The Devil at Archangel (22 page)

there is Theo's birthday party next week to arrange. Please stay until

the party is over and I will put no further obstacles in your way.

Indeed, I will help you all I can.'

Christina sat down limply on the edge of the bed. After all, she

reasoned with herself, it was only a few more days, and at least Mrs

Brandon seemed to have accepted die situation.

'And Theo will not be here,' Mrs Brandon went on persuasively. 'I am

buying him a boat for his birthday and I have arranged a short cruise

on it beforehand. So there will be nothing to cause you the slightest

disturbance.' ~

Oh ho, Christina thought ironically, nothing at all. She bit back a sigh.

'Very well, Mrs Brandon,' she said at last, 'I'll stay. But only until the

party is over.'

Tossing restlessly in bed that night, she told herself she was being a

fool. Mrs Brandon had not hesitated to mislead her in the past. Who

was to say that her apparent heart attack had not been simulated as so

much else had been? Wouldn't she do better to cut her losses—take

the ferry to Martinique and play it by ear from there?

She sat up, punching her pillow into shape. In spite of everything that

had happened, she still felt a certain sense of obligation to Mrs

Brandon, and she could not forget either that she had been Aunt

Grace's friend. I owe her these few days, she told herself, turning on

to her stomach and burying her face in the pillow.

Liar, a warning voice whispered deep inside her. You'd have been

gone by now if it were not for
him.
He's the real reason you want to

stay, even though you know it's hopeless. You're hanging on, hoping

for one kind word—but it will never come. He has no kindness for

you. You're just an obstacle in his way—the bride his aunt has

drummed up for Theo. He wants to be rid of you, and he doesn't care

what means he uses. He's made love to you, but don't fool yourself

that it means anything. Don't be deceived by what he did for you

earlier—he would have done the same for any half-drowned animal.

And he's a Brandon, like the others. He uses people too when it suits

him. He's used Eulalie. Do you think he would treat you any

differently if you were such a fool as to put yourself into his power

again? She shuddered convulsively, dragging the bedclothes closer

round her.

The morning found her listless and still tired. She dressed - quickly,

dragging on jeans and a tee-shirt, and made her way to Mrs Brandon's

suite. But it seemed that her employer's 1 attack had been genuine

enough. The doctor was with her, I Eulalie reported abruptly, and

Madame would not be getting up that day. She was being ordered to

rest.

Christina sighed as she turned away. She had her orders to prepare for

Theo's birthday party. Her first task was to ensure that all the

Invitations were dispatched, the second to confer with Madame

Christophe. The housekeeper was her usual dignified self, and she

made no attempt to unbend while she answered Christina's diffident

questions. Christina gathered from her attitude that such parties were

a welcome rarity at Archangel, and apart from 1 agreeing to send the

cook to Christina so that a buffet menu could be discussed, she was

not a great deal of practical I help.

Christina was beginning to feel quietly desperate when she heard a

car draw up outside the house, and Madame Christophe admit a

visitor. She imagined it was a caller for Mrs Brandon and was

surprised when the library door opened and Lorna Maynard was

ushered into the room.

'Lorna!' She got up with a smile. 'What a lovely surprise. Were you

passing, or ...?'

'Hardly.' Lorna's answering smile was constrained. 'One hardly

"drops in" at Archangel. No, I received a message summoning me

here first thing this morning. I understand I have to help you get ready

for a party.'

'I see.' Christina felt troubled. Lorna was being civil enough;, but she

could sense there was real annoyance underneath. 'What have you

done with the children?'

'Left them with Seraphine,' Lorna answered shortly. She came over to

the table where Christina was working, and studied some of the lists

she was making. 'How far have you got?'

'Not very far,' Christina said slowly. 'Lorna, it's very good of you to

come here like this.'

Lorna gave her a dry look. 'You would think I had a choice,' she said,

then turned back to the lists. 'Is there going to be dancing? You'll need

to hire a band. The notice is short, of course, but you shouldn't have

any trouble as it's for the Brandons ...'

'Lorna,' Christina put a hand on her arm, 'I don't know what's going

on, but you're obviously very sore about something. Please tell me

what it is?'

Lorna bit her lip. 'I should be used to it,' she said rather wearily.

'Someone at the big house speaks and we all jump. I have to drop all

my plans for the day—and I did have some. I'm not just making a fuss

for the sake of it—and come running here to help out "the young

mistress".'

Christina sank limply back on the sofa. 'You're joking,' she said

helplessly after a minute.

Lorna stared at her. 'I can assure you I'm not. Now, can we get on?'

Christina shook her head. 'Just a minute—it's important. Did

someone use those actual words "the young mistress"?'

'Well, of course.' Lorna paused in the middle of rummaging in her bag

for a pen and gave her an astonished glance. It's not supposed to be a

secret, is it, Christina—, I mean, this is what the party's all about?'

'No—no, it isn't,' Christina said slowly. Her brain was whirling. She

remembered what Devlin had said about her forthcoming

engagement being the talk of the island. 'I mean, it isn't what the

party's all about. As far as I'm concerned it's simply for Theo's

birthday.'

Lorna gave her a frankly sceptical look. 'Then as far as he's

concerned, his major present is going to be you. We've all been

expecting it ever since you appeared in Fort Victoire together.

Everyone gathered from that that Madame Marcelle had given you

her blessing.' She flushed slightly. 'I'm sorry, I shouldn't refer to her

like that in front of you
.'

Christina's eyes met hers steadily. 'You can refer to my —employer in

whatever terms you please,' she said. 'After next week, it won't matter

at all, because I shan't be here. I'm leaving—going back to England.'

A grin of pure delight spread over Lorna's candid face. 'You mean it?

But that's wonderful! To be honest, I wouldn't want to see Theo

Brandon within a mile of anyone I was fond of. In my book, he's a

spoiled egotistical brat with a temper that will get him in trouble one

day. I saw him look at Clive once—he'd corrected him over a small

point in front of someone else—and, just for a moment, it was like

seeing the devil.'

Yes, Christina thought, it had all been there if she had only had the

sense to recognise it. The pride, the passion for power, even the

cruelty. But she had been so determined to apply the fortune-teller's

warning to Devlin- determined to mistrust him, and to convince

himself that he was only warning her against Theo for his own

devious ends.

Lorna was still speaking. 'But how are you planning to get away?

What the Brandons have, they generally hold.'

'Mrs Brandon promised yesterday that I could leave after the party,

and that she wouldn't stop me. In fact, she offered to help.'

Lorna's eyes narrowed slightly. 'From what I know of the lady, I

would say that is rather out of character. She doesn't usually accept

defeat over her pet schemes with such graciousness. And if she

intends you to leave, why is she having the Brandon ring altered?'

'The Brandon ring?' Christina's lips parted in amazement.

Lorna nodded vigorously. 'It came to the bungalow this morning

along with the message to me. Clive was to take it to a jeweller in Fort

Victoire to be cleaned—and made slightly smaller. A rush job,' she

added, her eyes going to Christina's slim fingers.

'I see.' Christina forced a smile. 'What was the plan, I wonder? To

present me with a
fait accompli
on the night of the party in the hope

that I wouldn't be prepared to make a scene in front of all those

people?'

Lorna looked at her gently. 'Well, would you?'

Christina gave a little sigh. 'Probably not,' she said honestly. 'But I

would have left all the same—afterwards.'

'Don't underestimate her, Christina,' Lorna advised quietly. 'She may

only be a Brandon by adoption, but I don't think they could teach her

much about ruthlessness. The fact that you're here at this moment

says something about her sheer determination.'

'I can be determined too.' Christina lifted her chin defiantly. 'What

time does the afternoon boat leave from La Villette?'

'Four o'clock sharp. But how are you going to get there?'

Christina's eyes danced suddenly. 'I'll get Louis to take me in the car,'

she said. 'I've got the perfect excuse. I've heard about a band and I'm

going to interview them to see if they'll be suitable for the party.'

'Mm.' Lorna considered the matter with a slight frown. 'But Louis

won't just abandon you in La Villette, you blow. He'll expect to bring

you back.'

'Not if I say I'm meeting you later.' Christina gave her a pleading look.

'I don't want to involve you, Lorna, but you can always say you knew

nothing about it. That you also thought I'd gone to interview a band.'

Lorna paused, then appeared to mate up her mind. 'I can do more than

that,' she said briskly. 'There's the small matter of luggage, of course.

You can probably squeeze a nightdress and stuff into your handbag,

but what about the rest of your things?'

Christina sighed. 'I shall have to leave them behind, I suppose.'

'Not necessarily,' said Lorna. 'If you can get them packed and

downstairs somehow, I can put them in the boot of my car and keep

them at the bungalow until you send for them.'

'Would you really?' Christina gave her a grateful look. 'I don't know

why you're doing all this for me.'

Lorna gave a slight shrug. 'I have this inborn dislike of seeing people

manipulated,' she said quietly. 'When you came to lunch at the

bungalow that day, I felt so sorry for you. I was sure, somehow, you

had no idea what you were getting into with Master Theo. On the

other hand I felt I couldn't warn you, in case I was completely wrong.

I had Clive's position to consider. Employees who offend the

Brandons have been known to find themselves on a kind of blacklist

when it comes to other jobs. And we have two children to think of.'

She gave a quick sigh and turned away. 'Now we'd better get on with

the party arrangements. That's what we're supposed to be doing, after

all.'

By the time lunch—a delicious shrimp and avocado salad followed

by fresh fruit—had been eaten, most of the decisions had been made.

A detailed room plan had been sketched out, suggesting where the

band should be situated, where older guests with no taste for dancing

could sit out of ' earshot, even where the women guests would leave

their wraps. As she and Lorna wrangled amicably over which of the

blossoms in the garden should be plundered to provide flower

arrangements, Christina found herself wondering if in fact the party

would be held. Would Mrs Brandon be able to take the loss of face

that the abrupt departure of the guest of honour would involve?

When lunch was over, Lorna went off to deal with the cook, and

Christina was able to slip away up to her room to start packing.

She felt keyed-up and nervous as she emptied the wardrobe and chest

of drawers. Coming to Ste Victoire had been A very much a step into

the unknown for her and it had | proved a near-disaster. By tomorrow

she would be on Martinique without a job or the prospect of one, and

with very , little money to sustain her while she searched for work. It

was a demoralising thought. Yet, if she stayed, would she be able to

escape the pressure being put upon her to at least become engaged to

Theo?

She closed the lid of her suitcase and was beginning to fasten the

strap when a sound from behind made her whirl round, her heart

thumping.

Eulalie stood just inside the room, her arms full of clean towels for

the bathroom, her mouth open with shock. Her eyes were fixed on the

suitcase on the bed, and the remaining pile of clothes and other

articles waiting to be stowed away in the empty one beside it.

Christina swallowed. Why, oh, why had she not bolted the door? she