but rather frightening. He took another step towards her, stumbled, and regained his balance, lurching slightly.
‘You’ve been drinking,’ said Beth in disgust.
‘Well what if I have?’ demanded Warren belligerently. ‘You’re enough to drive me to it, aren’t you? All these years you’ve pretended you loved me but now when we hit the big time you just want to abandon me. It’s not fair, Beth, and I won’t stand for it. Don’t you love me any more?’
He was so close now that Beth could smell the whisky on his breath. She flinched and shook her head.
‘I don’t think I ever did, Warren,’ she said soberly.
‘Bitch!’ shouted Warren. ‘I know what’s going on. You’re having an affair with that Pryor chap, aren’t you?’
‘No,’ Beth choked.
‘Liar!’ cried Warren. He grabbed her by the shoulders. ‘What’s he like in bed?’
Beth tore herself free.
‘I have no idea!’ she cried acidly. ‘And I think you’d better go, Warren.’
‘I’m not going till I’ve had what I came for!’ shouted Warren. ‘You do it for him, don’t you, so why not for me?’
Beth backed away again but found that there was no further room to retreat. Her legs hit the couch and with a muffled gasp she collapsed on to it. A moment later Warren was on top of her, scrabbling at her clothes.
‘Let me go,’ she shouted, twisting desperately. ‘This is ridiculous, Warren. You’re drunk! You’ll regret it in the morning.’
‘The only thing I’ll regret is if I don’t have you,’ insisted Warren. ‘I love you, Beth, and I know you love me. You want this just as much as I do.’
‘I don’t!’ cried Beth.
Dragging one hand free, she slapped his face. But Warren snatched her wrist in a cruel grip and stared down at her. For the first time she felt real terror. Then suddenly he lunged forward and ripped open her blouse, exposing the lacy wisps of her bra and her rapidly heaving breasts. Beth tried to struggle free but found herself pinned relentlessly down. She screamed and went on screaming.
‘Don’t be a fool,’ urged Warren, fumbling clumsily at the buckle on his belt. ‘I’ll marry you if you want me to.’
‘I wouldn’t marry you if you were the last man alive,’ panted Beth, still writhing fiercely in his hold.
His mouth ground down on hers, warm and wet and insistent, making her bite her tongue. She jerked her head to one side and let out an eerie wail of terror.
‘Let me go! Let me go!’ she cried.
At that moment there was a splintering crash as a door flung open and swift footsteps came racing across the room. Warren was snatched off her body and slammed into one of the walls. He tried to rise groggily to his feet and then collapsed on the floor. Wide-eyed with terror, Beth found herself being hauled to her feet and scrutinised fiercely by Daniel.
‘Are you all right?’ he demanded. ‘He didn’t hurt you?’
She gave a dazed sob and shook her head.
‘No, I’m all right,’ she said.
Daniel swung round and turned his attention to Warren again. Seizing him by the lapels of his shirt, he hauled him to his feet.
‘Get out!’ he said in a low, deadly voice. ‘And thank your lucky stars that we don’t prosecute you for this.’
But Warren was still defiant. Lurching slightly, he grabbed at a chair for support and stared at Daniel with an expression of blazing hatred.
‘You bastard!’ he said. ‘You’ve turned her against me, haven’t you? But it’s not fair! I did most of the designs in that collection and I’m entitled to the profits. I’ll sue you both for this, you just watch me.’
Daniel stared at him with contempt.
‘You’ve been paid and paid generously for anything you did,’ he snarled. ‘And let me tell you this, buddy. If you ever come near Beth again, you’ll really get what’s coming to you. But you won’t like it, I promise you. Now get out.’
Warren stood swaying thoughtfully for a moment, as if trying to size up whether Daniel’s threat was genuine. Evidently he decided it was, for he shrugged suddenly.
‘Have it your own way,’ he said indistinctly. ‘Just gimme my car keys.’
He gestured to a spot on the couch where his keys had fallen from his pocket during his struggle with Beth. Daniel snatched them up.
‘No,’ he said crisply. ‘You’re in no condition to drive. You can pick them up from the office tomorrow.’
‘But it’s four miles to Buellton!’ protested Warren.
‘Then you’d better start walking right away!’ retorted Daniel.
In a series of swift movements he hauled open the front door, swung Warren around and booted him out on to the veranda. Then he slammed the door behind him and tossed the keys into a corner of the room.
‘What the hell was he doing here?’ he demanded.
Beth gave a half hysterical gulp of laughter. ‘Asking me to marry him,’ she said, and burst into tears.
The Bride of Santa Barbara Page 14
