“Where are we going?” she hissed at him while smiling and nodding to someone who seemed vaguely familiar.
“We’re going to say hello to the host and hostess,” Alex murmured close to her ear. He waved in the direction of a voice hailing him, but kept going. Diana couldn’t see any goal to his purposeful striding.
“I don’t see them,” she whispered to him. “Where are they?”
He nodded over to a big fireplace that was lit and roaring, and to the small group of people chattering close by. Diana could pick out Alicia, small though she was, but didn’t know Derrick Payne to recognise him. “Which one is Derrick?” she asked him quickly. They were fast approaching the group.
Alex looked at her and, with a smile that made them look as if they were talking about light, trivial matters when they really weren’t, said softly, “Do you see the large one over there right next to the fireplace, with the grey suit and the dark green tie?”
Diana looked and felt a bubble of laughter pop up from her stomach. The fellow was balding and fat, the large hands going to gesture with his conversation and returning to his belly to absentmindedly caress its width. She gurgled, “Do you mean the bloated capitalist?”
Alex only had time to glance at Diana quickly, a light of laughter in the blue of his eyes, and then they were up to the group.
Chapter Eight
Alex said smoothly, “Good evening, Derrick, Alicia.” The group split and Alicia turned to face them, her face showing a startled surprise for an instant before smoothing over into a smile of delighted response.
Diana watched her closely and thought to herself, I bet she never expected us to show up. I bet she just came to Mason that day to see how much Alex suspected, and to see what she could get away with. Alex talked to Derrick for a moment and introduced Diana to him. She stayed silent, watching the two talk and the reactions of the group around her. Derrick was very nervous; it showed in the flutter of his fat fingers and in the way he answered Alex in quick-spoken sentences. The rest of the group was wary, everyone waiting to see how the meeting between the two men went before saying anything themselves. Alicia was looking from Alex to her father with a very tiny smile playing about her lips. She’s enjoying this, Diana thought. Even though it’s her own father who’s so uncomfortable, that bitch is loving every minute of it.
Alicia turned to her suddenly. Her hair was piled high in careful little ringlets with a few escaping down her neck. She wore a very tiny black dress that had little up top, and slits up the sides. Her eyes looked very large and bright. She lifted one heavily jewelled hand up to her hair and patted it absentmindedly. Diana was reminded of Derrick’s fat hands and had to quell a shudder. Alicia said, “How nice of you to come, Diana.” She eyed Diana up and down, a sharpness in her eyes that hadn’t been there before, the first time they met. “You’re looking so lovely tonight,” she cooed on. “That dress is beautiful! And you have those lovely legs to carry it off, too.” Alicia fingered a necklace, one of many that she wore, and Diana remembered her own large and heavy silver bracelet that she wore on her right arm. It was the only piece of jewellery that she wore, bringing attention to the slender curve of her arm and giving the impression of something ethereal being chained to the heavy earth. Alicia looked at it too.
“Thank you, Alicia,” she said quietly, her eyes amused. “You’re looking very beautiful tonight, but then you were looking beautiful the first time I met you, too.”
Alicia preened a little, smoothing down the sides of her dress carefully. Diana wondered with distaste why she hadn’t caught that particular mannerism the first time they had met. Alex turned to Diana and looked at her with eyebrows raised. Music had started up at the far end of the room and couples were beginning to dance. He hadn’t spoken to Alicia since they had arrived.
Diana nodded with a smile and they drew together after murmuring excuses to the group, beginning to dance slowly. Both of them missed the sharp breath Alicia drew in at being so patently ignored or the way her eyes followed them through the entire dance, her eyes now very sharp and dagger-bright, noting everything. They didn’t see Alicia’s hands clench together in a spasm of uncontrolled fury, nor did they care.
Alex told Diana softly, “After checking out every female in this room with all due consideration, I still hold you to being the most beautiful one here tonight.”
Diana snorted, a very inelegant sound. “And you’ve had time to check out every female in the room? I bet you’ve carefully studied even the maids that are serving the drinks!”
Alex replied modestly, “Well, I do try my best, you know.”
She muttered, I bet you do!”
He bent his head down to hers, his eyes very close and very amused. “What was that you said?”
She was sure he heard every word of her muttered retort. “Oh, never mind!” she replied, and felt his chest quake in a silent chuckle.
The dance was a slow and dreamy one, the music soft and mellow. Somehow Diana’s head ended up on Alex’s shoulder and his face rested against her hair; she never remembered just how it happened. Thinking about how hard it was to think about any business around Alex any more, she gave a great sigh, and his arms tightened.
“Now just what was that for?” He held her away from him to look down and ask.
“What was what for?” she asked, grinning at him. She knew what he had meant, but she had no intention of telling him the answer to his question.
“You know what I meant.” His mouth was pulled sideways in a cock-eyed smile that lent an easy charm to his features.
Diana opened her eyes very wide at that and pursed her lips, shaking her head. The dance ended and she stepped back.
Alex started to reply, “You’re just putting me on and I know it—”
“Why, hello there!” a man’s voice boomed behind Diana. Her eyes widened in dismay as she recognised the owner of that voice and Alex had to smother a smile of amusement at the look on her face. She disguised it very quickly, though, and when she turned to greet Brent and Vanessa Valsing, she wore the most placid of looks.
“Mr. and Mrs. Valsing!” Diana exclaimed with every evidence of pleasure. Alex’s polite smile of greeting to the Valsings widened perceptively. “How good to see you again.” Diana shook hands with Brent first and then Vanessa. “But I thought you were in Kentucky for some reason.”
Vanessa replied with a smile that looked like it was painted on, “I have family in Kentucky, but I don’t remember telling anyone that we were going there in the near future.” She looked blankly at her husband, who shook his head.
“Oh,” said Diana. “Well, that was probably what I heard and I’m remembering it wrong.” Everybody looked at each other. A thundering crash seemed to fairly shake the house and Diana jumped.
Vanessa laughed nervously. “Oh, these storms you all seem to have around here! They’re enough to scare the living daylights out of one, sometimes.” She gave a nervous giggle.
Diana moved over to a large window and stared outside. So far, it seemed to be all thunder and lightning and water. A bit noisy, maybe, and wet, but nothing to get really excited over yet. She looked at Alex and nodded. There was nothing to worry about right now.
They talked to the Valsings and as soon as possible made excuses to get away. Escaping to the other side of the room, Diana whispered to Alex, “Whatever did she mean by ‘those storms we seem to get’—do you know?”
Alex shook his head. “Nobody knows.” He caught sight of someone that he knew and whispered to her, “Excuse me, will you?” and moved over to say something to him.
She stood watching people around her. She turned to pick up a glass that a maid offered to her politely when a voice spoke at her elbow. “And are you having a good time, Miss…er—”
Diana swung around to see Derrick Payne. “Carrington, Diana Carrington,” she supplied helpfully.
“Ah, yes. Miss Carrington,” Derrick Payne’s little eyes had a dull expression in them, even though hi
s lips were smiling. She was secretly repulsed, although she tried hard to hide it. “How do like my home?” he rumbled, gesturing with a plump hand that was very pompous.
Smiling a little wider, Diana admitted honestly, “I think it’s really attractive, Mr. Payne. Did your wife decorate the house?”
Something flickered in his eyes and was gone. Diana was unsure as to what it had been, the reaction had been so quick. It could have been merely a spark of intelligence, a look of surprise, a touch of—grief?
He replied, “My wife decorated the house right after she gave birth to Alicia, twenty-four years ago. Since then, Alicia would have me redecorate in a more modern design, but I prefer it this way.” He looked about the room, then finished his drink in a few quick gulps. A maid passed by; he grabbed a fresh drink from her tray and at the same time deposited his empty glass. Diana’s eyebrows shot up at the movement, for it had been amazingly quick for so large a person. Derrick Payne continued, “She passed away shortly afterwards, but of course you would have heard of that.”
Diana worked the information around in her mind. She now thought she knew what the look had been on Derrick’s face; it had been a look of anger. He had assumed that Diana knew of his wife’s death and had mentioned her out of tactlessness or malice. After standing still for a moment, Diana made a short quick movement with one hand. The heavy bracelet winked in the light; she looked at it. She said very quietly, “I’m sorry, Mr. Payne. I didn’t know. It was stupid of me.”
He glanced at her and then away. “Quite all right, my dear. It was a long time ago.” His other drink was almost gone and he finished it quickly. A dull flush was beginning to show on his face and around the loose jowls. He said suddenly, abruptly, “Maybe it was better things have happened the way they have and Charlotte died at the time she did. She would have been unhappy now, I think.” He didn’t look at Diana. There was a pause in the midst of all the chattering and laughter that came from various parts of the room and from different groups. “Would you like to see my collection of antique china, Miss Carrington? My wife was very proud of it.”
Diana smiled, this time with pleasure. “I would like that, Mr. Payne.”
They made their way into another room, a much smaller room this time, with ornate rugs on the hardwood floor and two large couches in the middle. To the right were several large glass cabinets, light bouncing off the gleaming and polished front. Derrick led Diana to the first one and began to explain the pieces of china that were propped inside. Diana was extremely interested and for the duration of Derrick Payne’s little talk, remained silent except for a few intelligent questions. After chatting for a while, they began to head back to the large party room where the rest of the guests were.
On the way back, Derrick Payne suddenly asked, “Tell me, Miss Carrington, how are things going for you at Mason Steel? Are you liking your work there?”
Diana felt a bit wary and answered carefully, “I’m finding the work very hard, of course, but I like it better than anything I’ve ever done before. I’m very lucky—luckier than most people, I think, because I’m in the unique position of power where I’m enough of my own boss to satisfy my independence, and yet not be burdened down with the heavy responsibility of ownership.”
Derrick nodded ponderously. “You seem to handle your responsibilities well, too. I hear that it’s largely through your quick intervention that Mason Steel was able to make it through the…ah, rough times in the past.” It was the closest he had ever come to speaking to Diana about the price war that occupied so much of her time in the weeks before.
Diana felt a slight shock of realisation that she had just spent a surprisingly pleasant half hour with the man who had been responsible for the near ruin of Mason Steel. Payne’s remark immediately put her on guard as she intuitively guessed that he was much more complex than the “bloated capitalist” she had so blithely assumed.
Modesty was the better part of valour, she decided. “Oh, I daresay they would have made it through without me,” she replied, smiling slightly.
Derrick was watching her closely out of little pig-like eyes. “But yet you were the one who assumed the responsible role and pulled things together. I like that; it shows a rare talent.” I bet, Diana thought. “In fact, I admire it so much that I’m eager to get people like you involved on my own staff.” He rocked a little on his heels, drumming his sides with his fingers. “Just to let you know, my dear, if you’re ever in need of a job, just come to me. I guarantee you a position of responsibility any time you like. I’m even willing to consider a raise in salary up to twice that of your present pay.”
Diana had to suppress a cry of astonishment at Derrick’s words. In the end, all she managed to get out was, “Oh, Mr. Payne, you don’t know what ridiculously high wages I’m getting now. In fact, my last raise was quite extraordinary. Too much, I thought.” The amusement that she felt at Derrick’s amazing proposition died and she continued quite hardly, “Besides, loyalty can’t really be bought, not with money.”
There was a silence as they both eyed each other. Derrick’s eyes were narrowed; Diana’s were cold. He bowed slightly and said with a note of mockery that had not been apparent in his voice before, “Thank you, Miss Carrington, for a most pleasant interlude.” He turned and walked away.
Diana stared after him with a bemused expression. She realised now that the only reason Derrick Payne had invited her to the other room had been to discuss the possibility of her allegiance taking a major switch from one employer to another.
She started as a voice sounded right beside her left ear. “And what was that all about?” Alex asked softly, his eyes following Derrick’s movements across the room with a shade of suspicion.
Diana turned. “I think,” she said, “I’ve just been bribed.”
Alex hissed, sucking in his breath sharply. His eyes narrowed in anger, then swivelled to take in her expression. “And might I ask the outcome of the little talk?” he enquired quietly.
Diana felt a surge of hurt and anger. Her eyes flashed as she retorted. “Good lord, Alex, do you even have to ask?” She then pivoted on her heel and jerked away quickly, intent on putting as much distance between herself and Alex as possible. He started to follow, but jerked to a momentary halt as Alicia announced to the room in general that the buffet dinner would be starting in the next room and for everyone to help themselves.
Diana had turned at her announcement, as had everyone else in the room, and she was just in time to see Alicia put her hand on Alex’s arm and say something sweetly up into his face. Alex looked at Diana frowningly, but she had already looked away by then, a nagging pain in her chest at the sight of Alicia and Alex together. She smiled with a great deal of warmth at a young man whom she had vaguely recognised earlier, but couldn’t put a name to, and he came towards her with a wide smile.
Alex watched Diana for a moment as she talked with the young man with every sign of enthusiasm, then turned to Alicia. He offered Alicia his arm and she took it promptly. There was a secret smile of satisfaction that hovered around her lips, but Alex didn’t notice.
The dinner was long and leisurely as guests wandered in and out of the three tables at random, selecting their food and carrying their plates to the other side of the large room and taking their pick of seats at the several tables set up. Diana looked at the wide choice of foods laid out before her and felt slightly sick at the thought of eating. There was a large crash of thunder outside, louder than any previously, making people jump. The sky was pitch black and the wind furious as it whipped around the house, whistling eerily. There was some nervous laughter as the different people who had jumped looked around with some degree of embarrassment.
Diana, moving to the nearest window and looking out, thought to herself, This is really getting bad. It looks dangerous out tonight.
Alex started to move after her, but Alicia said something else to him, her lips pouting prettily. He turned back, and Diana looked away from the window, searching fo
r him with her eyes only to see an apparently unconcerned Alex laughing down at Alicia as she led him to the first table laden with delicacies.
Diana found the young man (she was too embarrassed to ask his name) right beside her, eyes admiring and apparently ready to devote his time to her, and she shrugged. Why not? It was better than eating alone and she was sure as hell not going to sit with Alex if it meant sitting with that bitch.
The young man carried Diana’s plate to a seat a little distance away from Alicia and Alex and set it down carefully. He asked her charmingly, “Would you like something to drink?”
Diana smiled. It was a pity she couldn’t remember his name, for he seemed like a nice young man. “That really would be nice, yes.”
He grinned at her. “I’ll be right back.”
She spent most of the dinner watching Alex and Alicia and trying to come up with suitable replies for the young man’s chatter, which afterwards she couldn’t remember a thing about. Time seemed to drag on for an eternity, almost as if it were standing still. Diana puzzled this over vaguely, shaking herself out of her daydreams when the young man spoke her name.
“What? I’m sorry, I was miles away,” she said apologetically. He was wearing a very patient look on his face and she got the uncomfortable feeling that he had spoken her name more than once.
“I asked you if you’d like some more punch. There’s some intriguing red stuff over in that punch bowl on the second table, and I’d be glad to get you some,” he repeated. Diana got the impression that he was as anxious for the night to end as she was.
“That would be fine,” she replied. He got up from the seat with alacrity, grabbed her half-empty glass of punch and headed for the table. Diana had to smile wryly.
There was a minor commotion over at the other table and her eyes travelled to it. Her eyes sharpened as she saw Alex leap to his feet and start to dab at his front while Alicia stood wringing her hands and alternately wiping at her dress front and then at his white shirt and black coat. A red stain was oozing rapidly on the shirt, showing up like blood vivid against what little white was left. Diana’s eyebrows twitched. Alicia seemed to be talking very fast, but Diana couldn’t hear her. She was looking up into Alex’s face with a pleading look and he made a dismissive gesture while dabbing at his shirt with a sodden and stained napkin.
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