o 53f50dedf5bfd441

by Ria

  those

  muscular arms locked about her. And Rudolph knew this

  too, for he laughed at her puny attempts to free herself.

  'Let me go ... please!' she begged frantically, her breath rasping in her

  throat as she threw back her head to glance up at him, but there was no

  sign of mercy on that hard face above hers.

  'Not this time, Janey,' he said thickly, lifting her effortlessly into his

  arms. There was a soaring in his ears as he dropped her unceremoniously

  on to the bed and pinned her down with the weight of his body. 'This

  time you'll have to suffer the consequences of your foolishness.'

  There was nothing gentle about his lips and hands as she fought against

  him with tears spilling over on to her pale cheeks. His mouth sought the

  hollow against her throat before venturing lower, and she knew the

  sinking feeling of defeat, as resistance drained from her to leave only the

  pulsating desire to fulfil the demands of her own body.

  With a final effort to save herself, she raised her hands to ward off his

  lips, but her hand had slipped inside his shirt and she encountered the

  smooth warm skin of his shoulder beneath her fingertips. It was her

  undoing, for her hand slipped across his back before she could prevent

  herself, her fingers lingering for a moment against the nape of his neck

  before they threaded their way through his coppery hair.

  She could feel him shudder against her, groaning as his lips plundered

  hers once more. But, as his hands fumbled with the zip of her dress, the

  persistent ringing of the telephone penetrated her numbed brain.

  'The telephone!' she gasped, wrenching her mouth from his.

  'Let it ring,' he breathed as his hands encountered soft, warm flesh.

  Fully aware now of what she was doing, and with the shrill sound of the

  telephone forcing her back to reality, ,

  she fought against him with renewed strength until he released her with a

  look of stunned surprise on his face.

  'You'd better answer it. It might be important,' she said unsteadily as she

  rolled away from him and swung her feet on to the floor.

  She turned her back on him as she restored some of the order to her

  clothes, and moments later she heard him leave the room. The telephone

  ceased its ringing, and only the murmured sound of his voice could be

  heard as she stood trembling beside the bed with her hands pressed against

  her flushed cheeks. It was not going to be easy to live this down, she

  realised with horror. Rudolph was not a fool and he must have realised

  that, despite her protestations, she was more than willing to give him what

  he ~ desired.

  'Oh, God,' she moaned. 'How am I going to explain away my actions?'

  She pulled herself together with an effort as she heard him replace the

  receiver, and then he stood framed in her bedroom door.

  'There are complications with the installation of one of the machines at

  the factory,' he told her abruptly. 'If you'll get yourself ready, I'll drive you

  out to your parents' and meet you there later when I've cleared up this

  problem.'

  'I... won't be a moment.'

  'And don't rejoice too soon,' he rapped out harshly, his eyes raking her

  from head to foot. 'This is only a temporary reprieve.'

  A temporary reprieve. The words enveloped her like a sombre cloak that

  refused to be shed as they drove out to Bellville. Not even Andrew's bright

  little face could entirely i dispense with the tension that was spiralling

  through her. The telephone had saved her from making a complete fool of

  herself, but she could not count on it a second time.

  She tried not to think about it while she helped her

  mother in the kitchen, hoping that Rudolph's anger would have cooled

  considerably by-the time he returned. But he looked tired and agitated when

  he arrived just before dinner that evening and joined her father in the lounge.

  It was not a promising sign, but, some minutes later, she was surprised to

  find him relaxing with a glass of her father's best wine, and discussing her

  father's retirement at the end of that year.

  'Is there no possibility of your staying on another three years until you're

  sixty-three?' Rudolph was asking.

  'I could have, yes, but the job has become a bit strenuous at my age, and

  there are no desk jobs going vacant.'

  'Do you know anything about machinery?'

  'I've worked with machinery all my life.'

  'I wonder ...' Rudolph began, thoughtful for a moment as he drained his

  glass. 'I shall need someone at the end of the year to be in charge of the

  assembly plant. It will be mainly a desk job with a limited amount of

  physical activity.' Janey held her breath as he leaned forward in his chair to

  glance persuasively at her father. 'Would you be interested?'

  'Well, I..Janey met her father's glance and, noticing the obvious query in

  their depths, she shook her head unobtrusively to indicate that she had

  played no part in Rudolph's unexpected offer. 'Do you think it would be

  worth taking someone like myself who couldn't give you more than five—

  seven years at the most?'

  'I need someone with experience at the moment, and there'll be plenty of

  time to train your assistant.'

  Standing slightly behind Rudolph's chair, Janey felt her heart swelling with

  gratitude. If only her father would accept Rudolph's offer, she thought

  anxiously, as she watched him chewing thoughtfully at the stem of his pipe.

  'May I discuss this with my wife before I give you my answer?'

  'Certainly,' Rudolph replied swiftly, glancing up at Janey for the first time,

  and she trembled at the unexpected warmth in his eyes.

  'Dinner is ready,' she announced softly, loath to interrupt the relaxed

  atmosphere, but the two men rose instantly and followed her through to the

  dining-room.

  Throughout the rest of the evening, she found herself subjected to

  Rudolph's penetrating glances that brought a flush to her cheeks and

  increased her pulse rate rapidly. When he spoke to her, his voice was low

  and pleasant, and she found herself responding deliriously to the warmth and

  affection he displayed. This was all for the benefit of her parents, she told

  herself in an effort to discourage her emotions, yet she could not remain

  entirely unaffected by his attentions.

  . After arranging to collect Andrew at a certain time the following morning,

  they drove back to the hotel in silence. Several times she tried to speak to

  Rudolph, but each time the words died on her lips before they were uttered.

  How could she thank him for the wonderful offer he had made her father,

  when his threat hung so heavily between them? What could she say to ward

  off the inevitable?

  The war of nerves had resumed and continued as they each went to their

  respective bedrooms. Bathed and ready for bed, Janey sat brushing her hair,

  her nerves jumping at each little sound in the room alongside hers. Would he

  carry out his threat, or would he relent now that his anger had subsided?

  This was ridiculous, she thought, flinging the brush aside with a gesture of

  irritation. She was dreading, yet hoping he would come, and
these two

  emotions were fighting their own private battle within her until she felt as

  though she could scream. To the devil with Rudolph, she decided finally,

  pulling back the covers and slipping into

  bed. She was going to sleep, and he could jolly well choke in his own

  threats!

  The door opened suddenly and her heart shot into her mouth. Smelling

  of aftershave lotion, and with his hair still slightly damp from his shower,

  he came towards her with slow, purposeful treads. Her hand fell away

  from the light switch as her eyes fastened on to his tanned chest, which

  was generously displayed above the belt of his silk dressing- gown.

  'Rudolph I—I'd like, to explain about—about this morning,' she began

  nervously as the bed sagged beneath his weight. He made no effort to

  stop her as she stumbled into her explanation, but her voice sounded

  strangely unconvincing to her own ears as she ended with, 'You have my

  word that nothing else happened.'

  The silence that followed was almost deafening as she lay among the

  pillows praying for a final reprieve, but Rudolph merely nodded with

  inscrutable calmness, and said: 'I'll accept that, but it doesn't alter the

  situation.'

  He leaned towards her then, taking her face between his warm hands to

  prevent her from turning her head away. For seemingly endless seconds

  she felt herself being devoured by his fiery glance while emotions began

  to stir within her, quickening her pulse and making her totally receptive

  to his touch. She closed her eyes as he lowered * his head, every nerve in

  her body aware of his dominant masculinity. His mouth moved over hers,

  parting her lips and drawing a response from her that left her trembling

  with the enormity of it. His fingers caressed her throat before they

  brushed aside die flimsy straps of her neglige.

  'Rudolph,' she sighed protestingly against his lips, 'you . can't build a

  marriage on desire alone.'

  'Perhaps not, but this is not the time for an analysis,' he argued hoarsely,

  his lips exploring the enchanting cleft between her breasts until flames of

  desire swept along her veins.

  'No ... no, don't,' she moaned, in a final attempt to ward off his

  conquering lips while she was being immersed in sensations she had

  thought never to experience again.

  'Do you deny that you want me as much as I want you?' he demanded

  without raising his head.

  'Yes,' she gasped defiantly, but her fast, shallow breathing denied this

  statement.

  'Liar,' he laughed softly, shrugging himself out of his dressing-gown and

  flinging out an arm to switch off the light.

  Bitterness and self-condemnation would result from her actions as surely

  as the sun would rise on a new day. This Janey knew with a certainty that

  could not be denied, but, for this one night of ecstasy, she was prepared to

  forget his deceit, and the existence of Sybil Rampling.

  Janey was not surprised when, instead of lessening, the tension grew

  between Rudolph and herself. After their return to Johannesburg, she saw

  very little of him, but she was agonisingly aware of the possibility that Sybil

  featured prominently in his life once more. Nothing had changed, she

  realised, except for the painful thoughts of how easily she had surrendered

  herself, but she preferred not to dwell on it.

  At the first available opportunity to speak to Mrs Brink alone, Janey

  broached the subject which had been troubling her for so long.

  'Mother, that portrait in the attic room—the portrait of Portia de Waal.' The

  older woman seemed to want to shy away from the subject, but Janey joined

  her on the sofa in the living-room and touched her arm with a measure of

  urgency. 'I must know, Mother.'

  'It troubles you, doesn't it?'

  'Yes, it does,' Janey admitted, removing the faded photograph from the

  pocket of her skirt and holding it out towards Mrs Brink. 'Take a look at

  this.'

  Mrs Brink appeared stunned as she studied the photograph carefully.

  'Where did you find it?'

  'In a box containing dusty old photographs of my family.'

  'Janey, I...' Her voice trailed off into silence and Janey had to rescue the

  photograph as it fell from her lifeless fingers.

  'Tell me about her, Mother,' Janey persisted quietly.

  'Rudolph's great-grandfather, Louis Brink, had this house built for Portia,'

  Mrs Brink stated, leaning back against the sofa and closing her eyes for a

  moment. 'It was completed a few weeks before their marriage and they

  moved in, with Portia's mother as chaperone. Portia was apparently

  fascinated by the room in the attic because of the view. You must remember,

  Janey, that Houghton didn't exist in those days, and this was one of the few

  houses erected in this area, and there was nothing but uncultivated yield

  surrounding it. However,' she continued, her voice gathering strength,

  'Portia begged Louis to allow her to use the attic as her bedroom, and he

  relented. He loved her desperately, I believe, but she became ill, and died on

  the day they were to have been married.' There was a film of tears in her

  eyes. 'Louis was beside himself with grief and kept her room just as it was,

  cleaned and tidied regularly as if she were still living in it. The only addition

  to the room was the portrait, and Louis spent many hours there, just staring

  at it, and with his memories for comfort. He was tremendously sentimental

  and, after his death, his will stated that the room be kept as it was for as long

  as his descendants remained in this house.'

  'Who did he marry eventually?' Janey asked, finding it difficult to force the

  words past the lump in her throat.

  'He married a childhood friend, Sarah van Huysteen,' Mrs Brink sighed,

  dabbing her eyes with the lace handkerchief she always carried. 'Sarah, I

  was told, always loved Louis, but when he met Portia, she knew that she had

  lost. She remained a good friend to them both and, when Portia died so

  suddenly, it was to Sarah that Louis turned for comfort. She was a quiet,

  undemanding person, respecting his wish to keep Portia's room as it was,

  and understanding his desire to spend time there.' There was a faint smile

  about her lips as she met Janey's glance. 'I must admit that her understanding

  was phenomenal, for I couldn't have lived with the shadow of another

  woman hovering over me.'

  The shadow of another woman—a woman like Sybil, Janey thought

  bitterly. Was that not exactly what she was doing? Married to Rudolph, but

  living beneath Sybil's shadow—a Sybil who was very much alive?

  'What happened to Portia's mother?' she asked, shaking off her personal

  problems.

  'Louis wanted her to remain in this house, but she declined his offer and

  returned to her family in the Cape,' Mrs Brink told her, a deep frown

  between her brows. Tm not too sure, but I think she had a son living there.

  Why?'

  The last piece of the puzzle had fallen into place, and Janey felt a stirring

  of excitement. It was unbelievable, but it was true, she told herself as she

  explained the reason for her queries to Mrs Brink. 'That son—P
ortia's

  brother— was my great-grandfather!'

  'But that's impossible,' the older woman exclaimed, a nerve twitching at

  the side of her mouth. 'Do you mean to tell me that, after all these years, you

  and Rudolph succeeded where Louis and Portia had failed?'

  'It appears so.'

  'How strange,' Mrs Brink murmured with a sigh.

  It would have seemed stranger still, if Janey had told her of the instant

  recognition between Rudolph and herself at their first meeting. But that was

  all so long ago, and the link might still be broken when Rudolph finally

  decided that he wanted to marry Sybil.

  Esme hinted, later that day, that Sybil was contemplating a short holiday in

  Durban, and Sybil confirmed this when she came to dinner ±e following

  evening and found Janey alone on the patio. She approached with a flutter of

  decorative lace, and the aura of perfume which always surrounded her.

  'I need a change, I think,' she began with aplomb, her sudden amicability

  placing Janey instantly on her guard. 'I thought a few days in Durban might

  do me the world of good. The climate there is always exceptional this time

  of the year when the Transvaal is in the first throes of autumn.'

  'When do you plan to take this holiday?' Janey asked cautiously.

  'Oh, I haven't decided yet,' she said evasively, a secretive smile hovering

  about her scarlet lips. 'Perhaps next week, or the week after that. I'm not

  sure.'

  Janey experienced the stirring of uneasiness within her. She ought to

  rejoice at the prospect of Sybil being away for a few days, but something

  warned her that there was far more behind this intended holiday than the

  ordinary desire to enjoy herself at the coast.

  An unexpected letter from Alison drove these disturbing thoughts

  temporarily from her mind. She wrote to inform Janey that the date for her

  wedding had been brought forward to the twenty-eighth of April, as her

  future husband, Derek, was going to America on a scholarship and she

  would be accompanying him. He had no immediate family, therefore they

  planned a quiet wedding in Cape Town, and she hoped that Janey and

  Rudolph would attend.

  It was not until the following week that Janey had the opportunity to speak

  to Rudolph about it, and it was then that her uneasiness began to take

  definite shape. He called her into his study the Thursday evening after