Trembling violently Harriet clung to him, resting her head against his shoulder as she
recovered, while Edmund and Noella continued to watch. Looking over his wife’s head, Lewis caught Edmund’s eye and for a moment the two men stared at each other. Then, surprisingly, Edmund smiled one of his rare smiles before getting to his feet and walking back to the house. The smile should have comforted Lewis, but it didn’t.
Now that the excitement of the moment was over, Harriet felt embarrassed and she was relieved to see that Edmund had gone. Climbing out of the pool, she let Lewis wrap her in a towel and then rub her dry while Noella pulled her lounger into a shaded area and closed her eyes.
‘Nice?’ asked Lewis with a grin.
Harriet sighed. ‘Very nice. Lewis, I don’t need anyone but you.’
‘I’m sure if you tell Edmund that, he’ll accept it. I don’t imagine he’s ever forced his attentions on a woman.’
‘I can’t,’ admitted Harriet after a pause.
Lewis’s hands slowed on the towel. ‘Why not?’
‘I want to know more.’
‘More about what?’
She sighed. ‘I don’t know how to explain this, but Edmund gives the impression that he knows things other people don’t, things that I want to know about as well.’
‘Dangerous things?’ enquired Lewis.
‘Perhaps.’
‘That should add to the film’s box office appeal,’ he said with what appeared to be
satisfaction. When Harriet shivered he resumed his brisk towelling of her body.
‘It isn’t love,’ she murmured.
‘No, of course not,’ said Lewis, handing her the discarded dress. ‘I never thought that it would be, at least not yet.’
Harriet looked at him in dismay. ‘You can’t believe it will turn into love?’
‘Why can’t I?’
‘Well, if you did you wouldn’t risk playing the game, would you?’
‘I’m not playing a game, I’m writing a film,’ he said patiently.
‘And you’re willing to risk me falling in love with Edmund?’ Her voice was rising and in the distance Noella stirred.
‘I can’t control your feelings Harriet. If you’re going to fall in love with someone else it might as well be now than later on in our marriage.’
‘I don’t want to love him!’ she said angrily.
‘Good, then I’m sure you won’t. Personally I’d say that Edmund would be very hard to love, since love is essentially a two way thing and he doesn’t seem to me to be capable of loving a woman back.’
‘That’s all right then,’ said Harriet.
‘I want to know exactly what he does to you,’ Lewis murmured as he rolled up the wet towel. ‘I want you to tell me all the details every time.’
‘And if I won’t?’
‘I’ll find out in other ways,’ was all he would say, but Harriet guessed that, just as he had for
Dark Secret
, he’d use concealed cameras.
‘You might have to use other ways,’ she retorted. ‘I don’t think I want to talk to you about what we do.’
‘Fine.’
‘Time for a bath, I think,’ said Noella, getting out of her chair and strolling towards them. ‘You both look very serious. Not a lover’s tiff surely? Not after such a nice swim together!’
‘We’re just tired,’ said Harriet shortly, and she went into the house ahead of the other two.
‘What are you playing at, Lewis?’ asked Noella.
He smiled at her, and once again she wished that she was more his type, because she knew that he’d be the most incredible lover. ‘I’m not playing at anything,’ he said innocently. ‘I’m merely having a quiet honeymoon.’
‘You’re never quiet, and this is the strangest honeymoon I’ve ever heard of,’ she said briskly. ‘No, you’re up to something. I just can’t work out what it is.’
‘Don’t try, Noella, you’d be wasting your time.’
‘You mean I’m not bright enough to work it out?’
Lewis shook his head. ‘I mean there’s nothing to know.’
‘I know when someone’s lying to me!’ she laughed. ‘Hey, there’s Oliver. I’ll go and have a word with him and then run that bath I mentioned. Care to share it with me?’
‘I’ll take a rain check!’ laughed Lewis.
Harriet, feeling surprisingly low considering the episode in the pool, walked into the drawing
room, sat down in one of the armchairs and gave a small sigh.
‘What’s wrong?’ asked Edmund.
Harriet jumped. She hadn’t seen him hidden in the depths of the other chair. ‘Nothing, I’m tired that’s all.’
‘I didn’t like watching you and Lewis in the pool,’ said Edmund quietly. ‘In fact, I positively disliked it.’
‘You didn’t have to watch.’
Edmund smiled to himself. ‘But you wanted me to watch, Harriet. Isn’t that true?’
‘It didn’t matter to me,’ she lied.
‘When we’re next together, I’m afraid I shall have to make you pay for what you did to me,’ he murmured.
A tingle of excitement ran up Harriet’s spine but before she could reply Lewis and Noella joined them and she was left to think about what he’d said. She knew that he hadn’t been joking because he wasn’t the kind of man who made jokes, and after Noella’s warning she wondered if perhaps she would be wiser not to carry on their affair. Wiser certainly, but if she didn’t carry on then she’d never learn what it was she wanted to learn: the extent to which Edmund took his women in the course of making love to them.
THEY WERE JUST
finishing their meal that evening when the front doorbell rang. ‘It must be Ella!’ exclaimed Harriet, starting to rise from her chair.
‘I’ll go,’ said Lewis. ‘You haven’t finished the famous shepherds’ pie yet. Is there any over for your friend if she’s hungry?’
‘There’s plenty,’ Noella assured him. ‘I hardly touched mine. I’m afraid it’s one English delicacy I can do without.’
‘Be nice to her, Lewis,’ said Harriet as he left the room.
‘How nice do you want him to be?’ enquired Noella.
‘Polite will be sufficient,’ laughed Harriet. ‘I’m afraid Lewis isn’t that keen on having her here at all, although I really can’t imagine why.’
At that moment, having opened the front door and found himself face to face with Ella Walker,
Lewis couldn’t imagine why he hadn’t wanted her to come either. She was shorter than Harriet and slim with fair shoulder-length hair and amazing deep blue eyes that seemed to hold a vast amount of knowledge in their depths. When she raised her eyes to smile at him, he felt a flicker of desire and realised that this was a young woman who knew the power of her own sexuality and how to use it to good purpose. He didn’t mind that, in fact he admired it, but he was surprised. Somehow he’d pictured Ella as a far more passive girl.
She held out a slim hand and he took it in his large tanned one. ‘Hi, you must be Ella. I’m Lewis James, Harriet’s new husband.’
‘I recognised you from pictures in film magazines,’ said Ella. ‘It’s really nice of you to ask me down. I mean, not many men would want intruders on their honeymoon.’
He smiled and stepped back to let her in, taking one of her suitcases from her as he did so. ‘It’s not just a honeymoon; I’m afraid I’m having to do some work as well, which means that Harriet’s glad to have other people around. Some mutual friends are here too.’
‘Just the same it’s really nice of you,’ Ella repeated, thinking that his photos, good as they were, hadn’t done him justice. He was incredibly handsome and his charisma was palpable even in the few minutes they’d been speaking. Lucky Harriet, she thought to herself.
‘Haven’t I met you before?’ asked Lewis as they
approached the dining room.
‘I think I’d remember if we had,’ laughed Ella.
Lewis frowned. ‘I know I recognise your face. Let me think a minute. I’ve got it – you were in Mike Kitt’s fringe production of
A Midsummer Night’s Dream
weren’t you? Playing Titania?’
Ella nodded. ‘Yes, but I didn’t think many people would have seen it.’
‘I didn’t see it, I saw pictures from it and a friend of mine who went said that you were incredible. The sexiest fairy queen ever according to him!’
‘I had a sexy Oberon playing opposite me, that helped,’ she said with a smile.
‘Now we’ve met I wish I had seen it,’ said Lewis softly, and Ella’s stomach felt as though she’d just driven over a bump in the road as it lurched violently. She was still reeling from the impact Lewis had made on her as she walked into the dining room and was greeted by a delighted Harriet, who then introduced her to Edmund and Noella.
Later, helping Ella unpack in the tiny attic room at the top of the house, Harriet told her some more about the pair, explaining why it was that they were there.
‘She’s attractive in a rather brash way, isn’t she?’ mused Ella.
‘Yes, I guess she is,’ said Harriet. ‘What did you think of Edmund?’
‘Not a lot. He isn’t particularly friendly is he? But your husband, Harriet, is simply gorgeous!
You must be the luckiest woman in the world.’
‘I suppose so,’ said Harriet.
Ella stared at her. ‘You
suppose
so? Believe me, most women would kill for a husband like that.’
‘I know, but he’s so wrapped up in his work. It’s more important to him than anything else, including our relationship.’
Ella frowned. ‘Come on, Harriet, you’re not complaining because he doesn’t do a nine-to-five job in the local building society are you? What did you expect from one of the world’s leading film directors? Anyway, when you last wrote to me you were the happiest woman alive.’
Harriet sighed. ‘It’s just that he seems willing to risk—’
‘Risk what?’
‘Nothing, I’m being stupid. You’re right of course. And besides, I want a different kind of life, that’s why I went to work for him in the first place.’
‘Yes, and don’t you forget it. Talking of that, I hear he’s working on a sequel to
Dark Secret.’
‘Yes, he is. In fact, he’s working on it while we’re here.’
‘Who’s going to play Helena this time?’
‘He doesn’t know yet. It’s giving him quite a few headaches.’
‘What’s the story about?’ asked Ella eagerly.
‘I really don’t know, Ella. He doesn’t discuss it with me,’ said Harriet. She had intended to confide more in her friend, but there was something about Ella’s enthusiasm for Lewis that
made her cautious. Besides, she could hardly discuss the way the film was being written with a professional actress, or the news would soon be all over London which would certainly not please Lewis.
‘I’m so tired,’ said Ella suddenly, lying down on her bed and closing her eyes. ‘The traffic was ghastly and the car got so hot I thought I’d boil alive.’
‘You have an early night,’ suggested Harriet. ‘The bathroom next door is just for you. Get up when you like in the morning; we see to our own breakfast. Mrs Webster’s here, but Lewis prefers her to keep out of our way until he’s fully conscious! She’ll leave a tray of tea outside your door about eight but if you don’t want to get out of bed just leave it.’
‘What bliss,’ sighed Ella. ‘You don’t know how lucky you are, Harriet.’
‘Perhaps I don’t,’ agreed Harriet, quietly walking out of the room.
‘You didn’t tell me how attractive she was,’ said Lewis when Harriet rejoined the others.
‘You knew she was an actress.’
‘Sure, but there are lots of actresses who aren’t as attractive as Ella.’
‘I didn’t think she was particularly striking,’ said Edmund. ‘Rather too pale for my liking.’
‘She was Titania in Mike Kitt’s fringe
Dream,’
said Lewis.
‘I heard that Oberon was a better fairy queen!’ laughed Noella.
‘According to a friend of mine Ella was excellent,’ responded Lewis.
Harriet looked at him in surprise. ‘My goodness, she has made a good impression on you! Well, it’s mutual; she seems to imagine you’re some kind of god.’
Lewis grinned. ‘Good taste as well, what more can a man desire?’
‘I warned you about your own desires,’ Harriet whispered in his ear.
Lewis turned his head and looked thoughtfully at her. ‘So you did. I’d quite forgotten that. Right, I’m off to the pub.’
‘To meet Mark?’ asked Harriet.
‘No, just for a drink with the locals. It helps me get the atmosphere of the place. Anyone else want to join me?’
‘I wouldn’t mind,’ said Noella. ‘I’ve never spent a night drinking in an English pub. I hope it’s a better custom than the shepherds’ pie!’
‘What about you, Edmund?’ asked Lewis.
Edmund shook his head. ‘There’s no novelty for me in an English pub. Nor for Harriet either, I imagine. Shall we stay here, Harriet? We can always have a round of pitch-and-putt in the falling dusk.’
Harriet’s mouth went dry and her heart started to race. ‘Sure, that sounds like a good idea. I find pubs too smoky anyway.’
‘As you like,’ said Lewis easily. ‘We’ll be an hour or so I expect. Be good both of you!’
As the sound of the car engine died away,
Harriet and Edmund looked at each other and then Edmund held out his hand. ‘Come along, Harriet,’ he said gently. ‘It’s time we got to know each other a little better.’
‘What about Ella?’ asked Harriet, suddenly anxious to delay the moment.
‘She looked ready to sleep for hours. What’s the matter? Have you changed your mind?’
‘No, of course not.’
He sighed with satisfaction. ‘I spent a lot of time this morning arranging things in case we had an opportunity like this. I’m sure you won’t be disappointed, Harriet.’
‘Was that before or after you watched me in the pool?’ she asked.
‘Before, but it doesn’t make any difference. I’m good at adapting things to meet new requirements.’ Silently she took his outstretched hand and went with him.
Once inside the bedroom, Edmund sat on the side of the bed and looked up at Harriet. ‘Tell me, Harriet, what is it you want of me?’ he asked softly.
‘I’d have thought that was obvious,’ replied Harriet, her fingers moving to the front of her dress.
‘Don’t undo anything yet,’ he said quickly. ‘I want to know exactly what it is you expect of me.’
‘I don’t expect anything.’
‘You’re in love with Lewis, aren’t you?’ he continued as though she hadn’t spoken.
‘Yes, of course.’