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Authors: Fredrica Alleyn
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any chance of some fresher night air entering. Crossing the room to the long mahogany table, she realised with astonishment that a wood fire was burning in the fireplace.
Katya was already seated at the table. She was wearing a blue velvet dress with a plunging neckline while round her throat a diamond and sapphire necklace glinted in the light from the candles set in the silver candelabra in the middle of the table. Her blonde hair had been piled on top of her head and her skin glowed a soft golden brown, making Cassandra acutely aware of her own pallor.
'What a pretty dress,' Katya said sweetly.
Cassandra had thought it pretty once; it was a pale pink strapless chiffon creation that clung tightly round her breasts before falling in gentle folds to mid-calf, but compared to Katya's sophisticated creation it was pathetic and she felt certain she must look like an overgrown child in a party frock.
'The colour's cute,' Katya continued. 'Pink's adorable, and it gives you a little more colour too.'
'It's very warm in here,' Cassandra ventured.
Katya showed her perfect little teeth in a delighted smile. 'I know! Dieter loves to do things like this.'
'Like what?' Cassandra asked in confusion.
'Unexpected things. When it's hot he lights a fire, when it's cold he opens the windows and turns off the heating. It's all part of his obsession with people learning to discipline their bodies. He thinks that the mind can control everything. Tonight we must think cool and then we'll feel cool. Don't you think that's brilliant?'
'Not really. I mean, it isn't cool, is it? It's hot.'
'Perhaps I haven't explained it very well. I'm afraid I'm really very stupid, not at all cerebral; not that Dieter minds!' She gave a ripple of laughter.
'Does it matter where I sit?' Cassandra asked.
'You're over there, opposite the fire.'
Cassandra took her seat and felt the heat from the flames across the table. She took a tissue from her clutch bag and dabbed at the perspiration on her top lip. It was all becoming a nightmare.
'Haven't you offered Cassandra a drink?' the baron asked as he strode into the room, pulling at the frilled cuffs of his dress shirt. 'What a poor hostess she must think you, Katya.'
As Katya hurried across to the drinks cabinet, the baron lifted Cassandra's left hand to his mouth and brushed it with his lips. It was the lightest of touches, but a small shock of pleasure darted up her arm and she almost snatched her hand away in surprise.
'How were the children?' he continued smoothly. 'No trouble I trust?'
'They were fine. Helena didn't want to eat her rice pudding, she seemed to expect blackcurrant sorbet, but apart from that ...'
'Now and again I change the menu,' the baron explained, watching Katya hand Cassandra a goblet of wine. 'I think it's so much more interesting if life holds surprises.'
'Only if they're pleasant ones,' Cassandra remarked dryly, gulping her wine far too quickly because she was so thirsty.
The baron watched her tilt her head back and visualised the liquid flowing down her throat. His eyes narrowed and his fingers began to tap lightly against the table top. Katya reached across and covered his hand with hers, stilling the telltale sign of his excitement.
'But life holds so many unpleasant surprises it's better for children to learn to face disappointment early on, don't you agree?' he asked.
'Not really. Childhood's precious; life will be hard later on as you say, but if you've had a secure start it's much easier to cope with life once you're older.'
The baron leant across the table and refilled her glass. 'Ring for Lucy to start serving, Katya. I'm afraid I don't agree with you, Cassandra, but then that's part of the pleasure of meeting new people, isn't it? Teaching them that there are different ways of looking at life.'
'Do I teach you or do you teach me?' Cassandra asked, astonished at her own courage and realising that she must drink her wine more slowly.
'My dear girl, we teach each
Katya was already seated at the table. She was wearing a blue velvet dress with a plunging neckline while round her throat a diamond and sapphire necklace glinted in the light from the candles set in the silver candelabra in the middle of the table. Her blonde hair had been piled on top of her head and her skin glowed a soft golden brown, making Cassandra acutely aware of her own pallor.
'What a pretty dress,' Katya said sweetly.
Cassandra had thought it pretty once; it was a pale pink strapless chiffon creation that clung tightly round her breasts before falling in gentle folds to mid-calf, but compared to Katya's sophisticated creation it was pathetic and she felt certain she must look like an overgrown child in a party frock.
'The colour's cute,' Katya continued. 'Pink's adorable, and it gives you a little more colour too.'
'It's very warm in here,' Cassandra ventured.
Katya showed her perfect little teeth in a delighted smile. 'I know! Dieter loves to do things like this.'
'Like what?' Cassandra asked in confusion.
'Unexpected things. When it's hot he lights a fire, when it's cold he opens the windows and turns off the heating. It's all part of his obsession with people learning to discipline their bodies. He thinks that the mind can control everything. Tonight we must think cool and then we'll feel cool. Don't you think that's brilliant?'
'Not really. I mean, it isn't cool, is it? It's hot.'
'Perhaps I haven't explained it very well. I'm afraid I'm really very stupid, not at all cerebral; not that Dieter minds!' She gave a ripple of laughter.
'Does it matter where I sit?' Cassandra asked.
'You're over there, opposite the fire.'
Cassandra took her seat and felt the heat from the flames across the table. She took a tissue from her clutch bag and dabbed at the perspiration on her top lip. It was all becoming a nightmare.
'Haven't you offered Cassandra a drink?' the baron asked as he strode into the room, pulling at the frilled cuffs of his dress shirt. 'What a poor hostess she must think you, Katya.'
As Katya hurried across to the drinks cabinet, the baron lifted Cassandra's left hand to his mouth and brushed it with his lips. It was the lightest of touches, but a small shock of pleasure darted up her arm and she almost snatched her hand away in surprise.
'How were the children?' he continued smoothly. 'No trouble I trust?'
'They were fine. Helena didn't want to eat her rice pudding, she seemed to expect blackcurrant sorbet, but apart from that ...'
'Now and again I change the menu,' the baron explained, watching Katya hand Cassandra a goblet of wine. 'I think it's so much more interesting if life holds surprises.'
'Only if they're pleasant ones,' Cassandra remarked dryly, gulping her wine far too quickly because she was so thirsty.
The baron watched her tilt her head back and visualised the liquid flowing down her throat. His eyes narrowed and his fingers began to tap lightly against the table top. Katya reached across and covered his hand with hers, stilling the telltale sign of his excitement.
'But life holds so many unpleasant surprises it's better for children to learn to face disappointment early on, don't you agree?' he asked.
'Not really. Childhood's precious; life will be hard later on as you say, but if you've had a secure start it's much easier to cope with life once you're older.'
The baron leant across the table and refilled her glass. 'Ring for Lucy to start serving, Katya. I'm afraid I don't agree with you, Cassandra, but then that's part of the pleasure of meeting new people, isn't it? Teaching them that there are different ways of looking at life.'
'Do I teach you or do you teach me?' Cassandra asked, astonished at her own courage and realising that she must drink her wine more slowly.
'My dear girl, we teach each
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