Sally Wentworth - Liberated Lady

by Sally Wentworth

  Alex sat next to her at the table and after he had eaten put a casual arm across the back of her chair. His fingers touched her shoulder and she immediately sat forward, but not until he had felt her involuntary quiver. She felt him looking at her, but didn't turn her head. She didn't have to; she could imagine well enough the coolly sardonic smile that would be on his face.

  After lunch they took the boat out again and this time managed to sail the tiling up and down the width of the water quite creditably. At about four they took it back to the boatyard and then walked towards the car park.

  'Don't you ever wear a skirt?' Alex asked suddenly, and Sara turned to see him regarding her bottom half in the tight jeans with a frown.

  Before she could make an indignant retort, Nicky surprisingly answered for her. 'Of course she does I She has some gorgeous clothes, really dreamy.'

  'Good. Then she can wear something gorgeous tonight, and so can you. I've booked a table at a hotel in Keswick for dinner. It's a sort of thank you to Veronica for putting up with us all.'

  Sara looked at him questioningly. 'Is she well enough to go?'

  'She says she feels up to it, and if she feels tired we can always cut the evening short and take her home.'

  So Sara found herself putting on a long black dress that evening and combing her hair straight back from her head into a tight whorl at the back. Earrings, high-heeled black sandals, make-up; the girl who looked back at her from the mirror looked sophisticated and confident enough to deal with any situation, any man.

  Nicky kept most of her clothes at Appleberry and had put on a pretty, layered dress with an inch or two of false petticoat showing at the hem.- It suited her and made her look softer, although she had overdone her make-up a bit. Thinking of the evening ahead, Sara wisely forbore mentioning this and went to see if Veronica was ready. She was, and had put on a long dress of pale blue that matched her eyes and showed up the sparkle in them.

  'I'm so looking forward to this evening,' she remarked as Sara helped her on with her coat. 'It's done me a world of good having you all here, feeling a part of things again.'

  The men were waiting for them at the bottom of the stairs and Sara stared back at Alex as his eyes slid over her appraisingly. She wouldn't let him throw her, she thought fiercely, not tonight. Because tomorrow was Saturday, and tomorrow she was leaving here and taking Nicky with her.

  They were shown to a well-placed table in the hotel restaurant, its subdued lighting giving an intimate atmosphere to the tables and small dance floor. A group with a good beat played softly at one end of the room and a blonde vocalist in a tight-fitting dress sang one of the latest hit songs in a throaty voice. Nicky was full of excitement and Veronica was pleased when she was greeted by some acquaintances nearby, so the evening seemed about to be a success right from the start.

  The food was good and well served and Alex kept everyone's glass topped up with wine—or would have done if Sara had let him, but when he went to refill Nicky's for the second time, she said sarcastically, 'It may just have slipped your mind, of course, but Nicky is under age.'

  'A couple of glasses of wine won't do her any harm,' he replied easily.

  'It's against the law.'

  'So why don't you call the police?' And he filled up the glass Nicky held out to him.

  Nicky turned back to her. 'Don't be a stick-in-the-mud, Sara! All the girls at school have wine when they go out.

  Angrily Sara sat back in her chair and twisted the stem of her own glass between her fingers. Damn the man; he set out to undermine what little hold she had over Nicky at every turn. And enjoyed doing it, too, she thought viciously. Deliberately provoking her when he knew she couldn't make a scene. Lord, she'd be glad when tomorrow came and she got away from him; away from his conceit and autocracy, away from his strength and masculinity, but most of all away from her physical awareness of him every time she was in the same room. As if he read her thoughts, Alex's hand came to cover hers on-the table. Sara stared down at it for a moment and felt herself begin to tremble as she felt the warmth of his hand. Slowly she raised her head to find his dark eyes watching her, a strange light deep in their depths that she couldn't read.

  'Would you like to dance, Sara?' he asked quietly.

  'What?’ She had been so deep in thought that she_ hadn't noticed that Nicky and Richard had left the table and were already dancing, 'Oh. No.' She shook her head!

  'Go along, Sara,' Veronica urged her. 'I'm going to call Mrs Smithson over for a chat, so you don't have to worry about me.'

  'But I don't want to——' Sara began, but wasn't allowed to finish because Alex had stood up and was pulling her to her feet.

  The dance floor was only pocket handkerchief-sized and it was already rather crowded, so that Alex had some excuse in drawing her dose to him and holding her hand against his broad chest.

  'Why did you do that?' Sara asked tartly. 'You know I don't want to dance with you.' She tried to push herself away from him, but he wouldn't let her, holding her tightly and looking down at her tauntingly.

  'Because I wasn't going to have you spoil Veronica's evening. And for that reason you could try to look as if you're enjoying yourself—or is it against the law to smile?" Sara glared at him and didn't bother to answer, deliberately looking-at the other dancers. 'By the way,' Alex went on, 'I forgot to tell you, you look very lovely "tonight."

  Her eyes came-up to meet his, disconcerted by this sudden change. The suspicion in her face made him give an amused chuckle. ,'What's the matter? Does a compliment usually mean that a man intends to make a pass at you?'

  'In your case it probably means that you're about to say something extremely rude to counteract it,' she retorted.

  He laughed then, his eyes alight with amusement. 'You know, Sara, if you ever wake up to the fact that you're a woman and get yourself a man, you may drive Him to distraction—but he'll never be bored!'

  The music changed just then to a quick tempo number so she was able to free herself from his arms and dance apart, moving sensuously to the beat. He moved to the rhythm well, she noticed, nothing flamboyant, but he wasn't embarrassed to let his hair down a little and enjoy the music. When they returned to the table, Veronica introduced them to her friends and told them that they had offered her a lift home.

  'So I won't have to make you young people leave early when you're enjoying yourselves,' she added cheerfully.

  'That really isn't necessary. "We'll be glad to lake you now if you're tired,' Sara assured her.

  But Veronica was quite adamant that they should stay on and in face of her determination Sara had to reluctantly agree. As she turned from saying goodbye she found Alex watching her derisively and she bit her lip; he knew full well she had wanted to leave now because she was afraid to spend more time in his close company.

  Richard took Nicky off to dance again and Alex filled her glass with more wine. 'How did you enjoy your sailing lesson today?' he asked casually:

  'More than I expected,' she admitted. 'It would probably be fun once you got the hang of it and could go out on the open sea.'

  'You'd have to have a lot more practice first. Why don't we take a boat out again on Sunday and I'll give you another lesson?'

  For a fleeting moment Sara wondered if the 'we' included Nicky and Richard, but it didn't really matter now. 'Thanks,' she said dearly, 'but I won't be here on Sunday. I've decided to take Nicky back to school tomorrow.'

  Alex stared at her for a minute, his glass poised in his hand, then he set it down with a snap, spilling a little of the wine so that it spread in a blood-red pool on the whiteness of the tablecloth. 'Just like that?' he said grimly. 'You're going to ignore everyone else involved and drag Nicky back to school just as if nothing had happened. What if she refuses to go?'

  ‘Then I shall have to have her made a ward of court,' Sara replied coolly.

  'With all the attendant publicity that such a move would invite? What sort of life do you think she'd have at school after that
? The other girls would make her life a misery.'

  'She should have thought of that before she ran away.' Deliberately she kept her voice hard.

  Alex looked at her contemptuously. I think Nicky was right about you, after all; you don't like her.'

  'Of course I like her. She's my sister, isn't she?'

  'Well, you certainly don't love her,' he returned caustically, 'or you wouldn't be putting her through all this.'

  Sara was about to reply when the music stopped and she turned away angrily as the youngsters returned. What was the use of arguing with the man? He'd never understand.

  They stayed at the restaurant for an hour or so longer and she danced with Alex twice more, but only to the fast numbers where they could dance without touching, without speaking. The atmosphere between them was strained, and the tension must have communicated it-self to the younger couple because they too were subdued and raised no demur when Alex suggested it was time they left, Sara went into the cloakroom to get her coat and as she came out saw the three of them with their heads together as Richard and Nicky listened to something that Alex was saying. Whatever it was he broke off immediately she saw her, and Sara flushed angrily. She was getting good and tired of everyone talking about her behind her back as if she was some soft of criminal!

  She sat in stony silence on the journey home and gave a sigh of relief when they pulled into the circular driveway of Appleberry. Leaning down, she groped for the catch of her safety belt, hearing the back doors slam As Nicky and Richard got out. Then suddenly they were moving, again and Alex was driving out into the lane and accelerating fast down the road.

  'What on earth?' Sara hastily replaced the safety belt. 'Why are you driving on? Where are you going?' she asked in amazement.

  'Somewhere where we can talk. I've got a great deal to say to you,' Alex replied grimly, his mouth a set line in his hard face.

  'Well, you can just turn round and go right back again, because I've listened to just about as much as I can take from you. Do you hear me? Stop the car and go back!'

  Alex's knuckles tightened on the wheel but apart from that he took absolutely no notice, sending the car speeding along the lane. Enraged, Sara reached over and pulled the key out of the ignition. The car jerked as if it had been kicked and swerved sickeningly beforeAlex pushed the clutch in hard and braked to a standstill.

  'You little bitch, you could have killed us both! Give me those keys!' he said furiously.

  'Not until you promise to take me straight back.'

  ‘When I'm good and ready. Now, are you going to give me those keys or do you want me to take them from you?' he asked, his voice dangerous. 'And don't get any fancy ideas about putting them down the front of your dress, because I'll get them from there, too, if I have to. In fact I'd quite enjoy doing it,' he added nastily.

  Sara stared at him balefully. 'I bet you would! Well, you're not going to get the chance.' She turned quickly and opened the door, raising her hand to throw the keys out into the bushes., but Alex moved so swiftly that she had no time, catching her wrist and pulling the door shut again. There was a brief, unequal struggle. She tried to claw at him, but he caught her arm and pinned it down.

  "You wildcat! Give me those keys,' he demanded harshly, and when she wouldn't let go, twisted her wrist cruelly. For a few moments she held out against him, biting her lip against the pain, but then,, he twisted again and she gave a little choking cry as she opened her hand and the key ring fell on to her lap.

  Alex picked it up quickly, hardly glancing at her averted face before restarting the car, straightening it and driving on. He drove for a couple of miles further until they were past Lowmere village and away from any houses, but Sara hardly noticed where they were going as she sat, back ramrod-straight and seething with anger at being forced to do what he wanted. They came to a gravelled track that led down to a clearing on the edge of a lake and here Alex parked, turning off the engine and being careful to put the keys in his pocket.

  'Now we'll talk,' he told her grimly.

  'Talk to yourself. There's nothing you can say that ' will interest me.' Sara opened the door and got out, slamming it hard. The moon had gone behind a cloud and it was very dark and cold. She shivered and pulled her thin coat more closely around her. Damn Alex Brandon! She wasn't going to stay in his tyrannical company another minute, even if she had to walk all the way back to Appleberry.

  He let her get almost back to the road before he came after her and brought her back, struggling futilely. He pushed her back against the side of the car and held her there, his chest heaving as he recovered his breath.

  'You're going to listen to me', Sara, if I have to keep you here all night,' he said savagely. 'And we're going to -forget this thing between- us that makes you turn every encounter into a battlefield. That will have to be settled one way or another, but not now. Now you're going to think of nothing but Nicky; her future and her happiness.' His hand came up to cup her chin. 'Do you understand?/

  Sara glared at him and his hand slid down to her 'throat, tightening perceptibly. Hastily she nodded and he loosened his hand a little. 'All right. So you want to talk—go ahead. You've got yourself a captive audience, haven't you?' she said bitterly.

  . He looked at tier angrily, his eyes blazing, but then his expression changed, a strange look passed over his lean face and his mouth twisted. 'My God, how I wish that…!' He broke off abruptly arid stepped back away, from her, running his hand through his disheveled hair. He hesitated for a moment, then said in a very different voice, 'Sara, you've seen Richard and Nicky together all day, first sailing and then at the restaurant. They were happy together, surely you could see that?' 'Is that what this whole day was for, then? Just to show me that they enjoyed each other's company?' she asked incredulously Partly.'

  'And the other part?'

  His eyes were very dark as they stared into hers. 'I told you—that conies later.'

  - Sara's heart gave a sudden, dizzying lurch and then began to pound so loudly that she could hear it. Determinedly she forced herself not to think about the implications behind his remark and concentrated only on the matter in hand. 'Just watching them cooing all over one another isn't going to make me change my mind, Alex. The answer's still no.'

  'All right. Then we do it the hard way.' He stuck his hands in his pockets and said coldly, 'I'd hoped to save you from this, Sara, but you leave me no alternative.'

  She looked at him in bewilderment. 'What do you mean?'

  'I mean that you've no choice. You've got to give them your permission!’

  'Oh, have I? And just what makes you think I'm…'

  'Because they have to get married. Just as soon as it can be arranged.'

  Sara could only stare at him numbly, the import of his harsh words sinking into her brain in spite of an inner voice that cried, 'No, no, it can't be true!’

  In curiously detached tones she said slowly, 'You mean that Nicky's…?'

  'I mean that they've anticipated the marriage service, yes.' There was no sympathy in his voice, nothing to alleviate the hurt he had inflicted.

  'But she told me she hadn't——That they hadn't…'

  Desperately she sought for some means of disproving what he'd told her.

  'It doesn't matter what they said. The fact is that you've got to give your permission so that they can get married at once.'

  His cold matter-of-factness seemed to trigger some’ thing inside Sara and she suddenly began to cry, turning to beat her fists against the roof of the car in her distress. 'Oh, no. No! She's hardly more than a child herself. The silly, stupid little idiot't She's thrown it all away, everything her father worked for, everything her mother sacrificed for her!' She found that Alex had somehow come and turned her round, drawn her towards him, but she pulled herself sharply away to stand facing him, tears pouring unheeded down her cheeks; 'She could have had it all; an education, a degree, met the right people, learned how to behave. She could have walked into any job she wanted ins
tead of having to claw and fight every step of the way. Wouldn't have had to take insults and innuendoes, wouldn't have had to watch the man she loved being slowly twisted by jealousy because she was better at the job than he was——' Sara put her hands up to hide her face racked with sobs.

  'Sara' Alex took her into his arms again and held her close, but she angrily tried to push him away.

  'Leave me alone! I don't need you. I don't need anyone!'

  ‘Oh, yes, you do, Sara. You may not even know it yourself, but right now you need a masculine shoulder to cry on.'

  For a few minutes she leant against him, feeling the strength and hardness of his chest beneath her head, smelling the tang of his woody aftershave, his arms warm and protective around her. It would have been so easy just to let go and cry away her shock and un-happiness, turn to him and let him comfort her, to give in completely to the role he expected of her. Resolutely she straightened and stepped away from him, head up, sniffing hard, and using her fingers to wipe away the tears.

  'There's just one thing I want to know,' she said unsteadily, clenching her teeth as she strove to control her emotions. ‘Why you? Why were you the one to tell me and not Nicky herself?'

  His arms dropped to his sides and he shrugged - slightly. 'I should have thought that was obvious. Nicky was afraid to tell you and Richard you would have intimidated completely. And Veronica, of course, isn't well enough. So as I'm the only one who isn't afraid of' you, it was left to me to bear the brunt.'

  'I see.' Turning away from him, Sara walked down to the water's edge and stood, a slight, dark figure against the blackness of the night. Gradually she became aware of the night sounds around her, the rustles in the reed beds and the slight popping sound as a fish came up momentarily to catch an insect on the surface. An owl hooted far away as the full moon slid from behind a cloud and gave a ghostlike appearance to the scene. For a long time she stood there, oblivious to the creeping chilliness, slowly assimilating the bitter knowledge that she had failed; failed to carry out her dead parents' wishes, failed to keep Nicky safe from harm, and, in a way, had failed Nicky too, in that the girl had felt unable to confide in her when she was in trouble. She had tried to take the place of Nicky's parents, worked for her and been grateful for every success because it had meant that her sister could have trips abroad with the school and everything else she needed. But it hadn't been enough, and it had all gone wrong, so wrong. They were further apart now than strangers and Nicky had turned . to others for the help it should have been Sara's right to give. The sense of her own failure filled her heart with bitterness and self-contempt. It seemed as if she was incapable of ever holding the affections of those she loved; first her mother, then her ex-fiancé, and now Nicky. The wall that she had started to build round her grew then and turned to ice.