Edmund liked a woman with strong appetites, and he liked Noella’s voluptuous figure and the strikingly sexy clothes she wore to accentuate it. After ten years of marriage he could still be aroused by the sight of her slipping on a tight-fitting black dress, putting on huge gold ear-rings and bracelets, and then going out with her, knowing that beneath it she was naked. With her blonde hair piled on top of her head and her glamorous make-up always in place even before they took breakfast on their patio, she was the epitome of the sexy blonde wife so beloved by straight-laced Englishmen in their dreams; only Edmund had made the dream a reality and Noella intended to keep him satisfied in every possible way.
‘How much further, honey?’ she asked, running a hand through his short, curly brown hair.
Edmund glanced at his watch. ‘Another half hour or so, I think. Why don’t you have a nap? We’ve been travelling for hours now and you
don’t want to be half dead when we arrive.’
Noella leant back against the cushioned upholstery and closed her eyes. She certainly didn’t want to be tired when they arrived at Penruan House, and since Edmund was clearly disinclined to talk she decided to take up his suggestion.
As his wife drifted off to sleep, Edmund Mitchell stared out at the driving rain and, just as Harriet had earlier, wondered why it was that things were always so different from the way you remembered them. It must have rained before during some of his trips to Cornwall, but those days had vanished in his memory while the sunny times had remained as vivid images that encapsulated some of the happiest days of his life.
He heard Noella’s breathing slow and even out and realised that she was asleep. Giving a small sigh of relief he allowed himself to relax and settled into his corner of the back seat. Unknown to her, Edmund was beginning to tire of Noella. All his adult life he’d been searching for the perfect partner, someone intelligent, witty and sensuous, who would share in all his interests, both sexual and cerebral, but so far this combination had eluded him.
Noella had seemed close to what he wanted and for a long time he’d been reasonably content, but after ten years he was starting to realise that he was never going to smooth out her rough edges. They had once seemed endearing but were now nothing but an irritation. Her claims to
connections with the world of performing arts had also been revealed as less than strictly accurate. In Edmund’s view, two years as a striptease dancer in a less than salubrious nightclub in New Orleans was hardly a claim to artistic fame. Not that Noella knew he’d discovered her secret, and he had no intention of mentioning it to her because it would be unfair. He’d married her knowing that she was probably not all that she claimed but her vibrant sexuality and vivid good looks had seemed ample compensation. Now they weren’t, and he had the suspicion that he was beginning to disappoint Noella as well.
Even so, he’d been content to continue as he was until that moment, only two days ago, when he’d first set eyes on Harriet. He’d known then that he had to have her, had to possess her and discover whether she was the one he was looking for, the perfect partner to enhance his life.
He thought that Lewis was aware of this but for some extraordinary reason didn’t seem to mind – in fact this shared holiday had been Lewis’s idea. Edmund wasn’t going to think too deeply about the reasons behind this. He had always been a man who took his chances where he could, and if Lewis was going to offer him a chance of Harriet, however remote, then he’d take it.
He liked Lewis, admired his work and was happy to back it, but that wasn’t going to prevent him from trying to take Harriet away from him if he wanted her badly enough. Desire, thought
Edmund as the car purred along through the drizzle, was a powerful spur and showed a callous disregard for moral principles. The fact that Harriet was just married and therefore should be regarded as strictly out of bounds only made his desire all the sharper. Forbidden fruits, as he knew very well, had the sweetest taste of all.
By the time Harriet and Lewis finally arrived at Penruan House the rain had eased and was little more than a fine mist. Stepping from the car Harriet realised with relief that here at least it was warm, damp yes, but at least the bone-chilling cold of London had vanished.
Lewis stretched his legs and glanced about him, his eyes taking in the large Elizabethan-style house built of grey stone and covered with trailing ivy, flanked by long sweeps of lawn stretching away on either side. He noticed too the outdoor pool and hoped the weather would improve sufficiently for them to use it, and smiled when he saw that the grounds also housed a small pitch-and-putt course. He knew that Edmund could never resist a bet, and so far Edmund had failed to beat him at anything connected with sport. He rather relished the idea of beating him on a regular basis on this small course, and wondered vaguely why it was that he should want to beat him so badly.
‘At least it’s warm,’ enthused Harriet, already picturing the house and grounds in bright sunlight rather than the soft mist.
Lewis raised an eyebrow. ‘Warm? How fortunate we didn’t come here in mid-winter!’
‘Well, it isn’t cold, is it?’ she laughed, her eyes shining.
Looking at her, her face alight with happiness, Lewis thought how lucky he was that she’d agreed to marry him. He knew without any doubt at all that if he were to lose her he would be heartbroken. For a moment a chill touched the back of his neck and he felt goosebumps rise on his forearms.
Before he could reply Edmund and Noella’s car arrived. Noella was the first out, her tight red skirt rising to the middle of her thighs as she stepped on to the drive.
‘How cute!’ she squealed, glancing around her. ‘Edmund, honey, just take a look at this place. It’s like something out of a fairy story!’
Edmund came round from his side of the car and stood beside his wife, one hand resting lightly on her shoulder. Immaculate as ever, in a three-piece navy suit, crisp white shirt and maroon silk tie, he looked more like a barrister or surgeon than a film backer, and Harriet, seeing him and his tall, blatantly sexual, blonde wife standing together, wondered what on earth they could have in common apart from the sex.
Edmund’s soft dark eyes met hers and for a moment she had the terrible feeling that he could read her mind because there was a slight smile playing at the corners of his sensuous mouth.
‘How’s the blushing bride?’ he asked laconically.
‘Exhausted!’ retorted Harriet.
‘And the bridegroom?’
Lewis grinned. ‘Tired, but not too tired. Let’s hope the rain stops soon. I’m anxious to see all these views that Harriet’s been on about.’
Lewis’s chauffeur cleared his throat. ‘Forecast’s good, sir,’ he ventured. ‘I’ve got a cousin lives near here. He told me it was going to be hot and dry for the next three weeks.’
‘No doubt he tells all the visitors that!’ laughed Lewis. ‘Get the cases inside, please. We’ve stood out in this rain long enough. Come on, darling,’ he added, putting an arm round Harriet’s waist. ‘There’s meant to be a housekeeper on call, let’s hope she’s got the kettle on.’
‘I’m dying for a cup of tea,’ agreed Harriet.
Edmund watched the two of them walking into the house, studied the movement of Harriet’s legs through the flimsy material of her skirt, and felt a flutter of excitement behind his ribs. He’d seen the way she’d looked at him when he’d been standing with Noella, and read the look in her eyes. Clearly she was intrigued by him, and that was very much to his advantage.
‘I’m freezing,’ complained Noella. ‘Why didn’t I bring my fur wrap?’
‘Because it’s midsummer and you didn’t think you’d need it. Anyway, a fur wrap would be a little out of place here. I’ll warm you up later,’ he promised, his eyes suddenly narrowing.
‘Let’s take a bath together,’ suggested Noella as they entered the lobby. ‘I’ll let you soap my back if you let me—’
Before she could finish a young man of about twenty-eight came out of one of the doors that led into the lobby and held out his hand. ‘Mr James? I’m Oliver Kesby, the owner of Penruan House. I hope everything’s as you requested, but if you should find—’
‘I’m not Mr James,’ interrupted Edmund. ‘He’s already inside. I’m Edmund Mitchell and this is my wife Noella. We’re staying here with Lewis.’
Oliver’s tanned face coloured and he hesitated, unsure how to proceed.
Noella studied him with interest. He was around five feet ten inches tall and very well built. His thick dark brown hair was cut quite short which emphasised the almost perfect shape of his head, while his eyes, which were light blue with dark lashes, were positively magnetic.
‘You mean this is your home?’ she exclaimed. ‘Gee, if it were my home I sure as hell wouldn’t let it out to other people in the summertime.’
Oliver shifted his weight from one foot to the other. ‘It’s a matter of finance really,’ he murmured. ‘Besides, this place is far too big for me. I’ve got a nice cottage in the grounds. I live there all through the letting season.’
‘How interesting,’ said Edmund, his voice clearly indicating that it wasn’t.
Oliver blushed even more fiercely. ‘Perhaps you could tell Mr James where to find me if he needs anything,’ he suggested awkwardly.
‘Perhaps I could,’ agreed Edmund. ‘The question is,
will
I?’
‘Ignore him, he loves to be pedantic,’ Noella told the bewildered Oliver, before hurrying her husband through the entrance lobby into the main hall.
‘You weren’t very nice to him, Edmund,’ she said reproachfully, as soon as they were out of Oliver’s earshot.
‘You more than made up for that,’ said Edmund curtly. ‘I thought you were going to eat him up on the spot.’
The door to the drawing room opened and Harriet put her head out. ‘Come and look at this, you two, it’s really lovely. And Mrs Webster’s making us some tea and scones, and—’
‘You like the simple pleasures of life, do you, Harriet?’ asked Edmund softly.
Harriet stopped what she was saying and turned a surprisingly cool gaze on her husband’s friend. ‘Yes, as a matter of fact I do. Is there anything wrong with that?’
He smiled, and when he did so his whole face changed. It became more open and added some much needed warmth to his presence. ‘Nothing at all,’ he assured her. ‘In fact, it should mean that you thoroughly appreciate our landlord, Oliver Kesby.’
‘I take it that means you think he’s simple,’ laughed Lewis, appearing in the doorway behind his wife.
Noella walked into the drawing room, pushing past the newlyweds and leaving her husband in the hall. ‘He’s gone on the turn,’ she announced
to no one in particular, ‘Just ignore him; with any luck his mood might change in an hour or two.’
Lewis looked questioningly at Edmund. ‘Anything wrong?’
Edmund shook his head. ‘Of course not, everything’s fine. I’m feeling a trifle jet lagged, that’s all.’
‘Come and sit in here; that should make you feel better. There’s even a genuine log fire, unlit but still very reassuring.’
‘You’re a lucky man, Lewis,’ Edmund murmured beneath his breath as he walked past his friend. ‘For the first time ever, I really envy you.’
This was exactly the kind of thing Lewis had hoped to hear from the point of view of his script. After all, he knew that unless Edmund desired Harriet nothing would happen. Harriet wasn’t the kind of person who would make the first move, especially on her honeymoon, but just the same he felt a sudden surge of anger that he had to struggle to suppress.
‘What’s that?’ he asked in mock innocence. ‘My fame?’
‘Your wife,’ said Edmund shortly, and even Lewis was taken aback by the strength of the emotion behind the two words.
‘I’ve always had a weak spot for Noella,’ Lewis retorted softly, but Edmund merely smiled. He knew full well that Noella wasn’t Lewis’s kind of woman. In fact, until the arrival of Harriet on the scene, Edmund had thought that Lewis would never allow himself to become deeply involved
with any kind of woman. News of Lewis’s impending second marriage had taken Edmund by surprise, but having met Harriet he fully understood Lewis’s desire to make her his. The only thing was, Edmund suspected that Harriet was the kind of woman who never truly belonged to anyone.
The large drawing room was bright and cheerful. None of the furniture matched, but the overall effect was pleasing on the eye. Edmund sat down on a red two-seater sofa with a table lamp next to it and a profusion of red and black scatter cushions littered along the seat. He had to throw them on the floor before he could make himself comfortable.
Noella sat next to him, her almost matching red skirt again riding high up her thighs, while Harriet seated herself in a deep chair with a steeply angled back. She curled her long slim legs up beneath her in order to be comfortable. She was showing far less leg than Noella but the effect on both Edmund and Lewis was much greater.
As Mrs Webster brought in the tray of tea and scones and fussed around putting cups and plates on different tables, Lewis stood by one of the windows and watched the scene as dispassionately as he could.
It would transfer well to film he thought, and mentally tried to cast Noella from among the current list of popular blonde stars of the screen. Not too difficult he decided, and his eyes moved on to Harriet. The actress who’d played her in
Dark Secret
had now married and retired to live in seclusion with some Italian prince, which meant the part would have to be recast and that would be difficult. Blatant sexuality was easy to play, the almost hidden enigmatic sexuality of Harriet was far harder to define and even more difficult to portray.
Edmund would be relatively easy. Well-spoken Brits were all the rage in Hollywood at the moment, and he could think of two straight off who would manage the part very well. They wouldn’t mind the fact that the film’s content would be so powerfully sexual because of the ‘artistic’ praise lavished on
Dark Secret
. An art film was always acceptable, he thought wryly.
His gaze lingered on Harriet who was listening to something Noella was saying and laughing with delight, her lips parted and her cheeks tinged with pink. He could so easily picture her naked, mentally strip her of her clothes and imagine her body beneath his, her head turning from side to side as her passion mounted. The vision was so real that he felt himself harden and quickly turned away from them all to stare out over the acres of garden.