Lost heritage (18 page)

It was as much demand as question and for a moment she hesitated. Then as she nodded her head in agreement she remembered something that had until now completely slipped her mind. *Oh, Raoul——' He came back swiftiy and something in his eyes held her silent for just a second, then she went on, hurriedly and rather breathlessly. 1

don't know what I should do about it, but I was taking a suitcase for Madame Lizette to the hospital and I—^I got off in such a hurry I left it on the bus.'

He considered for a moment and seemed rather surprised to learn the nature of her original errand, she thought, then he nodded. *Sit there and relax until I bring you your coffee,' he told her. *I will not be very long.'

Charlotte watched him go, striding off across the cool and slighdy damp grass as if he knew exactly what he was about, and something in his expression led her to expect she would be drinking cognac as well as the coffee she had asked for. The country brandies could be rough in comparison to the more expensive makes, but they went well with strong black coffee and she was nothing loath to try it in this instance.

Almost certainly he would do something about Lizette's suitcase while he was gone, although she had no idea what. But it was instinctive to leave things like that in his capable hands, and realising it did nothing to bring her to terms with the present situation. It should not matter so much that she had found him out, cheating his cousin by stealing his mistress, but it did, and that worried her.

She was already feeling something of her original reaction returning when he reappeared. Carrying two glasses of brandy, he came ducking under the branches of the apple trees with a short stout man, who was presumably the landlord, waddling along close behind him bearing a wooden tray on which were two small thick cups of coffee that spiralled fragrant steam in his wake.

The man's quick bright eyes speculated on their relationship as he put down the tray and wiped his hands on the grubby apron he wore, murmuring something in French which Charlotte responded to with a faint smile, ignoring the fact that he addressed her as madame. She had too much else on her mind at the moment.

*Did you manage to find out something about Madame Lizette*s case?' she asked as soon as the man was out of earshot, and Raoul nodded.

*I telephoned the hospital and asked that Menton, Grand'mere's chauffeur, should meet the bus when it arrives at the tenninus. He will coUect the case and deliver it—no bother.'

The Americanism sat oddly on his pedantic tongue, but it brought home to Charlotte the fact that he was an important man in the business world, in the habit of mixing with all nationalities, and those curt, slick phrases were all too easy to adopt in the appropriate circumstances. He was also a very attractive one and that was uppermost in her mind at the moment.

*You do not have to worry about it, Charlotte,' he told her, catching her eye. *It was not necessary for you to deliver it personally, was it?'

*No, of course not!'

It was not the moment to tell him that she had hoped to be able to get in to see Lizette, just for a moment or two, and when she thought about it it had been very unlikely anyway. Only family were allowed in to see her, and as far as anyone but Charlotte herself knew, she was not family.

Rough brown sugar stirred lumpily around in her cup while Charlotte stared down into the thick black brew. She knew that Raoul was watching her as he drank his own, un-sugared but with the cognac poured into it, and he put a finger behind the second glass and pushed it nearer, but she shook her head. It might be as well after all to keep a clear head.

*Better drink it,' he advised, sipping from his own cup. *You wiU feel better if you do, Charlotte.'

Looking up in sudden anger, Charlotte met his eyes, her own bright and shiny as two gold-fringed sapphires. *The way I feel, cme brandy isn't going to improve matters!' she

told him, and Raoul held her gaze steadily until she looked away.

It shouldn't be like this, she told herself. It was not she who should feel in the wrong; he should feel at least a litde embarrassed at being discovered in the situation she had found him in. Instead he looked as if he had absolutely no reason to feel disturbed at all.

Terhaps after two brandies or even three, you will find the necessary tolerance to Usten to me,' he said coolly and with only a suggestion of impatience in his voice. *What is it that you suspect me of, Charlotte, hein?^ One !^ack brow mocked her discomfiture and in that moment Charlotte felt she could quite easily have hated him.

*I don't—I just felt—embarrassed at finding you there

with ' She spread her hands in that curiously helpless

gesture that was typical of her, and shook her head, aware that the grey eyes were still fixed on her steadily. *0h, please don't make me spell it out, Raoul! You must know how I feel and you must know that the last thing I want is for you to hold an inquest on something I'm only too anxious' to forget about!' Just briefly she looked up and met his eyes. I'd never thought of you as deliberately cruel!' she accused huskily, and was half-way to her feet when he reached out and grasped her hand so firmly that she could not break free.

*Sit down,' Raoul said, *and listen to me.' She made an attempt to pull her hand free, but his fingers did not ease in the slightest and eventually she resigned herself to it and sat down silendy, her eyes downcast. *Will you listen?'

His tone after such a determined restraint on her movements was disarming and she nodded almost unconsciously. *I don't have much choice, it seems,' she said.

Having made his point he seemed in less hurry to begin whatever it was he had to say. Instead he sat drinking the thick black coffee and brandy with apparent relish. *You

were on your way to see Lizette?* he asked, and she shook her head.

*I doubt if rd be allowed to see her, but I'd packed some things up for her, and Madame Menais was going to take the case when she went to see her. I was supposed to remind her, but I forgot and then when I decided to take it myself on the bus—I thought I could do that for her,* she added when she caught his eye briefly.

How could she tell him that she had been doing the first conscious thing in her life for her own mother? Raoul was studying her and his long brown fingers lightly stroked the back of her hand while he did so. *You are very fond of lizette, are you not, Charlotte?'

*I like her very much.' She qualified the opinion cautiously, but swallowed the tears that sprang suddenly from nowhere and threatened to choke her. *And she's—she's so sad and so—^helpless. I like her, and I hate to think of what she's been going through.' She looked up at him, remembering that it had been him, not Michel, who had been with Annette Villeaux such a short time ago. *You know what I mean, Raoul.'

*I know what you mean, ma chere^^ he echoed sofdy, and Charlotte felt a responsive flutter in her pulse at the deep warmth in his voice. *Lizette is a foolish woman, but she is very fortunate to have someone so fiercely protective on her side.'

Charlotte made no protest when he picked up the other glass and tipped brandy into her cup, then, half-smiling, encouraged her to drink it. She did and the taste was strong and rather bitter on her tongue, but it brought an inner glow in its wake that should have given her more courage but somehow did not. She swallowed the rest of the brew, then sat looking down into her cup.

'No one cares what happens to her,' she said in a small unsteady voice. 'Except Madame Menais.'

*And Grand'mere cares for everyone,' Raoul added with a touch of the familiar impatience. *So you have said, ma chere, but you do not know that is true, you only guess at it. Why do you suppose that I was at the house of Annette ViUeaux tpday, eh? To make love with her, eh?' The expressive use of his hands left his meaning in no doubt and Charlotte clasped her own smaller ones tightly together on the table top.

I've said it isn't my business, Raoul, you '

*It is my business, ma fille !' Raoul interrupted harshly, his grey eyes steely bright. *It is my reputation that you take liberties with and you will do me the courtesy of listening to the truth!' She said no more but sat obediently silent while he talked. *I admit that I am not averse to sexy women, as much as my cousin is, but my own taste is for something a litde more—discreet. However, I was making good headway when you so inconveniendy appeared, and I am not sure if I was convincing enough in the time allowed me to have achieved my purpose.'

Tou '

Charlotte stared at him, her cheeks flushed and a bright gleaming hght in her eyes. But Raoul did no more than take another firm grip on her forearm as if he suspected she might try again to leave, and his mouth had a determined straightoess that she was all too famihar with.

'You judge on appearances,' he said, leaning forward across the small table so that she had more or less to meet his eyes every so often when the intensity of his gaze made it impossible not to at such close quarters. *I am at this moment with you, ma belle; what do you suppose my grandmother or Jean Cordet or even Michel—especially Michel—^would make of this situation, eli? And yet I am not making love to you, am I, Charlotte?'

The truth dawned at last and Charlotte stared at him. She had been so wild in her accusations that she could no

longer bear to face him and she got quickly to her feet. She said nothing for the moment because she simply could not think of anything to say, and after a second or two she heard him move. An arm encircled her shoulders and she was turned towards him, her head still lowered and the fall of tawny hair hiding her face.

*I went to see her to ask her—to tell her that the association with Michel must end,* he said quiedy, and the warmth of his breath stirred the hair on her crown. *I offered her compensation and another post with another firm, a long way away, but I did not have time to convince her before you came, Charlotte. That is why I was there— will you beheve me?' She nodded silently. *Then look at me and say so,' he added softly, sliding a finger beneath her chin. 'Hmm?'

*I—^I believe you and I'm sorry, RaouL'

*I knew that you would be,' he told her with a hint of smile, then he lifted her chin just a litde higher so that his lips were barely a breath away. *You always inisjudge me, ma helhy and I can do nothing about it, it seems.'

Unwilling to be the only one taking blame, and desperate to do something about the wild response of her senses, Charlotte lifted her chin of her own accord and looked at him direcdy. 7ust as you misjudged me,' she claimed. *When you suspected I'd taken that wretched plan!'

'Notii non, jamais!' Raoul denied firmly. *I'did not for one moment believe that you had taken it! Again you misjudged me! How can I convince you that I never for a moment considered you as an—international spy? The idea is ludicrous! You do not have the cunning or the face to disguise your feelings so well to be able to get away with it!' Something else occurred to him then and he took her face between his big hands, the warm palms pressed to her cheeks while he looked down at her. *But I forget your own personal secret, eh, ma belle? That is something that

you manage to conceal very well, for I am no closer to knowing what it is!'

*0r even if it exists?' Charlotte suggested breathlessly; it was too dangerous ground at the moment and she must tread warily.

The hands tightened their hold and his thumbs stroked over her cheek bones caressingly. *It exists, ma chere^' he said sofdy and confidendy, *and it makes you vulnerable.' He bent his head lower and pressed his lips to the soft warmth of her mouth, lingering for a moment with their lips still touching. 'Very vulnerable, petite, eh?'

He drew her closer, his arms closing around her until she was pressed tight to the lean muscular body that could arouse such exciting sensations in her, then his mouth sought hers again and took possession of it firmly and without quarter. Charlotte reached up her arms and put them around his neck, her fingers lighdy stroking the thick black hair at the back of his head while her body yielded to the firm gende persuasion of his touch.

When he raised his head at last it was to look down into a face that was faindy flushed and eyes that seemed huge and lustrous between thick tawny lashes, and he smiled. *One day,' he said, *I will persuade you to tell me, ma belle Charlotte, and then I will have to find another reason for kissing you, eh?' Gleaming grey eyes searched her face for a moment, then he kissed her lighdy on her mouth again. * And now, ma chere, I must return to my desk. I have spent enough of my time with pretty girls this morning, hmm?*

His words served to remind Charlotte that he had been with Annette Villeaux, and just for a moment she wondered what means he had used to try to persuade her to his way of thinking. Just for a moment she felt such resentment that she hastily hid her eyes from him for fear they showed how she felt, and sought a safer subject.

*I suppose at the moment I'm virtually unemployed,' she

said, and Raoul raised her face to him once more, his breath warming her mouth when he spoke.

*You would not think of trying to break your contract with us, would you, Charlotte?' he asked, and she looked up at him briefly, remembering how he had once threatened to have her sent packing because he did not trust her.

Isn't it an opportunity to get rid of me?' she ventured, and he studied her for a moment before he answered.

*No,' he said after several seconds. *You are, as Grand'-mere has said, the ideal person for the post you have, and Lizette will have need of good friends when she returns to

us.'

It was the first time Charlotte had sensed how deep his compassion was for his cousin's neglected wife, and her own mother, and it did curious things to her emotions for a moment. *You care!' she whispered, as if she had made some marvellous discovery, and, without stopping to think, she tiptoed to kiss his mouth impemously.

Raoul regarded her steadily for a moment, then turned her around and placed his arm around her shoulders as they walked back through the apple orchard to the car. *0f course I care, Charlotte,' he said with a suggestion of reproach. *Did you doubt it?'