by Anne Mather
The entrance hall was marble-tiled and impressive, with an enormous chandelier suspended above their heads. There was a semicircular table, flanked by two crystal blue armchairs, set against the far wall, and two alabaster plinths, on which were set two enormous bowls of flowers, in the foreground. The hall was filled with the fragrance of the flowers and, admiring their waxed petals, Sara was compelled to ask if they were orchids.
‘Miss Michelle’s father used to cultivate them in the glasshouse out back,’ said Cora, after acknowledging that they were. ‘It was Mr de Vere who built this house and named the island Orchid Key.’ She shrugged. ‘I guessed he spent too much time cultivating his orchids. Things went bad, and after Mr Link married Miss Michelle, he bought it from her father. But Mr Link doesn’t have time to grow orchids. These days, the gardeners do that.’
‘I see.’
Sara felt a pang of pity for the man who had evidently spent so much time and effort in making this such a beautiful home. Was that why Michelle and Lincoln Korda had split up? Because they wanted different things from life?
She was being fanciful, and pushing her unwarranted thoughts aside, she hurried up the stairs after the housekeeper. But, in spite of her haste, she found her progress hindered by her need to take in her surroundings, to absorb them, to tell herself somewhat incredulously that for the next few weeks—possibly months—this was to be her home.
The hand-wrought iron balustrade curved above arched recesses giving access to the ground floor apartments of the house. A corridor disappeared to the right, with windows overlooking the gardens at the front, and beneath the stairs another passageway led towards the back. A gallery of pastel-tinted watercolours mounted the silk-covered wall beside her, and she didn’t need to examine their legendary signatures to see for herself that they were originals. She doubted there was anything in the house that wasn’t totally authentic, except perhaps its occupants, she reflected somewhat cynically.
The rooms which had been alotted to her overlooked the beach. A large sitting room, with its own dining area, was adjoined by an equally large bedroom, the colonial-style fourposter set on a shallow dais, allowing its occupant to view the ocean without even sitting up. Sara was still absorbing the view from the balcony outside when Cora left her, announcing that she would send up a tray of tea.
‘You might like to have dinner in your room this evening,’ she added, and Sara wondered if the suggestion was as innocent as it seemed. But it probably would be wiser to have this time to take her bearings, she conceded shrewdly. Not to rush into anything until she knew exactly what was expected of her.
Her suitcase and carpet bag were delivered as she was rinsing her face in the bathroom. She had spent some time admiring the circular bath, with its jacuzzi attachment, and delighting in the gold-plated luxury of the taps, but the sound of the outer door closing was a sobering signal. Casting a regretful glance at tinted mirrors and intriguing crystal flagons, set on a fluted crystal shelf, Sara went to unpack her belongings, promising herself a more thorough exploration when she had the time.
As well as her luggage, a tray of tea and some tiny shortbread biscuits resided on the table beside the bed. Evidently, whoever had brought the tea had assumed she could drink it while she unpacked her cases, and Sara blessed their thoughtfulness as she poured herself a cup.
Fifteen minutes later, with the more crushable items of her wardrobe hung in the capacious walk-in closet, Sara decided the rest could wait. Stepping out of her trousers, she tossed them on to the pale green velvet chaise-longue that was set between the long windows, and doffing her shirt, stretched on the bed in only her bra and bikini briefs. She felt so weary, suddenly, and the fading light was very restful. If she could just close her eyes for a few minutes, she thought, and knew no more …
She awakened, chilled, to the dazed lack of awareness strange surroundings invariably invoked. She lay for several minutes in the darkness, struggling with a sense of panic, and then relaxed again at the soothing, sucking sound of the ocean, just beyond the bedroom windows. Of course! She was in Florida. At Lincoln Korda’s house on Orchid Key, to be precise. But what time was it? And how long had she slept? She had taken off her watch to have her wash, and she evidently hadn’t replaced it.
Shivering, she groped for the lamp beside the bed, which she was sure she had noticed earlier. Its light was attractively muted by a Thai silk shade, a shade she noticed—quite inconsequently at this moment—which matched the coverlet on her bed and the long drapes at the windows.
There was a clock beside the bed, too, and blinking, Sara discovered it was almost twelve o’clock. Midnight! she breathed, inaudibly. She had slept for almost six hours! What must the rest of the household be thinking of her? Not least, Jeff himself!
She was hungry, too, ravenously so, the kind of hunger that comes from not having eaten a proper meal for more than twelve hours. It had been approximately two p.m. London time when lunch had been served on the plane and, apart from the fact that she had been too excited to do justice to what was offered, that was almost fifteen hours ago now. Oh, there had been a few sandwiches offered as afternoon tea before they landed at Miami, but nothing to satisfy an appetite sharpened by anxiety. Even the tray of tea, which she had enjoyed earlier, had been taken away as she slept, preventing her from salving the ache inside her with the few shortbreads that were left.
The arrival of a rather large moth curtailed her remorseful musings. Realising that the door to the balcony was still open and that the light was attracting unwelcome visitors, she scrambled off the bed to go and close it. But before she did so, she stepped out on to the balcony, delighting in the unaccustomed warmth of the night air. Cooler than in the day, obviously, but far more appealing, the sky overhead absolutely bedizened with stars. She couldn’t see the ocean, but she could hear it more clearly here, the shushing sound she had identified earlier accompanied by the deeper vibration of the waves. What a heavenly place, she though romantically. How could anyone choose to live in New York when this place was waiting?
Resting her hands on the iron railing, she looked down, and as she did so, she saw the sudden flaring of a cigarette in the darkness. She was momentarily shocked, was instinctively drawing back, when her common sense told her that whoever it was could not see her. She didn’t have the glow of a cigarette end to give her away, and sheltered by the balcony, the illumination from her room was visible only to the insects. The man—woman? whoever it was, was seated directly below her, and forcing her eyes to adjust themselves to the gloom, she was astounded to make out the unmistakable lines of a wheelchair. A wheelchair!
Her heart flipped over. Was it Jeff down there? Did he find it difficult to sleep, and use this time to exercise the abilities he spurned during daylight hours? It was a tantalising thought. And it could be true. Was it possible his refusal to accept rehabilitation was only an act? Had she inadvertently stumbled on his secret?
She stepped back from the rail, breathing unevenly. She had to find out. There was no way she could mention her suspicions to Grant Masters without at least trying to prove that she was right. Pulling the balcony doors closed behind her, she drew the curtains and then put on the corded pants she had shed earlier. A pink sweat shirt was easier than the shirt she had worn to travel in, and fretting at the time she was wasting, she spent more precious minutes brushing the now mussed length of her hair. Deciding she couldn’t afford to wait while she plaited her hair, she tied it back with a silk scarf and after slipping her feet into low-heeled sandals, she opened her door.
She had no definite idea about how to reach the back terrace, but trusting her instincts, she made her way to the galleried landing. Low lights illuminated the hall below, and trying to control her breathing, Sara sped silently down the stairs.
Rejecting the corridor at the front of the house, she headed for the archway beneath the curve of the stairs, feeling a thrill of excitement at the unmistakable draught of air that greeted her. She was on the right tra
ck, she was sure of it, and as if to confirm her belief, she turned a corner and saw the darkness of the terrace only a few yards ahead of her.
Immediately, her feet slowed, and in spite of the silence all around her, she felt unbelievably exposed. She glanced back over her shoulder, half expecting someone must be following her, but she was alone in the lamplight shadows. All the same, there was something uncomfortably alien about what she was doing, and a sudden twinge in her foot reminded her she was unused to abusing her ankle in this way. Running down the stairs, she had given little thought to its weakness, but now she leaned against the wall, wishing she had not been so precipitate.
Still, she was here now, and unless she wanted Jeff to come upon her as he returned to his room, she had to make an effort. Having come so far, it would be foolish to return to her room without at least trying to see him, and moving slowly, she edged towards the terrace.
A mesh door, similar to the ones that protected the front of the house, stood ajar, and guessing the progress of the wheelchair made opening doors difficult, she was encouraged. Besides, the open door enabled her to emerge unnoticed, though her heart was beating so loudly, she was sure it must be audible.
Ahead of her, something glinted in the darkness, and she realised it was a swimming pool. It was just as well she hadn’t tumbled into that, she thought wryly. What a way to announce her presence! She could just imagine Grant Masters’ anger if she crowned her arrival by destroying Jeff’s efforts to cure himself.
Inching forward, she found herself on a flagged patio, which was doubtless a suntrap in daylight. The ribbed outlines of low chairs around the pool seemed to point to this conclusion, though the obvious absence of any cushions gave them a skeletal appearance. But where was the wheelchair? she wondered uneasily. Surely, after all her efforts, Jeff had not abandoned his vigil.
And then she saw it. Set some yards along the terrace, the chair still rested below the level of the balcony, and even as she gazed towards it, she saw the revealing circle of fire as his cigarette was drawn to his mouth.
If only she could see more clearly, she thought frustratedly, cursing the moonless night. She wondered what he would do if she spoke to him. Would he be shocked, or angry, or both? Dared she intrude on his isolation? Or might she, as she had thought earlier, destroy any desire to recover his strength by exposing the frailty of his efforts?
‘Why don’t you come and join me?’ he asked suddenly, evidently aware of her quivering observation, and Sara gulped. His voice, coming to her in the darkness, was low and harsh and attractive, and undeniably mature for a boy of his age. ‘What were you hoping to see, I wonder?’ he added, turning his head towards her. ‘Will you be making a habit of sneaking about the place, when you’re supposed to be in bed? If so, I’ll have to watch I don’t do anything to shock you!’
‘I wasn’t sneaking …’ Sara took an unsteady breath, and then continued: ‘How—how did you know I was here? How did you know it was me?’
‘Call it—intuition.’ He shifted slightly towards her, and moving closer, she saw the long, useless legs stretched in front of him. ‘Miss—Fielding, isn’t it? Tony’s final solution! Forgive me if I beg to doubt his confidence. He always was hopelessly romantic!’
The harsh disturbing voice scraped on Sara’s senses, but in spite of the cynicism of his words, she knew a kindling surge of encouragement. Surely if Jeff could speak to her like this, he was not the grim, despairing youth she had been led to expect. If, by exposing his nightly ritual, she had pierced the surface shell he evidently presented to the other members of the household, surely she must stand some chance of reasoning with him.
Her excitement was blunted somewhat, however, by the sudden reminder of why she was here. If Jeff was making such obvious progress, why had he attempted to take his own life less than two weeks ago? Why, if he could speak so philosophically about his uncle, had Tony told her no psychiatrist could reach him?
She was still pondering this enigma, when the wheelchair squeaked and its occupant rose easily to his feet. ‘Forgive me.’ The tall, lean man who had vacated the seat sent the remains of what he had been smoking shooting away in an arc across the terrace. And as Sara backed away in sudden panic, he came towards her holding out his hand. ‘I should have introduced myself,’ he finished easily. ‘I’m Lincoln Korda. And you, I believe, are a friend of my brother.’
CHAPTER THREE
SARA lay awake for the rest of the night. She told herself it was because she had slept for six hours already and she wasn’t tired any longer, but in all honesty, it was neither of those things. Meeting Lincoln Korda had been such a shock, and try as she might, she could not dispel the trembling in her knees which had gripped her when he rose up out of the wheelchair. Dear God! he had scared her half to death in that moment, and then he had completed the process by inviting her into his study and offering her a drink.
She had accepted a brandy in the hope that it might restore her shattered defences, but of course it hadn’t. It would take more than an albeit generous measure of cognac to help her regain her confidence, and in spite of Lincoln Korda’s solicitude, she had wished quite desperately that she had never left her room.
Apart from the obvious strain that his careless deception had caused, she had had to cope with an entirely different reaction. Lincoln Korda bore no physical resemblance to his brother whatsoever, and although Sara knew he was three years the elder—and therefore forty, or thereabouts—he had the litheness and physique of a man ten years younger. He was tall, as she had noted when he was sitting in the wheelchair, and much darker-skinned than his brother. His hair was dark, too, and only lightly touched with grey, longer than she would have expected, and lying thick and smooth against his head. His eyes were grey and deep-set, probably the only characteristic about him that she had anticipated, in that they were cool and remote. Otherwise, his features were lean and intelligent, with narrow cheekbones and a thin-lipped mouth, and a nose which she suspected had been broken, and which gave his attractive face more character. Unlike Tony’s, his stomach did not strain at the waistband of his pants, and in black jeans and a black cotton tee-shirt, she could have been forgiven for mistaking him for one of his employees. But not his son, she added silently, acknowledging her anger with both of them for creating such an embarrassing situation.
‘I know—you thought I was Jeff. I’m sorry,’ he had said, after they had entered the book-lined elegance of his study. ‘Sit down. You look as if you’ve had a shock.’
She had. But although she felt like telling him what she thought of his methods of introducing himself, she did not need the ruby-set signet ring on his little finger, or this luxuriously-appointed apartment, to remind her that from everything she had heard, Lincoln Korda was not a man to tangle with. It was her own fault. She had thought she was being clever, when she wasn’t. And now she had to deal with the unwelcome realisation that she had made a complete fool of herself.
He poured her a brandy from a crystal decanter set on a silver tray. The tray itself was residing on a cherrywood cabinet, whose definite design was echoed in the scrolls of the leather-topped desk, and repeated in the armrests of the comfortable sofa. The carpet was of Persian design, the desk flanked by two leather recliners, and a pair of club chairs were grouped about a chess table, set with elaborate chess pieces. The room was generous in proportion, but the clever combination of furniture enabled its owner to create whatever kind of atmosphere he chose. Right now, Sara was uncomfortably aware that she felt distinctly overpowered by her employer’s nearness, and she was irritatingly conscious of him in a way that was neither cool nor logical.
He allowed her to swallow the better part of her drink before speaking again, but when he did she was compelled to answer. ‘You had no dinner, I understand,’ he remarked, hooking his thigh over a corner of the desk. ‘Cora tells me you didn’t eat in your apartments, and as you didn’t join the rest of us …’
Sara’s tongue rescued a pearl of bran
dy from the corner of her lip, and then she said: ‘I didn’t realise you were here, Mr Korda. I—was given to understand you were in New York.’
‘Who told you that?’
His eyes were intent, and meeting their cool deliberation, Sara wished she still had the darkness of the patio to hide her blushes. She was acutely conscious of her bare face and carelessly-tied hair, and the corded pants had not benefited from their discarded sojourn on the chaise-longue. If she had anticipated meeting Tony’s brother—and it had not seemed an imminent possibility, from what he had said—she had assumed she would be prepared for the event. Encountering him now, and finding him so different from what she had expected, had unnerved her, and she thought he might have allowed for that—and the lateness of the hour—instead of regarding her with such disparagement.
‘No one actually told me,’ she admitted now, replying to his question. ‘But your brother——’
‘Yes? What did Antony tell you?’
Antony! Sara blinked. It sounded strange, hearing Tony Korda referred to as Antony. Gathering herself, she murmured quickly: ‘He implied you spent most of your time in New York.’
‘Did he?’ Lincoln Korda inclined his head. ‘Did he also believe I would allow some—girl-friend of his into the house, without first meeting her myself? Particularly when that girl is supposed to work some magic with my son?’
Sara held up her head. ‘I am not one of your brother’s girl-friends,’ she declared stiffly. ‘If he told you I was, then you’ve been misinformed.’
