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[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
'How is Pauline? I didn't see her this morning before we came away.'
'Improving,' returned Jane briefly.
'What a damnable situation!' He glowered into his teacup. 'Why do
women do it!'
'Do it?' Jane could instantly have bitten her tongue off. This subject
should be dropped,-not encouraged.
'Fall in love with men who don't want them! It's a failing for which I
can find no possible excuse.'
The air around them became hushed. Jane lowered her head,
concealing her heightened colour. She was conscious of the stillness,
of the sun-drenched hills, gently-rolling and green, of the fragrance of
pines and the inexpressible softness and clarity of the atmosphere. She
was even more conscious of the man sitting opposite to her, close to
her, a tinge of angry colour visible under the tan of his skin as at last
she raised her head and looked at him. His eyes were intent, searching;
Jane sensed a return of that tenseness which had been with him a few
moments ago.
And through the stillness Jane heard his question, softly-spoken in that
deep rich voice of his - a question which startled even while Jane did
not comprehend its significance.
'Miss Bryant... Jane, could there be anything else I don't know of ?'
'Anything else?' Bewilderedly she stared across at him, shaking her
head and trying to grasp his meaning. 'No, Dr. Vallas, you know
everything now.' He had called her Jane; the fact thrilled even while
she smothered that insistent little voice telling her there must be some
good reason for it. Caution she must at all times practise with this man
whose personality could so easily overwhelm her. One slip, one
unguarded moment - and she could give herself away. No, not for her
the humiliation which Pauline suffered. Pride was a barrier she meant
to maintain, a possession, she was determined to keep.
CHAPTER TEN
BY the middle of June most of the work was finished and all were
preparing to go home. The last of the treasures had been sent away and
a sad, forlorn atmosphere hung over the site as the temporary buildings
were gradually being demolished.
Nickolas was returning to his home on the island of Poros, intending to
stay there until this present book was finished. For the time being he
and Jane were the only two on the site who were busy. Jane did not
mind, but the others believed he was determined to get the last ounce
out of her, and that was the only reason for his making her work when
the others were now going off on trips almost every day. As for
Pauline, she resented not having been reinstated as Nickolas's
secretary, while at the same time admitting it would have created a
most awkward position between Nickolas and herself.
'I've made a complete fool of myself,' she confessed, blushing. 'And,
after all, it was no more than a crush.'
'I'm glad to hear that.' Jane spoke with heartfelt relief, as she had
expected Pauline to suffer for a very long while. But her common
sense seemed to have overruled her infatuation, and also she had,
during this period of recovery, become intensely aware of Tim's fine
qualities. Their engagement would be announced on the last evening,
when they attended the dinner party Nickolas had arranged for them.
'I can't believe my luck.'. Tim had come into the office, knowing
Nickolas was away for the afternoon. 'I believe I've you to thank,
partly, for what's happened.'
'Me?' Jane sat back in her chair and looked questioningly at him.
'Pauline told me that you had brought to her notice my - er - sterling
qualities.'
'No such thing,' she laughed. 'Pauline would have been blind if she
hadn't noticed them for herself.'
'It's awfully sweet of you to say that, Jane.' His good-humoured face
took on a shadowed aspect as he added, with faint hesitancy, 'What
about you? What are your plans?'
She shrugged.
'Back to school in September.' She gave a grimace. 'Funds are getting
very low, Tim. I'll just about last out - if I'm careful.'
'Stuart... you've definitely made up your mind to break the
engagement?'
'It's broken - really. Stuart wanted me to leave things as they were so as
to avoid gossip, and I agreed. But he's quite resigned. He knows as
well as I do that we'd have made a mistake had we married.'
'I'm sure you would, Jane - and yet I do feel guilty at times. It was my
fault, wasn't it?' Tim drew out a packet of cigarettes and lit one up.
'It was your doing,' she frankly admitted. 'But I think I would have
discovered my mistake in any case.' Her voice was low and controlled,
and yet some odd inflection in it brought a curious gleam to Tim's
watchful eyes, A touch of colour had tinged her checks ; her lip
quivered without her being conscious of it. He said, quietly,
'Nickolas is going to miss you. You've helped him enormously with
his book.' He remained watchful, observing her eyes and her mouth
and the slight movement in her throat.
'He probably has a secretary in Poros.'
'Then why didn't he bring her with him?'
She frowned. Where was this leading?
'He must have had someone to type his books.'
'He's probably sent them to an agency. With Pauline's being able to
type he'd naturally make use of her.' A strange silence and then, softly,
'If he should ask you to go to Poros and stay until the book was
finished, would you go?'
'No! - what are you saying? Nickolas would never ask me to go to
Poros! He believes I'm engaged to Stuart, for one thing.'
' Tim drew deeply on his cigarette, his eyes never leaving Jane's
flushed face.
'You idiot,' he murmured shrewdly. 'Jane ... I told you not to do it. I
warned you it would be hell.' Tim closed his eyes as if he knew again
the agony of loving without being loved. 'I had a hint that day - when
you kept quiet about being with Nickolas during the afternoon. That's
why I warned you - oh, Jane - Jane, you silly girl. He'll never marry, I
told you that.'
She passed her tongue over lips that had suddenly gone dry. She had
known Tim was more than ordinarily observant; she should have been
more careful - much more careful.
'Don't say anything to any of the others, will you, Tim?' she requested,
her voice still low and controlled.
'What do you take me for?'
'I'm sorry...And as once before, in a moment of uncontrol when that
cloud of pain behind her eyes had been released in tears, Jane put her
face in her hands and wept.
He came to her, drawing her gently to her feet and taking her in his
arms. It was a friendly, brotherly hold and she pressed against him, in a
moment of uncharacteristic weakness, and derived some small
comfort from the sympathy she knew he felt for her. But her weakness
did not last long and within minutes she had drawn away, and was
drying her eyes.
'Better?' He smiled, a rather wan smile and said in a voice edged with
deep distress, 'You'll weather it, because you're strong, but you're [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
