Forbidden Desires (6 page)

‘You go,’ he said sleepily. ‘My legs won’t function until I’ve had coffee, especially not when I’m jet lagged.’

‘I think I heard Mrs Webster tap on the door, she might have left an early morning tray outside,’ said Harriet, crossing the room to open it. She was entirely naked and Lewis felt himself hardening at the sight of her long slim body with its softly rounded breasts and deliciously small waist. Once again he was struck by the realisation of exactly what he was risking by going ahead with his film, but he had to know the truth of where people’s desires could lead them even when they were at their happiest. He wanted to know not only for his film but also for himself. Until he did he would never feel secure with Harriet.

Unaware of her husband’s own fears, Harriet had resolved during the night that she would do exactly what he said and follow her desires. If Edmund continued to prove attractive to her and an affair became possible, then she’d have one. She had a suspicion that deep down she was no different from Lewis. Certainly an unconventional life made her feel more alive if not as safe as the one she’d envisaged when she was a young girl.

‘Sorry,’ she exclaimed as she placed the tray on the bedside table. ‘Mrs Webster’s only left us tea. You’ll have to get used to it while we’re in England.’

‘I’ll never get used to it,’ muttered Lewis grumpily.

Harriet ignored him. She drank a cup herself, pulled a hyacinth-coloured sundress on over a
short sleeved white T-shirt, thrust her feet into a pair of white canvas shoes and then hurried out of the house. Once outside she took several deep breaths and felt her whole body relaxing. Everywhere seemed totally peaceful. Birds were singing in the distance and somewhere far off some children were playing, but here at Penruan all was silent.

Oliver Kesby watched Harriet coming across the lawn towards the pool and decided that she was far more beautiful than the woman he’d met the previous night. Although she lacked that woman’s sophistication, she had an air of free sexuality about her that set his imagination racing.

He’d heard of Lewis James and had enjoyed
Dark Secret
more than anything he’d ever seen, but somehow this girl – for that was all she looked in her simple T-shirt and sundress – didn’t fit with his image of the kind of woman such a man would choose for his wife. The blonde would have fitted the bill better he thought as he smiled at the approaching young woman.

Harriet smiled back at him. She could quite see why Noella had found him attractive, although he wasn’t Harriet’s type. His well-built muscular body, obviously kept in trim by weight-lifting, rippled beneath a tight blue T-shirt, and his legs, clad only in brief shorts, were tanned and well muscled. When he smiled, his light blue eyes glinted in the framework of their surprisingly dark lashes.

‘It’s a lovely morning,’ she exclaimed.

‘We’ve had a good couple of weeks,’ he assured her. ‘Yesterday was an exception.’

Harriet crouched down and trailed a hand in the water of the pool. It was cool, but not unbearably cold. ‘Is it going to stay nice?’ she asked.

‘So they say, at least for the next week. Where are your friends?’ he said.

‘Still asleep. I think they are all feeling jet lagged, but I’m too excited to stay in bed.’

‘Excited?’

‘At being back here. I’ve got so many happy memories of the place. We always spent our holidays here when I was a child, and I was longing to see it again. We’re on our honeymoon,’ she added proudly.

Oliver nodded. ‘I’d heard that, well, read it in the papers to be more accurate. You’re not American then?’

‘Of course not; I’m very, very English. Will the pool be warm enough to swim in later on?’

‘Depends on what you’re used to. It’s never like an indoor pool, but the sun should warm it up nicely.’

‘Then I’ll swim this afternoon.’ Straightening up she caught his eyes on her and recognised the look only too well. ‘Do you and your family live close by?’ she asked.

‘I live in a cottage on the grounds; my wife left me a couple of years ago. I have no family here. My only relations live in Surrey, and I don’t have anything to do with them any more.’

Harriet didn’t like to ask why. For a few minutes she and Oliver made more small talk, but then she turned away, anxious to be alone for a time.

‘Will your friends be using the pool too?’ Oliver called after her.

‘Probably,’ replied Harriet, who had no doubt that provided Oliver stayed in the vicinity Noella would be only too happy to put on a costume and at least make a pretence of swimming in the pool.

‘Sometimes it’s a mistake to try and go back,’ he added, and hearing his words Harriet shivered, despite the warmth of the sun.

Oliver returned to removing leaves from the water. He’d read Harriet very well. She wasn’t interested in him, and she never would be. Well, that wasn’t a problem, he couldn’t really blame her. With Lewis James for a husband, and a brand new husband at that, he wasn’t likely to have much to offer. On the other hand, her friend Noella had already made her interest clear and since he was without a girlfriend at the moment he thought that if anything developed there he might, just this once, break his rule about mixing with the summer visitors.

By the time Harriet got back indoors Lewis and Noella were both up and dressed, although there was no sign of Edmund. ‘You’re an early bird,’ said Noella, who was wearing tight-fitting white jeans and a multi-coloured silk shirt with short sleeves.

‘It’s the best time of the day,’ retorted Harriet. ‘I
saw your hunk as well. He was busy cleaning the pool.’

‘Don’t you agree he’s gorgeous?’ asked Noella with a laugh.

‘He certainly looks good in shorts and a T-shirt; the only trouble is, I think he knows it. Besides, I never trust men who work out a lot.’

‘How do you know he works out a lot?’ enquired Lewis, drinking his third cup of coffee.

‘You can always tell. No one has bulging arm muscles just by eating their greens. Anyway, he says the pool will be warm enough to use this afternoon, so I thought we might give it a try.’

‘As long as he cleans it while I use it then I’m game,’ agreed Noella. ‘Here, there’s a letter for you, honey. I found it on the mat when I was checking the mail for Edmund.’

Harriet frowned. ‘But no one knows I’m here.’

‘Someone must,’ Lewis pointed out. ‘What’s the postmark?’

Harriet studied it. ‘London, and I seem to recognise the handwriting.’ She slit open the envelope and drew out the letter. ‘It’s from Ella,’ she said with pleasure. ‘I forgot, I told her we’d be here when I wrote to her about the wedding. You remember me telling you about Ella, Lewis?’

‘Your actress friend? Sure, I remember.’

Harriet’s eyes scanned the four pages of looped writing. ‘Ella’s suffering from a broken heart,’ she said when she’d finished reading. ‘Simon’s left her for an older woman and she’s devastated. She’s also out of work and broke.’

‘A happy letter,’ laughed Lewis.

‘Well, she makes light of it all and sends her love to us both, but I can tell that she’s pretty upset. Lewis, why don’t we invite her to stay here for a couple of weeks? The house is large enough, and if it weren’t for Ella, you and I would never have met. She’s the one who persuaded me to answer your advert when you were staying in London.’

Lewis frowned. ‘But she’d only feel out of it, Harriet. There’s nothing worse than being on your own and surrounded by couples.’

‘She won’t be surrounded by couples, there are only four of us in all.’

‘Just the same it might make her feel worse.’

Harriet sat down next to him and put a hand on his arm. ‘Don’t you think she might add a little something to your plot?’ she whispered teasingly.

Lewis raised his eyebrows. ‘You think it needs more complications?’

‘I think it might benefit from a larger cast.’

‘Harriet, think carefully about this. Do you really want Ella to join us? Is she the kind of girl who’d fit in with everyone else?’

‘Ella gets on with anyone,’ Harriet assured him.

He glanced across the room to where Noella was leafing through a brochure on Cornwall. ‘And exactly where will Ella fit into my film?’ he enquired.

‘I’ve no idea,’ admitted Harriet. ‘But as she’s a very pretty, lively girl, and an actress as well, perhaps you’ll discover a forbidden desire of your own.’

‘She’s forbidden is she?’ he asked, a smile playing round his mouth.

‘She’s my best friend!’ exclaimed Harriet. ‘I’ve shared a lot with her, but I think I draw the line at my husband.’

‘Well, that’s certainly interesting, and will doubtless add to her appeal even more,’ remarked Lewis. ‘Okay then, if you’re sure it’s what you want, go ahead and invite her here. Noella and I had decided we’d have a trip into Polperro this morning, as soon as Edmund manages to get himself out of bed.’

‘Fine,’ said Harriet, but she was too distracted by his words about Ella to be very interested in their plans. For a long time she sat with Ella’s letter in her hands and thought about what could happen if Lewis really were to fall for her friend, but in the end she decided she was being ridiculous and scrawled a hasty invitation. After all, she reasoned to herself, Lewis would have his hands full with his film. An additional distraction would surely be more than he could handle.

Finally Edmund emerged from his bedroom and, finding Harriet alone in the large kitchen, sat down next to her. ‘Where are the other two?’

‘Noella’s having a look at the pool and Lewis is on the phone to Mark.’

‘You mean Mark’s here already?’

Harriet nodded. ‘Lewis finds it hard to survive without a scriptwriter close to hand.’

‘I can’t imagine why he needs him on his honeymoon,’ remarked Edmund. ‘I suppose
they’re working on the sequel to
Dark Secret
, is that it?’

‘Yes.’

‘Interesting. What’s it about, do you know?’

‘I don’t think Lewis is too sure yet,’ said Harriet with perfect honesty.

‘Has it got a working title?’ persisted Edmund.

Harriet felt uneasy. His eyes were sharp with intelligence and she had the distinct feeling he might have a suspicion about what was happening. ‘You’ll have to ask him yourself,’ she said quickly. ‘I won’t talk film business on my honeymoon.’

‘If you were married to me, I wouldn’t expect you to,’ Edmund assured her. ‘Believe me, Harriet, I can think of far more interesting things we could do.’

Harriet smiled. ‘I’m sure you can.’

‘Do you ever imagine things like that?’ he murmured.

‘Like what?’

‘Like what we could do together.’

Harriet lowered her eyes, but he could see a pulse beating in the hollow at the base of her neck. ‘No,’ she said softly.

Edmund stood up, resting a hand gently on her shoulder. ‘I’m not altogether sure I believe that,’ he said casually.

‘You obviously have a doubting nature.’

‘Not at all, but I think I know quite a lot about women.’

‘So does Lewis,’ Harriet assured him.

Edmund smiled. ‘I know that, the walls here might be thick, but it’s still possible to hear things in the silence of the night.’

Harriet stared up at him, her grey eyes frank. ‘I know – we heard Noella.’

‘Indeed? And what kind of noise did Noella make?’

Harriet hesitated. ‘I thought at first it was – you know – one of pleasure, later I wasn’t quite so sure.’

‘Then you’re a very clever young woman,’ he said smoothly.

Half-fascinated and half-disturbed, Harriet watched him leave the room, and once again she wondered about the sounds she’d heard from their bedroom and their real significance.

Later, Lewis drove them all to Polperro, leaving the car parked at the top of a steep hill on the edge of the village. ‘We’ll walk down,’ he said to a horrified Noella. ‘It’s useless trying to park any nearer, and anyway the views are incredible.’

Hand in hand, he and Harriet led the way, while Noella and Edmund followed behind them, Noella clutching Edmund’s arm as she struggled not to turn her ankles in her high-heeled sandals.

Looking up at the houses set on the sides of the sharply rising hills surrounding the village, Harriet could recall in minute detail the childish excitement of her earlier visits. ‘There used to be a wonderful fudge shop half-way along the main street,’ she told the others. ‘We must make sure we get some while we’re here.’

‘If we don’t I think I’ll leave it. I’m sure as hell never doing this again,’ gasped Noella, as strands of her blonde hair escaped from her french pleat.

‘I rather think you’re a child of the city,’ remarked Edmund mildly. ‘Don’t worry, we won’t have to climb all the way back up. They run a pony and trap for people like you, I read it in the guide book.’

‘Do you ride, Harriet?’ asked Noella, when they were in the main street and the slope was less steep.

‘Not really.’

‘You should, it’s very sexy. I’ve had some of my best orgasms on horseback.’

A passing tourist looked at her in astonishment and Harriet couldn’t help laughing. ‘That doesn’t say very much for me,’ said Edmund mildly. ‘I knew you were into whips, but I didn’t realise you needed the horse as well.’

Harriet’s mouth went dry at the images her mind was conjuring up. ‘You’re not shocked are you?’ asked Noella, seeing the younger woman’s expression. ‘Don’t you and Lewis enjoy a little mild S&M?’

‘We don’t like anything wild,’ said Lewis, kissing Harriet on the side of her neck.

Harriet was grateful for the intimacy of the gesture and turned her face to his so that he could kiss her on the mouth as they continued walking along.

‘Now there I rather agree with you,’ commented Edmund. ‘It’s Noella who draws the
boundary lines. Left to myself I’d probably be far more extreme.’

‘He’s kidding,’ Noella confided. ‘He isn’t nearly as wild as he’s making out.’

‘It’s difficult to imagine,’ said Harriet. ‘Even in casual clothes he always looks so conventional.’

‘Well, looks can be misleading. I definitely wouldn’t say he was conventional, it’s just that he likes to experiment, but then don’t all men?’

‘I suppose so,’ conceded Harriet.