felt her senses reeling as she watched Julian's tall straight back leaving the room. Whatever else he might have accused her of, it had never occurred to her that he would brand her as a scheming gold-digger who would sink so low as to capitalise on an agreement—and in that way!
Her mind whirled as she tried to come to terms with her position. What had she done to deserve such treatment? He wasn't even prepared to give her the
benefit of the doubt! In fact, even before this disastrous happening, he had shown his displeasure of her altered appearance, tearing her off a strip when she had had her hair cut, and accusing her of stepping out of line, warning her not to ape her betters!
It was as well, Melanie thought, that she did get good and mad over the injustice of it all, for she would have sunk without trace if she had allowed herself to take everything he had said to her to heart.
As it was, she felt a distinct urge to arrange to have an announcement put out over the hotel intercom that Mrs Cridell was not, and never had been, pregnant, and leave the rest to Providence, which up to now had had a whale of a time at her expense anyway!
The following morning they left for the villa that Julian had managed to rent owing to his not inconsiderable influence in those parts, and a chatty Celia, who hadn't seemed to notice a particular coolness between her father and Melanie, said how pleased she was that they were leaving the hotel. `Podge is okay,' she said, 'but a bit on the silly side sometimes. Kept wanting me to go to one of their disco dances because the boys were there. I can't see what she sees in that spotty son of Mrs
The villa was roomy and cool and, which was more important, in its own grounds, a fact that it would ensure privacy for its occupants. After their luggage had been seen to by the resident houseman, whose wife did the housework and cooking, Melanie and Celia explored the grounds, while Julian made a few telephone calls giving his new number to his business confederates.
When a swimming pool was discovered at the back of the villa, Celia was delighted. 'Now you can learn to swim, Melanie,' she said.
If any such lessons took place, then it would be Celia who would do the teaching, Melanie thought wryly; she was not exactly on cordial terms with her father, who at that moment was probably hoping she would drown herself and save him the trouble of seeking an annulment. However, she kept these thoughts to herself, and replied lightly, 'Too much bother, Celia. I'd rather watch you,' and left it at that.
Their removal from the hotel gave Melanie some relief from the unenviable position she had found herself in, but it also presented other problems, such as finding herself constantly in Julian Cridell's company.
She was able to find something to keep her occupied some of the time, such as walking in the extensive grounds of the villa, which overlooked a bay, but meal times were a different proposition altogether, and she had no hope of taking her meals on her own, besides which, from the first day onwards, Celia had a distressing habit of expecting them to spend all their time together, and there was a limit to the various excuses Melanie had had to think up to avoid these outings. Sooner or later, she would have to be told that Melanie's presence was to be of a shorter duration than at first envisaged, and Melanie only hoped she would be able to do this without certain uncomfortable facts coming to light.
Really, she thought angrily, when she had just made yet another excuse as to why she couldn't accompany them to the pool that afternoon, it was up to her father to explain things to her instead of persisting in putting up a front in Celia's presence. So far, she had managed to avoid their afternoon visits to the pool, and she was aware that Celia was of the opinion that she was afraid of being made to learn to swim and, being fond of Melanie, hadn't pressed the matter. For her part,
Melanie
Her mind whirled as she tried to come to terms with her position. What had she done to deserve such treatment? He wasn't even prepared to give her the
benefit of the doubt! In fact, even before this disastrous happening, he had shown his displeasure of her altered appearance, tearing her off a strip when she had had her hair cut, and accusing her of stepping out of line, warning her not to ape her betters!
It was as well, Melanie thought, that she did get good and mad over the injustice of it all, for she would have sunk without trace if she had allowed herself to take everything he had said to her to heart.
As it was, she felt a distinct urge to arrange to have an announcement put out over the hotel intercom that Mrs Cridell was not, and never had been, pregnant, and leave the rest to Providence, which up to now had had a whale of a time at her expense anyway!
The following morning they left for the villa that Julian had managed to rent owing to his not inconsiderable influence in those parts, and a chatty Celia, who hadn't seemed to notice a particular coolness between her father and Melanie, said how pleased she was that they were leaving the hotel. `Podge is okay,' she said, 'but a bit on the silly side sometimes. Kept wanting me to go to one of their disco dances because the boys were there. I can't see what she sees in that spotty son of Mrs
The villa was roomy and cool and, which was more important, in its own grounds, a fact that it would ensure privacy for its occupants. After their luggage had been seen to by the resident houseman, whose wife did the housework and cooking, Melanie and Celia explored the grounds, while Julian made a few telephone calls giving his new number to his business confederates.
When a swimming pool was discovered at the back of the villa, Celia was delighted. 'Now you can learn to swim, Melanie,' she said.
If any such lessons took place, then it would be Celia who would do the teaching, Melanie thought wryly; she was not exactly on cordial terms with her father, who at that moment was probably hoping she would drown herself and save him the trouble of seeking an annulment. However, she kept these thoughts to herself, and replied lightly, 'Too much bother, Celia. I'd rather watch you,' and left it at that.
Their removal from the hotel gave Melanie some relief from the unenviable position she had found herself in, but it also presented other problems, such as finding herself constantly in Julian Cridell's company.
She was able to find something to keep her occupied some of the time, such as walking in the extensive grounds of the villa, which overlooked a bay, but meal times were a different proposition altogether, and she had no hope of taking her meals on her own, besides which, from the first day onwards, Celia had a distressing habit of expecting them to spend all their time together, and there was a limit to the various excuses Melanie had had to think up to avoid these outings. Sooner or later, she would have to be told that Melanie's presence was to be of a shorter duration than at first envisaged, and Melanie only hoped she would be able to do this without certain uncomfortable facts coming to light.
Really, she thought angrily, when she had just made yet another excuse as to why she couldn't accompany them to the pool that afternoon, it was up to her father to explain things to her instead of persisting in putting up a front in Celia's presence. So far, she had managed to avoid their afternoon visits to the pool, and she was aware that Celia was of the opinion that she was afraid of being made to learn to swim and, being fond of Melanie, hadn't pressed the matter. For her part,
Melanie
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