Sally Wentworth - Set the Stars on Fire

by Sally Wentworth

  CHAPTER FIVE

  RHODES was a strange island; the western coast was bounded by the Aegean Sea which had a strong tide that sent large waves rolling on to pebble beaches and blew fresh winds that made the heat tolerable by day and turned the air chill at night, whereas the eastern side had its feet in the tranquil blue waters of the Mediterranean, where the beaches were long stretches of oven-hot golden sand, the waters were calm and crystal clear and where not a breath of wind came to disturb the intense, dazzling heat. The hotel was situated on the western coast and normally Lori was glad of the breeze, but now it struck cold and she pulled a chair into the furthermost corner of the balcony and huddled into it, her feet tucked under her.

  It was very late; she hadn't got her watch on, but she guessed that it must be after two in the morning and she felt terribly tired. The night-club was still in full swing above her, but even the noise of that couldn't keep her awake and she drifted into an uncomfortable sleep. She woke with a start, some primeval instinct telling her that she wasn't alone, and looked up to see Lewis standing over her, a rather bleak look on his face. This disappeared as soon as he saw that she was awake and his face became its usual cold mask.

  `The doctor's gone, you can come back inside.'

  Lori stretched her cramped muscles. `What did he say? Was it very bad?'

  Lewis shook his head. `No, he said it was a clean wound and not too deep, luckily, but Dean's lost a lot of blood and he'll have to have complete bed rest for a couple of days and then take it easy for a week or two.' He went to add something more, but then the band, who must have been between. numbers, suddenly blasted into a top rock tune and drowned his words. A look of amazement came over his face and he hastily pulled her inside the room and shut the windows. 'What on earth is that?'

  Lori regarded him with some satisfaction. 'It's the night-club, it's immediately overhead.'

  'Good God! Does it make that row every night?' 'All except Sundays. It starts at ten and finishes at exactly four in the morning. The Greeks are very punctual,' she added wryly.

  'Then we'd better keep the windows shut and turn on the air-conditioning or it might disturb Dean.' Lori went over to look at Dean, who was asleep, his handsome face very pale on the pillow. 'There isn't any air-conditioning-it only goes up as far as the fifth floor,' she informed Lewis.

  'But it's stuffy in here already. How on earth do you sleep?' His expression became cynical. 'But then I don't expect you're here often, you're probably too busy sleeping around in other men's bedrooms!' Lori was cold and tired, there had been all the stress and worry about Dean, the fear of him being injured further, and then Lewis's contemptuous assumption that it was all her fault. And now at this last insult something seemed to snap inside her. She straightened up and turned to face him, her hair blown into disarray by the wind, her eyes sparkling with indignation. 'How dare you speak to me like that? From the very first, even before I came here, you've listened to and believed every piece of malicious gossip about me. And when Y tried to tell you that you were wrong all you did was to virtually laugh in my face! You've been against me from the very beginning, and even though I've kept away from the men in the crew, only going out in a crowd and not even talking to any one man more than another, you're still so completely prejudiced against me that you think you have the right to insult me whenever you want! 'Her voice started to rise on a note of hysteria. `Well, I'm just about sick and tired of your insults, do you hear me? Okay, so you wanted another actress to play the part and you got me instead.

  Well, that's bad luck on you, but you have no right to treat me like dirt because of it. I didn't ask for this part—it was offered to me. I'm doing my best to play it as you want and I…I' She broke off, realising that she was sinking into pathos, and her mind filled with impotent anger. She lifted her hands in a helpless gesture. `Oh, what's the use? You're so determined to be convinced that I'm no good that you'll never believe a word I say. You even blamed me for-for Dean when I wasn't even with him!' Tears of tiredness and frustration came into her eyes and she hastily turned her back on him, ashamed to let him see her weakness. For a moment there was a silence that hung heavily between them while Lori fought to control herself, digging her nails into her palms, determined not to let him see her cry.

  At length he said caustically, `I seem to remember that you handed out some insults of your own tonight.'

  Slowly she turned to look at him and found him regarding her grimly. `I know. It was very wrong of me; I'm sorry. And I knew it wasn't true really, Y knew you weren't like that. I suppose-I suppose I just wanted to hit back at you,' she admitted with honest candour. He frowned. 'And you certainly didn't pull your punches-not to mention hitting below the belt!' Crossing the room, he came to stand close beside her. 'And now you want me to believe that everything I've heard about you is wrong, and that you didn't get Dean into a fight?'

  A flash of hope filled her and she gazed up at him pleadingly as he looked at her consideringly. Then his expression changed to one of complete cynicism as he said, 'You know, Lori, you really are a very good actress.

  For a moment I could almost have believed you.' The hope died like a trodden ant. 'I'm telling you the truth,' she said wearily. 'Why won't you believe me?'

  His mouth tightened. 'Maybe I would have done if you hadn't deliberately provoked me into kissing you earlier. Your power to attract men sexually may be immense, but don't try to play games with me, Lori, because I can see through you at every turn. You thought that if you hooked me I'd forget about what happened to Dean, but if you think I'd fall for someone who uses her beauty as a weapon or a bribe, and who sleeps with every man who comes along, then you're very much mistaken!'

  Lori glared at him furiously. 'Don't kid yourself! You're the last person I'd want to attract. I don't go for self-opinionated, pompous bigots-and you certainly don't turn me on!

  'No?' He caught hold of her arm, the grey eyes filled with insolent mockery, and for a heart-stopping moment Lori thought he was going to kiss her again, but he merely gave her a little shake and then said, `Did you mean it when you said you were willing to sit up with Dean?'

  She blinked, strangely unwilling to accept his change `Yes. Yes, of course,' she replied after a moment.

  'Then stay with him while I go and find the manager and try to smooth things over with the locals. This affair has to be settled somehow or else Dean won't be able to set foot outside the hotel:' He checked that the younger man was still sleeping and then let himself out, taking the key with him.

  Lori turned out the main light and lay on the other bed, her ears alert for any sound Dean might make, but she guessed that he had been given a sedative, he slept so deeply, hardly moving at all. She lay back on the pillow and tried to gather her thoughts, but strangely none of them were of Dean; she liked him and was sorry he had been hurt but quite frankly considered that he had brought it on himself; he was far too exuberantly outgoing towards the Rhodians, both male and female, and should have realised that his ways were not theirs and they would resent his being familiar with one of their unmarried girls, who were still chaperoned until marriage.

  No, her thoughts were all of Lewis. Lewis, whom she had always considered to be so cold and impersonal until her stupid accusation had shaken him out of his usual aloofness and he had picked. up her challenge so rapidly and with such passion that she would never again be able to think of him without remembering it that and the effect it had had on her. She had been kissed many times before, not only in her private life but also during her work, by handsome men who were supposed to be sex symbols, by tough anti-hero types, and by men who were neither of those but just plain nice. With a few of them things had gone a little deeper and might have become serious if Lori hadn't always had this feeling that she wanted to wait; there was plenty of time, she was in no hurry to tie herself down. Most of them were well practised in the art of making love to a woman and had known how to kiss and caress her, but none of them, not even the most experienced,
had ever inflamed her like that one angry kiss, given cold-bloodedly and without emotion, used only as a means of teaching her a lesson. The thought of it made her tremble and she put a finger up to her lips; they still felt bruised and tender.

  It was well over an hour later before Lewis came back, letting himself quietly into the darkened room, but Lori sat up immediately, fully awake but afraid he might accuse her of having fallen asleep.

  'How is he?' he asked.

  'Just the same, he hasn't stirred.'

  'Good. I'll take over now for what's left of the night. Go down to my room and sleep there.'

  'I don't mind staying,' she offered stiffly. 'I dare say you don't, but I intend to get some rest on that bed,' he told her bluntly.

  'Oh! I see.' She got up and collected her nightdress and clean clothes for the morning, then took his key from him. 'What about tomorrow, who will look after him then?'

  'The doctor's' arranging for a nurse to come in. And I've also seen the manager about a new room for you you're to have one on the third floor from tomorrow.'

  Lori looked at him in some astonishment. 'But when I asked them if I could change they said they had no more available until the end of the season.' Lewis raised a 'cynical eyebrow. `Obviously they were more open to high-level pressure than low-level sexuality.'

  Her jaw tightened but she said gratefully, `Thank you; the noise of that band has been driving me mad.' His mouth twisted derisively and he mocked her own words cruelly, `Don't kid yourself. I didn't do it for you -I merely wanted this room for Dean until he's well enough to be moved back to his own.'

  Lori stared at him bitterly, then turned abruptly and Left him to his vigil.

  The sound of the phone ringing brought Lori awake in the morning after a long dreamless sleep. She stretched languorously in the big double bed-no lonely single ones in this suite-and reached for the phone on the bedside cabinet. Lewis's voice brought her instantly fully awake.

  `I trust you slept well?' he asked drily. `Your bed is very comfortable,' she agreed.

  `Have you any idea what the time is?'

  `No. It's Sunday; I never look at clocks on Sundays,' she replied, refusing to be drawn.

  `It's nearly eleven.'

  `Is that all? In that case I think I'll go back to sleep for a couple of hours.' And she gave an exaggerated yawn. 'Goodbye.'

  `Wait!' Lewis' voice came sharply over the line and Lori gave a small smile of satisfaction. `Look, I want to use my room to shower and change. All your things have been moved from here and sent down to room 327. I’ll have the key sent to you.' He paused, then said abruptly, `And when you're ready I want to talk to you.

  I have to go over to Lindos today to look at a site we want to use in the film. We can drive there and talk over lunch.'

  Lori gave a gasp at this autocratic command that took it for granted that she would obey him. Indignantly she said, 'What makes you think I haven't got a date for today?'

  'Have you?'

  She bit her lip. 'As it happens I haven't, but…'

  'Phone me at your old room as soon as mine is free. I want to get started as soon as possible.' And he put down the receiver.

  Contrarily, Lori took as long as she could to shower and dress; let the man wait, it would serve him right, but when she phoned him at last he merely acknowledged the call and told her to meet him in the foyer in half an hour. Room 327 was filled with sunlight, the heat softly dispelled by the coolness of the air-conditioning. The chambermaid had unpacked for her and all her clothes were neatly arranged in the large wardrobes, but the nicest thing of all was that the room faced the sea. Lori went out on to the balcony and drank in the view. The sky was its usual uninterrupted vastness of intense blue, she hadn't seen a cloud all the time she had been here, and far away on the horizon she could clearly make out the mountains of Turkey, only a few miles away across the sea. It was so close that there used to be day trips there from Rhodes, but now the political situation between the two countries was highly inflammable and she had been disappointed to learn that the excursions had been stopped. Her gaze fell to the gardens and brought her mind back to last night with a sickening jolt. She wondered what Lewis wanted to talk to her about; to throw more in suits at her, probably, it was getting to be almost a regular thing. She sighed and turned back into the room. She supposed she'd have to go with the man; he was still the director of The Siege and therefore her immediate boss.

  But, although she told herself firmly that she couldn't care less what he thought of her, something still made her put on her make-up carefully, brush her hair until it shone, and change into a simple, sleeveless, button through dress of cream silk with a wide leather belt that accentuated her tall slenderness. A last critical look in the full-length mirror-another advantage over her old room-and she went to meet him, her heart beating unusually fast and a faint Hush on her cheeks that owed nothing to make-up.

  Lewis was waiting for her in the foyer, dressed in a lightweight beige linen suit with a shirt of a darker shade open at the neck. He turned to look at her as she crossed the wide foyer, as did every other man in the place. Lori was used to the effect she had on men-she could hardly not be-but Lewis's face was completely expressionless as he watched her walk towards him.

  There was neither the usual look of gratification that most of her escorts wore on seeing her, nor even annoyance that she had kept him waiting so long. Nothing: He merely put on a pair of dark glasses and opened the door for her to go outside to where a hired convertible was waiting. Again he held the door for her, but made no attempt to help her in before silently taking his place beside her and driving away from the hotel.

  They had been travelling for over a mile before Lori broke the silence by pointing out tartly, `For someone who wanted to talk to me you're being extremely reticent.'

  His eyelids flickered for a second, but he only said, 'There's plenty of time. Enjoy the ride.' 'I didn't come along for the ride.' Then, when he was silent, 'How is Dean this morning?'

  'He's sitting up and eating a hearty breakfast come lunch and trying to get the nurse to teach him Greek.' He smiled, and for a fleeting moment Lori wondered if he would ever smile at her like that.

  'I'm glad.' She turned and looked rather blindly out of the window.

  The road to Lindos ran along the eastern side of the island, often up hills which gave the most breathtaking views of the Mediterranean, of long, sweeping bays or small coves bounded by rocky cliffs. Inland they passed through villages where the tavernas spilled out on to the street, the tables full of stocky, dark-haired men who played backgammon so fast the counters seemed to move like magic. And everywhere there were tourist shops hung with riots of embroidered blouses, lacy shawls and brightly coloured folk-weave mats with traditional Greek amphorae designs, while others had cotton dresses and kaftans on hangers that were strung one above the other on long poles, to hang from nearby tree branches or to lie in a rainbow of colour against the dazzlingly white walls of the houses. They had to wait to pass a crowd of black-clad women who gathered round a donkey cart piled high with melons and often slowed down to pass weather beaten peasants who sat astride already heavily-laden mules and made their way to market exactly as they had before the occupation by the Germans, the Italians, the Turks, the Knights of St John, the Persians, the Goths and the Romans. A small island that had been invaded and pillaged time and time again throughout history, but which had always maintained its intrinsic Greek nationality.

  Their first sight. of the ancient city of Lindos was spectacular to say the Least; they had been driving along a dusty road between outcrops of seamed volcanic rock where sheep tried to graze on the grass-starved hills or in dried up river beds which wouldn't Row again until the winter rains, and then they topped a rise and found spread out before them one of the most beautiful panoramas Lori had ever seen. She gave an involuntary gasp of delight, and Lewis pulled up at the side of the road to take a longer look. Below them lay a wide bay fringed with sand as white and
clean as talcum powder that sloped gently down to the deep blue stillness of the sea. To their left the bay stretched far into the distance, broken only by a few houses surrounded by olive trees, but to their, right the town of brilliantly white, cube-shaped houses clustered at the foot of a steep hill, and on top of the hill, like a crouching lion, stood the massive walls of a mediaeval fortress. The white houses stood out starkly against the brown stone, but the castle high above them must have been built from the local rock, for it blended in perfectly with the landscape, only its castellated battlements outlined against the perfect azure blue of the sky.

  Lori gazed in awe for" several minutes and then turned impulsively to Lewis, her face glowing. `It's perfect!’

  I've never seen such a beautiful place. Rhodes must be the loveliest island in the world.' `In Europe anyway,' he agreed. `The ancients used to call it the Queen of the Aegean. They thought it was especially blessed by Helios, the sun god-that's why they built the statue to him.' He started the car again and drove slowly down to a large car-park on the out skirts of the town and left it in the shade of a gnarled olive tree.

  'We have to walk from here,' he told her. 'The streets of the town are too narrow to take a car.' They found a taverna and went through a bead curtain into an interior so dim that Lori could hardly see after the bright sunlight and stumbled a little. Lewis immediately took her elbow, but then let it go when she stiffened and moved away. A beaming patron led them through the back of the building into a little courtyard where bougainvillaea hung from the walls in swathes heavy with scented blossom, and in one corner water spouted from a lion's head into a stone trough a thousand years old. They sat at a table in the shadow cast by the wall, Lori taking care to move her chair so that she didn't come in contact with Lewis; the way he had treated her the previous night was still raw in her mind and now that they were alone together she felt nervous and on edge.