Stormy Haven (31 page)

There was a silence, timed by the pounding of Melanie
’
s heart. Her fingers were gripped hard on the white handbag, and unconsciously her eyes picked out the floral gilt edging of a mirror hung too high
o
n the wall to be of service to a woman. Bill Melford spoke again.
“
Have you been in all day?
”

“
No. I got back about half an hour ago. I
’
ve been to see Blackmore.
”

Melanie
’
s breathing became stifled. Blackmore was the
specialist. Surely... surely not
—”

The doctor was asking steadily,
“
Did you go by appointment?
”

A chair creaked as Stephen shifted. His tone altered, but the change in it baffled Melanie.

“
When I left you this morning I telephoned him and arranged to go along after lunch.
”

“
For an examination?
”

Stephen must have nodded. During the second silence Melanie
’
s nerves screamed. Why didn
’
t the
doctor
tell Stephen that she was a few feet away? Had he forgotten her, or was this his usual manner with Stephen
—
the slow, careful approach? How were they looking in that room? Stephen she could imagine in a lounge chair, his head back, his eyes half-closed, his mouth enigmatic. Dr. Melford would be standing somewhere between Stephen and the door, watchful, under those protruding brows, but singularly without emotion. Both knew what it was that lay unspoken between them, yet for the moment neither would yield.

The next query, of course, came from Bill Melford.
“
Well, what was the verdict this time?
”

“
Like the last, but the condition of strain has improved. Those damned glasses you got me seem to have done some good, but I
’
m not wearing them anymore. Blackmore
’
s
going to do the job tomorrow.
”

What was said after that did not penetrate Melanie
’
s consciousness. But for the fear that she might be seen from a window she would have run from the house. Bill Melford
’
s plan, her anguish of indecision, the stiffening of her courage to snapping point, all had been futile. Her presence in this house was a mockery.
She
to persuade Stephen;
she
to be the center of his existence, the purpose in his life. It was funny, heartbreakingly funny. That he was wholly independent was truer now than it had ever been: Against her will she had allowed the doctor to take command; not only against her will but against her knowledge of Stephen. How could she bear to confront him now?

The defensive instinct dies hard. She twisted and went soundlessly to another of the doors, slipped into a darkened room and pulled the door closed behind her. For a minute she stood still to get her bearings. This was a lounge with the blinds drawn; Melanie took in no more than that. The nearest piece of furniture was a divan with
an upholstered stool drawn up to
it. Melanie sat on the stool, took off her white felt hat and leaned her bright head upon the arm of the divan.

The doctor would come to her. He must help her to escape from the house to a hotel, to keep the fact that she was in Alexandria from Stephen. It was the smallest thing he could do for her.

But the minutes ticked away, leaving her more weary, more depleted. The room was airless; it smelled as if it had been shut up a long time. That room in which the men had talked would be the lounge they used. No one would expect to find her in this unventilated room, but she hardly cared.

She did not heat the door swing wide, and the thickly piled carpet deadened footsteps. But there was no mistaking the hand on her shoulder, the quiet, compelling tones.

“
Bill told me he
’
d brought you to the house. I expect you
’
re flat out.
”
Somehow, he had got behind the stool and was sitting on the divan, lifting her back to rest in his arms.
“
Don
’
t tremble so, my dear. It
’
s only Stephen.
”

Only Stephen! Inside, she wept and laughed. Stephen
’
s arm across her back, his face dark and concerned, his gray eyes close and demanding.

“
Stop it,
”
he almost barked.

“
I
’
m not
...
doing anything.
”

“
You
’
re still shaking and you look like death. It
’
s not such a calamity to miss the boat.
”

The words and his sharpness jerked her back to sanity, but some seconds passed before she was able to ask,
“
Did Dr. Melford tell you how I came to be here?
”

“
He said you telephoned him that the boat had gone without you and you hadn
’
t any Egyptian money. You wanted him to fix you up at a hotel but he brought you here instead because he felt it was more my business than his. It sounds a bit thin, but I didn
’
t stop to question him.
”

Nor did he attempt to get at the truth now. He put a hand under her chin and tilted it. To Melanie it seemed that that long scrutiny would never end, and when at last he bent and kissed her lips she was quite certain she had contracted a fever, that only in delirium could Stephen kiss her so gently yet with an insistence that was not far from passion. When he raised his head her glance was luminous and pleading. But he gave her no time to speak.

“
That was my apology for being such a swine on the boat this morning,
”
he said.
“
Sometime I
’
ll explain. Will you be an exemplary child and do exactly a
s
I say?
”

“
Yes, Stephen.
”

His smile was shrewd.
“
I
’
ll trust you.
”
His fingers moved up, slid rakelike into the back of her hair.
“
I
’
ve always been unreasonable with you, haven
’
t I?
”

“
Unreasonable is putting it mildly.
”

“
A brute then. Even now I
’
m not sure you
’
d understand if I told you why I was like that, but you will understand in time. Were you unhappy after I left you at Mindoa?
”

Wonderment and uncertainty made her cautious.
“
A little,
”
she confessed.
“
And lonely, too. I missed being bullied.
”

In the dusky light he appeared whimsical and teasing.
“
Why didn
’
t you fall in love with Colin Jameson? He had everything you admire in a man—a love of home, steadfastness, an ambition for his own green acres and a woman to share them. And think what ideal in-laws you
’
d have had in Lucille and Henry!
”

“
Colin was sweet, but so very tame.
”

He laughed slightly.
“
Did he ever take you out to the reef?
”

“
The Mindoans haven
’
t any affection for the coral islands. In the de Vaux chronicles the reef was referred to as
‘
appalling excresences that are a menace to shipping.
’”

“
We liked them, anyway,
”
he said.
“
One day
—”
He
broke off, but with scarcely a pause went on,
“
Getting back to your promise to do as you
’
re told. For tonight you can remain here, in the house. There
’
s a bedroom adjoining Nicolina
’
s—she
’
s the housekeeper
—
and two bachelors are infinitely safer than one. Tomorrow—
”
a second, almost imperceptible pause
“
—
you can go with the Duncans to Cairo.
”

“
Cairo
?”

“
Yes, Cairo,
”
he repeated imperturbably.
“
Pyramids, the Sphinx, the Nile and the rest. It
’
s only a hundred and twenty miles away. The Duncans are a young couple taking a short leave before he
’
s transferred to cooler a part of the world. You can stay in the same hotel and either go out with them or don
’
t, whichever you please.
”

“
But, Stephen, I don
’
t think I
—”

“
You
’
ll enjoy that more than floating around loose in
Alexandria. I
’
ve some business to settle that will take me away for two or three days. As soon as I
’
m through I
’
ll pick you up.
”

Questions quivered on her lips, questions she dared not utter. She was glad of the dimness that hid her fright, but terrified that if he withdrew his arm she would never feel it around her again. She ached to say,
“
Stephen, I love you. Please
...
please let me stay.
”

But this was not the moment for a confession of love. Stephen was handling the situation in his own fashion, as if it were nothing but what he had termed it—some business that would necessitate his absence for a few days. She was bound by her love for him not to divulge that she knew what his business was.

In a level voice, Stephen said,
“
I
’
ll phone Peter Duncan and make arrangements. You
’
ll be all right with him and his wife. It probably seems to you that I
’
ve a habit of lodging you in the care of other people, but after this I won
’
t do it again.
”
He slurred over so final a pronouncement by standing and drawing her up with him.
“
Let
’
s find you a drink and reassure Bill. And don
’
t worry about clothes. You
’
ll be able to buy all you need when you reach Cairo; for shopping it
’
s as good as Paris.
”

Dr. Melford was more or less where Stephen bad left him, except that he was now holding a whiskey and soda. As Melanie had guessed, this room was smaller than the other and much used. The chairs were capacious, ashtrays were everywhere and none of them quite empty.

“
Best time of the day,
”
he said cheerfully.
“
A drink in the hand as the sun goes down. We get wonderful nights here, Miss Paget.
”

Stephen had poured a long sweet soda with gin and given it to her, and was mixing whiskey and water for himself.
“
Since when were you a tourist agency? Did you tell Nicolina there
’
ll be three for dinner?
”

“
She always cooks enough for six. Is Miss Paget spending the night here?
”

“
She is. Any objection?
”

“
Not one, as long as you let it be known that she
’
s your girl and not mine. I
’
m a doctor.
”

His smile at Melanie conveyed nothing, but she knew he was depending on her being submissive and agreeable to whatever Stephen proposed, letting the future shape itself as it would.

She sat down and refused a cigarette. The men smoked and talked as though this were a commonplace evening in their male existence. Daylight gave out and lights were switched on, soft golden lights that enriched the house but for Melanie robbed it of the last vestige of reality.

She washed in a white bathroom and returned to the small lounge to find both men still there.
The three of them dined, were waited on by an Egyptian servant. They had coffee on the front veranda. When Bill heard that she was off to Cairo tomorrow he expressed no astonishment, but urged her to make the most of it. Grand place, Cairo. There was no single opportunity for Melanie to be alone with him.