Amply Rewarded (10 page)

* * * *

I had a hunch that one such collaborator would be Timothy. Hal had told me of him from the beginning, and always with a slightly upturned lip or a hint of a blush. Giving indication is the easiest thing in the world. Reading it is something else altogether, and I did not know Mr Hal Broughton well enough to read him thoroughly, but if I had seen any indications thus far it was at the mention of Mr Timothy Dappler.

Unlike Hal, who had been born into his gentility, Timothy was a self-made man. According to Hal, Tim was stern, fierce and had the business sense of a stock market tycoon. But that was not the sense I got of him. When I first met Mr Timothy Dappler, in the lobby, I thought he was a charlatan.

“Good day, fine folks,” Timothy said, standing up and proffering his hand to greet me. He looked at Hal. “This must be your lovely lady.” He brought my hand to his mouth. “It’s a pleasure to meet you.”

As he kissed my skin, I sensed there was something a little strange about this man. Had it not been for Hal’s overwhelming accolades, I might have dismissed my feeling as the kind of disinterested distance I project onto everyone. I had anticipated liking Timothy, which made it worse when I didn’t.

“Yes, this is my girl,” Hal said. “She’ll be travelling back with us and coming to live with me at Strawberry Hill.”

“I see. Very good, then,” Timothy said. He turned on his heels and snapped his fingers at the bellboy, who promptly picked up Timothy’s heavy luggage and followed him outside, not unlike a well-trained pet. And Timothy, who was apparently as lofty as he was successful in his ventures, seemed to revere the attention a little too much.

Hal, bless his heart, appeared to notice nothing. He kissed my cheek, threw his lightweight coat over his shoulder and held his arm out for me. “Shall we?”

Now that I was staring at my future head on, I couldn’t help but wonder if I would ever come across as awful and pretentious as Timothy did. I reckoned that the fact that I was asking this question of myself would make it harder for me to be as much of an ill-mannered jerk. Money changes people. It was the one thing Hal had never had to learn, and I was grateful on his behalf.

Chapter Six

At Sea

On board the yacht, Timothy, Hal, and myself enjoyed a staff of three—a captain, a first mate and a cook who would also double as server. It was to be just us all the way to Florida and I was well equipped. Hal had given me money to shop with, and I’d brought with me a full wardrobe and everything I wanted. I also knew what Hal wanted. What they both wanted, and I was the catalyst.

I could tell that Timothy thought of himself as having a similar nature to Hal. Timothy wanted to be genteel with a penchant for the finer things in life. His wife, who lived in South Carolina, was at home—kept, undoubtedly, by a similar deal to my own. If she understood her husband’s ways, I would be impressed. I guessed that she did not, given the way Timothy described her and how happy he seemed to be away from her for this sailing vacation. He said she took no interest in being out on the sea. I figured she probably took more interest in having her share of visitors at home. But this was pure speculation on my part.

I warmed up to Timothy only after I realised that I should feel no kinship with his wife. The unfortunate part of being a woman is that it often leads to empathising with other women, simply because of their gender. What did I know of Timothy’s wife, and who was I to take offence on her behalf?

Wives have had a bad reputation for generations. It didn’t seem unkind of Timothy to be suspicious of Hal’s new bride to be. If anything, there was a camaraderie to it that pleased me. And I had to forgive poor Timothy—he had no idea whom he was dealing with.

I started to obsess about their relationship, positioning myself as an agent. Could I facilitate this union between two awkward characters, who had each been raised to believe they were at fault whenever they felt any kind of passion? I would rise to the challenge that this companionship presented. I didn’t have to do anything about the dynamic I’d observed. I could easily have contented myself with my own hand and forgotten all about the pleasure of these two, but there we were at sea, alone, and the idea of it titillated me so much that I decided to do it for my own enjoyment. I confronted Timothy while Hal was in the bunk room, having a nap.

“You’re quite a lady,” Timothy said to me on the deck one night as the sun was going down. “Hal is lucky to have you.”

“No one
has
anyone,” I responded.

With that, somewhat predictably, Timothy came too close to me and put his hands around me. “You’re telling me that I don’t have you right now?” he said, with a firm grip around my waist.

“That is what I’m telling you.” I ripped his palms from my hips, moved back and stared him down. I would win this awkward battle.

“Oh, Julie,” he chuckled. “Don’t be so alarmed. I’m sure you’re on familiar footing.”

“Familiar?”

“I know the kind of woman you are. And, believe me, I’m not against it. How do you think I’ve made my marriage last all these years?” He winked with the kind of confidence befitting a man who had made his fortune in a dubious way.

“Mr Dappler, I’m afraid you have me mistaken.”

“Oh, come on, Julie. You and Hal and this hoax of a relationship. You met him less than two weeks ago and you expect me to believe you’re here for anything other than his pocketbook?”

“Why are you here, Timothy?”

“What?”

“You heard me. Why are you here? I don’t believe I am the only one interested in Hal’s pocketbook.”

“I resent that. You have no idea what you’re talking about, whore.”

“Please. You’re not as self-made as you claim. I call your bluff, Mr Timothy Dappler. Who’s the real whore here?”

“How dare you?” he whispered as he grabbed my wrist. He gripped me and I felt a sensation I was unfamiliar with. Part of me wanted to yield to this man. Part of me wanted him to call me a whore and take me over his knee and spank me. Another part of me wanted the reverse of that scenario.

It was painfully quiet between us as Hal slept. Was this what had made me sceptical of Timothy when I had first met him? That he had some kind of power over me? I had called his bluff but he had admitted to nothing. Perhaps his lies were worse than I had imagined. Or maybe he knew that Hal and I were never going to be the husband and wife team that Hal had superficially made us out to be. Maybe he liked this about me, and I liked that he accepted me. Maybe we were both competing for different components of Hal’s attention and, if that were the case, I could not think of a better sparring partner than Timothy. I didn’t believe a word about his past. I didn’t believe anything he said. I respected him.

He loosened his grip. “I’ll make you a drink,” he said, with a false gentlemanly air.

“Thank you, that would be lovely.” I feigned a ladylike comeback.

Our conversation changed to accommodate our newfound tolerance for each other. We would be like dancing partners on board Hal’s yacht, and Hal would be unaware of the music playing. Timothy was a brooding man in his late thirties, whose face was wrinkled not from laugh lines, but from stress. It was possible, as Hal believed, that he had worked very hard to achieve financial success, but it was also likely that he had used his obvious guile.

Timothy sat back on the open deck, reaching into the ice bucket, and filled two hi-ball glasses. He rummaged through the liquor cabinet like a professional, selecting nothing but the finest on someone else’s account.

“You’ve found a good provider in Hal,” he observed.

I wanted to tell him that he had, as well, but to be so blunt would only upset the balance.

“In contrast to what you might believe, Mr Dappler, Hal and I are very much in love.”

Timothy laughed.

“Do you love your wife, Timothy?”

He looked at me with disgust. How could I have asked? he seemed to be wondering. “Love is complicated, Julie, and when you’ve been married as long as I have, marriage becomes complicated, too.”

“I didn’t think so,” I said.

“What makes you so sure you’re in love with Hal?”

“What makes you so interested in my feelings?”

He handed one of the two glasses to me. As I took mine, he raised his and we clinked. He nodded. “You’re a smart woman, Julie—smarter than Hal knows.”

“I’d say ‘thank you’, but I’m not convinced you’re giving me a compliment.”

“I am.”

“Thank you, then.”

We sat in silence for a while. Not an awkward silence, but a deliberate one. The sun was blinding and, for the first time, I managed to enjoy my very first sailing experience. Regardless of company, I was here and I was capable of making a life for myself amidst characters like Timothy who, years before, might have frightened me with their forthright statements.

“Just so you know, Timothy, I have no intention of becoming the kind of wife you so obviously loathe.”

“What?” He snapped into attention. Maybe I had interrupted a daydream.

“I mean that Hal and I can both do what we choose. Hal is an attractive man and I’m only one flavour in a giant smorgasbord. I don’t believe it’s fair to force him to limit himself to me.”

“But you’re beautiful and charming. I think he’d be hard-pressed to find any woman more wonderful.”

“That still doesn’t mean that he should limit himself to me.” I winked. “After all, there are some things that a lady cannot provide. Am I right?” I sipped my bourbon.

“I’m not trying to seduce Hal’s pocketbook, as you’re implying,” Timothy protested.

He coughed. He was uncomfortable, and that was how I knew that I had struck a chord of truth with him. Had he thought about it, he would have realised that I had implied no such thing. There was an awkward silence, as is bound to happen when subtlety turns to practicality and gentility is laid to rest for a while.

“Timothy, I’ll be honest with you. You are a charming and attractive man. You’re handsome and a real gentleman.”

“Thank you.” He was hanging sceptically on to my words, as though I were a fortune teller about to reveal a truth he had never been able to access.

“Let me be more blunt. Hal and I have yet to consummate our love for one another.”

“And why is that, Julie?”

“Why do you think?” I whispered.

“Um…”

“Exactly.”

* * * *

Hal woke up from his nap and joined us above on the deck.

“Good evening, darling.” I embraced him and kissed his cheek.

“Hello, you two.” He smiled, still sleepy. “Timothy, I trust you’ve taken good care of my lady while I was downstairs. It’s nice to see the two of you getting acquainted.”

“Oh, we’ve been enjoying each other’s company, Hal, don’t you worry about us. Come have a drink,” I ordered.

Sam, our cook, brought out a quiche and salad, and we opened a bottle of wine and enjoyed the gentle rocking motion of the boat. The warmth of the evening sun made both of their faces bright and glowing.

“You look lovely in this light, Julie, if you don’t mind my saying,” said Timothy.

“Why, thank you. As do the both of you.”

I got up from my seat and planted myself on Hal’s lap. He looked overwhelmed and slightly afraid, just as he would have had we been in private. It was nine o’clock and our captain, first mate and the cook had retired for the evening. It was just the three of us and it was getting dark. Timothy lit the lanterns and filled our drinks. I tucked my head into Hal’s neck for a brief moment.

“Would you two like to be alone?” Timothy asked.

“Absolutely not,” I said. “Tell him, darling.”

“Stay. Stay, Timothy,” Hal said, and it warmed my heart in a way I could not have foreseen. I really was thrilled to watch this adventure unfold. Although I had thought that I might only be interested in Hal’s money, I now understood that I was much more interested in him—I was fascinated by this project, not because of the personal gain, but precisely the opposite. I was about to do both of these men the kind of favour that is never done. I was holding up mirrors.

I kissed Hal’s cheek. Timothy tried to make light of the awkwardness with small talk. Hal followed suit. These two would do anything to avoid what was right in front of them. Like a curious kitten, I persisted. I cupped Hal’s crotch with my hand and gave a gentle squeeze, then I stroked his inner thigh. Hal had failed to achieve hardness at all when we were alone. But that night, with Hal watching Timothy and Timothy watching us, I felt a tingle. I could feel Hal’s excitement underneath the khaki cloth of his sailing pants. His white-collared shirt hung loosely untucked and I swivelled around, turned my back to Hal and faced Timothy instead.

“Timothy, you’re a lovely, lovely man,” I said. “Wouldn’t you agree, Hal? Don’t you think Timothy looks fantastic in this light?”

I turned back to Hal and saw he was nodding.

“It’s a shame your wife isn’t here, Timothy. I’m sure she would love to see you like this. We can tell her all about it, but it’s just not going to be the same. I’m sure if she were here she’d want to do exactly what I’d like to do.”

“What’s that, darling?” Hal asked.

“Kiss Timothy. Isn’t he a perfectly kissable gentleman? Don’t you also want to kiss Timothy?”

Hal cleared his throat. I felt him throbbing beneath me. Timothy was speechless. It was almost effortless, having these two confront each other and come face to face. All I had to do was be between them.

“Hal? Would you mind if I kissed Timothy?”

“No, darling, I think that should be just fine.”

“Timothy, would you mind if I kiss you?”

He shook his head, moved in towards my face with open lips. He was soft and warm and I could taste the bourbon on his breath. I could tell that he’d wanted me from the start. Our different agendas had nothing to do with our attraction for each other. He really was a fine collaborator. The dance was lovely.

I pushed myself firmly against Hal’s bulging crotch as I wrapped my hands around Timothy’s neck and pulled him in closer. He was leaning over, accommodating my sitting position, so I reached to the side and pulled a stool from beneath the table for him to sit on. Then I took his hands, cupped his palms and guided them to my breasts. He fondled me firmly as our tongues intertwined.