Dark inheritance (13 page)

"My winnings! Now I'm not going to play any more."
She put the money firmly away in her handbag and closed it with a snap. "I'll watch you instead."

"How dare you talk about my strong will-power when
you can do a thing like that?" he asked, laughing. "You must have terrific self-control to leave the table when you're winning!" He squeezed her arm. "We'll leave in a little while and find somewhere to dance."

"But I thought you didn't dance."

He slanted her a smile. "I know more about dancing than you do about swimming."

Barbara stood close to him and watched with pride as
he played, thinking how different he looked from the men around him, with his proud carriage and handsome face. There was no change in his expression as his pile of chips grew and although his eyes glowed and there
was a heightened colour in his checks, he remained cool.

Suddenly Barbara heard him draw a sharp breath and
looked up to see that all the colour had drained from his face, leaving it tense and white.

Involuntarily her eyes followed his to where a striking-looking couple were making their way towards
the furthest table. The man was of medium height with
aquiline features and a shock of white hair, but it was the woman who held the attention, for she was one of the most beautiful Barbara had ever seen. Tall and slim to the point of thinness with pale blonde hair coiled in a large chignon at the nape of her neck, each feature seemed more perfect than the next, the patrician nose, the full lips and the large violet eyes vying with each
other in loveliness. A perfectly plain white silk evening
dress, emphasized her fairness and her only jewellery was an enormous diamond glittering on one slim white hand. Every head turned to look at her as she moved past, but she seemed unconscious of the stir she was causing and bore herself with calm grace of bearing.

"What a lovely creature!" Barbara murmured, "I've never seen anyone so beautiful. I wonder who she is." She turned to the man at her side, startled to see beads of perspiration glistening on his forehead.

"Dominic, whatever's the matter? Aren't you well?"

"Perfectly, thank you." But his expression was strangely anguished and his hand when he caught her arm to draw her away was cold as marble.

She pointed to the table. "But, Dominic, your stakes!"

He did not answer but tightened his grip and pulled her along with him. "We're going."

Almost in tears, Barbara followed him through the gaming-rooms and out of the Casino, down the shallow steps they had mounted together so happily, past the
bench where they had kissed such a
little
while ago and
along to the quay. His footsteps rang out in the still night air and she had to run to keep pace with him, but he looked neither to right nor left and seemed almost unaware of anyone by his side.

At last they reached the waiting tender and still without a word he helped her in and ordered the boatman to take them out to the ship. As the little boat chugged into the darkness Barbara looked out across
the widening expanse of water at the receding lights of
Monte Carlo, tears stinging her eyes and trickling slowly
down her cheeks. She glanced covertly across at Domi
nic, but his face was so frozen and remote that she knew
he was miles away and in that instant realized how much
he had come to mean to her.

Until now she had believed she could grow to love him, but seeing the hurt on his face—a hurt obviously
caused in some way by the woman they had seen at the
Casino—she knew love was already entrenched in her
heart and that his smile, his fleeting moments of tender
ness and his imperious nature had become everything in the world to her. She longed to comfort him, to hold him in her arms and make him forget whatever was causing him such pain, but his aloofness repulsed her and his remote expression when she tentatively uttered his name chilled her into silence. How heartbreaking
that an evening which had begun so happily should end
like this—that a day so full of pleasure should finish on a note of discord and estrangement!

As they climbed aboard ship again Barbara did not know which of them was the more miserable, and when
she went down the companionway after a formal "good
night" from Dominic it was as much as she could do to restrain her tears until she reached the privacy of her cabin.

CHAPTER EIGHT

IF Barbara had loved Dominic less she might have been able to meet him next day on the same friendly basis they had shared before, but her newly acknowledged
love made the hurt he had inflicted difficult to overlook
and the only way she could maintain her equilibrium was to be as distant and cool as possible. Too proud to let him see how deeply he had wounded her, she decided that if he gave no reason for his strange behaviour
of the previous evening she would not ask him for an
explanation.

Miss Berrcsford was still tired from the excitements of her day ashore and spent the morning asleep in her
cabin, giving Barbara an excuse for staying below deck.
On an impulse she decided to write to her spinster cousins and dashed off a long letter telling them about her wonderful trip, pride forbidding her to mention that it was part of a job as companion to an old lady, and
allowing them to assume that she was the guest of some
wealthy friends.

She decided to lunch in the cabin with Aunt Ellie, but
about twelve o'clock a steward brought her such a humorous note from Mark, begging her to take pity on him and not leave him to lunch alone with Dominic, that she changed her mind and went into her own cabin to get ready. She put on the same white dress she had worn the previous afternoon and rang the changes with a belt and high-heeled sandals of scarlet, drawing her hair away from her face with a bandana of the same bright colour which emphasized the modelling of h
cheekbones and wide mouth, defiantly heightened with
scarlet.

When she was ready she went into Aunt Ellie's cabin, surprised to sec her awake and sitting up in bed.

"I heard you moving around," the old woman explained, "and wondered what you were up to." Then,
noticing her appearance: "How nice you look, my dear!
Are you doing something special today?"

"Lunching with Mark."

"Is he on board?" Aunt Ellie pushed her hair out of her eyes excitedly. "I think I'll get up, then. It's almost
like old times having both my dear nephews with me
together." She swung her legs over the side of the bunk and reached for her clothes.

Forbearing to point out that Mark's invitation had
not included his aunt, Barbara helped her to dress. "Did
you live at Crags' Height when Dominic and Mark were
children?" she asked conversationally.

"Not all the time, dear. I used to travel quite a lot in those days. But I'd always make a point of going to sec
my sister every few months. We were very attached, you
know."

"Did you look alike? I've never seen a photograph of Dominic's mother and I've often wondered whether he takes after her."

"Not a bit. Dominic's like his father—just like his father." She moved over to the dressing-table, refusing to talk any more until she was ready. For such a garrulous old lady she could be closer than a clam when she wanted to, Barbara thought humorously, but knew better than to try and pump her.

When they went into the dining-room Dominic was
nowhere to be seen and Barbara was illogically dis
appointed. But she had no time to wonder where he was,
for Mark caught her hand affectionately.

"You're the only woman I've ever known who could get ready for a date in less than an hour! What about a
drink to celebrate—I know Aunt Ellie would like a glass
of sherry."

"I don't think we'd better," Barbara replied as she settled the old woman in her chair. "It might not do Aunt Ellie good to have a drink in this heat."

"Perhaps I'd better not," Aunt Ellie put in regretfully. "Dominic might be angry."

Mark shrugged. "You pay too much attention to Dominic, Auntie dear. After all, what's the point of coming on a cruise if you don't enjoy yourself? Still, if you won't, you won't. What about you, Barbara?"

"No, thanks. You go ahead and have one on your own."

Mark ordered a cocktail and they spent the next few minutes over the menu, and it was not until the waiter had brought his drink that he referred to his cousin,

"How did you enjoy yourself last night, Barbara?"

She flushed. "Very much, thanks. Dominic introduced
mc to the intricacies of roulette."

"Did you win?"

"Five hundred francs," she said, not without pride.

"That's not much."

"For me it was."

He smiled. "And did my worthy cousin play? Or does he hold himself aloof from such vices?"

"On the contrary, he played quite a bit. He's not as superior to the ordinary run of human beings as you make out."

"Tut-tut, can you be defending him?"

"I don't consider he needs defending."

He grinned. "All right, my dear, you've scored your point. But if I'm rather disgruntled with Dominic it's because Tie did me out of an evening with you. And tonight I've a previous engagement which makes it impossible for me to repeat my invitation. Unless you could come ashore with mc this afternoon, of course?"

Barbara thought quickly, unwilling to accept Mark's
invitation, and was saved from replying by the sight of
Dominic coming towards them through the tables. Her heart lurched as she saw him, but her face was composed and disinterested.

"Hail to thee, coz," Mark greeted him. "We were only going to wait another five minutes for you. How about a drink before the meal arrives?"

"I've just been having one with the Captain." Dominic sat down. "But don't let that stop you ordering one for yourself."

Mark grinned. "I've already taken that liberty." He flourished his glass. "Cheers!"

Barbara hid a smile, but Dominic's face was quite impassive as he turned to her. "I hope you slept well."

"Quite well, thanks," she replied coolly.

"Good. And Aunt Ellie?"

The old woman fluttered at this unaccustomed interest
in her well-being. "Oh yes, thank you, Dominic, very well indeed."

Throughout luncheon Dominic was more than usually
affable, behaving as though nothing amiss had happened, and it was not until they were drinking coffee in the lounge that he appeared to notice Barbara's restrained manner towards him. She became aware of his eyes
fixed on her questioningly, but refused to meet his gaze,
and after regarding her speculatively for some time he turned away, his manner seeming to suggest that if she were sulking he intended to let her get over it in her own time.

"Just the sort of thing he would do," she thought with a flash of irritation. "Behave in a quite inexcusable manner and then act as though I were the one to blame!"

Presently he put down his cup and leant towards his aunt. "Do you feel well enough to go ashore this afternoon?"

An expression of delighted surprise crossed the old woman's face. "Oh, Dominic, I do!"

"Good. Then we'll all go ashore as soon as you're ready."

"You'd better exclude us, old boy," Mark broke in, "Barbara's promised to spend the afternoon with me."

"Oh, I—I didn't promise, Mark," Barbara said
hastily, "only if Aunt Ellie doesn't need me. But if she'
going ashore I'll have to "

"I can manage my aunt quite well on my own, thank
you," Dominic interposed coldly. "Perhaps it's time you
had a few hours away from us. You must find the same companionship tedious day after day."

Barbara stood up. "Thank you, I shall probably enjoy it." Then to Mark: "I'll be ready when you arc."

Lazily Mark got to his feet. "The sooner the better as far as I'm concerned. Run along and get your swim suit. I'll take you to the Sporting Club."

She had a sudden impulse to refuse, wanting to keep
the afternoon she had spent there with Dominic as some
thing apart. Then a glance at the indifferent expression on the dark face made her decide to say nothing, and she bent and kissed Aunt Ellie good-bye.

The old woman returned her kiss affectionately. "I'm
sure you'll enjoy yourself with Mark, dear. He's so amusing. Have a nice time."

"I'm sure I shall." And aware of Rockwood's eyes following her, Barbara turned and left the lounge.