Legacy of Desire (15 page)

There was a light tap on the door. ‘May I come in?’ asked Tanya.

‘Sure.’

‘It’s a great day, we could …’ Tanya’s voice trailed off. ‘You look sorta low. Something wrong? I thought we had a great time last night.’

Pattie told her about the telephone call and Tanya looked thoughtful. ‘What did you do?’

‘Invited Phil and Davina to the party on Saturday.’

Tanya pulled a face. ‘Do you think that’s wise?’

‘What the hell else can I do?’

‘Maybe you’re playing right into his hands,’ said Tanya.

‘If he cares for me at all he’ll show his jealousy eventually,’ said Pattie firmly. ‘Let’s ask Todd what he thinks.’

They found Todd in the study and had to wait nearly half an hour before he got off the phone. ‘It looks as though Jay might be needed back in Boston soon,’ he remarked. ‘Not for long, a couple of weeks or so.’

‘I thought he was over here on a sabbatical,’ said Pattie. ‘How come you’re not called back? You’re his boss.’

‘That’s why I’ve decided he should go. I’m enjoying myself too much. Besides, I’m on vacation.’

‘It might be the best thing,’ Tanya murmured to Pattie.

‘How come?’ enquired Todd.

Tanya explained about Phil’s phone call and what
Pattie had done. ‘Do you think she’s done the right thing?’ she asked her husband.

Todd looked thoughtful. ‘I guess you can never be certain with Jay, but on balance I’d say no. You ain’t gonna make a man jealous who isn’t capable of jealousy, Pattie.’

‘Everyone’s capable of jealousy if they care enough,’ she retorted.

‘Do you really want to know if he
doesn’t
care enough?’

‘What are you trying to say?’

‘I’m not trying to say anything but I probably know Jay better than anyone, and I don’t think that in all his thirty years he’s yet met a woman capable of making him jealous.’

‘But he’s met women he cares about?’ Pattie was beginning to feel frightened.

‘I suppose, for a time, but it never lasts.’

‘It’s lasted with us.’

‘Sure, longer than with anyone else but maybe the sand’s running through the hour-glass a little bit quicker than you realise. If it is there’s nothing you can do about it, Pattie. If you start trying to push him
in a direction he doesn’t want to go he’ll get real stubborn.’

‘He’s real stubborn all the time. I won’t know the difference.’

‘You will when he suggests you pack your bags,’ said Todd, and with that he walked out of the room.

Tanya looked uncomfortable. ‘Todd can be a bit blunt sometimes,’ she said quietly. ‘I guess the call from America must have rattled him. Something’s gone wrong at work and he hates that.’

‘He doesn’t think Jay’s going to marry me, does he?’

‘I’ve never asked him.’

Pattie took all her courage in both hands. ‘Do you think he’s going to marry me, Tanya?’

‘Honestly?’ Pattie nodded. ‘Then I guess I’ve gotta say no. I don’t think he’s going to get married for another ten years or so. He’s more interested in his work, and sexual variety.’

‘But surely it would do his career good if he married?’

‘It doesn’t do him any harm being known as one of Boston’s most eligible bachelors. He gets asked to a lot of dinners because of that. You’d be surprised how many mothers want him for their daughters.’

‘Well, they’re gonna be unlucky,’ said Pattie fiercely. ‘Sexually we suit each other perfectly, he’s always saying that. Where’s he going to find anyone better?’

‘For sex possibly nowhere, but the day Jay starts to think about marriage he’s going to consider more than that.’

‘Like what?’ asked Pattie aggressively. She had a suspicion that neither Todd nor Tanya felt she was good enough for Jay.

‘Like family background and education, I suppose.’

‘It didn’t seem to trouble Todd when he married you,’ snapped Pattie and then, when she saw the hurt on Tanya’s face, she wished she’d kept quiet. ‘I didn’t mean that,’ she said hastily. ‘It’s just that I really care for Jay and …’

‘But you don’t love him,’ said Tanya softly. ‘You love the sex, and you want the position in Bostonian society that he can give you but you don’t really love him. Think about it, Pattie. Maybe it isn’t just a case of you not being right for him. Maybe he’s not the right guy for you.’

‘He is,’ insisted Pattie, feeling almost sick with anger, ‘and I’m going to make sure he realises it.’

*

In London, as Jay and Davina were driving back to Oxford, Phil was on a high. Already he was imagining the party on Saturday night and what he and Pattie might do together. When he’d rung her to tell her that he’d seen Jay and Davina he’d never for one moment imagined her inviting him to a private party. He’d simply wanted to make her feel as bad as he did, but this was even better. She was gorgeous, the sort of woman he’d often dreamt of but never imagined meeting. Of course the fact that she was Jay’s mistress was a bit of a drawback, but he knew that Americans liked the kudos of British partners, and also knew that she’d enjoyed their sex together.

As he showed people round expensive properties and negotiated mortgages over the phone, he kept picturing Pattie’s naked body, the perfectly sculpted breasts, the tanned skin and the trim waist and tight high buttocks. She was a little more rounded than Davina but every muscle was taut. She was physical perfection and simply thinking about her was enough to keep him in a state of perpetual arousal.

He supposed that he ought to feel guilty about Davina, and told himself that he would have done if it
hadn’t been for the fact that he’d seen her snuggling up to Jay Prescott, dancing with him in a way she’d never danced with Phil. ‘Two can play at that game,’ he muttered.

‘Sorry?’ Craig, working at the desk opposite his, looked at him questioningly.

‘Nothing,’ said Phil hastily. ‘Just thinking aloud.’

‘Quite nice thoughts by the look on your face.’

‘Very nice thoughts,’ Phil confirmed.

As he drove back to his flat that night he realised that he was looking forward to his forthcoming Oxfordshire visit more than he’d looked forward to one for a long time. Lately Davina had seemed different, as though she expected more from him, but he didn’t know in what way. It wasn’t as though she was like Pattie, the type of girl who you could tumble out of doors. Davina was far too shy and self-contained for anything like that. She was even quiet at the height of passion, whereas Pattie had been noisy the whole time, which in itself had been a turn-on. ‘Roll on Friday,’ he said cheerfully. It seemed that spotting Jay and Davina together hadn’t been such a disaster after all.

*

‘What did Jay say when Pattie told him she’d invited Phil and Davina to the party tonight?’ Tanya asked her husband as he zipped up the black silk shift dress that was covered with hand-sewn sequins and ended just above her knee with a scalloped three-tier hemline edged with a row of tiny beads.

‘According to Pattie he didn’t show any reaction. I wasn’t surprised, like I said, this kinda game won’t work with Jay.’

Tanya nodded. ‘I agree. I think Davina’s sweet. If only Jay were more willing to commit himself I’d say they’d make the perfect couple. Boston would love her.’

‘But would she love Boston?’ queried Todd.

‘I think so. I wonder if we could help the romance along a little?’

Todd kissed the nape of his wife’s neck and ran his fingers through her sleek black bob. ‘Why is it that you women always want to interfere?’

‘I think Jay’s going to miss a golden opportunity if he treats Davina the way he’s treated his other women. He’s keen on her, we both know that, Todd. The thing is, how can we help him overcome his aversion to commitment?’

‘No, the thing is, how can I get you to keep your nose out of his affairs?’ teased Todd.

‘We could help,’ persisted Tanya. ‘Why don’t you pay Davina some attention tonight? I’ll see how Jay reacts and we’ll take it from there. If he cares like I think he does he won’t be able to stop himself from showing it, even if it’s just for a minute or two.’

‘It’s a big party tonight,’ said Todd patiently. ‘Jay probably won’t notice if I start flirting with Davina. Besides, you know what he’s like. He’d say I was free to do what I liked.’

‘What he says and what he feels are two completely different things.’

‘Okay!’ Todd threw up his hands in mock resignation. ‘It’s a good job I never had to cross-examine you in court, I’d have ended up the loser. Why is it I can never say no to you?’

Tanya wrapped her arms round his neck and kissed him full on the mouth. ‘Because you love me?’

‘Guess that must be it.’

‘Right, then let’s go and join the party,’ said Tanya triumphantly.

By nine o’clock the house was full. Between them Jay
and Pattie had invited far more people than Todd had expected, and lots of them were strangers to him. It took him a while to find Davina, but eventually he saw Pattie standing talking to Phil in an animated fashion and moved over towards her, guessing that Davina wouldn’t be far away.

Pattie had swept her hair over to the right-hand side of her head, letting it fall in front of her shoulder and leaving her left ear exposed. Her make-up was immaculate and she was wearing one enormous diamond earring in her left ear, a gift from Jay as Todd remembered. She was wearing a stunning, column-shaped sleeveless navy jersey dress and her full breasts were accentuated by a gold buckled belt that she wore tightly cinched round her waist. She was wearing no other jewellery apart from the earring but she didn’t need any; her blonde beauty stood out. Even Todd, who wasn’t that keen on blondes, had to admit that she looked incredible.

‘Hey! Talk about dressed to kill,’ he said with a smile, moving in on her and Phil as the pair of them stood almost touching, Davina standing awkwardly on Phil’s left. ‘Hi, Davina,’ he added. ‘Great to see you again, honey. Love the top.’

Davina, who was wearing an embroidered magenta velvet top with a button-through front and cut-away hem over a long black skirt with a side split to the knee, smiled half-heartedly. ‘I’m not sure I’m glamorous enough,’ she murmured.

‘I like the understated English look,’ he assured her, taking her by the elbow and steering her away from the other two towards the drinks. ‘What can I get you, sweetie?’

‘White wine will be fine.’

As Todd handed her a drink he inhaled her perfume, a light floral fragrance far less cloying than those favoured by Pattie or Tanya, and he thought how fresh and unspoilt she seemed. He was also attracted by her coolness, mixed with an enchanting vulnerability he hadn’t seen in a woman for a very long time. ‘Been here long?’

‘About fifteen minutes. I didn’t want to come, but Phil said Pattie had invited us so I thought …’

‘You thought it best to stay on the right side of her, yeah?’

Davina nodded and her fingers fiddled restlessly with the stem of the wine glass. ‘To be honest I was
surprised. I didn’t think Pattie was very keen on me, but now we’re here I can see that’s not the reason we were invited.’

‘You mean she’s coming on to Phil?’ Davina nodded. ‘Hell, that’s nothing. Pattie does that automatically. Why don’t you and I have a dance?’

She smiled. ‘That would be nice, Todd.’ He realised that he was becoming aroused, and as they started to move together on the dance floor he knew that she must be aware of this. Her dark eyes widened slightly but apart from that she gave no responding signal. When the music stopped he led her out of the drawing room, down the hall and into the billiard room which was empty. She looked around hesitantly, clearly nervous about the fact that they were alone together.

‘Hey, come on. What do you think I’m gonna do?’ Todd said.

Davina shrugged. ‘I’m sorry. I was just wondering where Phil and Pattie were.’

‘Back in the other room, weren’t they?’

‘No, I saw them leave while we were dancing.’

‘Is that a fact? Maybe they’ve gone out to get some air.’

‘Maybe.’ She didn’t sound as though she believed him.

‘Let’s not worry about them,’ he suggested, leaning against the billiard table and lightly stroking Davina’s left arm with his right hand. ‘You’re a classy dame, but I’m sure you know that.’

Davina looked even more uncomfortable. ‘Englishmen don’t pay compliments like you Americans,’ she murmured. ‘I don’t quite know how to answer you.’

Out of the corner of his eye Todd saw Pattie and Phil coming into the room. Phil had his arm round Pattie’s waist and the pair of them were kissing and caressing each other, both clearly highly excited.

‘Then don’t answer me,’ he said to Davina. Before she had a chance to protest he put his hands either side of her waist, lifted her onto the billiard table then stood between her legs, his hands resting on the polished surface each side of her body. He wanted to start caressing her, not because Tanya had suggested it but because he was attracted to her, and the knowledge that Phil was in the room only increased this attraction.

Running his hands up and down the sides of her body he bent his head and kissed the skin at the base of
her throat, where the delicate bones were visible. She let her head fall back a little but as she did so she caught sight of Phil and immediately sat bolt upright.

Todd realised that Phil, who had now sat down in one of the chairs and was busy pulling Pattie onto his lap, hadn’t noticed it was Davina on the table. Davina watched, mortified, as her boyfriend started to struggle with Pattie’s clothing, his urgency only too clear. Pattie was laughing with excitement. As she pulled off Phil’s shirt and tie she allowed her blonde hair to brush across his chest and he uttered a soft throaty sound of pleasure.

‘Get me out of here,’ Davina whispered urgently to Todd.

Reluctantly he helped her off the table and the pair of them slipped out of the room, but when Davina made to go back to the main room Todd gripped her tightly by the wrist and led her firmly towards the stairs. ‘We’ll go somewhere private,’ he promised her. ‘Look, honey, your boyfriend feels free to have a good time. Why don’t you and I do the same?’

‘But I’m not in love with you,’ she exclaimed.