ungrateful, which was hardly fair. 'I'll have a word with your father,' she said quietly, 'and see what he thinks.'
This somewhat brightened Celia's depression. 'And you promise not to say anything to that woman until then?' she demanded persistently.
Melanie reluctantly gave her promise, and then shooed Celia out of her room while she dressed and got ready to face what she was sure was going to be the worst interview of her life, only remembering to ask Celia where her father was before she took herself off. Celia informed her that he was, 'Probably in the "men only" lounge receiving large whiskies to go with the congratulations,' and only just managed to shut the door between her and the pillow that an irate Melanie flung at her.
Melanie wasn't sure whether it was a general weakness on her part or the thought of the coming interview she had to have with Julian that made her knees seem to have turned to jelly, but she had to go
through with it rather than have the sword of Damocles hanging over her head, and she didn't know what she would do if she happened to meet any of the guests on her way to the hotel lounge.
This, however, was an ordeal she was spared by the arrival of Julian just as she got to the door of their suite, and for a moment their eyes met. Hers with an anxious enquiry in them, and his cold grey ones with an expression that sent her spirits pivoting down to an all-time low.
`I suppose you know the result of your slight indisposition ?' he asked coldly.
Melanie looked away from him, and nodded. 'Celia told me,' she said quietly. She knew how embarrassed he must have been by the congratulations, and could only hope he had managed to deny them. 'I hope you were able to put the record straight,' she got out, forcing herself to meet those cold eyes of his.
`How the hell could I?' he demanded exasperatedly. `Whatever you told that old besom Hounslow Holmes, it did the trick, didn't it?' he added with meaning.
Melanie stared back at him. The colour that had come back into her face since she had been up and about now left her, and the white look was there again. `Would you please explain just what you mean,' she queried icily, completely losing her earlier apologetic manner at the enormity of the implied innuendo.
`I should have thought that that was obvious,' he said harshly. 'A wedding ring on a woman's finger can go to her head.'
`Are you suggesting it's gone to mine?' Melanie broke in indignantly.
`I can't think why else you should have bothered to put such a tale around, can you? If you've some idea of playing for keeps, I suggest that you forget it. Our
arrangement still stands. The only good thing about this whole wretched business is that my ex-wife's seen the light, and I know her too well to have any worry that she'll persist in her quest. News travels fast in the movie world, and she won't want any adverse publicity; she's got her fans to consider. Her touching farewell in the dining-room will do marvels for her image. And that, my dear Miss Greensmith, means that our little arrangement can be concluded much earlier than I'd supposed. You could not, of course, have foreseen that in your calculations. You can at least be assured that your future is rosy, for I shall stand by the original arrangement and settle my debt.'
He gave her a contemptuous look. 'I suppose, really, I ought to thank you for the expediency of the conclusion, but I have just had to put up with the most distasteful, not to mention embarrassing few hours of my life. I abhor play-acting in any sense of the word. I am not about to repeat the error that I made in my youth. We shall, of course, have to leave the hotel, and I shall make arrangements for us to take a villa here f or the remainder of our holiday as it would look extremely odd if we were to take of back home. I advise you to make the most of your stay in the Caribbean while it lasts,' he ended harshly, before turning on his heel and leaving her.
Melanie
This somewhat brightened Celia's depression. 'And you promise not to say anything to that woman until then?' she demanded persistently.
Melanie reluctantly gave her promise, and then shooed Celia out of her room while she dressed and got ready to face what she was sure was going to be the worst interview of her life, only remembering to ask Celia where her father was before she took herself off. Celia informed her that he was, 'Probably in the "men only" lounge receiving large whiskies to go with the congratulations,' and only just managed to shut the door between her and the pillow that an irate Melanie flung at her.
Melanie wasn't sure whether it was a general weakness on her part or the thought of the coming interview she had to have with Julian that made her knees seem to have turned to jelly, but she had to go
through with it rather than have the sword of Damocles hanging over her head, and she didn't know what she would do if she happened to meet any of the guests on her way to the hotel lounge.
This, however, was an ordeal she was spared by the arrival of Julian just as she got to the door of their suite, and for a moment their eyes met. Hers with an anxious enquiry in them, and his cold grey ones with an expression that sent her spirits pivoting down to an all-time low.
`I suppose you know the result of your slight indisposition ?' he asked coldly.
Melanie looked away from him, and nodded. 'Celia told me,' she said quietly. She knew how embarrassed he must have been by the congratulations, and could only hope he had managed to deny them. 'I hope you were able to put the record straight,' she got out, forcing herself to meet those cold eyes of his.
`How the hell could I?' he demanded exasperatedly. `Whatever you told that old besom Hounslow Holmes, it did the trick, didn't it?' he added with meaning.
Melanie stared back at him. The colour that had come back into her face since she had been up and about now left her, and the white look was there again. `Would you please explain just what you mean,' she queried icily, completely losing her earlier apologetic manner at the enormity of the implied innuendo.
`I should have thought that that was obvious,' he said harshly. 'A wedding ring on a woman's finger can go to her head.'
`Are you suggesting it's gone to mine?' Melanie broke in indignantly.
`I can't think why else you should have bothered to put such a tale around, can you? If you've some idea of playing for keeps, I suggest that you forget it. Our
arrangement still stands. The only good thing about this whole wretched business is that my ex-wife's seen the light, and I know her too well to have any worry that she'll persist in her quest. News travels fast in the movie world, and she won't want any adverse publicity; she's got her fans to consider. Her touching farewell in the dining-room will do marvels for her image. And that, my dear Miss Greensmith, means that our little arrangement can be concluded much earlier than I'd supposed. You could not, of course, have foreseen that in your calculations. You can at least be assured that your future is rosy, for I shall stand by the original arrangement and settle my debt.'
He gave her a contemptuous look. 'I suppose, really, I ought to thank you for the expediency of the conclusion, but I have just had to put up with the most distasteful, not to mention embarrassing few hours of my life. I abhor play-acting in any sense of the word. I am not about to repeat the error that I made in my youth. We shall, of course, have to leave the hotel, and I shall make arrangements for us to take a villa here f or the remainder of our holiday as it would look extremely odd if we were to take of back home. I advise you to make the most of your stay in the Caribbean while it lasts,' he ended harshly, before turning on his heel and leaving her.
Melanie
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