by Jane Corrie
Thea stared unseeingly at the bedroom wall in front of her. In a way it was an explanation of Marcus's cynical view of life. It was no small wonder that he didn't believe in marriage, but surely he must have known of some happy marriages, she thought sadly, they didn't all go sour.
`Well, I suppose I must let you get up,' Mrs Welling said, straightening herself up from the bed slowly as a twinge of rheumatism caught her. `I'd better get the breakfasts going,' she added, 'although no one will be shouting yet awhile.'
Thea watched her walk slowly to the door, and before-she had realised just what she was saying, she said quickly, 'Something did come up during our conversation last night. About getting a better job, my getting a better job,' she tacked on before her courage deserted her. 'He feels—that is, Mr Conan felt that I could do better for myself,' she lied, 'and although I'm quite happy as I am, I realise that he's right, so I thought I'd start looking around, if that's all right with you?' she asked hesitantly.
She was sure she had not imagined the look of relief on Mrs Welling's face before she replied in her usual blunt way. 'I told you that myself, didn't I? And I won't pretend that I wasn't worried about you. The job's only a stand-in position really, and I thought you would have started looking before now. No cause to worry about letting me down. I've decided to take Andy up on his offer, but I didn't want to say anything until I knew you were settled. You go ahead now, and just as long as you promise to keep in touch with me in the future, I'll be well satisfied,' and with that she left to start the breakfasts.
Thea did not move out of the bed for quite some time after she had gone, but sat staring at the beams of sunlight playing on the floor of her bedroom. Her sudden decision to move on had surprised her. Without realising it, she had already made plans for her future, and knew exactly what she was going to do. She was going to get a very well paid job and save up for the fare back to the U.K. Beyond that she refused to think. She only knew that there was no future here for her, or on any sunlit tropical island. She simply didn't belong, and never would.
In years to come she would look back on this part of her life as an extended holiday, a trip into dreamland, maybe, for nothing was real there, even Marcus wouldn't seem real, but a figment of her imagination—only she wouldn't have imagined him as a ruthless character at all, it would have spoilt the dream, and Thea badly wanted to hang on to that dream. It was all she had, all she would ever have.
These miserable thoughts spurred her into action, and she jumped out of bed. She was not going into a decline over a man like that, he wasn't worth it. So, Marcus had had a hard upbringing, but so had others, and usually it worked the other way, with the memories of their childhood only serving to strengthen their resolve to provide their offspring with a happier and much more secure future, determined not to let them suffer the torment of the inevitable tug-of-war that followed a broken marriage.
Thea nodded grimly to herself as she towelled down after her shower. This was a fact that had to be faced, and no amount of whitewashing would change things. He had no excuse in her eyes, except for a selfish wish to avoid responsibility, and she had to remember that and not let sentimentality cloud her judgment.
After breakfast Thea went for a walk on the beach. The sun was warm on her bare arms as she followed the line of the bay. She wore a sleeveless cotton blouse over her sun top, in case she should want to do some sunbathing, and an old pair of brown corduroys over her shorts.
As she passed Timothy's boat, she wondered if he would appear that morning, and found herself wishing that he would, for she felt incredibly lonely. Although how she was going to explain Marcus's remark about her being his girl she didn't quite know, but she felt that given the time she could come up with something. She was turning out to be very adept at telling white lies, she thought musingly, as she scuffed her sandals in the golden sand beneath her feet.
Then she thought of the job that Marcus had been going to offer Timothy, and felt grateful that he would never know how near he had come to promotion—or what he would consider promotion, money-wise anyway. It would have been awful if he had been offered the job and then found out that his services were not required as Mr Big, as he had called Marcus, was no longer attracted to Thea John.
Her large grey eyes looked out over the bay, shimmering in the morning light. Silver-streaked ripples of water moved in eternal rhythm towards the shore. Her breath caught in her throat. She would miss all this, she thought. She would miss so many things, and in the midst of her heartbreak she would have to start all over again to make a new life for herself.
Why had her brother come to this island, and why had she come too? Why couldn't she have heard about the accident before she left England? What cruel stroke of fate had pitched her out of her secure complacency? She had been happy enough with the few friends she had back in her small home town. It might not have been a very exciting existence for her, but who wanted excitement, especially if you ended on the scrap heap of
emotions as she had done.
She sat down on the warm sand and placed her arms around her knees, and resting her chin on her clasped hands gazed out to sea.
`You look like a sea waif,' said an amused voice behind her, making her start and swivel round quickly to meet Marcus's mocking eyes.
`I'm not in the mood for doubtful compliments,' Thea replied frostily, and as Marcus settled himself on the sand beside her she added waspishly, 'Will you please go away. We said all that was necessary yesterday.'
Marcus's green eyes narrowed at her tone, but he stayed where he was and followed Thea's gaze out to sea. 'Mrs Welling told me you were thinking of moving on,' he said conversationally.
`Mrs Welling talks too much,' Thea replied through clenched teeth.
`Why the sudden decision?' Marcus asked, ignoring her obvious reluctance to talk about it.
Thea gave an exasperated sigh. 'Why not?' she replied, purposely keeping her voice casual. 'I'm free and over twenty-one. I can please myself. This was only a stopgap until I found something better.'
Marcus turned to look at her and found that she was not looking at him, but at a seashell that she had picked up, and was examining it closely.
`It's a conch shell,' Marcus supplied helpfully. 'My offer's still open,' he added meaningfully.
Thea's hand clenched on the shell hard. 'I'm not that desperate!' she replied pithily.
The next moment she was lying flat on her back with Marcus's strong arms pinning her down on the golden sand, and she didn't care for the grim look
on his face as he stared down at her. Then his large form completely blocked out the sunlight and he was kissing her forcefully.
Her small anguished moan as his hard lips pounded her already sore lips went unheeded at first, he was too intent on punishing her, but when he drew away from her, her tightly closed eyes and pained expression told its own story and his eyes went to her bruised lips. 'Hell, I'm sorry,' he said quietly, 'I guess most of the damage was done last night.' He gently kissed her sore lips before he moved away from her and allowed her to sit up again, the tears of disappointment and frustration teeming down her cheeks.
`Why can't you leave me alone!' Thea got out on a hopeless-sounding note.
`Think I haven't asked myself that question?' he shot back at her, handing her his large silk handkerchief. 'I came to apologise for last night, but look what happened. You rile me again, and I end up kissing the daylights out of you. I can't think of any other woman who invokes that response,' he ended grimly.
`That I would be so lucky!' Thea replied shakily, then took a deep breath and stared belligerently at him. 'What am I to do with you, Marcus Conan?' she sighed wearily. 'When are you going to stop plaguing me?'
`When you say you'll marry me, I guess,' he replied loftily.
`And end up a rich divorcee? No, thank you!' Thea replied steadily. 'I don't fancy that role at all.'
`It might not come to that,' he answered cautiously. 'We might decide to stay the course.'<
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She stared back at him. 'That's just the way you see it, isn't it? As a sort of an obstacle course, with all sorts of hidden snags.'
Marcus picked up the shell she had dropped when she had been thrown back on the sand. 'I guess so,' he replied grimly, 'and if you're honest you'll admit it. That dream world you're living in doesn't exist, sweet. Marriage is like a golf course, there's a few bunkers either side of the fairway.'
Thea's eyes left his and she gazed out to sea again. `I know that,' she said quietly. 'That's the true test of love, don't you see? You don't love me. Oh, you want me, though I can't think why—I'm not glamorous like Sapphire, I'm a ' she searched desperately for the right definition. 'Oh, a country simpleton, if you like, and I'm not likely to change, neither are you. If I rile you it's because I don't happen to think the way you do. Tell me, what basis is that for marriage?' She shook her head bewilderedly, making the sun-rays catch the red lights in her hair and framing her small face like a fiery torch. 'You of all people must know what sort of a marriage that will be.'
Marcus's eyes left the seashell and he gave her a hard searching stare. 'You're right, Mrs Welling does talk too much!' he commented savagely.
Thea looked away quickly. 'I didn't ask her about you,' she said in a low voice. 'She brought me some tea in this morning, and stayed for a chat. If you want to know,' she added quietly, 'she thinks you're the tops, in spite of what she called an earlier handicap.'
Marcus's profile seemed to be made out of granite as he stared out to sea again. `So that's the excuse
you're giving me is it?' he asked her harshly. 'Well, I'm sorry, honey, but you're way off course. Oh, I guess if I hadn't been in the business I'm in, I might have had some call to turn sour, but that's only a small part of it. Sure, they rowed, but underneath it all they were pretty fond of each other, and if my mother hadn't died in an automobile accident I'm sure they'd have got together again.'
He was silent for a few seconds before he said: 'In my business you see it all. The sweet loving wife, who the minute her husband's back's turned is giving you the eye, it's all a game to them, but it's sure hell for the poor devil of a husband who happens to be sucker enough to love his wife.'
Thea winced at his hard tone. If he wasn't quite so handsome or so rich, he wouldn't have had such experiences, she thought sadly, and marvelled again over the fact that he wanted to marry her. It was flattering, of course, especially if he expected the same of her as he did of other women. 'I see,' she said carefully. 'Well, at least I shall know what's expected of me, should I marry you.'
Marcus's head swivelled round sharply at this, and he glared at her. 'You try it, my girl, that's all,' he said savagely. 'Two-time me just once, and you'll never do it again.'
Thea, meeting those cold hard eyes of his, felt a shiver run down her spine. He meant it, she was in no doubt of that. Heaven help the girl he did fall in love with, she thought, he'd never let her out of his sight.
Above everything else, this proved to Thea that whatever attraction she held for Marcus, it was purely physical. He hadn't bothered to look her up for a
fortnight after she had walked out on him. He had said himself that he didn't know why he bothered. He had also called her a refrigerator! Thea's hands gathered up some of the fine sand and she let it slowly run through her fingers. Was that the attraction? she wondered. He wouldn't have met many refrigerated women either, she mused ironically; the accent would definitely be on the hothouse variety!
In a way, he was like a small boy who had been denied something that he had wanted, and he wasn't used to such treatment. Everything had been there for the asking, he had only to reach out and take it, and when he tired of the toy, throw it away.
Her soft lips, still tingling from their rough treatment, trembled. She wasn't going to become one of his toys, he would have to look elsewhere for his amusement, and she hated him for making her fall in love with him. 'You remind me of a small boy,' she said scathingly, wanting to hurt him as much as she was hurting inside. 'You just think you can take what you like, regardless of the consequences. You've never been denied anything, have you? That's really why you're chasing me. Why don't you admit it? I'm not your type, and I hope I never shall be,' she declared fervently. 'I think I can see Timothy,' she added in a rush, as she began to scramble up from the sand, 'so if you don't mind, I'll keep that belated date with him.'
For the second time that morning Thea found herself flat on the sand again, and she glared up at Marcus, who looked as furious as she felt. 'I told you once before that I don't like my women walking out on me,' he growled ominously, 'and I've already planned our day. I don't know what you've got
against that man,' he added in grim amusement, `you're sure trying to make life tough for him. Do him a favour and stay away from him,' he advised her in a soft but deadly voice.
`And I've told you that I'm not one of your women!' Thea spat back at him, wriggling her arms to free them from his steely hold, but all in vain.
`I think your Timothy can see us from where he is now,' he commented softly, releasing his hold from her and letting her sit up. 'Attempt to join him, and you'll find that little boy you referred to just now has suddenly grown up. It would be a shame to put you through more kisses,' he added silkily, his eyes on her lips.
Thea gave a slight shudder at the very thought. It would be bad enough being on the receiving end, without the thought of Timothy witnessing such an action.
They watched the boat sail past them on its way out to the bay and Timothy waved to them before he headed the boat out to sea. Beside her, Marcus lifted his hand in a silent salute, and Thea waved a tentative hand in his direction, hoping that Marcus would not object to this small gesture on her part, for she knew he was still seething inwardly from her remarks and would dearly love to punish her.
`As for not denying myself anything,' he said in a low voice, his eyes on the boat that was gradually getting smaller in the distance, 'I guess you're right there, and as for taking what I wanted,' his eyes suddenly turned to her wary ones, 'I've never had to go that far, but I don't say I wouldn't if it was important enough to me. You can draw your own conclusions on that,' he added harshly. 'I'd say I
was the one who had grown up, and you hadn't. You're going to have to lose those rose-tinted spectacles you're hiding behind.'
Thea looked away from his compelling eyes and stared down at her hands. Her slim fingers prodded the soft sand. If she had been wearing rose-tinted spectacles, she had lost them the previous evening when she had gained an insight into his world.
Marcus glanced at his watch and then got to his feet, and before Thea knew his intention he had hauled her to her feet, too. 'We've a lunch appointment,' he said grandly.
Thea knew a helpless sensation. She would be wasting her time if she tried to get out of it. Her depressed glance went to her old corduroys and back to the watching Marcus.
`You'll do fine,' he told her with a grin. 'You can sunbathe on the terrace after lunch.'
Thea blinked. How had he known that she wore her sun-suit underneath?
He gave her a sardonic smile and placed a lean forefinger on her waist. Following his glance, Thea saw that the bright blue band of her shorts had edged above her corduroys. 'There's not much I miss, where you're concerned,' he said loftily, making her want to hit out at him.
`I ought to tell Mrs Welling that I won't be in for lunch,' Thea said crossly, letting him know that there were other people in the world, even though they did not figure in his.
`No need,' Marcus replied blandly, as he steered her away from the house and towards his car parked a little to the right of the house. 'I outlined our plans for the day. I also promised not to keep you out too late,' he gave a grin at Thea's indignant glance at him. 'Unless I'm much mistaken, she's the type who doesn't settle down until their chicks have come home to roost.'
There was nothing Thea could say to this, but she was surprised that Marcus had taken the trouble to keep Mrs Welling
in the picture, and more so by his thoughtful assurance of not keeping her out too late.
As she got into the car, she wondered if she had misjudged him; it appeared that he did have some good points after all.
`We're having lunch with Mr and Mrs Smythe,' he told her as he started the car and steered it skilfully off the bumpy parking section and on to the road. 'I don't know if you'll remember meeting John. He's got a chain of hotels in Florida. I was there last week for a confab with him,' he offered casually. 'He's got his eye on developing this end of the island, something on the lines of Pirates' Cove,' he went on, 'and he's trying to talk me into joining the venture.'
Thea glanced back at Marcus and wondered what she was supposed to say to that. It was none of her business, but she had to say something. 'And will you?' she asked, more for politeness' sake than for interest.
Marcus shrugged. 'I feel I've got enough on my plate,' he said slowly. 'I'll probably offer financial backing, but that's as far as I'll go. John's the nicest guy I know. His wife is a different proposition,' he added meaningfully.
Thea had been gazing out at the passing scenery of clumps of palm trees that went high into the blue haze of the sky, but at this she looked quickly at
PIRATE'S LAIR
Marcus. 'You don't like his wife?' she asked, interested this time, although she had a pretty good idea of what was coming next.
`She's a fool!' he said curtly. 'She was a receptionist in one of his hotels, although she wouldn't thank you for reminding her of that now. So he whisks her out of her downtown apartment and marries her. He's crazy about her, so crazy that he turns a blind eye to her little drawbacks such as giving the come-on sign to any presentable male within distance. One day she's going to go just that bit too far. There's a limit to what a man will put up with, even a nice guy like John. One day he's going to wake up and really look at her and see her for what she is.'
Thea studied Marcus's hard features, and felt depression seeping over her. So that was why he had dragged her off to lunch. He needed help, and the homely-looking Thea John was supposed to provide that help, particularly as they had been engaged —She blinked suddenly as a thought occurred to her. 'When did I meet this John?' she asked casually.
