‘Remember when we arrived here yesterday?’ Simon said as they walked down the sweeping staircase together.
‘Was it really only yesterday?’
‘And I said we’d made it.’ He laughed bitterly. ‘Right to the top of the heap, I said, didn’t I?’
Her eyes met Vivien Leigh’s. ‘Right to the top…’
‘I can’t help feeling this has all been hubris.’ He gave her a bitter smile as they passed Jean Harlow. ‘I rather tempted the gods, didn’t I, in my arrogance?’
‘It’s very difficult not to,’ she pointed out with a sym- pathetic smile, ‘when you get the rewards for hard work. And you have worked hard, Simon. We both have. I suppose it’s just that there is truth in the old saying- lucky at cards, unlucky in love.’
‘Yes.’ They were in the hall now, and music was everywhere, echoing along the marble walls and pillars where the immortals of Hollywood looked down on yet another year, yet another weekend party, yet another ball at the palace by the sea.
They rounded the sweeping white corner, and the ballroom was at the end of the black-white corridor, great gold doors flung open, music getting louder, more beautiful.
‘I’m going to confront Jared,’ Christie heard herself say without warning as they walked hand in hand towards the music and the dancing and the voices. She laughed at her own sudden bravery. ‘Yes! I’m going to confront him about seeing him with Nessa.’ She laughed again, courage flowing through her veins as she finally let go of the hope she had nursed all along that he might love her, and accepted his vile character for what it was, leaving her free to confront him. ‘I’m going to tell him exactly what I think of him!’
Simon laughed softly and shot her a look of admir- ation. ‘Good for you. Shall I slap Nessa around the face with it, too?’
Angry pain leapt in her eyes and heart. ‘Why not? She’s done her best to hurt you this weekend, just as Jared has me. For all we know they’re both in it together and laughing at us behind our backs. Nothing would surprise me about Tinsel-Town any more—or the people who run it!’
‘Me neither,’ he laughed angrily. ‘But at least I’ve always protected you from the casting couch.’
Rage flooded her veins as they entered the ballroom, and flashbulbs exploded in her face, making her pose immediately, one hand on Simon’s elegant shoulder, smiling as best she could, the glitter of pain and anger in her blue eyes only enhancing her beauty photo- graphically.
‘Stunning!’ Mike Camarra drawled, striding over, cigar in mouth, and giving her a bear hug. ‘Knew you wouldn’t let me down, Christie! Have a glass of cham- pagne, and go mingle with the guests!’
Clutching her champagne, she looked around the glit- tering, packed ballroom, with its cavernous ceiling, marble pillars, mirrored walls, potted palms in sleek white pots, and the band playing in full evening dress on the stage at the far end, way beyond the heads of the rich, famous and beautiful guests.
Jared and Nessa were dancing. Jealousy savaged her as she watched Nessa smiling up at him, her body so close to his as they moved to the music that they were practically making love.
God, she felt such a fool! The whole time she’d been here, she’d believed almost everything he said, dis- counted Nessa’s presence right up until the last minute, so convinced that he couldn’t feel more for Nessa than he did for her, just because he was chasing her so intently…
‘Dance with me!’ Simon said thickly beside her.
She put her champagne down on a passing silver tray. Together, she and Simon moved on to the dance-floor, dancing as close together as Jared and Nessa.
‘I feel as though I’m being mauled by a pack of savage dogs,’ Simon said painfully, staring over Christie’s slender shoulder at Nessa.
‘Me too,’ she whispered. ‘But you mustn’t let her see how badly she’s affecting you.’
They danced another three dances, then could stand it no longer, mutually agreeing to stop putting up such a terrible show when they were dying inside.
Moving over to the tables groaning under the weight of food, they stared without interest at the fresh lobster, roast beef, roast suckling pig glazed in honey, and the caviar, the quail’s eggs, the delicacies from all over the world.
Christie sighed at the sight of the food, and glanced round.
‘Don’t look!’ Simon bit out. ‘He’s kissing her!’
Her heart winced as though stabbed. She stared, mes- merised by savage jealousy as Jared bent his dark head to kiss that smiling red mouth.
‘Have some caviar!’ Mike Camarra was suddenly beside them, clapping Simon on the back and extending a silver pot to him. ‘Finest Beluga! Here—you, too, Christie!’
Turning back to him, she was forced, as Simon was, to stand talking to him, admiring his Beluga caviar.
‘Not fattening, either.’ Millie joined them, laughing in approval as Christie ate little bites of caviar. ‘That’s the wonder of it.’
‘Simon doesn’t have to worry about his figure, though.’ Mike Camarra liked people who ate with him. ‘Here, Simon—join me in a large helping of everything on this table!’
‘You pig!’ Millie laughed, very drunk on Bollinger.
‘Roast suckling pig, honey!’ Mike cracked, piling two plates high with food while Simon watched him, aghast.
Millie turned to Christie. ‘Enjoying the weekend, honey?’
‘Yes, it’s been wonderful,’ she lied politely. ‘And it was very generous of you to invite us.’
‘Yes… pity about the way things are turning out.’ Millie took another glass of champagne from a passing tray. ‘I really wanted Simon and Nessa to get back together. They were made for each other, you know.’
Christie stared at her in horror, then at Simon, who was listening, grey eyes blazing with ill-concealed fury.
‘Eat up.’ Mike jogged Simon’s frozen arm.
‘He belonged with Nessa,’ Millie ranted on. ‘They were stupid, both of them, to ever consider breaking up. And don’t look furious, honey; you quite obviously belonged with Jared Buchanan.’
In horror, she suddenly saw Jared and Nessa making a beeline for them, hand in hand, her red lipstick on his hard, handsome cheek, both looking stunning, Jared in a frighteningly expensive black Armani suit, and Nessa the perfect foil in a blood-red silk clinging number.
‘Ah, here comes Jared now!’ Millie laughed, drinking more. ‘What he’s doing with Nessa when he could have you, I’ll never know. Nessa’s not right for him. It’s you he wants.’
‘Millie—’ she broke out shakingly.
‘Stands out a mile, the way you two look at each other. All that brooding passion! And as for you suddenly re- fusing to play Lelie, right out of the blue, well—it’s plain as cherry-pie that you did it because you were still in love with Jared.’
Jared and Nessa were beside them suddenly, catching the tail end of that, both staring at Millie in shock.
‘Well, well, well!’ drawled Millie, sipping champagne, eyes glittering. ‘The party’s really hotting up!’
‘You really are a nasty piece of work,’ Jared bit out under his breath, eyes raking his hostess with contempt. ‘If it weren’t for the high esteem in which I hold your husband, I’d be tempted to call you a string of very un- repeatable names!’
Millie flushed angrily. ‘Mike!’ She turned. ‘Did you hear that, Mike!’
‘Sure I did, honey!’ Mike drawled right behind her, eating a large chicken leg. ‘And I’m not impressed. But you can’t blame the man. We are interfering like mad, and you know it.’
‘I agree,’ Simon said through a mouthful of garlic sausage. ‘And I think I’ve had just about enough of it!’ He angrily threw his plate down on the table, taking a step towards Millie, bristling with rage. ‘Much as I detest Jared for my own personal reasons, I must agree with him. You are a thoroughly poisonous woman, and richly deserve to be called a string of unrepeatable names.’
‘Shut up, Simon!’ Nessa hissed, trembling. ‘They’ll b
lacklist you, you fool!’
He turned to her, eyes blazing, and bit out, ‘Keep out of this, you bloody bitch!’
Nessa went scarlet with rage. ‘You dare call me a bitch! In public! After the way you’ve behaved!’
‘The way I’ve behaved!’ Simon grabbed her arm, shouting hoarsely, ‘You cheap little tramp! I saw you on the balcony today! I know you’d been to bed with that swine all afternoon!’
‘You lying little reptile!’ Jared bit out, bristling with aggression. ‘If anyone’s been playing with two women, it’s you!’
Christie stepped forwards. ‘Don’t try to pin this on Simon! He’s suffered enough because of you!’
‘You stay out of it!’ Jared snarled, whirling on her. ‘I saw your passionate embrace with him, right beneath the balcony!’
‘What?’
‘And to think I actually believed what you said to me this afternoon!’ Jared hurled, completely losing his temper now. ‘My God, I really asked for a slug in the guts, didn’t I, looking out of the balcony to see you be- having like the double-dealing little cheat you are!’
Simon pushed at him furiously. ‘Don’t talk to her like that, you swine!’
‘You’re going the right way to get a punch in the mouth!’ Jared moved towards him menacingly, bristling with aggression, ready to fight. ‘I’ve wanted to knock your face through the back of your head for years now, and—’
‘Go ahead!’ Simon shouted miserably, backing away. ‘What do I care! You’ve stolen the only woman I loved and now I’ve got nothing to live for! Nothing but—’
‘You never loved me!’ Nessa said fiercely. ‘Don’t try to pull that old trick on me, because I won’t believe it!’
‘I don’t care if you—I don’t care if—’ he broke off suddenly, a peculiar expression in his eyes.
There was a split-second’s silence.
‘Ah…!’ Simon clutched at his chest, going white, staggering.
Jared went white, too. ‘Oh, my God!’
‘My heart…’
Everyone just stared at him in shocked realisation.
‘Get back!’ Jared moved like lightning, catching Simon before he collapsed on to the tables. ‘Call an ambulance!’
A hushed gasp fell as Jared laid Simon on the floor, Millie ran to dial emergency, Christie knelt shakingly beside Simon and Jared, and everyone in the ballroom began to close in around them all.
‘Stand back, for God’s sake!’ Jared shouted as the music died away and his hands were deftly loosening Simon’s tie, tearing his shirt open. ‘Give him some space, he needs to breathe!’
‘Nessa…!’ Simon whispered with difficulty, holding out a shaking hand.
‘I’m here, darling!’ Nessa knelt beside him, tears in her eyes as she gripped his hand. ‘Try not to talk. I couldn’t bear it if anything happened to you!’
‘I might die, Ness!’ he murmured, his face ashen as he clung to her hand.
‘No! Please…’
‘If I do,’ he said, ‘I want you to know the truth.’
She started to weep. ‘Oh, Simon…’
‘I loved you all along, Ness. Right from the minute I first saw you, crying at your parents’ party because you hadn’t won the prize for Prettiest Party Dress. Do you remember?’
‘I was only three…’ Nessa’s tears streamed down her cheeks.
‘And you should have won Prettiest Party Dress,’ he said huskily, ‘because it was such a pretty dress you wore that day. Big pink sash around your waist and hundreds of little sausage curls…’
‘My mother spent hours doing my hair,’ Nessa laughed tearfully. ‘And then it all got ruined when you pushed me in the swimming-pool.’
Simon laughed too, then groaned and clutched his chest.
‘Try not to excite him,’ Jared said grimly. ‘It’s a long drive for the paramedics.’
‘Darling…’ Simon was white with pain now, clutching Nessa’s hand as she wept unstoppably. ‘I wanted you to be such a great star, and I was so sure I’d be known as your Svengali when you made it. But nobody took as much notice of me as I’d thought they would.’
‘It wasn’t your fault, darling,’ she whispered, stroking his white brow. ‘It was because we’d grown up together, that’s why nobody said you were my Roger Vadim.’
‘And I grew so jealous of you,’ he confessed, tears sliding over his lashes now and down the side of his temples. ‘I can’t believe I did what I did. Destroyed us both in front of Hollywood…’
‘I loved you,’ Nessa cried, ‘even when you were doing it!’
‘Ness… that affair with Sally Harker. It never hap- pened. I made it all up just to get back at you.’
‘Oh, God, no!’ Nessa stared at him in horror. ‘Oh, Simon, Simon, why didn’t you tell me before!’
He winced, clutching his chest, muttering thickly, ‘Too proud.’
‘Don’t let him get worked up!’ Jared said tightly, ready to go into action should his heart stop altogether.
‘Couldn’t admit it,’ Simon said, ‘not after I came to your apartment that day and found your new agent there. How could I tell you my love affair had been a sham, when you were obviously in a very hot situation with that bastard?’
Nessa moaned, tears wrecking her make-up beyond repair. ‘But he wasn’t my lover, Simon! He just stayed the night because he was too drunk to drive home!’
‘You mean—’ Simon stared, his face sheened with
sweat now.
‘I was pretending as much as you, you fool!’ she cried emotionally. ‘I still am! All weekend—oh, God, what a nightmare, what a bloody hellish time it’s been! Having to smile, and smile and pretend not to care that you’re engaged to her, and—’
‘What!’ Simon’s grey eyes stared intently. ‘But what about Jared? He’s your lover! I saw you on the balcony with—’
‘I fell in the swimming pool,’ she groaned. ‘Fully clothed on the treasure hunt. Talk about childhood patterns!’
‘I helped her out,’ Jared said deeply, watching Simon for signs of oncoming cardiac arrest, his face very tense. ‘We abandoned the treasure hunt and she went up to get changed.’
Christie was staring in disbelief.
So was Simon. ‘But you were in her bedroom! You— you kissed her! I saw you, we both saw you!’
Jared nodded. ‘We’re old friends now. The last three years, we’ve done nothing but confide in each other about—’ He broke off, a dark flush invading his handsome face as he darted a quick, intense look at Christie. ‘About our broken hearts.’
‘Jared…!’ Christie whispered breathlessly. ‘Oh, Jared, darling!’
‘We didn’t make love.’ Jared said thickly, his eyes riveted to her face. ‘Nessa got changed and showered in her bathroom while I drank a beer and tried to come to terms with the hell this weekend has been.’
‘For me, too!’ Christie said brokenly.
There was a commotion in the drive as an ambulance siren wailed up it towards the house. Guests murmured excitedly, some moving to the doorway as the am- bulance screeched to a halt, doors slammed, and running footsteps came from the marble corridors.
‘Don’t move!’ Jared commanded sharply when Simon tried to sit up.
‘Too much pain…’ he said threadily, holding his chest. ‘Couldn’t move if I wanted to. But Ness, my darling Ness—promise you’ll come with me to the hospital! I couldn’t bear to die away from you!’
‘Oh, God, don’t say that!’ she sobbed, holding him. ‘We’ve been so stupid, both of us. I can’t imagine a world without you, even though I’ve lived without your love for so long! Simon, please forgive me, tell me you love me—’
‘I love you desperately, Ness, I always have.’
The paramedics were running into the ballroom with a stretcher and cardiac arrest equipment. ‘Clear the way! Get back!’
Jared got to his feet, shouting, ‘The patient’s over here! His heart’s still going, but he’s in bad shape—’
‘O
K, we’ve got him!’ They put the stretcher down, one of them took Jared’s place at his side to examine him while the equipment was hooked up to him.
‘Oh, Simon, Simon…!’ Nessa sobbed in horror as she watched electrodes being fastened to his chest, oxygen mask over his mouth and nose, and then his body lifted on to the stretcher, all in a matter of seconds by the super-efficient team.
He groped for her hand, saying in a muffled voice, ‘Don’t leave me again, Ness, please! Stay with me at the hospital so I can propose to you when I’m better.’
‘What about Christie?’ Nessa gripped his hand, crying, ‘I love you, darling, but you are engaged to—’
‘No,’ Christie said huskily. ‘Our engagement has been over for most of the weekend. We just didn’t want to cause any gossip by announcing it while we were all still here.’
Jared sucked in his breath, staring at her, those dark eyes blazing like black fire.
‘Clear the way!’ The paramedic team lifted the stretcher and the equipment, beginning to stride fast across the ballroom.
‘I’m coming with him, is that OK?’ Nessa ran after them, and began giving details to a female paramedic as she clung to Simon’s hand, and the whole procession disappeared around the corner and out of the ballroom.
CHAPTER TEN
CHRISTIE stood opposite Jared, her heart beating with sudden fierce, wild hope. Simon was safe now, and his love had been restored to him. But so had hers. She be- lieved it so overwhelmingly as she stared into Jared’s strong handsome face and saw her love returned in those passionate eyes of his. Her mind was working at top speed, now that the danger was over, and it was re- playing everything Jared had said. ‘I believed what you said to me this afternoon… I really asked for a slug in the guts… saw your passionate embrace…’
Jared was staring at her, too. His eyes were intent on hers, but she could see the thoughts flickering behind them like information on a dark computer screen, and she knew he was remembering everything she’d said to him, all weekend, his doubts beginning to slide away in the face of the enormous revelation of her fake en- gagement to Simon since they got here.
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