Read Online When She Was Bad... by Louise Bagshawe - Free Book Online
Authors: Louise Bagshawe
Ads: Link
lupert’s face. ‘And was that what you were going to do before you realized how beautiful you were?’
It took a second for the compliment to register. Then Lita felt a slow flush creep all along her cheeks.
‘No. I was going to go to college,’ she said. ‘And have a career.’ He chuckled. ‘No chance of that, my dear. Some lucky chap would
36
have snapped you up for a wedding miles before you got to be a typist in some little office.’
Lita didn’t quite see how having a career had to equal being a typist, but she kept her mouth shut.
‘I don’t think I’m the type to sit at home with babies,’ she ventured. ‘That’s only because you’re so young. I hope you haven’t been reading that Germaine Greer crap. The female eunuch, and all that. Let me tell you something, Lira. Women are all the same. They’re made for love. Just love.’
She smiled at him uncertainly.
‘Some women have to work, you know.’
‘I know. And I think it’s a tragedy that men aren’t taking up their responsibilities. Of course, an unmarried woman must take care to secure her financial future, if she can.’ He sounded doubtful about that. ‘But when a young woman marries, her husband ought to take up the slack. Children, and making a happy home. Those are significant, you know. Don’t you think so?’
‘Of course.’ She felt a bit confused. ‘The most important thing.’ Rupert beamed. ‘Absolutely. The most important thing. Love doesn’t get its full due in our modern world. We can send cosmonauts into
space, but we can’t explore our own hearts.’ Lira gazed into his dark eyes. ‘Oh, yes,’ she said.
After dinner he walked her to her room and kissed her hand gently. Lita drifted into her bedroom, drunk with more than wine. She felt that squirming sensation in her belly, and she was moist between her legs. She had been half hoping that he would push her into her room, thrust her down on the bed and rip her virginity from her. It couldn’t hurt as much as the girls said it did. But, no, he was too much of a gentleman.
She got it together just enough to drink two bottles of the French mineral water he had brought with him. That sobered her up, and she peeled off her clothes and fell into bed, pulling the mosquito net shut tight around her.
Just before she fell asleep, Lira remembered Why Rupert had confused her. She wanted marriage, and someday kids. But why couldn’t she work, too? Why was it one or the other?
It didn’t matter. The image of his gorgeous, thick-lashed eyes Staring into hers lingered in her brain.
He said he was all about love. Maybe Bill had it wrong. Maybe he wasn’t such a wolf after all.
37
They wrapped up the shoot the next day. Rupert had to take an earlier flight home, because he had a meeting.
‘It’s a lawyer thing. A frightful bore,’ he told her, shrugging.
‘I hope nothing bad,’ she said.
He grinned. ‘Quite the reverse, actually. But I have to take care of it.’ She missed him badly when the car came to drive him away. It was ridiculous. But she still managed to concentrate on the shoot. After all, Rupert would see it, and there was no way she was going to disappoint him. They wrapped up just as the sun began to sink, rosy light spilling all over the mountains. It was spectacular, but all Lira wanted to do was get home. New York city was where Rupert was.
They landed at JFK at half past one in the morning. Lita dragged herself off the plane, stacked her luggage on the little cart and wheeled it out to where her driver was waiting. She had half expected to see Rupert there but, of course, that was just foolishness.
I mustn’t lose my head, she told herself. I’m l
It took a second for the compliment to register. Then Lita felt a slow flush creep all along her cheeks.
‘No. I was going to go to college,’ she said. ‘And have a career.’ He chuckled. ‘No chance of that, my dear. Some lucky chap would
36
have snapped you up for a wedding miles before you got to be a typist in some little office.’
Lita didn’t quite see how having a career had to equal being a typist, but she kept her mouth shut.
‘I don’t think I’m the type to sit at home with babies,’ she ventured. ‘That’s only because you’re so young. I hope you haven’t been reading that Germaine Greer crap. The female eunuch, and all that. Let me tell you something, Lira. Women are all the same. They’re made for love. Just love.’
She smiled at him uncertainly.
‘Some women have to work, you know.’
‘I know. And I think it’s a tragedy that men aren’t taking up their responsibilities. Of course, an unmarried woman must take care to secure her financial future, if she can.’ He sounded doubtful about that. ‘But when a young woman marries, her husband ought to take up the slack. Children, and making a happy home. Those are significant, you know. Don’t you think so?’
‘Of course.’ She felt a bit confused. ‘The most important thing.’ Rupert beamed. ‘Absolutely. The most important thing. Love doesn’t get its full due in our modern world. We can send cosmonauts into
space, but we can’t explore our own hearts.’ Lira gazed into his dark eyes. ‘Oh, yes,’ she said.
After dinner he walked her to her room and kissed her hand gently. Lita drifted into her bedroom, drunk with more than wine. She felt that squirming sensation in her belly, and she was moist between her legs. She had been half hoping that he would push her into her room, thrust her down on the bed and rip her virginity from her. It couldn’t hurt as much as the girls said it did. But, no, he was too much of a gentleman.
She got it together just enough to drink two bottles of the French mineral water he had brought with him. That sobered her up, and she peeled off her clothes and fell into bed, pulling the mosquito net shut tight around her.
Just before she fell asleep, Lira remembered Why Rupert had confused her. She wanted marriage, and someday kids. But why couldn’t she work, too? Why was it one or the other?
It didn’t matter. The image of his gorgeous, thick-lashed eyes Staring into hers lingered in her brain.
He said he was all about love. Maybe Bill had it wrong. Maybe he wasn’t such a wolf after all.
37
They wrapped up the shoot the next day. Rupert had to take an earlier flight home, because he had a meeting.
‘It’s a lawyer thing. A frightful bore,’ he told her, shrugging.
‘I hope nothing bad,’ she said.
He grinned. ‘Quite the reverse, actually. But I have to take care of it.’ She missed him badly when the car came to drive him away. It was ridiculous. But she still managed to concentrate on the shoot. After all, Rupert would see it, and there was no way she was going to disappoint him. They wrapped up just as the sun began to sink, rosy light spilling all over the mountains. It was spectacular, but all Lira wanted to do was get home. New York city was where Rupert was.
They landed at JFK at half past one in the morning. Lita dragged herself off the plane, stacked her luggage on the little cart and wheeled it out to where her driver was waiting. She had half expected to see Rupert there but, of course, that was just foolishness.
I mustn’t lose my head, she told herself. I’m l
Similar Books
