Evening sunlight relieved the drabness of the street, but it was a far cry from the house by the Bosphorus. Alex was wearing one of his light grey business suits, perfectly cut, and as usual appeared immaculate, he looked like a being from another planet.
'Well?' he demanded. 'Aren't you going to ask me in?'
'I... I've only got a bed-sit'
'Male visitors not permitted?'
'There's no embargo on them.'
'Then why are you prevaricating? I've often wondered what comprised a bed-sit. Your uncle seems to think you're living in a slum. We can't talk in the street.'
So Jeremy had sent him; she prayed he was not going to ask her to his wedding.
'It's not as bad as that,' she said, and led the way up the stairs to the first floor where her room was situated. She unlocked the door and ushered him in.
'Sit down,' she indicated the armchair in which she had so often visualised him. 'Would you like some coffee? It's only instant, I'm afraid, I have most of my meals out, and I'm only at home in the evenings. I'll put the kettle on.'
She went behind the screen which concealed the sink, gas ring and her few culinary effects, taking the opportunity to wash her face, which still felt tear-stained. The act of making the coffee restored her to her normal composure. When she returned carrying the two steaming cups, Alex was prowling round the room looking at its simple furnishings. It really did not look too bad, she thought, for it was fitted with bright curtains and covers, cushions disguising the divan bed, and there was a vase of flowers on the table. At her reappearance he sat down again in the armchair, and she placed the cup beside him thinking how handsome and distinguished he looked and how out of place. She said defensively:
'I can hardly expect you to appreciate my room, but it's the first time I've had a place of my own and there are plenty worse.'
'I don't doubt it.' Absently he stirred his cup, studying her closely over its rim, and Jan flushed under his quizzical gaze.
'So you've cut it off.'
She had forgotten about her changed coiffure, and she touched her curls self-consciously.
'Don't you think it's an improvement?'
'No, I liked your hair. Presumably it would grow again?'
'If I let it, but I shan't.'
She had sat down opposite to him, and she sipped her coffee, but tasted nothing. Alex did, and made a grimace.
'So this is Janet Reynolds, the career girl,' he commented. 'Bed-sit, instant coffee ... are you happy?'
Her eyes dropped before his penetrating gaze.
'It's what I wanted to do.'
'Why can you never answer a question directly?' he complained.
'I'm happy to be independent,' she assured him. 'I don't have to please anybody except myself.'
'But aren't you lonely?'
She looked away. That was the flaw in her new freedom.
'It's early days yet,' she explained. 'Later on I expect I'll make lots of friends. It's only a matter of time.'
'But you won't have any time,' he almost purred. 'After your performance in the taxi, you don't imagine I'm going to let you stay here?'
She stared at him blankly.
'Alex, are you mad? Of course I'm staying here, whatever anyone says. You've come to England to marry Renata ...'
'That I'm not.'
'Oh no!' She was appalled. 'You can't back out now.'
'I haven't backed out as you so elegantly put it. Renata has done the backing. She has found she prefers Denis Wood.'
CHAPTER TEN
Jan's first thought was that Renata had been crazily indiscreet. Someone must have recognised her on one of her secret meetings with Denis and reported it. She knew that as far as she could love anyone except herself, Renata was in love with Denis Wood. Unlike Alex, he never opposed her wishes, and his uncritical adoration flattered her, but she had always insisted she could not afford to marry a comparatively poor man.
Naturally Alex would not stand for such competition, though he had no scruples about two-timing himself. He had always been contemptuous of poor Denis, not believing he could ever be a serious rival and would have been furious to discover Renata's deception which was no compliment to himself. He had every right to be angry, for he had come to England as an expectant bridegroom, and found his bride was going out with another man. She would not put it past him to use physical violence on the delinquent pair.
Having delivered his bombshell, Alex became silent, watching her covertly through half-closed lids. Finally she said stupidly:
'So there'll be no wedding?'
'On the contrary, there'll be two, though not a double one.'
'Two?' Jan knitted her brows in perplexity. 'Which of you is going to marry Rena?'
'Denis Wood, of course.' Alex laughed good-humouredly. 'Your cousin is adept at staging surprises. I called at the house unexpectedly, having arrived a day earlier than scheduled, and your aunt ushered me into a room where they were both canoodling on the sofa, whereat she promptly disappeared. Renata was profuse with excuses, but young Wood spoke up like a man. He accused me of corrupting Renata with my wealth and power, declaring she had been the sweetest girl who ever walked ... God, the fellow must be infatuated! So I asked him if he'd like to learn how such wealth was obtained, at which your charming cousin pricked up her ears. The upshot was, I was cajoled into taking him into my employ at a salary he's not worth, though he may be in a few years, and since he will be able to keep her—well, not in the style I could have done, but near enough, they are going to marry.'
Jan was astonished by this recital, delivered half-humorously, half deprecatingly. Instead of venting his rage upon the couple, Alex was actually going to help them. It showed, as she had often suspected, he was not nearly as hard-hearted as he liked to appear, but to give up Renata so tamely indicated that he was no longer interested in her, which she could not credit. She ejaculated feebly:
'Don't you mind?'
'Why should I? I've always known Renata was only attracted to me by my affluence. She regarded me as a sort of ogre who had to be endured to satisfy her greed.'
This, Jan knew, had been partly true, but when her cousin had told her preparations for her wedding were in train, she had hoped Renata had come to have some regard for her intended spouse.
'But... but you'd promised to marry her,' she protested. 'That's why she came to Istanbul.'
'It was not. How you and she interpreted my suggestion that she and her father returned home via Istanbul into an offer of marriage is beyond my comprehension. I would never marry Renata, I told you that back in Kusadasi, or I told her, I'm not sure which, but I didn't mind having an affair if that was what she wanted, and I was quite prepared to pay handsomely for her favours. Possibly she showed you an emerald and diamond pendant which was an installment in advance.'
Jan nodded unhappily, for this was an aspect of Alex which she abhorred. All the epithets she had hurled at him at that time were deserved, except that she had learned to take a more tolerant view of such liaisons. A virile man of the world like he was could not be expected to live like a monk, and they were a common occurrence nowadays. Renata's heart had not been involved and apparently he had not made her any false promises.
To change a painful subject, she enquired:
'You mentioned two weddings. Does that mean that the lady you...' she swallowed,'... love has relented?'
'I'm confident she has.'
'Oh, then there'll be a happy ending for everybody.'
Except for herself, but she had never anticipated otherwise. The Athenian lady was a reality after all and now Alex had disposed of Renata, he would go back to Greece to claim her. What he had told the reporter was correct, he had come to England solely on business, and only good manners had caused him to call upon the Reynolds household. She did not know what had been going on there since she had left it, but it would seem Renata had deliberately misled her with her talk about the wedding. There had been no preparations, Renata had embroid
ered them; she had never forgiven Jan for going off with Alex, and had sought to establish a prior claim.
'I hope so,' Alex said gravely, in response to her remark. He leaned forward, looking at her intently.
'Why did you put on that act on the terrace that morning?' he asked gently. 'You deceived me completely, but was it necessary?'
Jan knew then that she must have betrayed herself completely in the taxi, though she could not recollect clearly what she had done and said in her agitation. She had wept, and he had held her in his arms, or she had thrown herself into them, but what was the use of further prevarication? She was not ashamed of her love, though it was not reciprocated, and before he left she would put everything straight between them.
Lifting her head proudly, she met his tawny eyes with complete candour in her blue gaze. A becoming flush stained her normally pale cheeks, and with her soft brown hair curling about her heart-shaped face, and her delicate features, she looked more than pretty. But of that she was completely unaware. In her own estimation she was a plain Jane, and always would be.
'I have a little pride,' she said steadily. 'On that particular morning you were describing your feelings for someone else, and your intention of marrying Rena as second best, which rather contradicts your statement that you never would, unless you had an ulterior motive for making me believe so.'
Alex grinned. 'I too have some pride. I found the role of rejected lover humiliating.'
'Well, I didn't want to bolster your ego by admitting I'd fallen for you myself, but be that as it may,' she went on hastily as he seemed about to interrupt. 'And as we're unlikely to meet again I won't prevaricate any more. I do love you, Alex, and I'm not ashamed to confess it, but I ask nothing in return. I hope you'll be very happy and perhaps you'll think of me sometimes, because those days on the Artemis were the, highlight of my life.'
'Ah!' Alex drew a long breath of satisfaction. 'At last! Come here, Jan.'
'Still the same Alex!' She smiled wanly. 'That wasn't an invitation, it was a valediction.'
'To hell with your long words!'
He sprang to his feet and reached for her hands, pulling her to her feet. Holding them both in his, he stared down into her face with a flicker of flame in his eyes.
'I told you, you were stupid and obtuse and you've been unbelievably slow. Oh, yes, I know, when you took Renata's place I was furious to have you foisted on to me, but you didn't cringe or ask for mercy. You began to intrigue me, you were so unlike any girl I'd ever known, and during the hours we spent together I found you companionable and amusing, totally without guile or avarice, and your loyalty to that unpleasant cousin of yours was praiseworthy. My liking for you grew into love, but you would not see what was happening, in fact you're a bull-headed, contumacious little idiot. Even though you responded to my kisses, you persisted in treating me as if I were some sort of predatory animal. I'm not that bad, Jan.'
'I know you're not, but I never dreamed...' She was unable to grasp what he was telling her, though his rudeness suggested he was sincere. 'You can't really mean what you're saying, you couldn't come to care for me, when you have the pick of lovely women. I'm so plain and insignificant...'
'Your piquant little face is more attractive to me than any painted beauty, and in that green dress you looked quite lovely, like a water nymph.'
Recollection stung, she snatched her hands away, crying bitterly:
'The dress you bought for Renata!'
'I did not. Those clothes were what I told you, spare parts for castaways. If she told you otherwise, she lied, and I don't think that's the only falsehood she perpetrated. Renata, my sweet, guessed what you were too blind to see and was madly jealous. Incidentally, I've made her give it up, I don't want anyone else to wear it.'
'I can't take it, I don't want it,' Jan said feverishly. She could not rid herself of the conviction that Alex was somehow making game of her. She was so conditioned to consider herself of no account, she could not accept that he who was a prince among men could really care for her humble self. She had been a fool to tell him she loved him, naturally he would take the opportunity to rib her.
'You've always enjoyed teasing me,' she went on, 'but what about the Athenian lady?'
It was his turn to look blank.
'What Athenian lady?'
'You never mentioned her name,' so I've always thought of her as that. I mean the woman who resisted you for so long, but you say has capitulated. The woman ... you love.'
'Only one woman has resisted me, and I always meant to wear her down in the end. I'm a very persistent man, Jan, when I want something, so beware!' Then as recollection returned to him, he laughed. 'I'd clean forgotten my little bit of fiction which I invented to save my face when you snubbed me and threw Renata down my throat.'
So she had been a myth after all.
'When I want something, I don't give up,' Alex went on. 'That has been the recipe for my success. My mother told me that she was sure you cared for me and she thought Renata was the obstacle. She has been eliminated now, and when I grabbed you this evening, you greeted me rapturously.'
'Who wouldn't under such circumstances?' Jan said dryly. 'I was scared.'
She looked at him searchingly, still unable to credit that he meant what he had said. She had always considered herself a dud where men were concerned, and that Alex loved her was quite incredible. She shook her brown head in disbelief.
'You can't really want me, Alex, a plain ordinary girl like me, when you're so... so... magnificent.'
'Magnificent, am I? That's a nice change from pig, cad and sadist—you see I remember them all. Oh, don't be so humble, Jan! You're the one girl who wouldn't bore me to death after six months, and I've been courting you ever since you came on board my yacht. At Istanbul you melted in my arms, and I thought I'd won then, but no, as soon as Renata turned up you became an iceberg. I'm going to kiss you again and then perhaps it'll penetrate your thick skull that I love you, need you, and I won't be denied.'
He snatched her to him in a close embrace, and his lips sought hers. All her repressed longings surged to the surface as she responded to his demanding mouth. Her arms went round his neck, as she pressed herself against him. She became aware mat Alex had moved towards the divan, and as he laid her down upon it, she knew a moment's panic, but it passed as quickly as it came. So let it be, she would have her hour of fulfilment, come what may. As once before, his hands moved caressingly over her body, unfastening her dress so that he could kiss her breasts, her clasp of his neck tightened as she sought to bring his head down upon them. Then to her hurt surprise she realised that he was withdrawing from her, and she murmured a faint protest.
He sat up, breathing fast, and mopped his forehead with his handkerchief. Then he smiled at her a little ruefully.
'We'll wait,' he said firmly. 'I must prove to you I'm hot the lustful brute you've always insisted I am. It need not be for long. I can arrange for the marriage to take place at the Greek consulate, and ... what's the matter now?'
For Jan too had sat up, she was crouched against the cushions, pulling up her dress, staring at him with wide startled eyes.
'I couldn't marry you, Alex.'
'Oh, my God,' he exclaimed in exasperation, 'why ever not? What else did you think I meant?'
'But ... but it's impossible. You're an important man, you need a beautiful wife. You'd be ashamed to present me to your friends, your mother...'
'Rubbish! She declares you're just the right woman for me, though I was sure of that myself. Will you stop playing hard to get?'
Jan remained mute, overwhelmed by the prospect before her.
Alex glanced contemptuously about the room.
'Don't you understand you'll finish with all this? I can give you wealth, and position ...'
'That's just it.' Her eyes were wide with dismay. 'I don't care for wealth, and I'd never be able to cope with your ... position. I'd disgrace you. If only you'd been poor!'
He laughed with g
enuine amusement.
'Believe me, it's only too easy to become used to affluence. And don't tell me you can't cope with anything if you set your mind to it. Look what you've reduced me to, an importunate lover who swore I'd never trust a woman again.'
That diverted her.
'She let you down, didn't she?' she asked shyly. 'Your mother told me about her.'
'She'd no right to do that,' he said shortly. 'It's true, though. I believed she was an angel and she turned out to be a mercenary bitch. I wasn't so well off then and she found a higher bidder. It distorted my values and I scorned all women until I met you. Did it never occur to you that I wanted to marry you?'
'Good heavens, no!'
'But I asked you if you would marry me and you said certainly not.'
Jan recalled the sunlit terrace by the Bosphorus, the geraniums glowing scarlet, and Alex, mocking and derisive.
'I never imagined that was a serious proposal, and you were contracted to Rena.'
'Which I always denied, though you wouldn't believe me.'
'She's so beautiful,' Jan began.
'I've known many as good-looking, and most of them were soulless.' He moved impatiently. 'Damn it all, Jan, what else can I say to convince you? Do you love me or do you not?'
'I do, Alex,' she said earnestly, 'but so much so that I won't marry you. You want me now, but that's only because I've been, what was it you said? hard to get. But if we married, you'd come to see what a plain, homely creature I am, and when your friends sneered at... at your choice, you'd want to be rid of me.'
'You still seem to think I'm a despicable character,' he complained bitterly. 'None of that is true, and at one time you thought yourself vastly superior to my erring self, and so you are in some ways. You'll drive me crazy if you keep on denying me.'
Borrowed plumes Page 15
