Caprice (16 page)

His well-moulded lips pulled into a smile as though laughing at what

she said, but he didn't explain. Instead, he told her, 'I'm not much in

the mood for sharing you any more than I was this morning. Know

anywhere we can go to avoid meeting people you're acquainted

with?'

She thought with a slight frown of her usual dining places, while he

started up the Jaguar. 'I think anywhere in Richmond that's decent

will be a bit of a gamble on Saturday,' she then replied. 'If you don't

mind a drive, we could go to Newport News.'

'Mmm,' was his only response for a few moments. Then, 'Yes, that

may be the way to go. You wouldn't mind a late night?'

'No,' she said, and so it was settled.

Caprice dozed on the way back, curled up in her corner and oblivious

of Pierce's frequent, smiling glances. After being chilled, the warmth

knocked her right out until he shook her shoulder. She raised her

head and peered around with a hand-covered yawn, and saw that they

were back at her home. With a laugh, he brushed aside her apologies,

and bent towards her for a brief, hard kiss before shooing her out of

the car.

The air outside the Jaguar was even colder to her, and she shivered as

she watched him reverse down the driveway and pull away with a

wave of his hand.

She shuddered suddenly, right down to her toes, and ran for the front

door. Inside, she strode quickly for the staircase, intent on having that

bath he suggested, when Irene clicked into the hall from the den. 'Oh,

there you are, dear!' she said smilingly as she hurried towards

Caprice, who reluctantly stopped. When, she turned to her mother,

she found Irene's eyes sparkling with curiosity. 'Tell me, did you

have a good time? What a handsome man Pierce is! What did you

do?'

'We went to Shenandoah National Park, and got rained on,' she said,

brief and dry. 'Now, if you will excuse me, I'm soaking to the skin,

and want to clean up.'

Without waiting for a reply, she whirled and raced up the stairs with

a feeling of escape. She burst into her room, and made for the

bathroom, but on second thought, turned right around and carefully

locked the door behind her. It would be like her mother to come and

ask questions when all she wanted to do was relax.

When Pierce had given her that quick kiss goodbye, he had told her

he'd pick her up at five o'clock, which left her plenty of time to

herself. She ran water so hot, at first it scalded. The warmth crept into

her bones, and she sagged sideways in the tub, her eyelids falling

shut. When she opened her eyes again, the water had cooled until it

was tepid, and her neck ached on one side. She leaped out, dried and

put up her hair for the evening, and began to dress.

She sheathed herself in silky black, from the severely simple dress, to

the sheer tights she slipped on to her slim legs, and the sleek pumps

she fitted her feet into. Her plain gold chains were her only

adornment, and she spent an inordinate amount of time on her make-

up until her eyes dominated a vibrant, glowing expression. She took

her evening wrap from her wardrobe, checked the time and found

herself quite early, shrugged, and went downstairs for a drink.

She made herself a gin and tonic, correctly this time, and though she

sipped it slowly, she was finished by the time it was barely ten-to-

five. Ricky came into the den, and then her mother, and she endured

their interested questions, and her mother's ceaseless speculations,

until she checked her watch and found the time to be five- thirty. She

frowned. He had had more than enough time to get back home and

change, and then come back. He'd dropped her off at three that

afternoon.

He was merely late. She shrugged, made herself another drink, and

prepared to leave any moment. By six, she was genuinely alarmed,

and everyone else was, too. She had just made up her mind to give

the Langstons a call, even though she'd held off for so long as she

was reluctant to talk to any of them, when the phone rang.

Even in her heels, she beat Ricky, Liz and Irene to the phone, gave

herself a moment to catch her breath and to let it ring one more time

(for dignity's sake), and then serenely picked it up. 'Hallo?' she said,

voice unruffled.

'Caprice, this is Pierce,' was the immediate reply. He sounded terse,

and tired. 'I'm sorry. I would have called you before, but there's been

an accident -'

She gasped, harsh sucking breath sounding clearly audible even over

the phone, and felt her knees buckle. Even as Ricky's arm snaked

around her waist, she was catching herself against the table,

strangling out, 'Are—are you hurt?'

'God, no!' he exclaimed. And then, 'Damji it, I'm sorry for frightening

you like that. I wasn't in the accident. It happened in front of me as I

was on the way to pick you up. A pick-up ran a red light, and hit

another car in the intersection, which in turn spun around and hit the

car behind it.'

'But you're all right?' she asked sharply. 'You weren't even hit, you

said?'

'No, I'm fine. I'm at the hospital at the moment. It's been a mess. In

one of the cars a mother got hurt, and the two children needed

someone to look after them. The father's just come to get them, and I

remembered to call you. I clean forgot.'

'Don't worry about it. I quite understand. No, really, it's all right.'

Irene was gabbling in the background, and she restrained an urge to

turn around and scream at her to shut up.

'I'm soaked from the knees down, I'm afraid. If you'd like, I can be

there in about forty minutes, but I'll have to change.'

She checked the time. 'Do you think it's worth it?' she asked, while

knowing a sinking feeling inside. 'By the time we reach Newport

News, it would be eight, which isn't that late, but there is the drive

back. You must be exhausted.'

'Well,' he said, hesitating. 'I'm not giving up on the evening, but

perhaps we shouldn't make the drive after all.'

'We could just dine in town——' she was saying, when Irene grabbed

at her sleeve and shook her so hard, she nearly lost hold of the

receiver. 'Hold on a moment, please.' She turned to her mother,

impatiently. 'What do you want?'

'We're all leaving for the evening, dear,' Irene said. 'If you want a

quiet evening in privacy, why don't you invite him here?'

Quite surprised, and unwilling to believe in such good luck when the

evening had already started badly, she turned to Ricky, who shrugged

and nodded. She grinned quickly. 'Out with Larry?'

He looked pained. 'We're going to see a movie.'

'Of course. How nice.' She relented, and turned back to the receiver

and the patiently waiting Pierce. 'How would you like to come over

here for the evening? Mother tells me everyone's leaving, and if Liz

isn't around, I'm sure I can whip up something that won't kill you.'

He laughed out loud. 'Why do I feel that I'll be taking my life into my

hands? No, I take it back! You're on. Shall we try for seven then?'

'Be a bit more positive about that,' she admonished with a laugh. 'All

right. Pierce? Drive carefully.'

'I always do, sweetheart. I always do.'

Not long afterwards, her parents left for the party they were

attending, and, from experience, she knew they would be quite late.

Ricky then left, too, after scolding her mightily for her teasing in

front of Irene, who obviously hadn't suspected anything, anyway. She

was left with the empty house, and the knowledge that Pierce would

soon be there.

A quick trip to the kitchen found Liz .still there, but preparing to

leave as no one had been expecting to eat at home. When prevailed

upon, she willingly helped Caprice pull together a tasty casserole,

along with salad, and both soup and dessert which were left over

from two nights earlier, and had been frozen for just such an

occasion. Caprice then waved her out the door, promised she

wouldn't leave the kitchen a disaster, and hurried to set the table

before Pierce arrived.

She was just setting the finishing touches, with candles ready and

dark and painstakingly set silverware and heavy cloth napkins, when

the doorbell rang. She jumped, and hurried to answer it, knowing it

would be Pierce, and suddenly, inexplicably, so nervous she could

barely breathe. As she swung the door slowly open, revealing a wet,

dark night, it sank in to her that they had the whole evening ahead of

them, alone, with unlimited privacy. It suddenly seemed like a long,

long time.

PIERCE leaned against the doorpost, his dark overcoat hanging

carelessly open to reveal the elegant grey suit underneath. His head

was cocked to one side as he looked at her, up and down, and then

smiled slowly. It kicked something to life in her chest, and she stood

back wordlessly to let him enter.

He looked quickly around as she shut and locked the door behind

him. 'Everyone gone already?'

'Yes, we've the house to ourselves,' she replied, and stepped close

behind him with her arms uplifted. 'May I take your coat?'

But even as the words were leaving her mouth, he was turning

around and putting his hands at her slim waist. 'This,' he stated, with

some satisfaction, 'is getting better and better. Did I tell you that you

look -' His head bent, and he nuzzled his face into her neck. '... good

enough to eat?'

Her arms were up, and she didn't know what else to do with them, so

she put them around his neck and held his head to her. 'Mmm,' she

murmured, and his mouth began to move on her skin. Her next words

came ragged. 'No, I don't think you—mentioned it. Cut that out, I

can't think. Don't let me forget the casserole, or we won't be eating.'

He laughed into her shoulder, his chest moving, and whispered, 'I've

already got my meal right here. But you might go hungry.' He let her

go, and moved away.

Knowing he was regarding her with great interest, she turned her

head quickly away and tried to breathe evenly. 'I'll go check on

supper,' she said, intending to sound light. It came out as breathless

as she felt, and she positively fled as his laugh sounded like a purr of

contentment.

In the kitchen, she opened the oven door twice and peered in, without

remembering what she saw either time. She cursed, viciously, and

looked a third time as Pierce strolled in, minus his overcoat and suit

jacket.

'Looks nice,' he said, peering over her shoulder. He sounded

astonished. 'Did you make that?'

She let the oven door bang shut, and turned to slap him with the oven

gloves. 'As a matter of fact, yes,' she retorted. Then she grinned. 'Liz

helped me whip a meal together before she left, since it was such

short notice. But, I'll have you know, I can cook perfectly well

without any help!'

He threw up his hands as though truly menaced by her slight figure,

and then spoiled it by laughing. 'I believe you! No need for

bloodshed here; simmer down! Merciful heavens, there's even soup.'

He suddenly grew serious. 'I'm sorry about this. Shall we dine out

tomorrow, to make up for this evening?'

Her violet eyes turned full on him, going suddenly stricken, and she

blinked rapidly a few times before staring down blankly at her hands,

and the oven gloves she'd forgotten she was still holding. 'You're

here, and you're fine, and strong. If you'd been just one car ahead,

you'd have been in that accident.' The oven gloves twisted between

her fingers. 'I don't think I'm sorry for how the evening turned out.'

His expression swiftly changed, and he bent forward to press a gentle

kiss to her forehead. 'Most of all, I'm sorry that I worried you,' he

said softly. Then, a quick change of subject, he asked, 'What can I do

to help?'

She looked up, and ogled him in amazement. 'Do you mean you

know how to cook?'

'All right, cut it out!' he expostulated, his grin doing funny things to

her. 'I'm a bachelor. I know how to put plastic pouches in boiling

water for my supper.'

Suddenly as comfortable with him as if he'd been her own brother,

she hooted in derision as she opened the refrigerator to pull out the

salad. They were soon sitting down to eat, the candles lit and

throwing a flickering intimate light over the two, sending the rest of