by Ria
following morning. Devilment had made her agree to something she would
not have considered normally, but it was too late now to cancel their
appointment—besides, she had no idea where Tony was staying, and asking
Myrna van Wijk for his address was out of the quesuon.
'I nodced that you didn't exactly lack company this evening,' Rudolph
remarked, discarding his jacket as they entered their suite.
'As a matter of fact, I found Tony an interesting conversationalist,' she told
him defiantly, instantly on the defensive. -
'Oh, so it's Tony, is it?'
She stiffened at the sarcasm in his voice. 'That's his name, I'm told.'
'Careful, your claws are showing!'
Janey's grey eyes flashed dangerously, but she decided against lashing out
at him. 'I'm going to bed.'
'Just a minute.' His fingers latched on to her arm before she had taken half
a dozen steps, and she was swung round forcibly until she almost collided
with his solid chest. 'I didn't very much care for the way he was hanging
around you all evening.'
'You make it all sound disgusting, when in actual fact it was nothing of the
kind,' she argued, finding it difficult to remain angry when every part of her
was aware of his nearness, and his devastating masculinity. She managed to
release her arm from his grasp and moved a few paces away, maintaining a
safe distance between them. 'After dinner everyone scattered, including you,
Rudolph. I was left with a handful of strangers who were too busy dis-
cussing their next venue to be bothered with me. Tony noticed that, and was
kind enough to keep me company.'
'How very observant of him,' Rudolph mocked harshly.
'Perhaps it's just as well that we're returning to Johannesburg the day after
tomorrow.'
'And what's that supposed to mean?'
Rudolph studied her intently with narrowed eyes before he replied. 'It
means, my dear, that Tony Parker collects women like a scalp-hunter
collects scalps.'
'Really?' she remarked sarcastically. 'It takes one scalp- hunter to recognise
another, it seems.'
During the explosive silence that followed, Janey became aware of a
terrible anger vibrating through him. His hands were clenched at his sides
and, when she raised her eyes to his, she flinched as if he had struck her
physically.
'Don't be too clever, Janey, you might get hurt.'
His voice had a grating sound to it that scraped along her nerves, leaving a
trail of fear that silenced her effectively and left her subdued. 'If you don't
mind, I'm rather tired, and I
'
'Before you go,' he interrupted, lighting a cigarette with hands that shook
visibly, 'I shall be at the new factory premises tomorrow, but I should be free
from about three in the afternoon. I thought we might spend the rest of the
afternoon, as well as the evening, with your parents.'
Startled by his suggestion, she heard herself murmur without enthusiasm:
'That would be very nice, thank you.'
'What will you be doing in the morning?'
Shaken considerably by his direct question, she stared at him dumbly for a
moment. Perhaps she should tell him the truth and get it over with, she
thought frantically, but to mention Tony at this stage would merely inflame
his anger once more.
'Don't worry about me, I'll ... find something to do,' she eventually replied
somewhat haltingly, avoiding his perceptive eyes and turning towards her
bedroom. 'Goodnight.'
This time he did not stop her, and she closed the door firmly behind her
with a heart that was pounding agonisingly against her temples. She should
never have agreed to Tony's suggestion, she rebuked herself harshly. If
Rudolph found out ...! She shivered involuntarily at the thought. The
planned excursion would be harmless, but would she be able to convince
Rudolph of this?
The diamond pendant sparkled against her skin and, quite suddenly, his
remark came back to her like a revealing flash of lightning.
'It should suit your expensive taste,' Rudolph had said, and there were two
other occasions when a similar remark had puzzled her. Once when she had
mentioned that wealth did not impress her, he had appeared to view her
remark with cynicism, and then, when she had refused the offer of a car of
her own, his disbelief amounted to much the same.
Did he, for some reason, consider that she would be impressed by his
wealth? Or that his wealth had been the deciding factor when she had agreed
to marry him?
This was something worth considering, she decided eventually as she
undid the catch with a measure of distaste and allowed the pendant to lie in
the palm of her hand. Rudolph had given her this gift, not because he had
the desire to please her, but because he felt that this was what she expected
of him.
It was a sobering thought to end the day with, and one she would have to
analyse carefully.
Tony Parker came eagerly towards her as she stepped from the lift. Slim-
hipped, and slightly bulky about the shoulders, he was dressed casually in
beige slacks and leather jacket.
'Am I late?' she asked nervously.
'Dead on me, honey,' he smiled, taking her arm as he guided her from die
building to where he had parked his car.
Ensconced in the comfortable seat of his cream sports model, she turned to
face him. 'Where would you like me to take you?’ she asked.
His dark eyes held a certain warmth that made her wary. If Rudolph had
spoken the truth, she thought as Tony took his time replying, she would have
to be careful lest he got the impression that she was ready to join the ranks
of his conquests.
'Would you believe me, honey,' he said at last. 'I've been here three whole
weeks, and I haven't been up your famous Table Mountain yet.'
'We have a perfect day for doing just that,' she replied, glancing up at the
clear blue sky.
'Then what are we waiting for?'
Contrary to all her fears, Tony Parker turned out to be a pleasant
companion, and before long Janey found herself completely at ease with
him. What was more, she liked him. His easy-going attitude made her relax
as they journeyed up the mountain in the cable car. He took photographs just
like most tourists and, once at the top, she found it enjoyable pointing out
certain landmarks to him.
It was a hot, clear day and, with the city spread out before them at the foot
of the mountain, she drew his attention to the two smaller mountains, Devil's
Peak and Lion's Head, flanking Table Mountain.
'I do believe I can see the Castle from here,' he remarked as though the fact
surprised him.
'Yes, you can,' she laughed, 'and you can also see the Grand Parade, which
is nothing more than a car park during the week, except on Saturdays.'
'What's so special about Saturdays?'
'That's when the Grand Parade comes to life and becomes a teeming
market place where people of all races, and from all walks of life, can buy or
sell their merchandise,' she told him. 'You seldom intend buying something,
but yo
u rarely leave without doing so.'
Memories of a market place in another province flashed vividly through
her mind. She had been with Rudolph— a different Rudolph from the harsh
man she ,was now married to, and she had been in the throes of falling in
love for the first and only time in her life.
'Come back, honey,' Tony's voice cut through her thoughts. 'I got die
feeling that you were suddenly miles away.'
Thrusting aside her bitter-sweet memories, she smiled at him briefly. 'If we
walk across to the other side of the mountain, you might be able to see as far
as the Hottentots- Holland mountains.'
'You've just got to be kidding,' he protested as he fell into step beside her.
'That mountain range with the unpronounceable name must be all of fifty
kilometres away.'
'Come and see for yourself,' she laughed as he took her arm across the
rough surface, and within a short space of time she proved her point.
Finally, standing on a boulder with the light breeze lifting her hair as her
glance swept the rugged mountains in the distance, she realised just how
much she had missed Cape Town with its historical background and its wide
expanse of ocean. She had once dreamed of the day when she would be able
to show Rudolph all her favourite places, instead she was sharing a little of
what she had planned with a stranger. Tony—she had almost forgotten about
him until she became aware of his dark glance appraising her with an
intensity that sent a flush surging into her cheeks.
'You know, Janey, you're as pretty as a picture standing there silhouetted
against the sky.'
'I'm sure you say something equally charming to every woman you meet,’
she laughed self-consciously, jumping down and seating herself on the flat
rock beside him.
'You hurt my feelings, honey, when you say things like that.’
'But it's true, isn't it?' she persisted, meeting his level glance. There are
many women, and you do make use of flattery because it's part of your
technique.'
He flinched visibly. 'You're making me feel like some sort of monster who
flatters women into submission in order to have my way with them.'
CI wasn't insinuating anything so drastic!'
'No, honey,' he agreed readily, 'but part of it is true. I love women—all of
them—that's why I haven't settled down yet with a wife. There's never yet
been one with whom I've thought I could spend die rest of my life, until He
hesitated significantly, his eyes dark and frighteningly passionate as they
held her glance. 'Janey, you're not a fool, so let me be honest with you.'
Something warned Janey to end this conversation, but, sensing her
intentions, Tony raised a silencing hand.
'Wait, honey, hear me out, then I won't mention the subject again.' A
frightened pulse beat against her throat while she waited for him to continue,
her hands tightly clenched in her lap. 'I've fallen in love with you, Janey. I
know it sounds crazy, but I knew it the moment I set eyes on you. I've tried
to reason with myself, that what I feel for you is the same as what I felt for
all the others, but this time I haven't been able to convince myself.*
A rock-rabbit, its brown fur thick and smooth, emerged from its hiding
place to sun itself on a ledge, while Janey struggled to find the right words.
'Tony ... I'm married.'
'Do you think I don't realise that?' he blurted out. 'But I also know that
you're not happy, Janey. A woman who is completely happy in her marriage
has a certain glow about her one finds impossible to ignore.' There was a
tightness about his lips as he placed a finger beneath her chin and raised her
face to his. 'In your eyes, honey, I see a deep sadness that makes me want to
take you in my arms and shelter you from the storms of life.'
There was something in his warm glance that touched her heart, but not in
the way he would have wished. 'Tony ... I... don't know what to say ...'
'Do you love your husband?' he asked.
'Very much.'
'Then why the sadness, honey?'
She sighed heavily as she rose to her feet and moved a few paces away
from him. 'Things happened between Rudolph and myself, Tony, that aren't
so easy to forget, or to understand.'
'Would you like to talk about it?' He was on his feet instantly, turning her
to face him. 'Honey, if I can help in any way '
'No,' she interrupted, shaking her head. 'You're very kind, Tony, but we'll
find a solution to our problems in our own way.'
His dark eyes were watchful. 'What would you say if I told you that I had
every intention of doing everything in my power to win your love?'
She brushed a strand of hair from her face and smiled wanly. 'I would say
you'd be wasting your time. My heart is no longer my own, Tony. I'm
honoured that you should feel this way about me, but accept the fact that I
could never offer you anything more than this brief friendship.'
There was a look of defeat in his eyes as they silently retraced their steps,
and took the next cable car down the mountain.
'
'Will you have lunch with me, Janey?' he asked as they drove back to the
city centre.
She glanced at her watch and was surprised to see that it was past twelve.
'I should be getting back to the hotel.'
'Is it too much to ask, when you stop to consider that I may never see you
again?'
'I suppose not, Tony,' she replied, realising that it was a mistake, but unable
to withstand the pleading note in his voice.
His hand touched hers briefly before returning to the steering wheel, but it
was enough to convey his thanks.
They lunched at a small restaurant in Sea Point and, although they had had
no intention of lingering over their meal, it was two-thirty when Tony parked
his car at the hotel entrance and helped her to alight.
'If I could have stretched these hours spent with you into eternity, I would
have done so,' he said hoarsely, raising her hand to his lips. 'I shall never
forget you, Janey.'
But he would forget, she told herself with some certainty as she entered the
lift and pressed the button for the fourth floor. Men like Tony soon forget
passionate promises of constancy when the next pretty face appears on their
horizon
.CHAPTER NINE
RUDOLPH stepped in from the balcony as Janey entered their suite. He had
removed his de and unbuttoned his shirt, she noticed, but she knew a stab of
fear as she raised her glance a little higher. His face was dark with anger as
he came towards her, the muscles in his cheeks bulging with the effort to
control himself, and she knew with chilling certainty that he had seen Tony
Parker drop her off at the entrance.
'I hope you enjoyed a pleasant morning?' he remarked caustically as Janey
struggled desperately to find her voice. 'You may not have realised it, but
from the balcony one has an excellent view of the street below, and also of
the entrance to the hotel.'
She licked her lips nervously. 'I suppose I owe you an explanation.'
'You're damned right, you do,' he lashed out with a severity that made her
wince. 'But I don't know whether I care to hear it.'
It was not difficult to imagine the direction his thoughts had taken, and she
paled visibly. 'Rudolph, nothing happened that I have to be ashamed of.'
'Do you expect me to believe that,' he demanded cynically. 'You spend
almost six hours in the company of a man like Anthony Parker, and you
expect me to believe that nothing happened? What about that touching little
scene I witnessed before he left you at the entrance and drove off?'
'He kissed my hand, that was all,' she protested hollowly.
'Rather an anti-climax after the hours of passion, don't
you think?' he drove his accusation home with an accuracy that unleashed
her fury.
'That's a disgusting assumption!'
‘Is it?' His lips twisted into a smile that filled her with a sense of
foreboding. ‘Prove it.'
A quiver of apprehension raced through Janey as she stared at him
blankly for a moment during the explosive silence that followed, her mind
refusing to grasp the implication of his statement. He seemed to tower over
her menacingly, while she struggled to maintain her composure, hoping
feverishly that she had misunderstood.
'I don't think I... understand.'
'Don't you?' His glance was harsh with mockery. 'Then Jiet me spell it out
for you. Give me what you've so frigidly denied me ever since our
marriage.'
'That's not funny,' she gasped brokenly as she shrank away from him, 'and
I don't think I want to continue this conversation.'
His expression frightened her, and she fled to her bedroom, only to find
him right behind her as he threw his weight against the door to prevent her
from shutting him out. Her fear turned to panic when he pushed her further
into the room and closed the door behind him.
'I meant every word I said.'
'No!' she cried, searching desperately for a way of escape and finding
none. 'You can't expect me to do as you say!'
'On second thoughts, I'm not asking ...' he continued as if she had not
spoken, and she could not avoid those cruel hands as they fastened about
her wrists, jerking her roughly against the hardness of his body. 'I'm taking!'
Her heart was beating so fast that she found difficulty in breathing as he
pinned her arms at her sides with his own. She struggled helplessly against
him, but knew that her efforts were futile against the quality of steel in
