So that was it I Tessa didn't know whether to hit him or fling herself out of the car in disgust. After a blazing moment of indecision she decided to do neither.
Oh no I She had heard all about him, hadn't she? Barry had told her what type he was. Well, he wasn't going to get under her skin that easily! Quickly gathering her disintegrating emotions, she replied with an unblinking smile, 'It all depends what's going.'
The green eyes glinted threateningly. 'You realise I could have you packed off back to the store tomorrow?'
'But you won't,' Tessa bluffed, facing him.
'No, I won't,' he clipped. 'I know better than to try and take something away from Barry that he thinks he wants. But don't worry,' he sparked sardonically, 'I'll be around when the magic wears off.'
Oh, he was so sure of himself, wasn't he? Tessa felt her fingers clenching in spite of her careful mood. He didn't know that what she and Barry had was built to last. She thought of the younger boy now, those laughing blue eyes, and his instant affection for her, compared to the heavily ironic manner of the man beside her, made her heart swell. Happily secure again, she looked straight ahead to coo with an air of unconcern, 'Well, if that's the grilling over with for today I'd like to get back, if you don't mind.'
'It's over for good as far as I'm concerned.' Neil Stanton put the ignition key in leisurely and started the car. 'But just one thought you might like to mull over. Sooner or later Barry is going to have to forget his playboy tendencies and start taking an active interest in all this,' he nodded around the Devereux valley as they pulled out on to the road and then let his gaze drop over her, 'and when he does, his wife is going to have to pull her weight too.'
Tessa turned a deaf ear and made a point of enjoying the scenery. She had heard all she had wanted to hear from Mr. Know-it-all Stanton. She had only disliked him before. Now she found him utterly detestable. He had not only demanded that she come out with him almost as soon as she arrived, but he had had the nerve to bring her up here and practically accuse her of fortune-hunting. The laughable part about it was that Barry had swept her so completely off her feet she had never had time to dwell on the fact that he was a millionaire.
No use trying to tell that to the implacable figure at the wheel though. He looked as though he had been dealing with scheming females all his life.
She shrugged all thoughts of him away and basked in the loveliness of the countryside. Who cared what he thought anyway? He might be Barry's guardian, but he had no hold on her.
The curled tiled roofs of the Villa Valrose came into view as they rounded the bend. She gazed out at the sides at the thick tropical leaves of some of the trees as they slid along the drive up to the terrace, and then the boy not far out of her thoughts dashed out of the doorway to yell, 'Hey, where've you been with my girl?'
He seemed in a gay mood. The blue eyes had merry dancing lights in them; his smile turned up frequently at the corners. He sauntered over to his own car and opening the door sweepingly waved Tessa in with, 'Now we'll go for a real drive. And tonight after dinner I'm taking you into Cannes.'
Tessa, feeling slightly worn after the plane journey, and her rocky encounter with his formidable guardian on the road back there just now, forced herself to bubble into delighted laughter. It wasn't difficult with Barry laughing along with her, and it felt good to sit next to him and have his arm draw her to him possessively. His youthful effervescence was all she needed to put on a good show for a certain pair of cool green eyes watching from the doorway.
It was pure imagination, of course, but she almost had the feeling that Barry was striving for effect too.
He curved the car round the terrace noisily, one arm still about her shoulders, and jerked to a stop opposite the door to ask cheerfully, 'Will we see you for dinner, Neil?'
The big figure inclined a nod and drawled with a bent smile, 'I'll try and make it.' As Barry prepared to pull away he added, 'Mind how you go.'
'Will do!' With a raised arm of salute Barry took the tangerine sports speedily away up the drive.
Watching him spin the wheel as though it was a toy in his hands, Tessa said thoughtfully, 'You didn't tell me your guardian was going to be here at the villa.'
'Didn't I?' Barry tossed his gaze over the view. 'I suppose I thought you knew.' He swung the car off down the road, and after whistling his pleasure at the world shrugged, 'Anyway, what's it to us?'
True I What was it to them ? They knew where they were going, didn't they? Tessa sighed, blissfully in tune, and after feasting her eyes on Barry's faultless profile she asked dreamily, 'Did you talk to the tailor?'
'The tailor?' Barry laughed jerkily and spun the wheel to take in a curve. 'Oh yeah, we had quite a natter.' As though he didn't want to pursue the subject he moved forward in his seat and exclaimed, 'Hey! What are we doing? I said I'd take you for a ride, didn't I?'
Tessa caught the devil-may-care light in his eyes and laughed with him as he thrust a challenging grin up ahead and whooped, 'Road, here we come!'
She felt the car leap forward and saw the blue sky turning in a bowl above them. This was a different life, another world. And it was hers now. She had to pinch herself to believe it.
They raced up and down the country roads covering miles in a matter of minutes. Though Tessa loved the feel of the breeze pushing against her, she longed to be able to get more than a flashing glimpse of the golden-stoned farmhouses, the terraced vineyards and high clinging villages that was Provence.
Perhaps, she smiled philosophically to herself, another day Barry might feel like taking his time. Although she doubted it. He never seemed to want to stop and look at anything.
The stars were just beginning to show themselves above the tall black cypresses when the car finally screeched to a standstill on the terrace of the Villa Valrose.
Drunk with mountain air, and Barry's driving, Tessa fell out as he held the door for her. They stumbled inside together, giggling weakly at their cottonwool legs, and making for the stairs.
As they passed the first open doorway, Tessa caught a glimpse of a pair of immaculately trousered legs stretching from a chair. She heard those unmistakable saw-edged tones point out, 'We're waiting dinner, Barry. See how fast you can make it down here again.'
Up in her room Tessa hurried around, washing and searching out fresh nylons and brushing her hair. Life was getting to be one big rush.
Surprisingly her case had been unpacked and everything was arranged neatly in wardrobe and drawers, but she had no time to ponder on what to wear. She lunged for a square- necked sleeveless dress in leaf green, and hoped it would do for her evening in Cannes. Lightly made up and hair in place, she went out and found Barry waiting for her on the stairs. She was relieved to see that he hadn't done any formal dressing up for their night out. In white hip-hugging slacks and deep royal blue shirt, he looked too good to be true. As he took her hand and tugged her down the stairs and across the hall, Tessa felt to be bursting with happiness.
She was led into a room tastefully lit, with a low honeycombed ceiling. Small curving alcoves of deep olive green were set in the pale walls and tapering tables held porcelain vases of delicate tints. The covered chairs and drapes were of a rich satin-patterned damask.
Neil Stanton was seated at the end of an oval table. Madame Devereux, looking beautiful at the other end, among the flowers and old silver, was chatting to him in that musical accent of hers about something she had read in the paper.
Barry, his grin pronounced, held Tessa's chair carefully for her. She noticed the big figure at the end rise until she was seated.
Nicolette made an appearance as soon as Barry had taken his place at the other side of the table and wasting no more time, she began to serve. Tessa had never tasted such food or seen so many courses. Every dish was in true French style and there were matching sauces and wines. She had an idea that Nicolette was getting considerable assistance in the kitchen, for no one woman could organise such perfection.
Conve
rsation at the table was leisurely and general and Tessa talked as much as anyone. The atmosphere was so relaxed she couldn't help herself. It was nice this feeling of being one of the family, she mused for a moment, although she didn't know what part Neil Stanton played.
Wicked uncle, perhaps!
She lowered a twinkle, and took a sip of deep red wine. To give him his due he didn't look very wicked tonight. The taut, craggy features were considerably softened by a recurring lazy white smile, and there was a gleam of affection in the green eyes that rested frequently on Barry.
Tessa found she could watch the face, on and off, without feeling the merest flicker of resentment. Either her memory was short, she told herself, or it was the rosy-glowed atmosphere of the room drugging her into a state of hazy contentment. Whatever it was, she was happy not to fight it for just one evening.
But all too soon this part of it was coming to an end. With a mild jolt she realised that the meal was over, and Barry was fidgeting behind her chair waiting to take her to Cannes.
She left the table as decorously as she could with him tugging her away, then he was ushering her out and flicking his farewells over his shoulder: 'So long, everybody. Don't wait up for us.'
There was just time to make a trip upstairs to collect her things and then they were off again.
As they raced along in the car she fastened her coat against the breeze and knotted her headscarf tighter under her chin. One thing she was certain of during her stay with Barry in France was a fresh-air complexion.
She had no idea how far it was to Cannes, but as the coast was visible in the distance from the hills around here, she gathered it was within easy reach; and with Barry's driving what wasn't! Within twenty minutes they were slewing down a road overlooking the town.
Tessa inhaled a thrilled sigh at the view. Globular lamps beaded the full sweep of a glass-smooth bay and following the curve, white, majestic buildings rose above the black silhouette of tropical palms. Pedestrians thronged the shop- lined boulevards, and rising up from the dark curly mass of trees on the hillsides, opulently-lit villas and hotels added their brilliance to the night.
She held on to her excitement as they came down into the heart of the town, and felt it recede as the car carried on past the colour and the clamour, to dark narrow streets lined with smoke-filled bistros.
When they stopped beside a garishly lit entrance with a staircase dropping down inside the doorway, she half thought Barry had lost his way, but even as she looked he was vaulting out. She caught a look of undisguised eagerness on his face. The light in his eyes was one she had never seen before. For one puzzling moment she thought he was going to bolt away on his own, and then as though suddenly remembering he had a passenger in his car, he turned to shoot her a look and a grin and explained casually, 'The gang I go around with in town have moved over to Cannes for a while. I thought we'd join up with them tonight.'
Tessa smiled away her mild surprise. Barry's London friends here on the Riviera! That was something else he had forgotten to tell her. She couldn't say she cared for the idea of sharing him with a group that he knew and she didn't, but he was obviously excited at seeing them again, and one evening, she decided indulgently, wouldn't make all that difference.
He was in the doorway before she had stumbled her way out of the car and hurrying after him down the staircase she saw a dimly lit red and black room with even darker cavelike recesses branching off at the sides. Candles flickered weakly from the tops of wine bottles on tables in some of these corners, others were lit by red and amber wall lights.
Lost in the smoke and traffic of aproned waiters and swaying couples, a man was plucking at the keys of a piano and wincing blissfully away after every chord as though blinded by the brilliance of his own talent. A bass player nearby thumbed a beat out with a bored expression.
It took Barry some time to pick out the people he was looking for. When he did he took the last two or three steps in one go, and dived through the couples to get across the room. Tugging off her coat and scarf and following, Tessa felt unhappily out of place. She imagined every eye in the room on her and felt sure that everybody knew she wasn't the type to get much enjoyment out of sitting in a dark cellar listening to brooding bluesy music.
Barry had already arrived at his friends' tables, tucked away in a far corner. There didn't seem to be any movement among the sprawling inanimate figures, but a loud burst of uproarious laughter greeted him.
Tessa approached feeling stiff and awkward and trying not to let it show. She forced herself to smile around the group as though she had known them for years. Looking jaunty, Barry finished what he had been saying and then as an afterthought, flickering a look over her, he added, 'Oh yeah, meet Tessa Browning. She's staying at the villa for a while.'
Well, that was a funny introduction for someone you were practically engaged to, Tessa thought. But it was probably just that Barry didn't want ribbing by his friends. There were about eight or nine of them, girls and boys draped languidly about, some looking as though it was something of an effort to breathe. Their clothes were all of the casual kind; fringed waistcoats, flared jeans and brilliant shirts and sweaters, but there was no mistaking the expensive touch, not even in this light. It was fairly certain that all the group, like Barry, were from wealthy families.
After a lengthy moment there was an unhurried shuffle round the tables and Tessa found herself with her back to the wall, a lanky youth and long-haired girl on one side, and two young men staring absently into space on the other. The rest of the figures spilled over on to the next table, and for a while she lost sight of Barry altogether. When he showed up a little while later, or at least she caught a glimpse of him talking eagerly to someone at the far end of the adjoining table, she settled down to make the best of the evening. This was probably how he wanted it, and she would have him to herself later on.
Someone dropped a clean wine glass in front of her, and someone else languidly lifted one of the bottles from the array on the table and poured a pale liquid into it. Before she was half-way through it, her glass was lazily topped up again. Everyone was considerate and companionable in a distant kind of way. It wasn't, she believed, that they didn't want to be friendly; it was just that their attention seemed to be directed towards the centre of the room where blue smoke hung a veil over swaying clinging couples and the crouching pianist.
She seemed to sit there for hours, dutifully staring too, but all she got was acute back-ache by staying rigidly against the wood-panelled wall. Altering her position, she leaned forward to rest her arms on the table and took the opportunity of looking at the faces of those lolling around her. They were all completely without expression, and yet she could swear she was the only one who wasn't having a fantastic time.
It had helped moving, though, because now she had a better view of the other table. Her interest was caught by the person Barry was talking to, perhaps because she looked the odd one out in the party, in a cool fashion-plate kind of way. She was older than the rest of his friends, twenty-four or five maybe. Her dress was white and sleeveless and scooped low at the front, and her smooth fair hair was drawn away from beautifully shaped features to fall in thick coils down the back of her head. Hanging from her ears were spear-shaped earrings at least two inches long, and her teeth when she laughed, which was often, when she looked at Barry, were small and even and milk-white.
She must be a very old friend of his, Tessa thought, for there was no mistaking the easy intimacy with which the two of them talked.
A waiter came to clear away some of the bottles, and in the upheaval of lounging bodies she lost sight of the other table. The couple sitting next to her decided to go and lean together and inch their feet around along with the others in the centre of the room. Some time later she saw a white-clad figure moving round in the gloom beneath the smoke. A royal blue-shirted arm was turned about the slim waist. Watching Barry sway close to the slender form, Tessa stifled a yawn. She supposed it was only polite
of him to dance with the girl he had been talking to most of the evening, but she hoped it wouldn't be too long before they were starting back to the villa. Her body was leaden with tiredness, and at the moment all she was interested in was putting her head on a pillow and getting some sleep.
Perhaps she dozed, or closed her eyes for too long, for when she opened them, the chairs and tables around her were empty and people were drifting towards the stairs. The piano stood alone amidst remnants of smoke and the musicians had their heads together over what was probably tomorrow's music.
Tessa stumbled to her feet, unable to believe that everyone had gone off without her. And then her heart stopped pounding. They hadn't, thank heaven! Barry, coming from the direction of the stairs, was stepping out across the empty floor towards her. By the time she had groped for her handbag he was at the table.
'Hi, Tess!' he took hold of her and gave her a pleased hug. 'Had a good time?'
'Oh… yes. It was… lovely,' Tessa smiled vaguely. Well, this part was, anyway.
As they went out to the car he said expansively, his arm still about her, 'They're not a bad crowd, are they, the gang?'
'Very nice,' Tessa smiled again. She slipped on her coat and tied her scarf, and took her seat sleepily. The breeze when they started to move revived her a little, but she had lost interest in the lights of Cannes or what was left of them at this hour. All she hoped now was that they would make the journey back to the villa as quickly as they had left it.
She was more or less assured of this, for it wasn't in Barry's nature to travel anywhere at a dawdle. In no time the car headlights were shining their way up the steep winding roads near Grasse, picking out the brilliant blossoms trailing over garden walls and windows shuttered against the night.
As they turned in the drive of the Villa Valrose Barry said casually, 'By the way, I never tell Neil much of what I do when I'm out.' He turned to catch her gaze and flickered a grin. 'You know how it is with the older generation. You mention a few odd facts and they end up wanting a complete run-down on what you did from the minute you stepped out of the door.'
Roumelia Lane - The Scented Hills Page 4
