Read Online PAGAN ADVERSARY by Sara Craven, Chieko Hara - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Sara Craven, Chieko Hara
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what do you say?'
She shrugged. 'I'm afraid I evade the issue—distract him with
something. I'm not a psychologist and I don't know how to handle it.
He's too young to understand the truth.'
He nodded expressionlessly, and made no further comment, merely
asking if she wanted more coffee.
'No, thanks.' Harriet put her crumpled napkin on the table. 'I really
should be getting back.'
'Why?' he asked. 'You have some urgent appointment, perhaps?'
'Of course not. It's Sunday.'
'And what do you usually do on Sundays?' He drank the last of his
coffee, watching her over the rim of the cup.
She shrugged. 'Tidy the flat—make lunch—take Nicky to a park if it's
fine.'
'It sounds a reasonable plan,' he said. 'And it can be as easily carried
out here as at your dismal room.'
'No,' said Harriet. Her hands were beginning to tremble again, and she
wedged them together in her lap below the edge of the table. 'I—I do
have a life of my own to lead, and I have things to do.'
He gave her a derisive look. 'You made me believe that Nicos was
your whole life. Is it not so?'
'And you've made me believe that it's time I thought differently,' she
said flatly. 'So that's what I'm going to do, starting now.'
'I wish it could be as simple as that. It must be obvious from Nicos'
reaction last night, and to a lesser extent on the previous evening, that
he will need a substantial—period of adjustment to his new
circumstances.' He paused. 'I am going to need your help— Miss
Masters.'
Harriet ignored the unmistakable note of mockery investing the last
two words. 'My help? I thought you couldn't wait to remove Nicky
from my sphere of influence altogether.'
'But then I was not aware of the extent of his dependence on you,' he
said coldly. 'You have made yourself necessary to the child.'
'Oh, I'm so sorry,' said Harriet with immense sarcasm. 'Of course I see
now I should have neglected and ill-treated him, just to make things
easier for you. What a pity I didn't realise earlier that you were going
to come marching into our lives like—like. . ..'
'Like a tyrant,' he supplied too softly. 'Or—a conceited, arrogant ape.'
'Yes,' she said defiantly. 'Exactly like that.'
'I wonder,' he said after another, longer pause, 'why no one has ever
beaten you soundly, Harriet mow.'
She had never felt less like smiling, but in spite of herself the corners
of her mouth turned up wryly. She said, 'Probably because I seem
to—to get along with most people.'
'And I think, for Nicos' sake, you are going to have to make an effort
to get along with me. Can we at least agree that his wellbeing is of
paramount importance?'
'Yes,' she acknowledged dully. She knew what was coming—another
reasoned argument why Nicky would be so much better living as a
millionaire's heir in Greece, rather than surviving just above the
breadline in London with her.
And the trouble was she couldn't think of a single riposte. All the
steam, the anger, the defensiveness had drained out of her. Her
protective shell had smashed, and she felt weary and vulnerable.
'Yes,' she said with a sigh, 'I think we can agree about that.'
'Progress at last,' he said mockingly. 'Shall I order some more
champagne?'
She shook her head, looking down at her hands still clenched tightly
in her lap.
'And you will stay today—for Nicky's sake.'
'Yes,' she said, 'I will—for Nicky's sake.'
They had lunch by the river, a very traditional affair of roast beef and
Yorkshire pudding, with strawberries and cream to follow, and Nicky
behaved impeccably by anyone's standards. He enjoyed eating, and
he also enjoyed being the centre of approving and admiring attention.
Harriet recognised rather bitterly that Alex had set out to win his
nephew over, and was succeeding brilliantly. She was ashamed of the
way she felt when Nicky stretched out imperative arms to his uncle to
lift him down from his chair when the meal was over.
A lot of people at neighbouring
She shrugged. 'I'm afraid I evade the issue—distract him with
something. I'm not a psychologist and I don't know how to handle it.
He's too young to understand the truth.'
He nodded expressionlessly, and made no further comment, merely
asking if she wanted more coffee.
'No, thanks.' Harriet put her crumpled napkin on the table. 'I really
should be getting back.'
'Why?' he asked. 'You have some urgent appointment, perhaps?'
'Of course not. It's Sunday.'
'And what do you usually do on Sundays?' He drank the last of his
coffee, watching her over the rim of the cup.
She shrugged. 'Tidy the flat—make lunch—take Nicky to a park if it's
fine.'
'It sounds a reasonable plan,' he said. 'And it can be as easily carried
out here as at your dismal room.'
'No,' said Harriet. Her hands were beginning to tremble again, and she
wedged them together in her lap below the edge of the table. 'I—I do
have a life of my own to lead, and I have things to do.'
He gave her a derisive look. 'You made me believe that Nicos was
your whole life. Is it not so?'
'And you've made me believe that it's time I thought differently,' she
said flatly. 'So that's what I'm going to do, starting now.'
'I wish it could be as simple as that. It must be obvious from Nicos'
reaction last night, and to a lesser extent on the previous evening, that
he will need a substantial—period of adjustment to his new
circumstances.' He paused. 'I am going to need your help— Miss
Masters.'
Harriet ignored the unmistakable note of mockery investing the last
two words. 'My help? I thought you couldn't wait to remove Nicky
from my sphere of influence altogether.'
'But then I was not aware of the extent of his dependence on you,' he
said coldly. 'You have made yourself necessary to the child.'
'Oh, I'm so sorry,' said Harriet with immense sarcasm. 'Of course I see
now I should have neglected and ill-treated him, just to make things
easier for you. What a pity I didn't realise earlier that you were going
to come marching into our lives like—like. . ..'
'Like a tyrant,' he supplied too softly. 'Or—a conceited, arrogant ape.'
'Yes,' she said defiantly. 'Exactly like that.'
'I wonder,' he said after another, longer pause, 'why no one has ever
beaten you soundly, Harriet mow.'
She had never felt less like smiling, but in spite of herself the corners
of her mouth turned up wryly. She said, 'Probably because I seem
to—to get along with most people.'
'And I think, for Nicos' sake, you are going to have to make an effort
to get along with me. Can we at least agree that his wellbeing is of
paramount importance?'
'Yes,' she acknowledged dully. She knew what was coming—another
reasoned argument why Nicky would be so much better living as a
millionaire's heir in Greece, rather than surviving just above the
breadline in London with her.
And the trouble was she couldn't think of a single riposte. All the
steam, the anger, the defensiveness had drained out of her. Her
protective shell had smashed, and she felt weary and vulnerable.
'Yes,' she said with a sigh, 'I think we can agree about that.'
'Progress at last,' he said mockingly. 'Shall I order some more
champagne?'
She shook her head, looking down at her hands still clenched tightly
in her lap.
'And you will stay today—for Nicky's sake.'
'Yes,' she said, 'I will—for Nicky's sake.'
They had lunch by the river, a very traditional affair of roast beef and
Yorkshire pudding, with strawberries and cream to follow, and Nicky
behaved impeccably by anyone's standards. He enjoyed eating, and
he also enjoyed being the centre of approving and admiring attention.
Harriet recognised rather bitterly that Alex had set out to win his
nephew over, and was succeeding brilliantly. She was ashamed of the
way she felt when Nicky stretched out imperative arms to his uncle to
lift him down from his chair when the meal was over.
A lot of people at neighbouring
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