Last Resort

by Susan Lewis

  She started as her telephone rang and, leaning across her desk to push the button on her intercom, she said to Brigitte, ‘I thought my calls were on hold.’

  ‘It’s the Baron von Bergenhausen,’ Brigitte answered. ‘He’s insisting he speak to you personally.’

  ‘OK,’ Penny sighed, ‘put him on.’ She flicked the switch and picked up the receiver. ‘Hello. Penny Moon.’

  ‘Hello,’ said the voice at the other end. ‘It’s Christian Mureau.’

  Penny’s heart flipped as her mind suddenly spun into chaos. ‘Oh, uh, yes, hello,’ she said, feeling the blood rushing to her cheeks. ‘How are you?’

  ‘Pretty good,’ he answered. ‘How are you?’

  ‘Oh, fine. Yes, I’m fine. Um . . .’ Oh God, she couldn’t think straight.

  ‘Esther Delaney gave me your message,’ he said.

  ‘Ah, yes, I hoped she would,’ Penny responded, hardly knowing what she was saying. ‘It was just, well, you left a message on my answerphone saying you thought we should meet and, well, I was hoping you still felt . . . Uh, that we could do that.’

  ‘I would like that very much,’ he said. ‘But I think I should warn you that I don’t give interviews.’

  ‘That’s OK,’ Penny answered, feeling herself start to smile. ‘I’m sure we can find something else to talk about.’

  He laughed. ‘I’m sure we can,’ he said. ‘I should be back in the South of France some time in the next couple of weeks. I’ll call you when I get there.’

  ‘We’re having a launch party for our magazine on the thirtieth,’ Penny said hastily. ‘I was wondering if you would like to come.’

  There was a short silence before he answered, during which Penny’s heart felt like a stone falling through a bottomless cavern. ‘If I can, I will,’ he said. ‘Thank you.’

  Chapter 11

  ON MEETING CASSANDRA MULHOLLAND, David’s American girlfriend, Penny couldn’t have been more shocked. The woman was, without question, absolutely stunning – blonde, brown-eyed, long-legged, big-busted; you name it, she had it – but if there were more than two brain cells struggling for life behind those enormous, vacuous eyes that seemed never to stop blinking she clearly had yet to connect with them. Never in a million years would Penny have imagined David going for a woman who unabashedly boasted the title Miss Texas nineteen eighty-something-or-other and who flashed a set of teeth so big and white and fascinatingly plentiful Penny could only wonder how she got them all in her mouth. And as for those boobs! Well, words quite simply failed Penny. She’d always thought her own were on the large side, but Cassandra Mulholland’s were positively frightening.

  Still, she was easy enough to have around. She spent a third of her time by the pool, another third hanging on to David’s every word and, no doubt, the remaining third with her legs wrapped round his back. That was something Penny didn’t dwell on, though, since her own need for sexual fulfilment was now bothering her quite seriously.

  However, these last couple of weeks, since Christian had called, she had been feeling much calmer. Wasn’t it one of the real perversities of human nature that once something was within your grasp you didn’t want it quite so much any more? Well, perhaps that was pushing it a bit, for she still very much wanted to meet him, but thankfully she seemed to have things in a much better perspective now. And with the first edition of Nuance rolling off the presses she had little time to think about anything more than the launch – and of course the possibility that he might come.

  It was a beautiful, late August morning when she pushed open her bedroom shutters and wandered out on to the balcony. The rain during the night had left everything looking fresh and washed and gloriously rejuvenated after the enervating humidity and blistering scorch of the sun over the past few weeks. As she gazed out at the clear, sparkling blue sea, feeling a cooling breeze whisper around her, she was thinking of the day ahead. In just over an hour the caterers would arrive, along with the people from the ad agency who had handled pretty well everything to date, and then the preparations for the party would begin. Penny had no plans to go to the office – urgent calls would be relayed to her here – and later in the day she was driving to the airport to collect Sylvia. A suite had been booked for Sylvia at the Majestic Hotel despite Penny’s insistence that there was more than enough room at the villa. As it turned out, Sylvia had brought a friend with her and wanted the privacy.

  ‘Seems like everyone’s getting it except me,’ Penny remarked to Sammy, as she strolled into the kitchen after depositing Sylvia at the hotel. ‘Thanks,’ she added as Sammy passed her an iced lemonade.

  ‘Well, those two are certainly doing their fair share of bonking,’ Sammy told her, nodding towards where David and Cassandra were sitting beside the pool, seemingly oblivious to the chaos going on around them as billboards were erected, tables were laid out and boxes of wineglasses and crockery were unpacked. ‘They’ve only just surfaced and it’s,’ she glanced at her watch, ‘past midday.’

  ‘I wonder what they find to talk about,’ Penny said putting her head ponderously to one side. ‘I can never think of a single thing to say to the woman.’

  ‘Perhaps that’s why they’re always screwing,’ Sammy suggested, ‘because he can’t think of anything to say either.’

  ‘He doesn’t seem to be having much trouble at the moment,’ Penny commented as Cassandra burst out laughing. For some absurd reason Cassandra’s laughter was annoying her. ‘But then, when have you ever known David lost for words?’ she added, taking a sip of her drink.

  They both turned as a sudden explosion erupted just outside in the summer kitchen.

  ‘Oh là lá,’ the chef roared. ‘Tu me dis que nous n’avons pas de coriandre? Tu es un imbecile! Tout le temps je dois travailler avec des imbéciles. Je t’ai dit que j’ai besom de coriandre. Il faut que j’aie de la coriandre.’

  Reaching up to unhook a bunch of dried coriander from the overhanging herb rack, Penny wandered outside and handed it over.

  ‘Does it bother you, her being here?’ Sammy asked as Penny came back.

  Penny looked at her in surprise. ‘Who?’

  ‘You know who,’ Sammy said. ‘Cassandra.’

  ‘No. Why on earth should it?’ Penny responded, feeling herself start to tense.

  Sammy shrugged. ‘Well, actually,’ she said, ‘what I thought was that maybe he’d brought her here on purpose, to make you jealous. And I was wondering if it was working.’

  Penny was half laughing, half annoyed, as she said, ‘Sammy, I thought we dealt with that before. David doesn’t give a damn what I think, or what anyone else thinks, for that matter. And as far as I’m concerned he can screw whoever he likes – it’s nothing to me.’

  Sammy’s eyes narrowed. ‘So you keep saying,’ she said. ‘But frankly, Pen, I’m not convinced.’

  ‘Well, I’m sorry about that,’ Penny replied smoothly, ‘but I’m not about to start delving into the way I feel about David for your benefit – or anyone else’s come to that. But I will tell you this: as far as David is concerned’ – to her surprise she could hear a note of anger creeping into her voice and seemed unable to control it – ‘I am nothing more than the editor of Nuance and the person he can poke fun at whenever the mood takes him. Because that’s all I am to David, a joke. Now, go and answer that phone.’

  Before Sammy could object, Penny had walked out to the summer kitchen. It was bedlam. Cooks were whizzing about all over the place, waiters and waitresses were zooming back and forth between the neat, round tables set out on the lawns, and the organizers were racing about with clipboards under their arms yelling for everything from an electrician to a musician. She was on the point of asking if there was anything she could do, when Sammy called out that Esther Delaney was on the line.

  Penny’s heart skipped a beat as she turned back into the house. She hoped to God that this wasn’t going to be a message from Christian to say he couldn’t make it; that would put a damper on the whole day as far
as she was concerned. ‘Hi,’ she said into the receiver. ‘How are you, Esther?’

  ‘Oh, I’m very well, thank you,’ Esther answered, in her familiar clipped tones. ‘Just calling to say that I’ll be a teensy bit late this evening. Wally will be there early, though.’

  ‘That’s OK. Thanks for letting me know,’ Penny replied.

  There was a pause, then Esther said, ‘Christian told me you invited him.’

  ‘Do you know if he’s coming?’ Penny asked, her heart pausing for the answer.

  ‘He might. Yes. Yes, he might,’ Esther replied.

  Penny’s spirits soared. ‘Good. And if you see him before then, please tell him I’m looking forward to meeting him.’

  ‘Righto,’ Esther trilled. ‘Toodle-oo for now, then. A ce soir, as they say around here.’

  When Esther rang off, Penny stood holding the receiver for a moment, feeling faintly odd. It was nerves, of course, but she mustn’t get her hopes too high. Esther had only said might . . .

  ‘Pen? Are you all right?’

  Penny swung round, to see David standing in the doorway. ‘Yes, yes, I’m fine,’ she said, putting the phone back on the hook. ‘Just deep in thought.’

  ‘Problems?’ he asked.

  ‘No, no, not at all. Quite the reverse, in fact.’ She smiled. ‘Things seem to be going pretty well out there, don’t they?’ Why was he looking at her like that? Anyone would think she’d just grown another head. ‘Can I get you something?’ she offered.

  ‘No,’ he answered. ‘I’ve just come in to get changed. I’m popping down to Cannes for a couple of hours.’

  ‘OK,’ she said. ‘Are you taking Cassandra?’

  His eyes started to dance. ‘To be honest, I could do with a bit of a break,’ he said. ‘You don’t mind if I leave her here, do you?’

  Penny shrugged. ‘It’s all the same to me.’ She started to walk away, then turned back. ‘Incidentally, if you’re seeing Sylvia while you’re in Cannes will you tell her the limousine’s booked to pick her up at seven. If you’re not seeing her, I’ll call the hotel myself.’

  ‘I’ll get the message to her,’ he said. ‘By the way, did anyone think to turn off the sprinkler system for tonight?’

  ‘Oh hell, no!’ Penny cried, starting for the door.

  ‘Before you go, Pen . . .’ David said. ‘About tonight. I’d like us to present a united front. No bitching, no sarcasm, no anything that might give Sylvia – or anyone else, come to that – the idea we don’t get along. Does that give you a problem?’

  ‘No,’ Penny answered. ‘I’m all for it, in fact. And who says we don’t get along?’

  He laughed. ‘You know what I mean. Anyway, got to run. Enjoy Cassandra.’

  ‘Probably not as much as you do,’ she responded airily and swept out into the garden.

  By eight o’clock almost everyone had arrived. Mercedes, Jaguars, BMWs, Porsches, a couple of limousines and umpteen lesser cars were crammed on to the tarmac in front of and behind the house and spilling on to the far lawns, while car jockeys raced up and down the drive, organizing the chaos. The waiters and waitresses were now all decked out in their neat black uniforms, the five-piece band were playing gentle jazz sounds on their platform by the pool and giant billboards of the Nuance front cover glistened in the soft, pastel lights.

  The turnout was stupendous. Everyone had come, from the part-time odd-job boy at the office to Princess Stephanie herself. David was looking after the princess, while Sylvia chatted away with the mayor of Nice as though she’d known him for years. Probably she had, Penny reflected, hardly able to contain the pleasure that was swelling inside her. Though only a third of the magazine was going to be in French at any one time, at a conservative estimate she’d guess that at least fifty per cent of those present were French. And they all looked so chic! That wasn’t to criticize the Scandinavians, the Dutch, the Germans, the English, the Italians or any other of the many nationalities there, it was simply that the French really had it. Though not even they could outshine the gentle beauty that smiled down at them from the posters.

  ‘It’s you,’ Penny said softly to Pauline Fields, who was standing beside her on the steps of the terrace surveying the gathering. ‘You, who’s made this what it is tonight.’

  Pauline smiled. ‘It was my pleasure,’ she said. ‘But don’t do yourself out of the credit. You’ve worked hard to get to this point – damned hard, from what I hear – and you deserve the recognition that this,’ she started to laugh, ‘exalted company has bestowed upon you.’

  ‘We’ve had hundreds of requests from all over the world to run your interview,’ Penny told her.

  ‘So David tells me.’

  They stood quietly for a moment watching the milling crowd and listening to the soporific hum of conversation and clink of glasses. A pale haze was already beginning to gather overhead as thin coils of smoke from mosquito spirals, candles and cigars wafted gently upwards.

  ‘Tell me,’ Pauline said, leaning in a little closer to Penny as the band struck up a livelier beat, ‘who is that over there – the woman who keeps glaring in your direction?’

  Penny followed the direction of Pauline’s eyes and started to laugh. ‘That,’ she said, ‘is my deputy, Marielle Descourts. She wanted to do the interview with you and hasn’t quite forgiven me yet for not allowing it. Well, actually, it was David who made the decision, which is very likely the other reason she’s looking so rattled, because he’s got his girlfriend here from the States.’

  ‘Oh, I see,’ Pauline said. ‘And which one is David’s girlfriend?’

  Penny scanned the crowd. ‘I don’t know where she is at the moment, but just look out for a mountainous bust. You won’t be able to miss it.’

  Pauline laughed. ‘Does he ever see anything of his wife these days?’ she asked.

  Penny shook her head. ‘I don’t know. I don’t think so, but he’s never discussed her with me. Why? Do you know her?’

  ‘Not really. I just met her a couple of times.’

  ‘What’s she like?’

  ‘Very beautiful and, from what I could tell, totally besotted with David. I’ve often wondered what went wrong there. But hey, come on, here I am hogging you all to myself and you’re the hostess. Go mingle some more and have yourself a good time. I’m going to go rescue Sylvia from the old boy over there; she looks like she needs it. But before you go, tell me, is it true she brought a paramour with her?’

  Penny grinned.

  ‘So where is he?’ Pauline laughed.

  ‘Back at the hotel, I imagine. He’s young enough to be her grandson, but you didn’t hear it from me.’

  ‘My lips are sealed,’ Pauline promised and, patting Penny on the arm, she floated off in a cloud of perfumed chiffon to join Sylvia.

  As the evening wore on, so Marielle’s sour mood was evaporating. She’d had plenty to drink before coming and now, as she flitted from guest to guest, revelling in the admiring glances her bare midriff and long legs were attracting, she could feel the delicious tingle of lust she always felt when shedding what few inhibitions she had.

  However, before she decided on her particular prey for the evening there was someone she was keen to meet, whom she’d just spotted over by the pergola. She’d never met him before, but unless she was greatly mistaken the bellicose-looking throwback to the days of the British Empire with the cigar and ginger moustache was Wally Delaney, who was, amongst other things, Penny’s next-door neighbour. Marielle wasn’t sure if he’d noticed her yet; probably not, since he’d been pretty intent on chatting up the waitresses or rattling on to other businessmen about whatever business he was in. But he was standing alone now and as Marielle moved towards him she watched his eyes bulge at the blatant carnality gleaming in hers. She’d tease him along a while, brush up against him a couple of times, watch his face twitch and let him imagine all the things she might be prepared to do for him in return for the one little favour he could do for her . . .

  As Penny
moved through the crowd, picking up on snatches of conversation here, stopping to join in others there, she could feel the joy and excitement of the evening going straight to her head. So far she’d had very little to drink, but she was high on hope, high on the promise of what the evening might bring, and, she had to confess, was almost totally overwhelmed by the fact that as from tomorrow Nuance would be on the newsstands. And not even the knowledge that David’s money and influence had played the biggest part in getting it there detracted from the pleasure of knowing that she too had played a key role.

  ‘Am I allowed to tell you you’re looking pretty terrific this evening?’ David smiled down at her as she joined him and Sylvia. The evening was already half over and this was the first time they’d run into each other.

  ‘You are,’ Penny replied, her bright blue eyes sparkling. She guessed the compliment was probably more for Sylvia’s benefit than hers – united front and all that – but she didn’t mind hearing it anyway. Besides, she was really quite pleased with the way she looked – ecstatic, more like, since she’d never have believed she could squeeze herself into this dress, never mind move in it. As it turned out, it had been more of a push than a squeeze, and since blue was such a good colour on her she thought David was probably right, she did look terrific.

  ‘You’re looking pretty dapper yourself, as a matter of fact,’ she said, winking at Sylvia. ‘Men always look so good in tuxedos. You made quite an impression on the princess, from what I could see.’

  ‘It’s my natural charm and good looks,’ David shrugged. ‘They get ’em every time.’

  Penny’s eyes moved back to Sylvia. ‘Don’t you just love him?’ she said sweetly.

  ‘I adore him,’ Sylvia laughed. ‘I adore you both. You’ve done a fantastic job here, better than I’d ever imagined.’

  ‘Mainly thanks to David,’ Penny said.

  ‘Not true,’ he objected.

  Penny glared a warning at him, knowing he was about to give her some honey-coated compliment that would make her want to throw up.