The Good Life (40 page)

“You mustn't let it happen again no matter how expert the Swiss are. Abortions can be dangerous. I'll be worried sick if that's what you have to do.”

He found it difficult to share her matter-of-fact acceptance of abortion, but he supposed she knew how to take care of herself.

He tightened his arm around her. “We took an insane risk. You warned me, so it was my fault too. We've both got to be serious. Don't ever let it happen again. Promise?”

“If you say so, but I know now that that's the way it should be — natural and complete with nothing in between us. Everything else is just sex.”

“Just sex? If the prince taught you that sex is not necessarily the greatest thing in the world, we should be grateful.”

“One has to have experience. I can tell Monique a thing or two now. Did you have a good time with Trevor?”

“Did Sylvain tell you where I was?”

“You arranged for him to pick you up?”

“No. It was his idea. When he found me sitting around waiting for you, he suggested going to see his house.”

“Is
that
what you were doing? It must be rather like Versailles. You could easily spend two hours seeing Versailles.”

He laughed, delighted. She actually sounded annoyed. “Very subtle. You shouldn't expect me to tell you everything I do with a friend. It's his business as much as mine.”

“It's mine too if you have him.”

“I didn't, not the way you mean. You're not supposed to know anything about it. He has romantic ideas about you. Poor, innocent child.”

“Don't be beastly.”

“I can't be as beastly as I ought to be.” He lifted himself over her and kissed her face slowly and adoringly. “I didn't hurt you, did I?”

“Of course you did. I liked it. You're just the way I want a man to be. Most men wouldn't dare hit a girl.”

“I'm a roughneck. If we don't go to sleep, it'll soon be time for breakfast.”

“I know. Isn't it silly? I mean, having to go to separate cabins. I have to keep reminding myself that Daddy doesn't know.”

“Thank God. I've been wondering if I could feel him out to see if he's still so against the idea. I don't mean any big revelations; just letting him know that I hoped you'd think of me before you took any big step with anybody else.”

“I don't see how he could object to that.”

“You don't understand. I sort of promised him I wouldn't let it get beyond the ‘just good friends' stage. I don't know how I intended to do that, but as far as I know that's the way he wants it and thinks it is. I'll try to find out if he feels differently. Nothing can change the separate-cabins routine, but I'd like to feel less nervous about holding your hand in a chaste sort of way. Good night. See you in Cannes.”

She threw her arms around him and folded her body in against his, drawing his mouth to hers for an impassioned kiss.

When he awoke he felt the throb of the engines and the slight motion of the sea. He saw from his window that they were heading east along an unfamiliar coastline, more mountainous than around Saint-Tropez. He ordered coffee and learned from Henri that Bet was also awake and having breakfast. When he was ready to go above he put on his trunks and went to Bet's cabin and tried the door. It was unlocked. He stuck his head in.

She was sitting up in bed, coffee beside her, a book on her lap, looking about twelve years old. He grinned at her, their eyes twinkling at each other, and he shaped a kiss with his mouth. He resisted an almost irresistible urge to get into bed with her.

“Another early bird,” he said. “I want to see Billy and get that over with. Shall I tell him we've just had a chance to talk about last night so I don't have to pretend to be in the dark?”

“I'll remember. It's getting so that I don't dare say anything anymore for fear of spilling the beans.”

“Just play beautiful and dumb. It suits you.”

She made a face at him, and he left her, laughing as he went back along the passage to Billy's cabin. He found another unlocked door and Billy also sitting up in bed.

“We're a pretty lively bunch this morning,” Perry commented. “I just looked in on Bet. It seems there's been some trouble.”

“I'm in a rage,” Billy said, looking unruffled. “Did Bet tell you what happened?”

“She said you discovered that the prince had her for dinner alone.”

“Exactly. A tête-à-tête, after the point I made about her not going out unchaperoned, even with you at night. You know how careful I've been about doing everything the way Arlene wanted it.”

“Did he try any funny stuff?”

“She insists that it was all quite proper, but naturally she'd be embarrassed to go into details with me. Did she say anything to you?”

“I doubt if she'd tell me anything she wouldn't tell you. I gathered that she hadn't intended to tell you, but when you started asking questions she saw that you were upset and told you the truth. She said she had nothing to hide. That seems pretty obvious. It was all his idea.”

“That isn't the point. I don't suppose she'd have stayed if he'd misbehaved, but he didn't behave himself with me. He betrayed my trust. I don't want an open breach with him. The only solution was to leave. I'm sorry to change our plans without consulting you.”

“That doesn't matter, Billy. We're going to Cannes? We were due there in the next few days anyway. I'm sorry you've been upset.”

“I still find it incredible that a man of Augustus's background could forget his word of honor in order to make a play for an underage girl. Even if he were able to make her feel that it was all quite innocent, I'm sure he didn't intend it to be. He wanted her alone to see how far he could get with her. It's outrageous.

“Thank heavens for you, my dearest. You're the only one I can trust. I've watched you. You obviously get along beautifully together. It would be very easy for you to take advantage of her inexperience and make her fall for you helplessly. Most men wouldn't be able to resist such an easy conquest even if they didn't find her particularly desirable. Do you consider her unusually attractive?”

Perry hesitated but shied away from the opening. Billy was obviously happy with the way things were and had come no closer to accepting him as a possible mate for Bet.

“Well, I guess you can't consider my reaction typical,” he said cautiously. “It depends on what you mean by
unusually
. Physically she's certainly stunning, but I guess she's still a bit young for me to think of her as a beautiful woman. At my age one is probably more impressed by mature women of the world. You know me. I get easily distracted by a beautiful boy like Trevor.”

Billy laughed naughtily. “I wondered about him. He'd fall into your bed at the slightest touch.”

“Or his own bed. He took me to see his house last night. Sylvain told me Bet was already here when I got in. That's why I missed the excitement.”

Billy beamed at him. “You delight me. Thank you for coming in. You've already put me in a much better humor. I'm really rather looking forward to a few days in Cannes. We'll have time to catch up on everything that's going on before our evening with Maxine. Has Trevor a body to match that extraordinary face?”

“Young and delectable and admirably equipped. How long do you think we'll stay in Cannes?”

“Only as long as it amuses us. Simply getting away has already accomplished my purpose. As soon as Augustus sees that we're gone, he'll understand. I expect we'll find some presentable young men to keep Bet amused in case she's unhappy about the way this unfortunate episode has ended. I must say, she didn't seem to mind in the least when she realized I was going to stick to my guns. What do you think?”

“Just now when I saw her? She looked as if she was ready for the next adventure.”

Billy chuckled. “I'm sure you're ready for a beer. I'll be up presently.”

Perry left him, feeling inclined to congratulate himself. He hadn't said anything that he would mind having quoted back to him or, more important, to Bet. What he'd said about her being too young was perfect; she could age overnight, and nobody could reproach him for telling tales.

It took most of the afternoon to transport them to a new world — a world of enormous oceangoing yachts, sleek limousines, glittering luxury hotels, smartly dressed crowds in stylish streets, palatial villas set in exotic, exquisitely groomed gardens. This was what Perry had expected the Riviera to be. It was dazzling, but he sort of missed the rustic informality of Saint-Tropez.

Billy got a telephone installed as soon as they were tied up and was busy with it while they were served drinks. He sounded as if he were greeting all the people he loved most in the world, mostly in French. He pushed the instrument aside eventually and returned his attention to his young companions, looking pleased with his social efforts.

“It's a dinner jacket for you, my boy. The white one,” he said to Perry. “And all of the gold you can get your hands on. We're off on a mad round of pleasure. Today has done your tans to a turn, both of you. You're magnificent. We'll knock their eyes out. At least
you
two will. I'll do my best to look as if I'm part of your party.”

Their mad round of pleasure kept them busy. Billy's friends turned out to be French for the most part, but they all spoke English. They were entertained in several of the palatial villas. Despite their abrupt departure, Billy arranged for the car to stay with them, and it was waiting on the quay when they arrived. They went to various places along the coast, to Grasse and Mougins and Saint-Paul and Antibes. It was all beautiful. People led more lavishly civilized lives than Perry had ever imagined.

They ran into Elsa Maxwell the first evening, and bridge was mentioned. Thereafter it became a daily pastime. Encountering somebody he'd known elsewhere made Perry feel like a fixture on the international social scene.

Everywhere they went, men clustered around Bet — not always young men, but beautifully dressed and polished. Back in the States, Perry would have thought of them as sort of sissified and foppish.

Tennis was a major activity on this part of the coast, and when he was commandeered to make up a bridge foursome on the shaded deck after lunch, Bet was whisked away by her men several times for an afternoon of the more active sport. There were several impressive titles among her tennis partners, and Billy felt he was doing his duty by her.

Perry was content to remain in the background and improve his bridge. His luck with the cards was extraordinary, and he shared some substantial winnings with Elsa.

They had their evening with Maxine Elliott at her resplendent villa wedged between railroad tracks and rocks washed by the sea. Miss Elliott (Perry couldn't imagine addressing the grand old lady less formally) took a particular fancy to Bet and spoke to her at some length about the life of grandeur and distinction that awaited her if she didn't let herself be dragged down by the wrong man.

“A sound English title is essential,” she announced in a way that permitted no argument.

When they were having drinks before going somewhere for lunch, Billy told Bet and Perry that he'd just had a brief encounter with Jimmy Donahue. Perry remembered the wan little blond who had been with Billy the day they had met at the fair. A Woolworth.

“I saw him wandering along the quay just before you came out. He's on that big yacht along there with the Windsors. I'd heard they were around somewhere. He's going to arrange for us to have drinks with them. I thought you two might be impressed.”

“The duke and duchess?” Perry asked as casually as he could. He was almost too impressed to speak.

“Yes. I'm glad I didn't know yesterday,” Billy said. “I'm not sure Maxine receives anybody who speaks to them.”

“Really, Daddy. You're such a sly devil.” Bet laughed gleefully. “Wait till Mummy hears.”

“Be sure to tell her.”

“Heigh-ho. Another day, another duke,” Perry commented.

It was a glamorous climax to their stay in Cannes. Being handed a drink by the former king of England was good enough for Perry. Chills raced up and down his spine. He remembered hearing the abdication speech without paying much attention to what it was all about, but this was the man who had made it. A little bit of history with his whiskey. He knew that he might have ignored the slight shy man if he hadn't known who he was. The duchess dominated. Her attraction was curiously vibrant; he could feel the currents passing between them, whether or not she was aware that she was seducing him.

He couldn't imagine how Jimmy figured. He was a little prettier than he remembered, in a soft, baby-faced way, but he seemed quite lacking in personality. Jimmy and the duke? May be Billy knew.

“I asked Jimmy if it would be some breach of something or other to ask them for a signed photograph,” Billy said. “I thought it might be fun for one or the other of you to have. He said the duke might not like it, but she'd be highly flattered. She's had a rough time since the great drama. He says they're very concerned about their future if there's a war.”

They returned to their home port the next day with a signed photograph of the duchess for each of them.

As they moved into August, there was a noticeable change in the atmosphere. People stopped saying “
If
there's a war…” and if they mentioned it at all, they said “when.” It was as if word had gone out from some central headquarters that it was coming.

As the summer mellowed and the grapes grew fat on the vines, the gods seemed to smile on the privileged coast while an indefinable tension grew. Nothing of it was reflected in the papers. It was a singularly uneventful season. No major international incidents were reported, no unexpected troop movements. It was announced that the Maginot Line was impregnably manned and more than capable of protecting France from all comers. Plans for a general mobilization could be put into effect within two or three days.