Authors: Sara Seale
She went a little white and her face became pinched and sharp with spite. The last of that whipped-up desire for
him
withered in a wave of malice, leaving only the dead desire to smash and destroy.
She held out her empty glass with an automatic gesture for more champagne, but Duff was already on his feet, filling two fresh glasses, and if he saw the proffered glass he chose to ignore it.
“
I
’
m taking a couple out to those two doing all the work of clearing up. They must need a drink. Perhaps you wouldn
’
t mind opening the door for me as my hands are full?
”
he said, as if nothing of moment had passed between them at all, and she got up with a little shrug of bored dissatisfaction and opened the door.
The hall was nearly in darkness, for the candles on the tree had been extinguished. Here and there an ornament or piece of tinsel caught a shimmer of light from one small lamp in the bend of the stairs, and another tiny point of light sparkled for a moment at some movement on a high settle and was gone.
Duff stood for an instant in the doorway, a glass in each hand, unaware of Samantha behind him, peering over his shoulder. The little movement had been furtive, or so he had thought, and as his eyes became accustomed to the darkness, he saw them quite clearly; Harriet curled up on the settle where he remembered laying her the night he had brought her in out of the fog, Rory
’
s arms round her and her face raised for his kiss. Her body seemed to be a mute, confiding curve of surrender as she pressed against him, and the small movement brought another flash of fire from the clasp of her pearls.
“
Well, well
...
the gypsy warned you,
”
Samantha murmured softly behind him.
“
History is certainly repeating itself
...
only Kitty was found in more compromising circumstances, I understand. Still and all, one place is as good as another, I
’
ve always found, myself.
”
“
Shut up!
”
Duff snapped at her with bitter intensity, and at the sound of his voice the two on the settle disengaged themselves.
“
Did you want us?
”
Rory asked with blithe unconcern.
“
We haven
’
t done much clearing up yet, I
’
m afraid, but Harriet was a bit upset.
”
“
I can see she was,
”
Duff replied with such unmistakable irony that Rory paused in his leisurely passage across the hall.
“
Hey, now!
”
he said, amusement and incredulity mingled in his voice.
“
You aren
’
t getting ideas, are you, Cousin Duff?
”
“
What ideas should I get?
”
Duff replied, still with that bite of controlled anger.
“
If I
’
ve interrupted at an inconvenient moment it was merely to bring you both some champagne to help on the domestic chores, but I can see you haven
’
t wasted your efforts in that direction. Here, you
’
d better take your glass.
”
Harriet was still huddled on the settle, only now aware of the fresh tension and Duff
’
s tall figure. She had been indulging in such a bout of crying which, at a casual word from Rory, had loosed the pent-up emotions of the day that she had been past noticing. She got up now, brushing away the tears, hoping that in the dim light he would not notice her swollen eyes or, if he did, that he would refrain from commenting on that irritating habit of weeping. But as she took the glass of champagne from him and saw the expression on his face, she hurriedly swallowed too big a gulp of the wine which made her choke.
“
I
’
m sorry,
”
she said, not yet understanding what had caused this icy displeasure.
“
I
’
m afraid we haven
’
t made much progress with the tidying up. I—I was a little tired.
”
“
Excuses can wait till later, I think, when our guest has gone,
”
he said, and Samantha, whose social sense seldom failed her when there was no more to be got from labouring a point already nicely stressed, took the hint and strolled out with a nonchalant wave of the hand.
“
Bitch or no bitch, darling, history
does
have a habit of repeating itself, doesn
’
t it? Goodnight, everyone, and thanks for the party.
”
A gust of wind and rain drove in upon them as she opened the front door with difficulty. Neither man offered to see her into her car and the door closed upon her, shutting out the wildness of the night again.
“
Samantha
’
s seen to it that none of us should forget, that other Christ
m
as, hasn
’
t she?
”
Rory remarked.
Duff
’
s fists clenched at his sides and for a moment it looked to Harriet as if he might strike his cousin. She had said nothing all this time, aware that they had forgotten her, and she had the curious feeling that she was encased in glass and had no part in their bitter exchanges.
“
That,
”
said Duff, replying to Rory
’
s taunt and controlling himself with an effort,
“
was both vulgar and uncalled for. Are you trying to excuse yourself by putting me in the wrong, or are you just trailing your coat?
”
“
Trailing my coat is as good a way of putting it as any—I don
’
t have to make excuses.
”
“
Don
’
t you? Is it excusable to trade on our relationship, accept my hospitality and then steal from me?
”
“
Is it stealing to accept the offer of something you have no use for yourself?
”
said Rory with insolent bravado, and Duff suddenly turned on his heel and walked off to his study.
“
Why did you say that?
”
Harriet asked in a small, lost voice.
“
Why did you let
him
think—
”
“
Because,
”
he replied still with a trace of bravado,
“
that
’
s what your king-of-the-castle husband needs to think to stir him into some kind of action. Isn
’
t it what you wanted—to be recognised as a woman and not treated like a child?
”
The bitter note in his voice was very reminiscent of Duff and for a moment he seemed a stranger.
“
Yes
...
”
she said on a tired little sigh.
“
But not like this
...
not just to be a reminder of a failure in himself
...
that would hurt him too much to be able to think of me kindly.
”
He put a hand under her chin to turn her face to the
lig
ht coming from the snug and his eyes were suddenly gentle.
“
Why, Princess—I believe you
’
re in love with him, after all,
”
he said softly, and brushed a last remaining teardrop from her swollen lids.
“
I thought you knew,
”
she said simply.
“
I thought that was why you
’
ve been so nice to me.
”
“
Oh, Harriet, my poor innocent child
!
No wonder Cousin Duff sometimes finds it hard to see what
’
s under his nose! Did you
think
my small attentions were purely altruistic? I
’
ll admit I thought it might be a good move to provide a little competition to shake him out of that self-imposed avuncular forbearance, but don
’
t imagine that I haven
’
t enjoyed your lessons in the art of flirtation. Had things been different I could have fallen for you very easily.
”
“
Could you, Rory?
”
she said with such surprise that he laughed.
“
Yes—but don
’
t let it deflect you from your more serious ambitions. I
’
ll be going away soon, I think. Cousin Duff won
’
t care for his style to be cramped much longer, I suspect, and I should hate to have a real showdown with the old chap. Come on back to the snug and get warm. It
’
s damn cold out here.
”
She followed him into the snug and sat on the fender stool, too drained of emotion to do more than marvel that a
si
ngle day could hold so many conflicting and catastrophic incidents. The scent Samantha used still hung on the air as a reminder, and Harriet said with ample bluntness:
“
Do you suppose she
’
s still his mistress?
”
Rory replenished their glasses, bidding her drink the champagne slowly and let it do its work of reviving a weary spirit, then sat down in Duff
’
s armchair and stretched his legs.
“
Well, that I wouldn
’
t know since my proud cousin climbed on to his high horse the only time it was mentioned, but I should doubt it, knowing Duff
’
s views,
”
he replied.
“
Is he a good lover, Harriet? That
’
s not an impertinent question, merely one of concern.
”
“
My marriage has never been con—consummated, if that
’
s the right expression,
”
she said simply, stumbling a little over the word.
“
That was the agreement between us, you see.
”
“
Well, for crying out loud!
”
Rory exclaimed.
“
Now I
’
ve heard everything! What on earth possessed you both?
”
“
It sounds crazy now, I suppose, but at the time, I didn
’
t
think. It made it easier in a way to marry a perfect stranger.
”
“
And did you imagine that any sane and healthy man would abide by that for long?
”
“
I didn
’
t know. I thought, you see, as long as there was Samantha he wouldn
’
t need me.
”
“
Lord preserve the pigs!
”
If you want him why don
’
t you try a bit of seduction yourself?
”
“
I don
’
t know how,
”
she said, so ashamedly that he had an impulse to sit her on his knee and treat her like a little girl.
“
No, I suppose you wouldn
’
t, you being you,
”
he said impatiently.
“
Well, it
’
s up to your husband to teach you—I know I wouldn
’
t waste much time.
”
“
Dear Rory
...” s
he said, and seemed half asleep.
“
It
’
s nearly supper time. I think I
’
ll take a tray up to the nursery and have mine with Nonie, if you and Duff will look after yourselves. It
’
s only cold left-overs.
”
“
Running away and leaving me to deal with the wrath to come?
”
“
No—just a respite to get my breath back again. Could you—could you explain a little, do you think, if you get a chance at supper? You know Duff better than I do, and wouldn
’
t say the wrong thing.
”
“
All right, all right—if tempers have cooled by then, although I have a suspicion that Cousin Duff has just been biding his time and will prefer to work out his own curious pattern of behaviour. Take yourself off now, Princess. I
’
ll clear up the party clutter.
”