Dangerous Inheritance (3 page)

‘Leching,' Fleur repeated. ‘What a nice old-fashioned word. And, of course, I see your point of view. But it's very unusual these days. I mean, well, from what you've said I suppose you are still a virgin?'

‘I am,' he nodded. ‘And I see no reason to be ashamed of it.'

‘No. Oh no, of course not.'

‘Fine. And now let's hear about you.'

She shook her head rather sadly. ‘I'm afraid you wouldn't approve, Truss. I'm not. But what girl is at twenty-four? As a matter of fact I lost it when I was seventeen, during my season. The first time I hated it and for quite a time it wasn't much fun, but I was madly in love with the chap so I let him go on; then I came to like it. But after a few months he was posted abroad. When he'd been gone for some time I began to crave for it. The tiger who's tasted blood, sort of thing, you know. But buried in the country down at Cardinal's Folly no-one I liked enough came along. That Christmas you spent with us, if you hadn't been such an innocent you could have had me if you'd wanted, but we got no further than my teaching you how to kiss. Soon afterwards a friend of Daddy's made a pass at me and I'm afraid I didn't take much seducing; but it was a rather trying hole-in-the-corner affaire. We used to slip away from the hunt and have jollies in barns, which isn't a very satisfactory way of doing that sort of thing. Then I went to London U., and shared a flat with three other girls in the Cromwell Road. They were all as hot as mustard and the place was little better than a brothel. Perhaps that's an exaggeration and, of course, we
didn't get money for it; but some of the parties we threw were pretty hectic, and we had to pay the old caretaker in the basement to keep her mouth shut.

‘After a while I got sick of having to fight off men I didn't like when we were all half tight, so I moved to another place where I was on my own. While there I fell terribly badly for a married man who could get away for week-ends fairly frequently. As I was free to go and come as I liked we had some lovely times at country inns just outside London. But he wouldn't ask his wife for a divorce; so after eighteen months going steady with him I steeled myself to make a break. While I was working for my thesis I was a good girl. I simply had to be. Since then I've had two brief affaires, just physical attraction and the old craving rearing its ugly head again; but no more. And I suppose I'll do the same with the next man who attracts me. So there you have it, my dear. I'm no better than an old tart.'

‘You mustn't say that,' Truss smiled. ‘From that full rich mouth of yours anyone could see that you are passionate by nature. It was just your bad luck that you were seduced when still so young and that the only man you really cared about was married.'

‘You're not shocked, then?'

‘Why should I be? You are just a product of the age we live in. No better and no worse than those girls I used to team up with at the Cape. I doubt if many of them would have refused to sleep with me if I'd been prepared to play. I would have too if I hadn't been so scared that afterwards they'd swear I'd put them in the family way in order to force the issue and get their little claws on a share of the Van Ryn millions.'

‘Thank you, Truss. I'm glad you feel like that. You see, when we had our boy-and-girl affaire I knew you thought a lot of me; so I felt I had to tell you the truth about myself. It wouldn't have been fair to let you believe that I'm anything but what I am.'

His brown eyes smiled into her violet ones. ‘I give you full marks for that. How about us going someplace dancing tonight? I take it one of the hotels in the town runs a band?'

‘I'd love to. During the five days since we arrived here I've
been bored to tears. There's a big place called the Corfu Palace. We'll run down there after dinner.'

At dinner that evening de Richleau told his guests about the strange turn of fortune which, twenty years after it should have done, promised to bring him a jewel mine, and that he was contemplating flying out to Ceylon to see for himself his unexpected inheritance.

When the surprise, laughter and congratulations had died down, Marie Lou said seriously, ‘We are delighted for you, Greyeyes dear, but you really must not think of going out to Ceylon. To talk to, no-one would believe you to be a day over seventy but you must face the fact that you are eighty-three. You have kept yourself so fit that we who love you have every hope that you'll live to be a hundred. But you'll do that only if you continue to take great care of yourself. Such a long flight would prove too great a strain for anyone of your age.'

‘Marie Lou's right,' Richard chimed in. ‘Living quietly here for the greater part of the year is splendid for you, and an occasional trip to the South of France or England entails no great risk. But going to Ceylon is a very different matter. It's not only that after such a long flight you would arrive exhausted; but the conditions when you got there. From next month on the heat there will be terrific, and going from it into air-conditioned rooms you might easily catch a chill. There's the risk, too, that you might pick up one of those awful tropical diseases. Honestly, you must put this idea right out of your mind.'

The younger people supported their elders and after a while the Duke gave way. But he was so intrigued by the story of the forged will and about the property he had been left that he was eager to secure more particulars than could be sent in a letter. In consequence, as he could well afford it, he decided to cable the solicitor who had written to him and request that he should come to Corfu as soon as possible.

After dinner Fleur announced her intention of going down to the Corfu Palace with Truss to dance, and asked if they might have a car. In addition to the Duke's large car in which
he sometimes went for drives, he kept a runabout for the convenience of his guests who wanted to make expeditions by the narrow roads up through the mountains. He said that by all means they could take it, and ten minutes later they were on their way.

The moon was not yet up so the lush vegetation on either side of the steep twisting descent to the coast road was veiled in darkness, but they were soon running past the airport at the inland end of the Kanoni lagoon and between scattered houses to the great sweep of Garitsars bay, south of the town, where the big luxury hotel was ablaze with lights.

It had been built only three years before and its spacious hall, broad staircase and the masses of exotic flowers in the big first-floor lounge were all impressive. As it was still early in the season there were only a score or so of people sitting about but at one end a three-man band was playing.

Although only a young man Truss's physique and well-cut tuxedo gave him the sort of presence to which head waiters always give a smiling welcome; so they were shown to a good table which Truss amply justified by ordering a bottle of French champagne. When he had approved the wine they went out on to the floor and, to his delight, he found that Fleur was a joy to dance with.

The three hours that followed passed all too quickly for them both, and when the band played the Greek National Anthem they were surprised to find that it was one o'clock in the morning. By then they had consumed a second bottle, and when they went out to the car they were laughing together just a little hilariously.

A sickle moon was now up, high in a clear sky, its light so strong that by it they could see the outline of the age-old citadel on the big twin-peaked promontory of rock to the east of the town. It was said to have served as a refuge for the townsfolk during the Gothic invasion and, rebuilt by the Venetians, had, a thousand years later, defied the Turks.

Back at the villa they did not feel like bed so got themselves drinks, took them out on to the terrace and sat there breathing in the heady scent of the moonflowers. But it had now become
a little chilly: so when they had finished their drinks Fleur stood up and said, ‘I think now we'd better go in.'

Coming to his feet, Truss put his big hands on her shoulders, smiled down at her and replied, ‘Surely. But when I take a girl dancing it's my custom to kiss her good night; and anyhow I'd like to show you I haven't forgotten what you taught me that Christmas.'

Fleur smiled back at him, lifting her face to his. ‘Come on then, big boy. Just show me.'

Her full lips melted under his. Their kiss was long, moist and sweet. As he held her to him he felt her quiver slightly. When at length he took his mouth from hers he gave a little gasp and murmured, ‘I could do with a lot of that.'

She was breathing fast and remained silent for a moment, then she whispered, ‘Truss; as I told you this afternoon, I've been a naughty girl with quite a number of men. That at least gives me one advantage: I've learned how to take care of myself, and have never had a slip-up yet. You'd run no risk of putting me in the family way.'

His voice came huskily. ‘You mean …?'

Gripping the lapels of his coat she went on tiptoe to give him a swift kiss. ‘Yes. Why not? You've got to start some time, and I'm told most men are not too good at their first attempt. If you're not, knowing you've never done it before at least I'll understand. Whereas if you wait until it's with someone you're crazy about it may prove a bitter disappointment to you both.'

A sudden smile lit his ugly attractive face. ‘It wouldn't take much to make me crazy about you. Come on, then; let's.'

With a swift gesture he put one arm round her shoulders and the other round her thighs. Picking her up without a trace of effort, he carried her into the house.

Truss had arrived in Corfu on April 18th, and later he looked back on the eight days that followed as the happiest in his life. He was his own master with not a single thing to worry him: perfect health, ample money and time was his servant. As de Richleau's guest he lived in a household where long years of experience by its master decreed every possible comfort. His companions were intelligent and charming people, all of whom were fond of him. The French chef produced dishes of the first excellence and the Duke's cellar held wines which it would have been difficult to surpass. The island was an earthly paradise of shimmering mountains, dark olive groves and vistas of tranquil blue seas. Luxurious fruit abounded and on all sides the cottage gardens and woodlands were starred with flowers of every colour in the spectrum. Above all, for the first time in his life, he had a beautiful, interesting and passionate girl as his mistress.

Fleur's assumption that his excess of excitement at a first encounter might tend to spoil it had been correct; but Truss proved a quick learner. In his powerful body there lay the virility of a young bull, and out of her experience in the past six years Fleur soon taught him all she knew. After the first night they danced only until they could be reasonably certain that the rest of the household had gone to bed, and as the room next to hers was unoccupied they were able to romp and laugh in hers to their hearts' content. He had come to adore the feel of the satin-smooth skin of her slender body as a miser loves the
feel of gold. She, having had other lovers, and being more interested in older men, felt no real love for him but accepted his caresses with eagerness and delight.

His pleasure in being with her in the daytime was exceeded only by the ecstasy that shook him during their hectic nights; for he left her only at dawn to go off with her after breakfast and revel in the surrounding countryside which was so different from anything he had seen in the States.

On their first morning she took him down to the town. It could hardly be called a city, as it had no more than thirty-five thousand inhabitants. The narrow streets twisted between tall old houses built in the Italian style, that were mostly blocks of flats. From their narrow iron balconies the Corfiotes hung their washing on lines suspended to the house opposite, which gave a pleasant shade. Some of the streets had arcades, while others consisted of a series of shallow steps leading up the hill. But as it was a Sunday the shops were shut.

To the seaward side of the centre of the town lay the Esplanade, a vast open space with a bandstand in the centre and in the southern half an avenue of chestnut trees in blossom that led to the slope down to Garitsars bay. Innumerable people were strolling there to the music of two bands, both of which wore uniform with plumed brass hats, and one of which was composed of women.

On the east of the Esplanade lay the public park beyond which was a deep canal spanned by a narrow bridge leading to the castles on the twin peaks dominating the promontory that juts out into the sea. In the park there were many statues, mostly of British Governors of the island who had administered it as a Protectorate for over fifty years during the past century.

At the northern end of the square stood the Royal Palace, that had been built as a Residence for these Governors. It was flanked by two great gateways named St. Michael and St. George and it was their propinquity which had inspired the title of the Most Distinguished Order of Chivalry bestowed upon so many famous British diplomats. Now, the Palace was an Archaeological Museum. It also housed an exceptional collection of no fewer than seven thousand five hundred pieces
of Chinese and Japanese porcelain, lacquer, jade and precious stones.

Truss, like a good American, had read up on Corfu before arriving there and, guidebook in hand, was full of facts and figures. He wanted to go in to see at least the star pieces of Greek art that had been excavated from the foundations of the town: a Gorgon from the pediment of the Temple of Artemis, and an archaic lioness. But such things bored Fleur, so she dissuaded him and they sauntered across to the long arcades on the west of the square beneath which there were a number of cafés. These were known as the ‘Listern' because in times past only the privileged, whose names were on a ‘list' submitted to the British Governor, were allowed to sit and drink at them. By then Fleur was hot and tired, so they had cassata ices and sat there for a while before returning to the villa.