Bella by Jilly Cooper Page B

though he wanted to devour her and overwhelm her with the force of his passion. He must love her to kiss her like that.
    ‘Why have you been so horrible to me?’ she moaned, when she could speak.
    ‘I had to make you come to heel. You can’t marry Rupert. You know that.’
    ‘Yes! Yes!’
    ‘Promise you’ll speak to him this evening?’
    ‘I promise! Anything, anything. Just kiss me again.’
    He pulled her down on to the bed. They erupted against each other.
    ‘I want you,’ he whispered. ‘I want you – now.’
    Any moment he’d be raping her and she didn’t care.
    It was a few seconds before they realized someone was screaming horribly.
    ‘Bloody hell! Someone seems to have been murdered,’ he said.
    ‘Don’t go! Don’t leave me!’
    He started to kiss her again, but the screaming went on, echoing unearthily through the house.
    ‘I’d better go and see what’s going on. I’ll sort you out later, but not until you’ve packed it in with Rupert.’ And he was gone.
    When the lights came on she realized she was in a strange bedroom, probably belonging to one of the maids. In a daze of happiness, she re-did her face and staggered downstairs. Steve loved her! She wasn’t looking forward to breaking it off with Rupert, but it was no good marrying him if she really loved Steve.
    She felt so free, she wanted to swing from the chandeliers.
    Downstairs she found everyone standing round Chrissie, who was in hysterics.
    ‘It’s gone!’ she screamed. ‘It’s gone!’
    ‘What’s gone?’ said Lazlo sharply. ‘Pull yourself together!’
    ‘The Evening Star. I was upstairs. Someone put their hands round my neck and the next moment the diamond was gone. Oh! What will Mummy say?’
    Bust a gut, thought Bella, and winked at Steve. But he didn’t smile. He looked the picture of concern.
    ‘Don’t panic. I guess someone’s playing a joke.’
    ‘Bloody silly joke, whoever’s playing it!’ snapped Lazlo.
    ‘I’m going to call the police,’ said Chrissie.
    ‘Don’t be crazy,’ said Lazlo. ‘Come on, let’s look for it.’
    But although they searched all the passages and rooms, no-one could find any trace of the stone.
    Lazlo looked at his watch. ‘I’ve got to catch that plane. I must go. I’ll ring you tomorrow,’ he said, as he kissed Chrissie. ‘And whatever you do, don’t get the police in.’
    And that, thought Bella, looking at Lazlo’s broad departing back, is the last I’ll ever see of that snake.
    ‘I’m going to call Aunt Constance,’ said Chrissie, going upstairs. But when she came back, ten minutes later, her eyes were glittering. ‘I’ve rung the police,’ she said defiantly. ‘They’ll be round any moment.’
    Rupert frowned. ‘That’s a bit extreme, isn’t it?’
    Angora giggled. ‘How exciting,’ she said, starting to re-paint her lips a brilliant scarlet. ‘Do you think they’ll search me?’
    ‘Sure to,’ said Steve, rumpling her hair.
    They smiled into each other’s eyes.
    Can’t he let up even now, thought Bella; then she relented. Let him have his little game of taunting her; he’d be hers as soon as she broke it off with Rupert.
    All the same, she felt twitchy. She hated the police. She hoped they wouldn’t ask too many awkward questions. If they found out about her background, they might suspect her. Thank goodness she’d been with Steve all the time, and had a proper alibi.
    When the police arrived, Chrissie talked to them first, then Steve, who stayed in there a long time, then Angora, Rupert, Lazlo’s various racing cronies and, finally, Bella.
    The CID man had a smooth, pink, deceptively homely face. After a few enquiries, he said politely, ‘Your real name’s Mabel Figge, isn’t it, Miss Parkinson?’
    She caught her breath. ‘Yes – yes, that’s right.’
    ‘And your father died in prison, doing time for murder and robbery.’
    ‘Yes.’ She clasped her hands together to stop them from shaking.
    After a few more questions it was