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Authors: Jane Corrie
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stranger to her than at their first meeting. But then, she thought dully, that was before he had begun to entertain the suspicion that she was trying to capitalise on her good fortune and was hoping, perhaps, to make it a permanent arrangement.
By this time, all Melanie wanted was to get the meal over with and get back to her room, and she hoped that Julian would accept her request that she skipped coffee in the lounge afterwards; there would be plenty
of his friends to join him there, and he would surely welcome her absence.
This, however, was not the case, and her request was greeted by a lift of his autocratic eyebrows as he said, 'I'd rather you stayed,' and left it at that, giving Melanie no choice in the matter.
In the lounge, Julian made the usual detour to a table slightly on its own away from the general conversation of the other guests, and made polite conversation to the distinctly uncomfortable Melanie, who listened just as politely, managing to keep her inner thoughts to herself. She wondered what the rest of the guests made of them, for they must have looked an extremely odd couple, she thought—or maybe she was imagining things, she didn't know any more, for this was a world beyond her comprehension, and she no longer felt she could cope with it. Somehow she had to.
All she could hope for now was a return to more normal surroundings back home, and maybe to be able to persuade Julian Cridell that the whole thing had been a mistake right from the beginning. She felt sure that, by now, he must have come to the same conclusion.
`Coming to Dad's party tonight?' Anna Misting, a young, lovely brunette, the daughter of a friend of Julian's, called across to them.
Melanie, confident of what Julian's answer would be, was dismayed to hear his casual, 'I don't see why not.'
`Thought you would !' replied Anna loftily, darting a quick, triumphant glance in Mrs Dalton's direction, and Melanie, well aware that Julian had made a point of keeping away from the normal festivities until now, couldn't help wondering why he had suddenly chosen to attend this particular one.
She had a nasty suspicion that this might be his way of punishing her for daring to presume on their relationship, and that he meant to show her how ill equipped she was to hold her own in such company, for she was sure that that had been the reason why he had refused earlier invitations for evening amusements, meaning, no doubt, to foster the supposition that he was content in his new wife's company, whereas in reality, Melanie would spend the evening either reading or searching out suitable material for a lesson with Celia to help her to gain good exam results, and Julian would be in the study perusing the Financial Times, and keeping up to date with the latest news from London.
A little later, on their way back to their suite, it occurred to Melanie that Julian might not be considering taking her to the party; after all, Andrew Misting was his friend, and it was his party. This somewhat cheered her, until Julian, as they entered their rooms, said casually, 'We shall be going down around ten,' halting Melanie in her tracks as she started to make for her room.
She turned round slowly to face him. 'You mean both of us?' she asked, realising a little too late how ridiculous that had sounded; he had said 'We', hadn't he?
Julian's lips twisted in exasperation. 'Of course,' he said abruptly, managing to stem his irritation at her stupidity.
`I—couldn't you go alone?' asked Melanie pleadingly. 'You could say I've got a headache, couldn't you ?'
`I shall do no such thing!' Julian exploded. 'I don't have to remind you again of the terms of your employment, do I?' he asked pithily. 'There is a little more to it than lazing in the sun.'
Melanie swallowed. Now she was being made to feel like a society drone, a hanger-on. She took a deep breath. A little more of this unfair treatment and she would hate this man, she thought grimly. 'Very well,'
By this time, all Melanie wanted was to get the meal over with and get back to her room, and she hoped that Julian would accept her request that she skipped coffee in the lounge afterwards; there would be plenty
of his friends to join him there, and he would surely welcome her absence.
This, however, was not the case, and her request was greeted by a lift of his autocratic eyebrows as he said, 'I'd rather you stayed,' and left it at that, giving Melanie no choice in the matter.
In the lounge, Julian made the usual detour to a table slightly on its own away from the general conversation of the other guests, and made polite conversation to the distinctly uncomfortable Melanie, who listened just as politely, managing to keep her inner thoughts to herself. She wondered what the rest of the guests made of them, for they must have looked an extremely odd couple, she thought—or maybe she was imagining things, she didn't know any more, for this was a world beyond her comprehension, and she no longer felt she could cope with it. Somehow she had to.
All she could hope for now was a return to more normal surroundings back home, and maybe to be able to persuade Julian Cridell that the whole thing had been a mistake right from the beginning. She felt sure that, by now, he must have come to the same conclusion.
`Coming to Dad's party tonight?' Anna Misting, a young, lovely brunette, the daughter of a friend of Julian's, called across to them.
Melanie, confident of what Julian's answer would be, was dismayed to hear his casual, 'I don't see why not.'
`Thought you would !' replied Anna loftily, darting a quick, triumphant glance in Mrs Dalton's direction, and Melanie, well aware that Julian had made a point of keeping away from the normal festivities until now, couldn't help wondering why he had suddenly chosen to attend this particular one.
She had a nasty suspicion that this might be his way of punishing her for daring to presume on their relationship, and that he meant to show her how ill equipped she was to hold her own in such company, for she was sure that that had been the reason why he had refused earlier invitations for evening amusements, meaning, no doubt, to foster the supposition that he was content in his new wife's company, whereas in reality, Melanie would spend the evening either reading or searching out suitable material for a lesson with Celia to help her to gain good exam results, and Julian would be in the study perusing the Financial Times, and keeping up to date with the latest news from London.
A little later, on their way back to their suite, it occurred to Melanie that Julian might not be considering taking her to the party; after all, Andrew Misting was his friend, and it was his party. This somewhat cheered her, until Julian, as they entered their rooms, said casually, 'We shall be going down around ten,' halting Melanie in her tracks as she started to make for her room.
She turned round slowly to face him. 'You mean both of us?' she asked, realising a little too late how ridiculous that had sounded; he had said 'We', hadn't he?
Julian's lips twisted in exasperation. 'Of course,' he said abruptly, managing to stem his irritation at her stupidity.
`I—couldn't you go alone?' asked Melanie pleadingly. 'You could say I've got a headache, couldn't you ?'
`I shall do no such thing!' Julian exploded. 'I don't have to remind you again of the terms of your employment, do I?' he asked pithily. 'There is a little more to it than lazing in the sun.'
Melanie swallowed. Now she was being made to feel like a society drone, a hanger-on. She took a deep breath. A little more of this unfair treatment and she would hate this man, she thought grimly. 'Very well,'
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