Her eyes stayed on them as they danced to the lilting strain of the waltz. Anna's dreamy dress floated around her, and really, one had to admit that they looked the perfect couple. Julian, tall and handsome, bent his dark head every now and again to hear what Anna was saying to him.
`You'd better take good care of him, young lady,' Andrew Misting said, his eyes, as Melanie's, following the pair on the floor.
Melanie, surprised, looked back at him.
`You've stolen the man of her dreams,' he said, in answer to her look, and took the sting out of the words with a rueful smile at her. 'Anna's had her eye on Julian for years, ever since she was a teenager,' he added, and offered to fill up Melanie's glass, which she allowed; the liquid seemed harmless enough. 'The trouble is,' he continued, 'that she's not had much chance of meeting many reliable males. I do too much globetrotting. It's the reason why I've decided to put down roots. I want to see her settled with a good man.'
Melanie didn't know how to reply to this, and fortunately for her she saw Mrs Dalton approaching them, dressed in a green velvet dress that she must have been poured into.
`Here's another of them,' said Andrew Misting under his breath just before she reached them. `Personally, I can't stand the woman.' Social etiquette
forced him to give her a cordial welcome, but he did not offer a seat at their table, so it was fortuitous that she was able to join someone else's a few tables away, after wishing her host all the best for the future.
Julian and Anna came back after their dance, and soon their small party was joined by other friends of theirs. It seemed their policy not to put in an appearance until the party was well advanced, and Melanie was able to relax into some semblance of obscurity in the midst of the celebrations, while old memories of past occasions were recalled. As Julian did not take the floor again in spite of several pleading looks from the wives of the other men in the company, Melanie was spared the embarrassment of having to refuse any offers to partner anyone, should such an offer be made.
By two o'clock, Melanie was more than ready for bed; she felt distinctly light-headed, and had wisely refused a fourth glass of champagne as she was beginning to realise that it was not quite the innocuous beverage that she had thought it was.
It seemed to her that the party got louder and the music accompanied by native drums began to beat incessantly on her reeling senses. She was not inebriated in the strict sense of the word, only extremely tired, and longed for the peace and quiet of her room, and while the men's conversation turned inevitably back to business matters, leaving their women folk to chat about this and that, Melanie slipped away from the company and stood just outside the ballroom windows that opened on to a large verandah, drinking in the pure night air.
It was a moment of perfect peace for her, and her wondering eyes went slowly over the dark blue velvet sky with its myriad lantern stars. She had no other
thought in her mind but the beauty of the Caribbean night.
`What the devil are you doing mooning out here?' Julian's hard voice cut into her reverie like a crack of lightning in the lull of a storm, and Melanie blinked at the suddenness of his appearance. She had stood near enough the window to be seen if Julian had suddenly wondered where she had got to, for on several occasions many others of the company had done the same thing, only to get a breath of fresh air, and she didn't understand why her following their example should have aroused his annoyance.
`I was just getting some fresh air,' she began, and would have gone on to ask if he was ready to leave, but his next action prevented any such question for, to her complete amazement, he jerked her into his arms and began kissing her in a very businesslike manner.
For one wild moment, Melanie thought that he was drunk, and as soon as his lips left her stunned ones, she attempted to free herself from his embrace only to find that he had no intention of releasing her, and looked as if he was moving in for another session after giving her breathing space from the first.
As she tried to regain some sort of composure, realising that they were in view of some of the guests, she had the sense to work out that this was probably his way of settling all doubts as to their relationship as far as the others were concerned, but she also recalled his promise that she had nothing to fear from him, and felt very angry at his breaking what was for her a very important rule. She knew that she could do nothing about it then and there, but she meant to say plenty when they got back to their suite!
At this point, however, a woman's husky voice intervened in her indignant musings. 'Darling ! How
wonderful! I didn't know you were here.'
Melanie felt herself released and found her eyes meeting a pair of dark eyes, incredibly like Celia's, but there the resemblance ended, for this woman was a very lovely brunette, whose white
ball gown
provided the perfect setting for her dark beauty.
`Didn't you?' Julian's voice held a definite touch of irony as he surveyed the woman. 'Melanie, this is Zara
`His ex, dear,' Zara Cridell said in an attempt at levity that didn't quite come off, for her dark eyes were staring hungrily at Julian, and then rested speculatively on Melanie. 'Not quite what I would have said was your style, darling,' she murmured, looking back at Julian, then to Melanie, 'We must get to know one another, we've apparently a lot in common.'
`I wouldn't advise taking that tack if I were you,' Julian said softly, yet somehow menacingly. 'I trust you're not staying long?'
Zara gave a trill of amused laughter, and Melanie thought she must be a wonderful actress, though she hadn't been able to keep her true feelings out of her eyes. 'I'm not really sure, darling,' she said sweetly. `I've got a few weeks off from filming, but there's always a chance that they'll want a reshoot of a scene, and I shall have to go back. I do hope I can see something of my daughter while I'm here,' she added meaningly.
`That,' Julian said harshly, 'is up to Celia. You didn't exactly endear yourself to her the last time you put in an appearance,' he added in a low voice.
This time, Zara Cridell's training left her, and her eyes flashed in temper. 'And whose fault was that?' she demanded. 'I only want what's best for all of us.'
Julian caught hold of Melanie's hand in preparation
to enter the ballroom. 'You know the answer to that one,' he said coldly, and before any more could be said, he all but dragged the totally bemused Melanie back to their host, and, making apologies for their departure which were accepted by a knowing nod from Andrew Misting, they left, with Julian still holding on to Melanie's hand as if to ensure that she stayed right with him.
Only when they had entered the lift did he release her, and then stood in dark contemplation, his eyes on the thick carpet at their feet. 'Blast the woman!' he said explosively, and then turned his wrath on to Melanie. 'Keep out of her way, do you understand?' he barked at her. 'And see that Celia's not pestered by her either. You'll have to arrange to go out for a day somewhere tomorrow, a day trip or something.'
They left the lift and walked the few yards to their suite in the hotel's quiet late-night atmosphere. 'I can't get out of my business appointments today. I could have done, if I'd had any notice of her arrival; however, if she does intend to hang around, I shall make arrangements to be on hand,' he concluded, as they entered their suite.
During all this time, Melanie hadn't uttered a word, and perhaps it was her silence that annoyed him, for before she had a chance to go to her room, he said pithily, 'And the next time you're expected to put on a show of affection, I sincerely hope you succeed better than you did tonight. You couldn't have looked more horrified if I'd been trying to ravish you!' and on these stinging words, he flung off to his room, leaving Melanie staring after him in amazement.
How was she to know that he had spotted his ex-wife coming towards them, and decided to put on a show for her benefit? She wondered indignantly as she
prepared for bed. For goodness' sake! What other reaction had he expected from her? There had been no mention of sudden embraces in their contract. Indeed, homeless or not, Melanie would never have countenanced such an agreement. There was a limit to what she was prepared to do, and Mr Julian Cridell had just reached it!
MELANIE was still seething when she slipped into bed. Her indignation flared as she recalled Julian's sarcastic remarks on her failure to respond to his embrace. Just who did he think he was? Had the fact that women fell over themselves to gain his attention gone to his head? Really, she thought angrily, he should have married another actress capable of carrying out all that was required of her!
She thought of the way that he had stalked off, leaving his ex-wife to make what must have been an embarrassing re-entry into the ballroom, for in spite of the music, dancing and general chatter, Melanie was certain that from the moment that Zara Tobin, as she was known by millions from the big screen, had entered the ballroom, her every move had been sharply monitored by the rest of the guests.
She lay back on her pillow and closed her eyes. Well, she had now met Julian Cridell's ex-wife, and she had to admit that Celia had been right when she had said her mother was still in love with her father, and was using her as a counter in the game to gain her objective.
Melanie sighed. She could see nothing but trouble ahead. It was all very well for Julian to tell her to keep out of Zara's way, but she was staying at the same hotel, and was apparently determined to seek her daughter out.
All she could hope for, thought Melanie sleepily, was that she would be recalled for a reshooting of a
scene of the film she was making, or, failing that, that Julian decided to take off himself, perhaps back to England.
The following morning, Melanie found that she didn't have to bother to look for day tours of the island to take Celia and herself out of Zara's vicinity, for Julian had already made the arrangements for her, and they were to start out at nine o'clock—early enough, Melanie surmised, to be well out of the hotel precincts when Celia's mother chose to put in an appearance at the breakfast table. If she took breakfast, that was, for remembering that dark beauty's sylph-like proportions, Melanie guessed it was probable that she had to watch her figure to stay that way.
Celia, of course, had to be told of her mother's arrival.
`Well, if that isn't just like her! You bet she knew Dad was here. Did she make an awful scene?' she asked Melanie indignantly later, when her father had gone to his meeting.
`No,' Melanie replied, purposely avoiding telling her of her father's astounding reaction on sight of his ex-wife. 'She just said hello, and I was introduced to her, and then we left the party.'
`Before she could get her claws into you,' said Celia, nodding sagely. 'I didn't think Dad would hang around after that.'
Celia was all for the day out, and Melanie couldn't make out whether it was a wish to avoid meeting her mother herself, or simply to save Melanie any embarrassment, for she seemed to be of the opinion that Melanie needed protection.
The tour, like everything else on this island, was carried out in grand style; even what Melanie had
presumed would be a coach turned out to be a Rolls-Royce complete with chauffeur for just the two of them, plus a picnic hamper in the boot.
As the island wasn't a large one, the morning was spent in various out-of-the-way coves, watching the native fishermen repairing their nets, and then they settled down for lunch on a bluff overlooking a beautiful bay that reflected bright blue and lilac tones as the sun played on the water. The lilac mauve tints denoted where the coral reefs lay, and though Melanie couldn't swim, she thought how wonderful it would be if she could catch a glimpse of that undersea wonderland.
There was no such thing as taking their picnic as ordinary people did, with their tablecloths spread out on the ground around them; this picnic was carried out in keeping with their mode of transport, with the chauffeur now acting as waiter, setting up a small table and chairs which had been packed away in the copious boot of the car. After seeing to their wants, he discreetly withdrew to see to his own meal somewhere near the car, and as Melanie sipped the deliciously cool wine kept in an iced flask, and tucked into cold chicken salad, she hoped the chauffeur was just as well provided for.
Melanie's complexion soon turned a warm peach colour with the sun and the cool breezes coming off the ocean caressing her as she lazed beside Celia on that bluff, and time slipped away on the whispered breezes; for a while her troubles left her.
They had tea further up the coast, with yet another picnic basket being unloaded. Julian, it appeared, was making sure that they did not return to the hotel until his business was concluded and he would be free to keep a watching brief on his ex-wife's activities.
`Well, if it's done nothing else, it's made Dad ease up on the business front,' commented Celia, as they settled down to enjoy their tea. 'He's probably arranging all sorts of excursions for us, and it will be nice to have him around,' she added pensively.
Melanie looked at her. Celia's complexion, like her father's had turned a deep honey colour practically overnight. She thought she caught a wistful note in her words, but said nothing. Celia would hate her, or anyone come to that, to feel sorry for her, but it couldn't have been easy for her for all those years, denied as she had been a normal upbringing, and with a father, fond as he was of her, absolutely wedded to his work.