Wicked Pleasures

by Penny Vincenzi

  Next day they put Ted and Kristen ashore, with a note for Michael Halston, and went off again. She stayed with him for three days and then flew back to New York alone; he did not see her for almost two years. But he read in the papers, some time a little less than ten months later, that she had had a baby, a son; his name, the Viscount Hadleigh, was Maximilian.

  She came back to him, many times; she seemed to need him. He knew she didn’t even like him particularly, that she disapproved of his wanton, hedonistic lifestyle; but he also knew that in some strange way he was important to her.

  He taxed her with it once, the baby, with his name; the baby born such a neat nine months after their first meeting, and she had laughed and told him not to be so arrogant, why should she, the Countess of Caterham, conceive a child out of wedlock when she had a husband who loved her and was waiting for an heir, his heir, to be born.

  And when he asked her what it was, what he gave her that she craved so much, that drew her back to him so relentlessly, against all her inclinations, all the odds, she gave him her level, cool look and said simply, ‘Fun. I’m very short on fun.’

  Chapter 30

  Georgina, 1984

  Georgina had, from the beginning, been quite determinedly opposed to the idea of seeking out her real father. She half admired Charlotte for having the courage and the willpower to do so, but she knew she lacked both. She was also very frightened at the thought of what – or who – she might find. Charlotte had been lucky: Charles St Mullin, as far as Georgina could make out, was charming, civilized, intelligent, all the things you might wish your father to be. And indeed that a father of Charlotte might be expected to be. Georgina found it very difficult at times to cope with being Charlotte’s sister. She was so clever, and so admirable, and so altogether competent, she never seemed to do anything foolish or ill-advised, her personal life was as smoothly and perfectly under control as everything else: nothing ever fazed her, got her down for long. She would never fall helplessly in love with the wrong person, and certainly she would never get pregnant, thought Georgina, with a sudden throb in her heart.

  Georgina wondered where Charlotte’s assertiveness and positiveness came from: from Charles St Mullin, perhaps. Or maybe from Fred III. Those genes had to be rolling around in some of them at least. Well, they certainly hadn’t come her way. Georgina would have given anything to be assertive and positive. The only place she seemed remotely able to be that, she thought with a sigh, was in bed. Otherwise, anyone could push her around. She sometimes felt she hadn’t quite become herself yet; she felt she was waiting for something to happen, to make her turn into a complete person. Max of course was much more positive too. Although not in the admirable way Charlotte was. Georgina thought it was probably a very good thing Max seemed so firmly opposed to seeking out whoever had sired him. Given his character as a clue, all kinds of problems might be unleashed. Georgina was very fond of Max, in fact she was more at ease with him than she was with Charlotte, but he didn’t seem to be turning out quite as anyone might have hoped.

  Especially Alexander. Poor Alexander. Georgina still adored him; she still found it almost impossible, in the bottom of her heart, to think of anyone else as her father. Partly because she was his favourite, and because they got on so well, but partly because it was easier that way, safer. He was such a good person, so kind and straightforward. No daughter could wish for anyone better. There was no way she was going to risk hurting herself or him by setting out on some wild-goose chase herself.

  She had been looking forward to the summer. It was nearly August, and Kendrick and Melissa were coming to stay at Hartest. It had been Charlotte’s idea, clever, thoughtful, kind: Mary Rose had been too upset to contemplate going to Nantucket on her own, and wanted to get away with a friend (Georgina couldn’t imagine what a friend of Mary Rose’s might be like), and it had seemed to suit everybody.

  Kendrick loved England and Hartest, and Melissa could spend several weeks in the company of her beloved Max (who was flattered and charmed by the adoration despite his protestations of boredom at it). And then Georgina was very fond of Kendrick. He was taking a course in Fine Arts at New York University, which gave them a lot to talk about, and although he was slightly shy, once relaxed, once embarked on a topic that intrigued and interested him, he actually had a great deal to say and he said it well, forcefully, amusingly even. He had an oddball, slightly black sense of humour; Woody Allen was his hero, and (he said) his inspiration, and he had seen every one of his films at least half a dozen times.

  He had straight, floppy, streaky-blond hair which he wore quite long (to Baby’s disgust), and the family blue eyes: soft, large, gentle eyes, with oddly beetling brows. He was tall, taller than Freddy, taller than Max; and he was more graceful than they were, there was an oddly languid quality to Kendrick, he walked and moved rather slowly, and despite his shyness, he was a superb dancer, and if he could be dragged onto the dance floor, he would, against his own inclinations, become the focus of attention, people would watch him, stop dancing themselves. Consequently, he tended to remain rather determinedly off it. He dressed well, in a very individual way; his other passion, Woody Allen apart, was Scott Fitzgerald and his era, and he spent many hours and much of his allowance in thrift shops, buying up everything he could find that was from the 20s; he would not have dreamt of wearing a modern dinner jacket, or tails, and he had a huge collection of hats: panamas, slouch felts, boaters, which he wore at every possible opportunity. He liked linen suits, silk shirts, greatcoats, and his most prized possession was a genuine 1920s one-piece black bathing suit with a white belt, which he insisted on wearing on the beach on Nantucket Island, to everyone’s embarrassment. ‘For such a shy person,’ Melissa had once said tartly, ‘you’re one huge show-off.’ To Georgia, for whom style was immensely important, Kendrick’s clothes were a matter for great admiration.

  Charlotte had also written in her letter to Georgina suggesting the visit, that as it was Alexander’s fiftieth birthday early in September, they could maybe make something special of it and have the whole family there. ‘I’ll come over for it, and bring Freddy, and we can ask Uncle Baby. He’ll be in London.’

  ‘What about Angie?’ said Georgina when she spoke to Charlotte. ‘Do we have her as well? And what about Grandpa and Grandma?’

  ‘Mercifully, they’ll be in the Bahamas. I checked. Otherwise it could have been dodgy. And Angie, well, she’s got to come some time. So I thought probably yes. She’ll have had her babies by then, won’t she? And she is actually living with Uncle Baby. So we can’t not ask her. Of course she might not come. But I bet she will. And as it’s a big party, it might be less awkward for everyone. It will break the ice, very painlessly.’

  Kendrick had been at Hartest only twenty-four hours before Georgina found herself, slightly to her surprise, telling him about the abortion. She had been feeling particularly weepy, and not particularly well, and trying to disguise both facts; they went for a walk and when they got back he sat down on the front steps beside her, put his arm round her, and asked her what the matter was. Somehow it was a great relief to talk about it.

  ‘That’s sad,’ was all he said.

  Georgina looked at him and thought how immensely good-looking he was with his blond hair and blue eyes. If he wasn’t her cousin and she hadn’t known him since they were both in nappies, she thought she could quite fancy him.

  Georgina was in the kitchen with Kendrick when the phone rang. Mrs Tallow answered it, handed it to him.

  ‘It’s for you. Your father.’

  ‘Oh,’ said Kendrick. He had gone rather white. ‘Hallo? Yes, hallo, Dad. Oh. Oh, well that’s wonderful.’ He was clearly trying very hard to sound enthusiastic. ‘Congratulations. No, that’s great. Yes, I am, but I’m not sure if – well, I shall have to ask Georgina. Of course. Yes, fine. Congratulations again.’

  He put the phone down, and looked at Georgina rather awkwardly. ‘That was Dad. He rang to say that – that Angie has had he
r babies. Both boys. I just didn’t know what to say.’

  ‘Well, you didn’t do badly,’ said Georgina carefully.

  ‘He wants me to go up to London and see them,’ said Kendrick. ‘Meet Angie. Take Melissa. He seemed to think I ought to. I really don’t want to. What do you think?’

  ‘What does she think about what?’ said Melissa, coming into the kitchen. She had been riding with Max, and was flushed and over-excited. Max was behind her, his arm round her shoulders.

  ‘Oh – nothing,’ said Kendrick.

  ‘Kendrick, don’t start going grown-up on me. What?’

  ‘That was Dad. Angie’s had the twins. Both boys.’

  ‘Oh really! That’s exciting. What are they called?’

  ‘I haven’t the first idea,’ said Kendrick irritably.

  ‘Well, you should have asked. They are your half-brothers.’

  ‘Yes, I suppose so. Anyway he wants us to go up to London and see Angie and the babies. I hedged a bit.’

  ‘Oh Kendrick, why? I’m dying to see Angie. And the babies.’

  ‘Melissa, why?’

  ‘Oh – curiosity. And she is going to be our stepmother after all. I want to see how wicked she is.’

  ‘Very wicked, I’d say,’ said Max. ‘But probably the fairest of you all.’ Georgina stared at him. ‘Have you met her?’

  ‘Yup. Months and months ago.’

  ‘You might have said.’

  ‘Couldn’t see the point.’

  ‘Oh Max. Well, what was she like?’

  ‘I told you. Very wicked clearly, and very pretty. Very sexy.’

  ‘Excuse me,’ said Kendrick. He walked rather quickly out of the room.

  ‘Max, you’re so insensitive,’ said Georgina. ‘Just think how he must feel about Angie. His father’s left his mother for her, it’s horribly upsetting for him.’

  ‘And for me,’ said Melissa.

  ‘Nothing would upset you,’ said Max, patting her small backside. ‘Skin as thick as leather, you’ve got.’

  ‘I have not. Anyway, I want to meet her. See the babies. What do you think?’

  ‘I think we should all go together,’ said Max. ‘It’ll be a lot easier for you that way.’

  Georgina stared at him. It was very unlike Max to have the slightest consideration for anyone’s else’s feelings.

  She took an immediate dislike to Angie, who was sitting in bed in the clinic, surrounded with flowers, in vases and baskets and arrangements, and looking more as if she was going to a cocktail party than having just given birth. Her hair had clearly been professionally done within the last few hours, and her face was carefully made up. She was wearing a 30s-style white satin nightdress, which revealed a great deal of very large, very suntanned breast, and at the side of her bed, rather than the cots and the babies, was an ice bucket with a bottle of champagne in it. She smiled at them all as they came in, but didn’t say anything. Baby, who was sitting on the bed, stood up and pumped Kendrick and Max by the hand and then hugged Melissa and Georgina.

  ‘It’s great to see you. What a day for the family.’ If he had any idea how ironic his words were, Georgina thought, he certainly wasn’t showing it. ‘Two new brothers for you, Melissa. And you, Kendrick. Now before you meet the boys –’ he made them sound like baseball players, ready sprung from the womb –‘I want you all to meet Angie. Max you’ve met, haven’t you, darling?’

  ‘Oh, I have,’ said Angie. ‘Hallo, Max. Nice to see you again.’

  ‘Congratulations, Aunt Angela,’ said Max gravely, bending over her to kiss her, handing her the large bouquet of flowers they had all clubbed together and bought. Georgina couldn’t see his face, but there was something in his voice that was unfamiliar: something grown-up and infinitely more worldly.

  ‘And this is Kendrick,’ Baby was saying, smiling proudly and indulgently, ‘and this is Melissa. And Angie, this is Georgina, Virginia’s second daughter. I don’t know if you ever met her.’

  ‘Yes, I did.’ Angie smiled at Georgina. Her voice was very attractive, slightly throaty, her accent absolutely bland and unplaceable. ‘Hallo, Georgina. But she wouldn’t remember me. She was around eighteen months old, I think.

  Anyway, it’s really nice to see you again. Oh, these flowers are just beautiful.

  How very kind of you all.’

  They were actually, compared with the splendour of some of the offerings, rather modest; Georgina felt she was being patronized, and smiled back, rather uncertainly. Angie turned her brilliant smile on Kendrick. ‘And this is the big brother. Hi, Kendrick. And Melissa. It’s very nice to meet you, Melissa. I didn’t expect you to be so grown-up.’

  She could hardly have said anything better to Melissa, who beamed at her ecstatically. ‘Well,’ she said, ‘I am fourteen, you know. What do we call you? Aunt Angela or what?’

  ‘Oh please!’ said Angie, laughing. ‘I have absolutely no wish to be an aunt to such a grown-up collection of people. No, you must call me Angie. Mustn’t they, darling?’

  She put out her hand to Baby, who took it and kissed it. Kendrick looked down at his feet and flushed. Melissa sparkled at them.

  ‘Can we see the babies then? I can’t wait. When were they born?’

  ‘Yesterday morning, at five o’clock,’ said Angie, pushing a bell by her bed. ‘Ten minutes between them. Early little birds, weren’t they, Baby? Your father was hoping to stay in bed and leave me here, doing all the work, Melissa, but I wouldn’t let him. He was there, right through to the end, holding my hand. Didn’t faint or scream or anything. Very brave, weren’t you, darling?’

  Poor Kendrick, thought Georgina. He looked as if he might be sick or pass out himself. She was standing by him; she took his hand and squeezed it. He looked at her and smiled gratefully.

  ‘Oh now look, here they are,’ said Angie, as the door opened, ‘thank you so much, Nurse.’ She took one baby in each arm, and cradled them, sinking back into her pillows. ‘You’ll have to forgive me, I must just check their name tags, I can’t tell them apart myself yet. Oh, yes, this is Sam, already renamed Spike by his father, and this is Hugh. Aren’t they fine-looking chaps?’

  Georgina looked at the two awesomely identical little creatures, swaddled up in blankets, their primeval features crushed into concentrated sleep, and felt a sudden and terrible sweep of sadness.

  ‘Can I hold one?’ Melissa was saying. ‘Oh, please, do let me.’

  ‘Probably best not, just for now. They’ll wake up and start screaming, and then this nice party will have to come to an end,’ said Angie. She looked down at the babies slightly warily, as if she expected them to break, or take off. Georgina, pulling herself together, forcing herself to smile at her, thought that Angie wouldn’t mind the babies crying, someone else could see to that; what she would mind was having the charming tableau in which she starred destroyed.

  ‘They suit you,’ said Max, slightly uncannily echoing Georgina’s thoughts, smiling at Angie with that same new, worldly smile. ‘Very nice accessories, Angie. Great picture.’

  Angie’s eyes as she smiled back at him were interestingly thoughtful. ‘Thank you, Max. Done any nice jobs lately?’

  ‘Yeah,’ he said, ‘yeah, I was just in New York.’

  ‘Oh really? Well that must have been very interesting. Baby, could you take this child a moment, I’m really uncomfortable.’

  ‘Yes, darling, of course. Are you getting tired? Would you like everyone to go?’

  ‘No of course not. Don’t be silly.’ But as she settled back on her pillows and took the baby, she winced slightly; she was clearly genuinely uncomfortable. Well, thought Georgina, it was hardly surprising; giving birth to over eleven pounds’ worth of babies was quite an undertaking.

  The babies woke simultaneously and began crying. A nurse put her head round the door. ‘You’re going to have to feed these babies,’ she said, ‘they’re starving.’

  ‘Right,’ said Angie with a resigned sigh, ‘does anyone mind?’ She started easin
g one brown breast out of her nightdress; Kendrick, clearly terrified, looked out of the window very fixedly. Georgina noticed that Max on the other hand stood looking rather amusedly and interestedly as Angie took the first baby and, oddly tender suddenly, offered a large dark nipple into its small rooting mouth. ‘There you go, Spikey,’ she said, ‘that’ll do for now. I can’t do a duet yet. Nurse, take Hugh, would you, and keep him quiet.’

  ‘I think we should go,’ said Max suddenly. ‘You’ve got a lot to do here, Aunt Angela. We’re not helping. Come on, you guys.’

  ‘Don’t call me that, Max,’ said Angie, looking at him. She was smiling, but her eyes were sharp. ‘I really don’t like it.’

  ‘Sorry. Can’t seem able to help it.’

  ‘I think Max is right,’ said Baby, ‘it might be an idea if you all went. Very thoughtful of you, Max. Give me a kiss, Melissa. Bye, Kendrick.’

  ‘Oh, by the way,’ said Max, looking over his shoulder as they left the room, ‘we’re having a party for Alexander, next month. Fiftieth birthday. Charlotte’s coming over, and Freddy of course. You will both come, won’t you?’

  Kendrick and Melissa stayed behind for a moment talking to Baby; Georgina and Max went down the corridor. ‘Max!’ said Georgina, looking over her shoulder. ‘Max, that was naughty. We haven’t even checked with Kendrick and the others that they want Angie.’

  ‘Why on earth shouldn’t they?’ said Max, his blue eyes very wide, very innocent. ‘She’s family now. We have to have Angie, whether we like it or not.’

  ‘And you do, don’t you?’ said Georgina, looking at him sharply.

  ‘Yes, I do quite,’ said Max.

  Apart from a slight unease about the presence of Angie, and Mrs Wicks (who was now family in Baby’s view and had been invited at his request), Georgina was looking forward to the party. A lot of the planning had fallen on her, and she had spent hours with Mrs Tallow and Nanny, sorting out food, and with Tallow, sorting out wine; Alexander was touchingly pleased by the whole idea. They had wondered about making it a surprise, but it had seemed impossible; and in fact Georgina was glad he knew, looking forward to it had seemed to cheer him up, and he was even making suggestions, asking if it could be black tie – ‘It’s ages since we had a smart dinner party here’ – and taking a great interest in the guest list.