Barbara Taylor Bradford’s 4-Book Collection

This question did not really startle Francesca, for she had guessed that he had guessed, but she remained silent. Finally she whispered, ‘Yes.’

‘Why didn’t you tell me?’

‘It never occurred to me. It didn’t seem to be of such great importance, certainly not to me. Why, was it important to you, Vic?’

He was thoughtful, and after a beat, he replied carefully, ‘Yes, it was in many ways. And I hope I didn’t hurt you. I tried to make it as –’

‘Sssh,’ she murmured, pressing her fingertips to his mouth. ‘And you didn’t hurt me. Well, not too much.’

She felt him smiling against her shoulder and then he said, ‘I didn’t shock you, did I? Some of the things I did …’

‘No.’ She felt her cheeks grow hot as she remembered their lovemaking, and then she brushed aside her sudden self-consciousness, and finished shyly, ‘I … I … liked everything you did.’

He laughed. ‘I’m glad to hear it.’ He slipped out of bed, padded across the room, threw a couple of logs on the fire, found his cigarettes in one of his trouser pockets, and returned to the four poster. He propped the pillows behind him, settled down next to her and lit a cigarette. He said, ‘By the way, what time’s dinner?’

‘Nine o’clock, but we should go down about half an hour before, for drinks.’ Francesca glanced at her small travelling clock on the bedside table. ‘It’s almost eight already,’ she exclaimed in surprise.

‘I’ll smoke this and then I’d better go back to my room and shower and dress. I guess I have to put on a shirt and tie?’

‘Yes, but you don’t have to wear a suit, if you don’t want to. A sports jacket is perfectly fine.’

‘If I’d been smart, I’d have stopped off and picked up my robe before coming in here.’ He looked at her sideways. ‘But I was anxious to get to you, baby. Now I guess I have to make myself decent to return to my suite. I can’t very well flit along the corridor clutching my clothes in my hands.’

‘I’ll go and get your dressing gown,’ Francesca cried, and had swung her legs out of bed before he could stop her.

‘Come on, baby, that’s not necessary,’ he protested as she disappeared into the bathroom. She returned almost at once, struggling into a bathrobe. ‘I’ll be back in a flash,’ she told him and went out.

Victor lay back against the pillows, smoking his cigarette, musing on Francesca. He smiled. They were perfect together. Within seconds voices outside the door disturbed his train of thought, and he straightened up, listening alertly. Francesca had obviously run into her cousin. He heard Diana’s light laugh, a few mumbled words exchanged between them, and then Diana said something more clearly, in German, which he did not understand.

The door opened and Francesca came back into the room. Looking across at him, she said, ‘I just ran into Diana.’

‘Yes, so I heard. She knows then … knows I’m in here … knows about us?’

‘I don’t think she thinks I’m borrowing your robe,’ Francesca laughed, her eyes dancing. ‘It’s far too large to fit me.’

‘What did she say?’

‘Nothing.’ Francesca’s blonde brows shot up. ‘It’s really none of her business, you know. Besides, apart from being very romantic, she likes you a lot, so I’m sure she approves.’

‘No, no, I was referring to the remark she made to you in German.’

Francesca sat down on the end of the bed, still clutching his white silk robe to her. ‘Diana said, “das letzte Hemd hat keine Taschen.” That means, the last shirt has no pocket. What she was trying to say was that you can’t take it –’

‘With you,’ he finished for her. ‘I get the drift. She’s a smart one, that lovely cousin of yours. And she’s right, life’s too short to waste.’ Now Victor’s curiosity about the von Wittingens surfaced again, and innumerable questions about the parents, and also the reason for Christian’s disability, flew to his tongue. But he realized it was the wrong moment to embark on such a discussion, and so he held back, reserving the questions for another time. He stubbed out his cigarette and got out of bed. Francesca handed him his robe. He slipped into it, belted it tightly and stood looking at her, then he pulled her up off the bed and into his arms. Kissing her very tenderly, he murmured into her hair, ‘My sweet, sweet baby.’ With a swift glance at her, he asked, ‘You are mine, aren’t you?’

‘Yes, Vic. Oh yes, darling, I am,’ she replied, and her face was radiant.

They drew together again, reluctant to leave each other, and their kisses became long and passionate. It was Victor who finally broke their clinging embrace. He said, with an irreverent, lopsided grin, ‘Listen, lady, I’d better get outta here, otherwise we’ll never make dinner tonight.’

Chapter Twenty-Eight (#ulink_bc862b8a-cbe1-5f04-bfe2-254237f819fd)

‘The dress looks divine on you, Cheska,’ Diana said. ‘Perfect. I’m so glad I remembered I had it in the stock room.’

Smiling, Francesca turned to look at herself again in the cheval mirror. The evening gown Diana had loaned her from the boutique was made of silk velvet in a lovely shade of clear amethyst. The skirt was cut on the cross, flaring to the floor, and the close-fitting bodice had a low scooped-out neckline and long sleeves. It was elegant and its svelte lines made her look more lithesome than ever, whilst the colour was immensely flattering to her fair English-rose complexion and honey-blonde hair.

‘Yes, it is nice,’ she agreed, swinging back to face her cousin. ‘Actually, if it’s not too expensive, I think I’d like to buy it. I could do with it, to tell you the truth. Most of my evening clothes are horribly dull.’

‘Oh do keep it, Cheska. It suits you so well, and naturally you can have it at cost.’

‘That’s sweet of you, but you sold me the yellow ski outfit for practically nothing –’

‘I wouldn’t dream of letting you pay the boutique price,’ Diana exclaimed. ‘Anyway, I feel pretty awful. It was my stupid fault you didn’t bring any evening clothes with you. My only excuse is that when you rang to say you were coming to Wittingenhof, I forgot all about the dinner party in my excitement.’

‘You mustn’t feel badly, Dibs. And you’ve been a darling about the clothes. I’m very grateful. And I did want to get myself a few things with the money I earned for scouting locations. It’s ages since I’ve had anything new.’

‘Then it’s settled. Tomorrow, when Victor’s off skiing, I want you to go down to the town and pick out anything you want from the shop. In the meantime –’ Diana stopped and looked at Francesca closely, her head on one side, her expression assessing. ‘I want you to wear this tonight.’ As she spoke she brought her hands from behind her back, took a step forward and handed Francesca a red leather case. ‘I think this will add just the right finishing touch.’

Francesca stared at Diana and then at the case. She opened it and caught her breath. ‘Oh how beautiful.’ Her eyes widened as they focused on the three-strand choker of lustrous creamy pearls nestling on the red velvet.

‘Here, let me help you.’ Diana lifted the choker out of the case and fastened it around Francesca’s neck. ‘Turn the clasp to the front,’ she suggested. ‘Yes, that’s right. Let it rest there in the middle of your throat.’ Diana smiled. ‘I suddenly thought of this because the clasp has an amethyst in the centre. See how it picks up the colour of the dress. Marvellous.’

‘Diana, what a gorgeous piece. I’ve never seen you wear it though. Is it new?’

‘It was Grandmother’s. She gave it to me for Christmas.’

‘It’s so nice of you to lend it to me. Thank you. But don’t you want to wear it yourself tonight?’

‘No. My dress has a rather high neckline so the choker wouldn’t look right.’ She moved towards the door, halted and turned. Her eyes rested on Francesca lovingly, and she said with a rush of genuine feeling, ‘I’m so happy for you, Cheska. Really happy. And you see, I was right. I told you everything would work out, didn’t I?’

‘Yes.’ Francesca’s mouth curved up in a happy smile and her eyes shone. ‘Victor said Wittingenhof was magical, and so it has proved to be. For me. Oh Dibs, he’s wonderful.’

‘And a pretty cool customer,’ Diana laughed.

‘What do you mean?’ Francesca’s face was instantly touched by apprehension.

‘Darling, don’t get upset. I wasn’t being critical. I was referring to his behaviour at dinner last night. He certainly kept a poker face. As a matter of fact, you astonished me too. You were extraordinarily contained yourself.’

‘Well, I had to be. Victor thinks we should be discreet. He’s afraid of gossip, as I explained before. Naturally he realizes you know about us, but he doesn’t think we should flaunt our relationship in front of you and Christian either. He –’ Francesca hesitated and rolled her eyes upwards, then confided, ‘Do you know, this afternoon he actually spent a good fifteen minutes explaining how we’re going to act towards each other tonight. I couldn’t believe my ears.’

Diana burst out laughing. ‘You’re joking. And how are you supposed to behave?’

Francesca also began to laugh. Recovering herself, she said, ‘Like a chum, what else?’

‘And presumably he’ll be cool and faintly distant with you. Am I correct?’

‘Of course you are.’

‘Well then, so be it,’ Diana shrugged. ‘After all, it’s not so important in view of his true feelings. Now I must scoot, otherwise I’ll be greeting our guests in this dressing gown.’