Read Online Dark Secret by Marina Anderson - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Marina Anderson
Ads: Link
apologetic look at Harriet. ‘She found a grey hair this morning, that’s enough to ruin her week!’
‘She doesn’t have to worry, she’s still beautiful,’ said Harriet. ‘A friend of mine is an actress and she was saying that she’d never seen anyone with such a magical presence as Rowena in her first film.’
‘Yes, but that was a few years ago now. She was only your age then; it’s harder to maintain that glowing illusion as the years pass.’
‘She was twenty-three when she made A Lady Calls?‘
‘That’s right, isn’t it, Lewis?’
‘Something like that,’ he agreed, leaning across the table to refill Harriet’s wine glass and running his thumb over the top of her fingers as he did so. She swallowed hard, hoping that Chris hadn’t noticed.
After a few minutes Chris yawned and pushed back his chair. ‘I think I’ll go up too. I’ll probably sleep off the meal and then do a few laps of the pool. According to Rowena I don’t get enough exercise.
‘Don’t drown,’ murmured Lewis.
Chris smiled sweetly at him. ‘I’ll try not to give you that pleasure. Good night, Harriet. Sleep well.’
‘What did he mean?’ asked Harriet as the door closed behind him. ‘Why would his death give you pleasure?’
‘He thinks I disapprove of him because he lives off Rowena,’ said Lewis shortly. ‘The truth is, I scarcely think about him at all.’
‘Rowena was in a bad mood tonight. She can’t have guessed, can she?’ asked Harriet anxiously.
‘Not unless you told her! Don’t feel so guilty, Harriet. You are entitled to some pleasure in life.’
‘But not with her husband,’ protested Harriet.
‘Don’t tell me you’re going to say we can’t do it again.’
‘It’s awkward. When I see you with Rowena I feel terrible.’
Lewis looked annoyed. ‘You seem to have some very middle-class hang-ups about sex.’
‘Unlike you I’m not artistic, which seems to be ablanket term for lack of morals,’ retorted Harriet, sounding more annoyed than she was because she wanted nothing more than to have Lewis make love to her again.
‘If you think my morals are bad then perhaps I’d better show you something that will take away your guilt,’ he said slowly.
‘Show me what?’
Lewis caught hold of her wrist and pulled her roughly to her feet. ‘Come with me, Harriet. I’ll show you something that will make our little entertainment this afternoon seem like a Sunday school outing.’
Harriet tried to pull away from him. ‘Let me go, I don’t want to see anything.’
‘I think you’ll want to see this,’ he assured her, and despite her protests he drew her out of the room and up the winding staircase, back to the second floor.
Chapter Four
WHEN LEWIS LED Harriet into a tiny room two doors down the landing from his bedroom she thought first that she was in a cupboard, but as her eyes grew accustomed to the darkness she realised that it had originally been intended as a dressing room, although the adjoining door had now been filled in. There was little furniture there, only a high backed chair and a two-seater settee in front of a square window, which let in no light at all.
She turned to Lewis in bewilderment. ‘What is this room?’
‘Sit here next to me on the sofa and look carefully at the window,’ he said softly.
Puzzled, she stared at the glass, and after a few seconds realised that she was looking into a distinctly feminine bedroom lavishly decorated in various shades of lilac. As she watched, a figure crossed her line of vision, and she saw Rowena walking totally naked from her adjoining bathroom back to her bed.
Harriet ducked down and Lewis laughed. ‘Shecan’t see you, it’s a two-way mirror.’
‘You mean, anyone can sit here and watch her without her knowing?’
‘Yes. It’s surprising what you get to see as well.’
A knot of excitement formed in Harriet’s chest as Rowena turned so that she was facing the hidden spectators. Her figure was superb, her
‘She doesn’t have to worry, she’s still beautiful,’ said Harriet. ‘A friend of mine is an actress and she was saying that she’d never seen anyone with such a magical presence as Rowena in her first film.’
‘Yes, but that was a few years ago now. She was only your age then; it’s harder to maintain that glowing illusion as the years pass.’
‘She was twenty-three when she made A Lady Calls?‘
‘That’s right, isn’t it, Lewis?’
‘Something like that,’ he agreed, leaning across the table to refill Harriet’s wine glass and running his thumb over the top of her fingers as he did so. She swallowed hard, hoping that Chris hadn’t noticed.
After a few minutes Chris yawned and pushed back his chair. ‘I think I’ll go up too. I’ll probably sleep off the meal and then do a few laps of the pool. According to Rowena I don’t get enough exercise.
‘Don’t drown,’ murmured Lewis.
Chris smiled sweetly at him. ‘I’ll try not to give you that pleasure. Good night, Harriet. Sleep well.’
‘What did he mean?’ asked Harriet as the door closed behind him. ‘Why would his death give you pleasure?’
‘He thinks I disapprove of him because he lives off Rowena,’ said Lewis shortly. ‘The truth is, I scarcely think about him at all.’
‘Rowena was in a bad mood tonight. She can’t have guessed, can she?’ asked Harriet anxiously.
‘Not unless you told her! Don’t feel so guilty, Harriet. You are entitled to some pleasure in life.’
‘But not with her husband,’ protested Harriet.
‘Don’t tell me you’re going to say we can’t do it again.’
‘It’s awkward. When I see you with Rowena I feel terrible.’
Lewis looked annoyed. ‘You seem to have some very middle-class hang-ups about sex.’
‘Unlike you I’m not artistic, which seems to be ablanket term for lack of morals,’ retorted Harriet, sounding more annoyed than she was because she wanted nothing more than to have Lewis make love to her again.
‘If you think my morals are bad then perhaps I’d better show you something that will take away your guilt,’ he said slowly.
‘Show me what?’
Lewis caught hold of her wrist and pulled her roughly to her feet. ‘Come with me, Harriet. I’ll show you something that will make our little entertainment this afternoon seem like a Sunday school outing.’
Harriet tried to pull away from him. ‘Let me go, I don’t want to see anything.’
‘I think you’ll want to see this,’ he assured her, and despite her protests he drew her out of the room and up the winding staircase, back to the second floor.
Chapter Four
WHEN LEWIS LED Harriet into a tiny room two doors down the landing from his bedroom she thought first that she was in a cupboard, but as her eyes grew accustomed to the darkness she realised that it had originally been intended as a dressing room, although the adjoining door had now been filled in. There was little furniture there, only a high backed chair and a two-seater settee in front of a square window, which let in no light at all.
She turned to Lewis in bewilderment. ‘What is this room?’
‘Sit here next to me on the sofa and look carefully at the window,’ he said softly.
Puzzled, she stared at the glass, and after a few seconds realised that she was looking into a distinctly feminine bedroom lavishly decorated in various shades of lilac. As she watched, a figure crossed her line of vision, and she saw Rowena walking totally naked from her adjoining bathroom back to her bed.
Harriet ducked down and Lewis laughed. ‘Shecan’t see you, it’s a two-way mirror.’
‘You mean, anyone can sit here and watch her without her knowing?’
‘Yes. It’s surprising what you get to see as well.’
A knot of excitement formed in Harriet’s chest as Rowena turned so that she was facing the hidden spectators. Her figure was superb, her
Similar Books
