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Authors: Isobel Chace
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befriend her ? ’
‘ It takes two to make a friendship, ’ Marion reminded him tartly. She knew one thing Denise would take if she could and that was Gregory Randall, and he must be blind if he couldn ’ t see it !’ Why don ’ t you ask Denise why she doesn ’ t like me ? ’ she added. He ought to know the answer to that too, she thought. Denise would never like any female who was living under the same roof as Gregory because as far as she was concerned life for women was a competition with man as the prize for the winners, and she couldn ’ t conceive that everyone else didn ’ t share her attitude.
‘ She ’ s afraid of you, ’ Gregory answered. ‘ She thinks you ’ re beautiful and clever, and that you haven ’ t got time for ordinary people like her. ’
M arion could imagine her saying that. The impertinence of it might have amused her at another time, but not today. She knew then that Denise was her enemy, and she couldn ’ t remember ever having had an enemy before.
‘ She should talk to Lucasta, ’ she said wryly.
‘ She hasn ’ t Lucasta ’ s confidence, or yours either, ’ Gregory sighed. ‘ For all her father wraps her in cottonwool, she ’ s a very vulnerable person. ’
M arion lifted an eyebrow. ‘ Sensitive, ’ she shrugged.
H e ignored her obvious mockery. ‘ More young and defenceless. It would be easy to hurt her. ’
M arion could only marvel at the blindness of men. In her book, Denise was neither young nor defenceless; she was as tough as old leather and in no need of anyone ’ s care and protection. Still, it was easy to see Gregory had swallowed the bait she had cast in his direction, hook, line and sinker. The only thing Marion couldn ’ t understand was why she should feel hurt on his behalf. She had no reason to suppose he deserved better treatment than he was likely to get at Denise ’ s grasping, possessive hands. Had he worried about Judith ’ s feelings back in London?
‘ Where is she now ? ’ Marion asked him.
‘ I persuaded her to go off with Lucasta and Gaston. The three-day week-end wreaks havoc with my work schedule. ’
M arion gurgled with delighted laughter. Denise couldn ’ t come as high up on his list of priorities as she had thought if his work still came first with him!
‘ What ’ s funny about that ? ’ he demanded.
S he shook her head at him, breaking into laughter all over again. ‘ Is the book going well ? ’ she asked in a trembling voice.
‘ No, it ’ s not! I came here to get away from people, not to have to entertain half the world every weekend ! ’
‘ My mother, ’ Marion told him gently, ‘ always says it ’ s a mistake to try to escape from the demands of other people. They ’ re more important than our own interests—most of the time. ’
H is mouth clapped shut into its familiar disapproving line. ‘ Easy to say when you haven ’ t a deadline to meet, ’ he growled. ‘ Are you trying to tell me that I ought to give in to Denise ’ s demands ? ’
S he couldn ’ t bring herself to recommend any such thing. ‘ Only you can answer that, ’ she managed to say. ‘ I don ’ t know what her demands are ! ’
‘ And that makes a difference? Wha t about your own demands ? ’
T hat shocked the colour out of her cheeks. ‘ What makes you think I would make any ? ’ she retorted. ‘ I don ’ t want anything from you Mr . Randall. ’
T he steely glint in his eyes disturbed her. ‘ Your very presence here makes demands ! ’ His expression relaxed into a smile of unusual warmth. ‘ It makes me think of all the other things there are to do besides shutting myself up and working. ’ He leaned back in his chair, watching the mobile features of her face as they reflected her uncertainty and the defensive reaction to his words. ‘ Have you ever heard of the mosaics of Mad aba? ’
S he nodded, because she had vaguely known that there was a sixth-century mosaic map of Palestine somewhere in Jordan.
‘ It takes two to make a friendship, ’ Marion reminded him tartly. She knew one thing Denise would take if she could and that was Gregory Randall, and he must be blind if he couldn ’ t see it !’ Why don ’ t you ask Denise why she doesn ’ t like me ? ’ she added. He ought to know the answer to that too, she thought. Denise would never like any female who was living under the same roof as Gregory because as far as she was concerned life for women was a competition with man as the prize for the winners, and she couldn ’ t conceive that everyone else didn ’ t share her attitude.
‘ She ’ s afraid of you, ’ Gregory answered. ‘ She thinks you ’ re beautiful and clever, and that you haven ’ t got time for ordinary people like her. ’
M arion could imagine her saying that. The impertinence of it might have amused her at another time, but not today. She knew then that Denise was her enemy, and she couldn ’ t remember ever having had an enemy before.
‘ She should talk to Lucasta, ’ she said wryly.
‘ She hasn ’ t Lucasta ’ s confidence, or yours either, ’ Gregory sighed. ‘ For all her father wraps her in cottonwool, she ’ s a very vulnerable person. ’
M arion lifted an eyebrow. ‘ Sensitive, ’ she shrugged.
H e ignored her obvious mockery. ‘ More young and defenceless. It would be easy to hurt her. ’
M arion could only marvel at the blindness of men. In her book, Denise was neither young nor defenceless; she was as tough as old leather and in no need of anyone ’ s care and protection. Still, it was easy to see Gregory had swallowed the bait she had cast in his direction, hook, line and sinker. The only thing Marion couldn ’ t understand was why she should feel hurt on his behalf. She had no reason to suppose he deserved better treatment than he was likely to get at Denise ’ s grasping, possessive hands. Had he worried about Judith ’ s feelings back in London?
‘ Where is she now ? ’ Marion asked him.
‘ I persuaded her to go off with Lucasta and Gaston. The three-day week-end wreaks havoc with my work schedule. ’
M arion gurgled with delighted laughter. Denise couldn ’ t come as high up on his list of priorities as she had thought if his work still came first with him!
‘ What ’ s funny about that ? ’ he demanded.
S he shook her head at him, breaking into laughter all over again. ‘ Is the book going well ? ’ she asked in a trembling voice.
‘ No, it ’ s not! I came here to get away from people, not to have to entertain half the world every weekend ! ’
‘ My mother, ’ Marion told him gently, ‘ always says it ’ s a mistake to try to escape from the demands of other people. They ’ re more important than our own interests—most of the time. ’
H is mouth clapped shut into its familiar disapproving line. ‘ Easy to say when you haven ’ t a deadline to meet, ’ he growled. ‘ Are you trying to tell me that I ought to give in to Denise ’ s demands ? ’
S he couldn ’ t bring herself to recommend any such thing. ‘ Only you can answer that, ’ she managed to say. ‘ I don ’ t know what her demands are ! ’
‘ And that makes a difference? Wha t about your own demands ? ’
T hat shocked the colour out of her cheeks. ‘ What makes you think I would make any ? ’ she retorted. ‘ I don ’ t want anything from you Mr . Randall. ’
T he steely glint in his eyes disturbed her. ‘ Your very presence here makes demands ! ’ His expression relaxed into a smile of unusual warmth. ‘ It makes me think of all the other things there are to do besides shutting myself up and working. ’ He leaned back in his chair, watching the mobile features of her face as they reflected her uncertainty and the defensive reaction to his words. ‘ Have you ever heard of the mosaics of Mad aba? ’
S he nodded, because she had vaguely known that there was a sixth-century mosaic map of Palestine somewhere in Jordan.
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