An Old Enchantment (Harlequin Treasury 1990's)

by Amanda Browning

  When, a second later, Kerr had escorted her to the table, she had still been bemused. She must have functioned, though, because she couldn’t remember anyone looking at her oddly, and she knew she had spoken, but for the life of her she couldn’t recall a word she’d said. Not for those first five minutes. She hadn’t danced with Kerr again, but she hadn’t refused Andy when he’d asked her to. Not from any sense of defiance, but because, with everyone keeping an eye on them, it would have looked odd if she hadn’t.

  Unfortunately Fliss hadn’t liked it one bit, and showed a regrettably childish inclination to sulk. The evening had broken up soon after that. Kerr had driven her home without comment, accepting her mother’s offer of a nightcap when they reached the house. Maxi had refused one herself, choosing instead to say goodnight and go to her room.

  Now she slipped out of her dress and reached for the silk robe she had draped across the foot of the bed when she unpacked earlier. Cleaning off her make-up, she heard footsteps mount the stairs, doors open and close, and then gradually the house grew quiet. She was in the act of brushing her hair when she heard a soft tap on her door. Almost she thought she had imagined it, until it came again and she swivelled on the dressing stool.

  ‘Come in,’ she invited cautiously, not really surprised to see her sister slip inside and close the door behind her. Fliss was still in the same yellow dress, and had clearly only been waiting for the others to go to bed before paying this visit.

  ‘I want to know what you’ve really come here for, Maxi,’ she demanded without preamble.

  Maxi glanced briefly at her sister’s hands, which were slowly but surely tearing a handkerchief to shreds. Then she looked steadily into eyes almost the same colour as her own. ‘I came because I wanted to see you all,’ she said softly.

  Fliss pushed herself from the door and took a couple of nervy steps. ‘Why? Why now?’

  ‘Because I thought it was time,’ Maxi enlarged gently, and, putting the brush aside, rose and went to her sister. ‘Fliss, I want you to know I’m very happy for you.’ She tried to take Fliss’s hand, but it was pulled away.

  ‘I don’t believe you. I think somehow you found out I was getting engaged and you came here to make trouble!’

  Maxi watched with troubled eyes as her sister paced away again. ‘Oh, Fliss, aren’t you being just a little bit ridiculous?’ she couldn’t help saying with some exasperation. ‘I’m pleased, really, really pleased. I think you and Andy make a perfect couple. Why won’t you believe me?’

  Fliss flung round to face her. ‘Because I learnt not to trust you.’

  Frowning in consternation, Maxi spread her hands. ‘But that was seven years ago. Surely what happened in the past has no bearing on this?’

  Her sister seemed to be fighting an inner battle. ‘I hated you for what you did,’ she finally declared.

  ‘I know,’ Maxi conceded, wincing.

  ‘I still do.’

  Maxi glanced down at her hands. ‘I’m sorry. I had hoped we could put the past behind us.’ When she looked up, there was a nasty look on Fliss’s normally sweet face.

  ‘You weren’t happy with him, were you?’ she charged gleefully. ‘I knew you wouldn’t be. I could have made him happy, not you!’

  Maxi knew a moment’s distaste. ‘You’re engaged to Andy now. Surely he’s the one you should be thinking of making happy,’ she reminded Fliss shortly, and watched the colour drain out of her sister’s cheeks.

  ‘Oh, why did you have to come and muddle everything up?’ she wailed, pressing her hands to her cheeks. ‘I was happy! Now you’re turning it all into a...a stupid masquerade!’ The next instant she spun on her heel and flung out of the room, crashing the door behind her.

  Maxi stared at the wood, yet it wasn’t her sister’s figure she was seeing imprinted there, but the word ‘masquerade’. In its commonest sense, it meant a masked dance, and that knowledge had a vice tightening about her heart. She had been to one once, and forced the memory into a room never to be opened. Memory only brought pain. The pain of helplessness. The pain of things that could never be. Yet something had been slowly turning the key. That dance with Kerr, his kiss. She frowned. It couldn’t have been him. For Kerr to be that mysterious figure would be too improbable...too cruel.

  She shivered atavistically. There had to be some other answer. And yet, there were those inexplicable things. The look in his eyes as if he wanted to do murder. The way he had flirted with her. They made no sense, unless... Oh, but that was too far-fetched. The odds must be astronomical against him being her stranger. She was just being fanciful. There were strong emotions in the air.

  Her sister had fairly exploded with them. Years ago, overlooking Fliss’s childish jealousy had been a habit, which was probably why she had missed just how deep it went. She might have felt sorry for her once, but not now. In fact, her hand had itched to slap some sense into her. Fliss had absolutely no reason to suppose she was going to set her cap at Andy. Couldn’t she see that Andy was a different man from Colin? Didn’t she trust him?

  Shaking her head, Maxi gave up. Once she had had a good night’s sleep, perhaps she’d be able to think of a way of convincing Fliss she meant no harm. Right now her emotions had taken all the battering they could stand. She needed to recharge her batteries for tomorrow. With a deep sigh she changed into her nightdress, climbed into bed and turned out the light.

  * * *

  When Maxi went downstairs the following morning, dressed in jeans and a pink silk blouse, the house was strangely quiet. True, she had overslept a little, but considering there was going to be a large party tonight there was a decided lack of bustle. Mrs Toomey, the housekeeper, was in the kitchen busily polishing silver. She was a new addition to the staff since Maxi had left, and if she was aware of the nature of that departure she gave no sign.

  ‘Good morning, miss. Breakfast is still laid out in the breakfast-room.’

  Smiling her thanks, Maxi pushed through the swing door into that room and was brought up short by the sight of long, denim-clad legs stretched out from beneath an open newspaper. In consequence, the return swing of the door caught her squarely on her behind, making her yelp. The paper lowered, exposing Kerr’s enquiring grey eyes.

  The rest of him was revealed as the paper fell to his lap. Slowly his eyes took her in from the tip of her shiny black hair to her trainer-covered feet. Lingering longest over the shapely length of her legs, he uttered a silent whistle. ‘Good morning, Maxi. You’re a sight to please the sorest eyes. If you were mine, I wouldn’t let you wear anything but trousers—if I let you wear anything at all!’

  It was the kind of remark she’d heard all her working life, and she didn’t like it any more now than at the beginning. Teeth snapping as her back was put up, she stalked round him to the sideboard and poured herself a cup of coffee. ‘Spare me your chauvinistic remarks. I’ve heard them all before.’ Taking her cup and saucer, she deliberately sat down as far away from him as possible. ‘You certainly feel free to make yourself at home here, don’t you?’

  His teeth flashed as he grinned at her. ‘If my presence bothers you, you can always disappear for another seven years.’

  She loosed a slaying look. ‘Very amusing. Have you been practising walking on water? I didn’t hear you arrive.’

  ‘Possibly because I never left,’ he informed her sardonically.

  Startled, her cup halted short of her lips. ‘You mean you slept here?’ The possibility hadn’t occurred to her.

  ‘Can’t fool you, can we, Watson?’ he taunted.

  She sent him a scowl that singularly failed to wither him and gingerly sipped her coffee. The thought of Kerr under the same roof as herself raised gooseflesh all over her, and her lips thinned in annoyance. ‘What’s wrong with your own house? I presume you have one. I’m pretty certain I recall Andy living somewhere.’

  Folding the newspaper neatly, Kerr turned to face her, resting his elbows on the table. ‘Yes, I have a house. Unfortunately at thi
s moment it’s being redecorated, and reeks of paint and other noxious substances. Your parents kindly offered to house me until my own home was fit to live in again.’

  That explained everything. The invitation was exactly like them. Everybody was welcome into the Ambro house. ‘Where are they, by the way? Where is everybody?’

  ‘It might be normal for you to laze the morning away, darling, but other people don’t care to waste their time,’ Kerr drawled, watching her colour rise at his gibe.

  Curbing the urge to fling one of her mother’s favourite cups at him, she smiled with complete insincerity. ‘I didn’t ask you for one of your inaccurate judgements. Although, while we’re on the subject, I’d say you haven’t long finished breakfast yourself, so who are you to throw stones? I asked where my parents were,’ she reminded him with a saccharine smile.

  ‘So you did. Let me see...’ Holding up his hand, he counted off on his fingers. ‘John and Bernice have gone in to Dorchester to pick up their engagement present, and various other things that are needed for the party tonight. They dropped Fliss over at the local stables on the way. Mrs Toomey is busy polishing the family silver, and the lady who does is doing the dining-room.’

  Having looked at him purely to let him know how much she loathed him, Maxi now found herself becoming mesmerised by the movement of his lips as he spoke. Her heart kicked. She couldn’t help but remember that brief kiss again, and the resulting confusion of her thoughts. Could he be? There had certainly been a kind of magic in his lips. But if he was, then that would mean he knew the worst, the very worst about her! That would be the severest betrayal.

  ‘What do you see when you look at me, I wonder?’ Kerr mused lightly, but his eyes glittered like steel.

  Caught in the act of staring, Maxi’s gaze flew to his. She was grazed by his scorn, and her lashes dropped in instinctive self-protection. Could he read her mind? If he knew what she was thinking...but he couldn’t. It was just her nerves playing tricks on her.

  She made a show of mulling the question over. ‘Well, now, what do I see? Do you want the truth, or, like most men, would you rather be flattered?’

  Kerr laughed, a husky sound that curdled the blood in her veins. ‘Don’t spare me. The truth doesn’t scare me, because I’m not like most men you know.’

  Dear lord, he wasn’t like any man she knew! They were in the middle of a verbal battle and yet her body was so very aware of him that it tingled! Somehow she had to lower the temperature. ‘I see a man who has utter faith in his own judgement. I see a man with the implacable belief that he cannot be wrong,’ she countered coldly, and stifled a groan of irritation when all he did was smile wickedly. His skin had to be made of rhinoceros hide.

  ‘You see that as a weakness while to me it’s a strength. But I’m not surprised to find you like to believe the worst of me. Do you think that evens up the scales?’

  ‘Your parents might have spoiled you, but I fail to see why you should have everything your own way,’ she challenged coolly.

  ‘Is that why you danced with Andy last night when you knew I didn’t want you to?’

  Maxi raised her eyebrows pityingly. ‘This may come as a shock to you, Kerr, but the world doesn’t revolve around what you do or don’t want. I didn’t dance with him to spite you, but because it would have looked odd if I didn’t. Even someone as prejudiced as you must admit that.’

  He didn’t answer, merely watched her sipping at her coffee. ‘Aren’t you going to eat something?’

  Annoyed, because he wasn’t about to give her even that much credit, Maxi shook her head. ‘I never eat breakfast,’ she informed him, then an imp of perversity made her stir the melting pot just to see what would float to the surface. ‘By the way, you left Andy off of your list just now. Where is he?’

  In the space of a heartbeat, grey eyes narrowed suspiciously. ‘Why do you want to know?’

  Maxi sat back in her seat with a laugh, shivering at the way her nerves had leapt with a vicarious excitement. Was this how a bullfighter felt when he had got the bull’s total attention? ‘What would you like to hear—that I plan to lure him away for a wild orgy of passion on the eve of his engagement party?’ Were it another man, she would probably just have made a simple explanation, but she was getting really sick and tired of having her intentions so badly misunderstood. And, yes, to be blunt about it, wilfully misunderstood. She chose to ignore the fact that he was only replying to her own devilish impulse.

  In a flash he had lurched across the table, catching her wrist in a vice-like grip. ‘Try it, you wilful little madam, and you’ll rue the day our paths ever crossed!’ he threatened chillingly.

  Maxi’s eyes flashed cat-like. ‘I already do!’ she spat, struggling uselessly for freedom. ‘Damn you, Kerr Devereaux, we were talking about the family. Why shouldn’t I idly ask where he was?’

  His laugh was humourless. ‘Do you ever ask idle questions?’

  Her jaw set mutinously, and she absolutely refused to feel any compunction just because she’d got more than she bargained for when she began stirring. ‘I did, but you’re likely to cure me of the habit. Between you and Fliss, I’m beginning to heartily wish I’d never come.’

  He released her then, flexing broad shoulders clad in a black T-shirt, before resuming his seat. ‘You have the answer. You can always leave.’

  Wouldn’t he just love that! ‘I’m sure everyone would be delighted, but I’m not going until I’ve done what I came for,’ she refused bluntly.

  ‘Which is?’

  ‘None of your damn business!’ she shot back angrily. Getting to her feet, she took great pleasure in ignoring him and stalked back into the kitchen. One of these days, so help her, she’d black his eye for him.

  The housekeeper, seeing her thunderous expression, paused in her cleaning. ‘Is anything wrong, miss?’

  Brought up short by the innocent witness to their private war, Maxi quickly produced a smile. ‘Oh, no. Actually I came to ask if there was anything I could do to help.’ If she had to rattle around the place on her own, she might as well make herself useful. There would be an added bonus if it kept her away from Kerr, too.

  Mrs Toomey smiled. ‘If you don’t mind getting dusty, there are the two display cabinets in the lounge which need doing out.’

  ‘Consider it done,’ Maxi declared, and retrieved polish and a couple of dusters from the broom cupboard before setting to.

  Dusting and polishing, she discovered, was quite therapeutic. On her knees, surrounded by various ornaments, her thoughts drifted away to less contentious subjects, and before long she was humming away to herself, quite oblivious to the world around her. Only when something got in her eye did she stop, and as a result become aware that she was no longer alone. With leaping heart, she shot round, to discover Andy grinning at her from his perch on the arm of the couch.

  ‘Oh, God, you fool!’ she exclaimed, pressing a hand over her heart. ‘You scared the life out of me. How long have you been there?’

  ‘Not long.’

  ‘Do you always creep up on people?’

  Andy laughed easily. ‘Only when I don’t want to disturb them. You looked happy.’

  Maxi sank back on her heels and glanced around her. ‘I was. I used to do this as a child. It was a special treat then, not a chore, because I’d always end up playing with them. But that was a very long time ago,’ she added with a reminiscent sigh.

  ‘Did Fliss used to help you?’ Andy queried, coming to squat beside her, fingering one of the pieces.

  ‘Sometimes, but she didn’t really have the patience.’ Which was only half true. Fliss had wanted to do it because Maxi did, but because she was younger there had been breakages. Consequently, she hadn’t been allowed to do it often, and thus another cause for jealousy had arisen. Pausing a moment, she then said softly, ‘You do love her, don’t you?’

  There was no mistaking the look on his face. ‘Very much. But I must admit I can’t see why your arrival should have upset her so m
uch.’

  Neither, to be honest, could Maxi. However, it was second nature to come to her sister’s defence. ‘You weren’t here when...’

  ‘The “scandal that rocked the county” took place?’ he offered tongue-in-cheek. ‘No, I was away at med school. Though news did filter through, I wasn’t really interested. Kerr has told me all about it now, though.’ He sent her the strangest look. ‘He seems to think you might be up to your old tricks.’

  Maxi pulled a face. ‘Your brother is long on brains but short on common sense! I don’t mean to be insulting, but even if I went in for that sort of thing I’m afraid it wouldn’t be with you. I like you too much.’

  ‘Well, that’s a relief. I like you, too. I’m a one-woman man, and that woman is Fliss. Nobody could take me away from her.’ There was something final and absolute in his tone that warmed her heart.

  ‘Have you told her that?’ she asked, rubbing at her eye again as it started to prick.

  Andy lowered himself to his knees. ‘Of course, but it’s up to her whether she believes me or not. I can’t force her to trust me; she has to know that she can. Here, let me look at that eye.’ Manoeuvring her head into the light, Maxi steadied herself with a hand on his shoulder as he eased back the lid.

  To the woman whose silent approach to the door failed to disturb them, the silhouetted tableau was condemning. With a strangulated cry she turned and stumbled away. The two figures by the window jerked round in surprise, but by then the doorway was empty again.

  ‘Perhaps it was a cat,’ Andy proffered, frowning.

  Maxi licked the handkerchief he held to her lips and sighed with relief when the object, a piece of grit, was removed. ‘You don’t suppose it was Fliss?’

  Tucking his handkerchief away, Andy climbed to his feet. ‘No, she would have come in.’

  Maxi wasn’t so sure. Fliss was behaving so temperamentally that she was capable of anything. ‘Was she expecting you to pick her up from the stables?’

  Shaking his head, Andy glanced at the clock. ‘No. We’re supposed to be going to lunch with friends.’ As if by arrangement, a loud bleeping sound suddenly invaded the room, and he sighed and pulled an object from his pocket. The noise died away. ‘Unfortunately, it looks as if I’m going to have to miss it. Excuse me.’ He went to the telephone, dialled and engaged in a brief conversation. Replacing the receiver, he sighed again. ‘I was right. I’ve got to make an emergency call. Make my excuses to Fliss, would you, Maxi, and tell her I’ll join her at the restaurant if it’s at all possible? Must dash.’ With a brief wave, he was gone.