Read Online The Room Beyond by Stephanie Elmas - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Stephanie Elmas
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the beginnings of a face.
Portraits had never really been my forte, particularly from
imagination. But this face, with its high-cheeked slender lines just fell off
the tip of my pencil. I watched with stunned fascination as Seb unfolded in
front of me. I’d caught his image perfectly: the soft sweep of his lips and
those beckoning eyes. It was only a small thing but probably the best and most
accurate drawing I’d ever done. I actually found myself grinning proudly at it.
Finally I put the drawing to one side and threw on a dress. It was a
blue one with small pink flowers on it that I’d had for years and was nothing
particularly special, but it fitted well and showed off my legs; the only part
of my boyish figure I was prepared to forgive. I peered at myself in the
mirror.
‘Good evening everyone,’ I said in clipped English, the corners of
my eyes wrinkling up at my reflection. ‘I’ve been at my club all day and I’m
afraid I’ve had one too many Margaritas...’
‘Who are you talking to?’
I jumped round to find Beth lying on my bed. She was all limbs, like
a small white kitten.
‘Beth! How did you get here? You really should knock before coming
into people’s rooms.’
‘Really? Oh. But I was sent up to get you because dinner’s ready. This
is a really good drawing.’
I snatched the sketchbook from her feeling my face turning scarlet.
‘And you shouldn’t go through people’s things!’
Her chin dropped down so that I could only see the top of her head.
‘Sorry,’ she muttered.
‘Oh don’t worry,’ I said, ruffling her soft hair. ‘I’m sorry I
snapped.’
She beamed up at me. ‘What’s a Margarita?’
Edward Hartreve was already in the dining room when we entered, reading
a newspaper at the head of the table. His hair looked freshly combed and he was
wearing a crisp white shirt that was open at the neck; just as trim and dapper
as when he’d opened the door to me in his tennis whites on the morning of my
interview.
‘Good evening,’ he said, eyeing me over his newspaper for a little
longer than felt comfortable. His eyebrows were arched high. ‘We meet again.’
‘Yes... it’s very nice to be back.’
He seemed about to answer but the clatter of approaching footsteps
made him hesitate and suddenly Eva, Seb and Robert were in the room. I
instantly felt the urge to melt into the wall; just like being the new girl at
school.
Seb’s blue eyes captured me instantly in their frame, intense yet
full of humour. I looked away, but he pulled out the chair directly opposite
mine. Eva sat down at the other end of the table without offering me a single
glance.
I tried again to avoid Seb’s gaze and in response he leaned towards
me, even closer, his elbows comfortably resting on the white tablecloth and his
chin in his hands.
‘Hello, glad you’ve joined us tonight,’ he said. ‘How was your first
day? I’ve noticed that Beth hasn’t eaten you yet – a good sign.’
‘Took a week for her to digest the last nanny,’ murmured Edward from
the end of the table. His eyebrows were still unnervingly high.
‘Well she did say she wasn’t hungry today,’ I replied. ‘Although
we’re both looking forward to dinner, perhaps with some pickled ex-nanny on the
side.’
Beth took no notice. She was busy folding her napkin into a complex
series of folds, tongue poked out in concentration. But Seb’s face filled with
laughter and I began to giggle infectiously. And then I met his eyes head on,
their blueness lapping me up in a millisecond. My mind turned somersaults in
the sky.
Who are you? I thought to myself. Why
do you look at me like that?
Just trying to get to know you better .
The door flew open with the crash of a trolley and I physically
jumped, upsetting the cutlery at my place-setting. Beth leaned over to set it
straight and suddenly the room was full of Gladys and her trolley, napkins on
laps and, ‘Don’t touch the plate, it’s hot.’
Had Seb actually
Portraits had never really been my forte, particularly from
imagination. But this face, with its high-cheeked slender lines just fell off
the tip of my pencil. I watched with stunned fascination as Seb unfolded in
front of me. I’d caught his image perfectly: the soft sweep of his lips and
those beckoning eyes. It was only a small thing but probably the best and most
accurate drawing I’d ever done. I actually found myself grinning proudly at it.
Finally I put the drawing to one side and threw on a dress. It was a
blue one with small pink flowers on it that I’d had for years and was nothing
particularly special, but it fitted well and showed off my legs; the only part
of my boyish figure I was prepared to forgive. I peered at myself in the
mirror.
‘Good evening everyone,’ I said in clipped English, the corners of
my eyes wrinkling up at my reflection. ‘I’ve been at my club all day and I’m
afraid I’ve had one too many Margaritas...’
‘Who are you talking to?’
I jumped round to find Beth lying on my bed. She was all limbs, like
a small white kitten.
‘Beth! How did you get here? You really should knock before coming
into people’s rooms.’
‘Really? Oh. But I was sent up to get you because dinner’s ready. This
is a really good drawing.’
I snatched the sketchbook from her feeling my face turning scarlet.
‘And you shouldn’t go through people’s things!’
Her chin dropped down so that I could only see the top of her head.
‘Sorry,’ she muttered.
‘Oh don’t worry,’ I said, ruffling her soft hair. ‘I’m sorry I
snapped.’
She beamed up at me. ‘What’s a Margarita?’
Edward Hartreve was already in the dining room when we entered, reading
a newspaper at the head of the table. His hair looked freshly combed and he was
wearing a crisp white shirt that was open at the neck; just as trim and dapper
as when he’d opened the door to me in his tennis whites on the morning of my
interview.
‘Good evening,’ he said, eyeing me over his newspaper for a little
longer than felt comfortable. His eyebrows were arched high. ‘We meet again.’
‘Yes... it’s very nice to be back.’
He seemed about to answer but the clatter of approaching footsteps
made him hesitate and suddenly Eva, Seb and Robert were in the room. I
instantly felt the urge to melt into the wall; just like being the new girl at
school.
Seb’s blue eyes captured me instantly in their frame, intense yet
full of humour. I looked away, but he pulled out the chair directly opposite
mine. Eva sat down at the other end of the table without offering me a single
glance.
I tried again to avoid Seb’s gaze and in response he leaned towards
me, even closer, his elbows comfortably resting on the white tablecloth and his
chin in his hands.
‘Hello, glad you’ve joined us tonight,’ he said. ‘How was your first
day? I’ve noticed that Beth hasn’t eaten you yet – a good sign.’
‘Took a week for her to digest the last nanny,’ murmured Edward from
the end of the table. His eyebrows were still unnervingly high.
‘Well she did say she wasn’t hungry today,’ I replied. ‘Although
we’re both looking forward to dinner, perhaps with some pickled ex-nanny on the
side.’
Beth took no notice. She was busy folding her napkin into a complex
series of folds, tongue poked out in concentration. But Seb’s face filled with
laughter and I began to giggle infectiously. And then I met his eyes head on,
their blueness lapping me up in a millisecond. My mind turned somersaults in
the sky.
Who are you? I thought to myself. Why
do you look at me like that?
Just trying to get to know you better .
The door flew open with the crash of a trolley and I physically
jumped, upsetting the cutlery at my place-setting. Beth leaned over to set it
straight and suddenly the room was full of Gladys and her trolley, napkins on
laps and, ‘Don’t touch the plate, it’s hot.’
Had Seb actually
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