by Ria
pity, she thought, that Esme should behave this way, for, despite everything,
Janey liked her, and would have preferred her as a friend instead of an
enemy.
'Your wine,' Rudolph said beside her, drawing her back sharply from her
disturbed thoughts. Their fingers touched briefly as she accepted the glass
from him, and she explained away the slight tremor that shook through her
as nervous reaction. 'To us,' he added mockingly, raising his glass.
She followed his example and brought her glass to her lips, sipping at the
liquid while she held his glance unfalteringly. There was nothing left of the
feelings she had had for him, she told herself fiercely, and she would make
him realise this if it was the last thing she did. She would not allow him to
penetrate the wall of cool aloofness she had erected about herself with such
difficulty, or she might find herself in a vulnerable position which could only
lead to further heartache.
'If you would like to telephone your parents this evening,' he said
smoothly, 'there's a telephone in my study where you can talk privately.'
'Thank you, but that won't be necessary. I told them I would write to'them.'
'As you wish,' he shrugged, turning away from her just as they heard the
sound of a car approaching the house.
'Sybil has arrived!' Esme exclaimed excitedly, heading for the door, but
Rudolph caught hold of her arm and held her back.
'Ephraim will let her in as he usually does with everyone
else,' he said imperiously, and Esme returned sullenly to her post beside
the window.
Janey could sympathise with her, but at .that moment she was far more
concerned about herself. She emptied her glass and braced herself
mentally for this meeting with the woman who had once succeeded in
rocking her world and robbing her of her foolish dreams.
Sybil Rampling entered the living-room with a flourish, a white fur
draped over her arm, and Janey had to admit that she was devastatingly
beautiful in a sensual sort of way. Her raven-black hair was piled stylishly
on to her head, and her crimson gown clung to her slender, curvaceous
figure. Her skin was flawless, with black, perfectly arched eyebrows
above brown eyes that accepted Esm6's effusive greeting with tolerant
amusement, but they came alive with a flicker of possessiveness as she
glanced at Rudolph.
'Rudy darling!' she purred huskily as she swept across • the room towards
him, her elegant hands extended. 'You've neglected me lately, and that was
naughty of you.'
As Rudolph took her hands in his and lowered his head to brush his lips
against her cheek, Janey caught Esme's smug look across the room. 'You
don't stand a chance,' her eyes seemed to say, and Janey experienced a
strange desire to prove her wrong, a desire she quelled instantly.
'My apologies, Sybil, but I've been rather busy,' Rudolph explained, his
expression unfathomable as he drew Janey closer to his side. 'May I
introduce my wife? Janey, this is Sybil Rampling.'
'How do you do, my dear.' Those scarlet lips parted in a brief smile to
reveal even, white teeth, but there was no warmth in those dark eyes as
they swept patronisingly over Janey. Arched eyebrows were raised a
fraction higher with an expression of amusement and horror. 'Rudy
darling, you
must allow me to introduce your wife to Marguerite for an entire new
wardrobe. We can't have her looking like a poor relation, can we?'
Janey's chin rose higher as Esm6 stifled a giggle. It had been a deliberate
insult coated with honey, and Rudolph made it obvious that he had no
intention of coming to her rescue. Instead, he smiled lazily as if Sybil's
remark had amused him. Janey's hackles rose instantly.
'If the gown you're wearing is anything to judge by, then I shall most
certainly: not go to Marguerite,' she stated in the same honey-coated voice
Sybil had employed. 'I have simple tastes, Miss Rampling, and I believe a
dress shouldn't outshine the person inside it.'
'Sybil is one of the best dressed women in Johannesburg,' Esm6 intervened
in this tense little scene.
'I don't doubt it,' Janey acknowledged coolly without averting her glance
from the woman before her, 'but then I'm certain she can afford to keep up
with the latest fashions. We aren't all that fortunate.'
Sybil's eyes sparked venomously, but Rudolph intervened with a
disapproving glance. 'I think you've misunderstood, Janey.'
She met his level glance with the same practised coolness. 'On the
contrary, I think we understand each other perfectly,' she assured him,
turning once more to Sybil. 'Don't we, Miss Rampling?'
Janey's glance was challenging. If Sybil Rampling wanted to do battle with
her, then she was more than ready for it.
Sybil placed her hand on Rudolph's arm, the diamonds at her throat
sparkling as she arched her slender neck to glance up at him. 'She's right,
Rudy. We do understand each other.'
Esm6, a bundle of tempered fury, rushed up to her brother. 'Sybil was
merely offering to--------------'
'Quiet!' There was such silent authority in his command that Esme fell
back instantly.
'Don't take it to heart, Esme darling,' Sybil purred, detaching herself from
Rudolph to pat the younger girl's arm. 'Janey and I are adult enough not to
take offence when it comes to sparring verbally.'
The tension in the air was relieved as Rudolph's mother entered the room
in a silver brocade gown that suited her frailty, and added a regal quality to
those straight shoulders and proud head.
'Ah, so you've arrived, Sybil.'
'Mrs Brink!' Sybil exclaimed, her features transformed magically as she
swept across the room towards the older woman and clasped her hands. 'It
was so good of you to incite me over for dinner.'
'I thought it would be nice to give Janey a small welcome dinner,' Mrs
Brink explained amiably, extricating herself and coming towards Janey.
'Before I forget, the little one is fast asleep. Dora said I was to reassure you.'
Janey expelled the air from her lungs and forced a smile to her unwilling
lips. 'Thank you very much, Mrs Brink.'
'A glass of wine before dinner, Mother?' Rudolph offered.
'No, thank you, my dear. We can go through now, if you like.'
'Darling, I always look forward to having dinner here with you,' Sybil
remarked, taking Rudolph's arm as they led the way to the dining-room.
'Your mother always organises such superb meals.'
'I supose things will be different from now on,' Esme remarked sullenly as
they followed the others more slowly, and Janey glanced at her with swift
understanding.
'I don't intend to change anything, Esme, and I would never dream of
interfering in your normal household routine.'
'Your presence is already an interference,' the girl said rudely, her lips
tightening with anger.
'I know,' Janey whispered sadly, 'but, believe me, it was unavoidable.'
There was no time to continue the discussion, because they had entered the
dining-room, and Janey's appreciative glance dwelled for a moment on the
oval table with its white damask tablecloth and glittering silverware. The
room was fully carpeted with heavy wine-red curtains drawn across the tall
windows, and two chandeliers were suspended from the ceiling with its low
wooden beams. Just as in the living-room, there was a marble fireplace, but
on this warm summer evening, there was no fire burning in the grate.
Rudolph took his rightful place at the head of the table, with his mother at
the other end, while Janey found herself seated alone, opposite Esme and
Sybil.
It was the most difficult meal she had ever had to sit through. Mrs Brink
was not very talkative, but Sybil made up for that by claiming Rudolph's
attention throughout the superb five-course meal. Esme maintained a
brooding silence, but brightened occasionally when Sybil included her in the
discussion. But, when Janey met her glance at one stage, she was given the
impression that Esme was expecting her to do the unforgivable by using her
dinner knife on the fish, and,1 with a touch of devilment, Janey almost
obliged.
As a welcoming dinner party, the evening was a disaster. Rudolph made no
effort to include Janey in the conversation and, when they finally returned to
the living-room, she was made to feel like an outsider looking in. It was
clear to her that Esme idolised Sybil, and Mrs Brink exuded a warmth
towards her that made Janey realise that Sybil Rampling was an old and
honoured guest in the Brink home. On the few occasions when Rudolph's
glance met hers, his expression remained enigmatic, and she found it
impossible to guess his thoughts. But the crimson vision beside him had him
laughing often with wry humour, and neither did he make any effort to
withdraw from her when, on one specific occasion, Sybil slipped her arms
about his neck and kissed him warmly on the lips.
Janey observed this action with a sickening jolt to her stomach, but her
grey eyes remained veiled as she silently rebuked herself. What did it matter
to her how they behaved?
After Sybil's departure that evening, Janey excused herself at once and
went up to her room. Andrew was asleep in the nursery, his little arms
spread out, his long eyelashes fanning his rosy cheeks. Of everyone
concerned, he was the least affected by this drastic alteration to their life
style, she thought as she stared down at him, a warm rush of love filling her
heart. Silently she lowered the side of the cot and brushed her lips against
his soft cheek. She touched his coppery hair with gentle fingers, smiling as
the unruly curls fell back into place. This child was her life, the reason for
her very existence. She had suffered to keep him, but she had never
regretted it for one moment.
There was the sound of a step behind her, and she stiffened instantly when
she realised that it was Rudolph. He stood beside her, staring down at
Andrew for several seconds before meeting her glance and ... did she
imagine the look of pain that flashed across his face? Was it regret, or the
fact that this innocent child had spoiled his chance of happiness with Sybil
Rampling? she wondered with a touch of cynicism.
'This evening was not exactly a success,' he remarked softly, his features
hardening as he followed her from the nursery.
'I suppose you blame me for that,' she returned swiftly, turning to face him
in her dimly lit bedroom.
'You could have done a great deal to alleviate the tension.'
'By allowing Sybil Rampling to walk all over me?'
His eyes flashed angrily. 'She meant well, but you immediately jumped to
the offensive.'
Janey began to shake with inward anger. 'She intended to make me feel
uncomfortable, but I'm not ashamed of what I am, Rudolph. I may come
from a poor home, but what I have, I earned by the sweat of my brow, and
not by idling away my time among the cream of society while my parents
saw to. it that my bank balance continued to swell.'
Her remarks had been unforgivable, she realised, but somehow she had
been unable to prevent herself from lashing out at him.
'Do I detect a certain amount of envy?'
'I've never envied anyone the kind of lazy existence Sybil leads,' she
countered swiftly, faintly puzzled by his form of attack. 'Wealth has never
impressed me, you know that.'
'Do I?' he murmured, staring at her through narrowed eyes for a moment
before brushing off the subject with a careless shrug. 'I didn't come here to
argue with you, merely to ask you not to pay too much attention to Esme.
She's young and impressionable, and she has, over the years, placed Sybil on
a pedestal.'
The soft light of the lamp" played across her smooth shoulders, while at
the same time bringing touch of gold to her auburn hair. She felt his eyes on
her, and was acutely aware of the impact his presence still had on her
emotions. Not again, she told herself. Never again!
'You don't have to make excuses for your sister, Rudolph. I'm well aware
of the fact that she would have preferred you to marry Miss Rampling. It's
unfortunate that your sense of duty should have dictated differently.'
His eyes flashed with anger once more. 'My sense of duty will never come
between Sybil and myself.'
'I never thought for one moment that it would, but I'm not particularly
interested,' she lashed out, surprised at the flicker of pain within her. 'If you
don't mind, it's been a long and tiring day, and I would like to get to bed.'
'Do that,' he snapped harshly. 'Perhaps we'll be able to have a more
reasonable discussion in the morning when your temper has cooled.'
The door closed behind him and she was alone at last, but her composure
crumbled, and she was once again the old Janey—frightened, unsure of
herself, and now, terribly alone. She was an intruder in Rudolph's life, and in
his home, but there was nothing she could do to alter the situation except to
cling to her dignity and pride.
Rudolph confronted Janey at the breakfast table the following morning, but
before he could speak, Esme walked in and he was forced to remain silent.
Brother and sister spoke little to each other, for Rudolph had donned his
cloak of aloofness, and Esme's eyes showed signs of recent tears. Janey
concentrated on her toast and coffee, but she could not help being curious
about the reason for the younger girl's obvious unhappiness. Was her arrival
at the Brink home to blame fox this?
'May I see you alone for a moment?’ Rudolph asked tersely, rising to his
feet as she prepared to leave. Janey nodded silently and preceded him from
the room. He touched her arm lightly and guided her down the short
passage. 'My study is along here.'
He opened a door and stood aside for her to enter, and she was surprised at
the 'no nonsense' appearance of the room. A few group photographs hung on
the walls, two easy chairs stood in front of the stone fireplace, and a small
bookcase contained several books worth reading, while the others were on
the subject of economics. A filing cabinet stood against the one wall, and
against the other stood a large mahogany desk with a
chair on either side of
it. The walls were panelled, and two large windows allowed the light to
enter, but it was on the wrong side of the house and obviously never saw the
sun.
Janey sat down in the chair he indicated, and waited tensely as he walked
to the other side of his desk to seat himself. 'What did you want to see me
about?'
'I've opened an account for you at the bank into which I shall make a
monthly deposit,' he informed'her abruptly, fiddling with a pencil on his desk
as he mentioned a sum that took her breath away. 'If you should require
more, I trust that you'll let me know.'
'I don't have expensive tastes.'
'Don't you?' His lips curled cynically. 'I hope, however, that you'll let me
know if the amount should be increased.'
His attitude puzzled her, but she chose not to dwell on it for the moment.
'Is this as a result of Sybil's pointed remarks with regard to the inferior
quality of my dress last night?'
'If you would care to question the bank manager, you'll discover that this
account was opened a few days after our marriage.' Heavy-lidded eyes
appraised her with a coolness that sent an involuntary shiver up her spine.
'As far as your clothes are concerned, I don't care whether you buy them off
the peg at a chain store, or have them sent out from. Paris. The money is
there for you to use in whichever way you choose.'
'You could have been free to live your life as you pleased,' she pointed out
with a touch of sarcasm. 'You didn't have to marry me, you know!'
The pencil snapped between his fingers, and he dropped the pieces into the
waste-paper bin as he rose to his feet and walked round to her side, crossing
his arms and leaning against the desk. 'You have a bad memory, Janey. I told
you once before that no one, and nothing, could make me do anything I
didn't want to.'
She remembered only too vividly that evening on the moonlit stretch of
beach when he had uttered a similar sentiment. She had been thrilled by his
nearness then, and had not yet discovered how to control her impulsive
emotions. That Janey was gone for ever, she told herself.
'Do you mean that you actually wanted to marry me, despite the fact that I
no longer care?'
There was a hint of the old devilment in his eyes as they swept over her
