feel as if I've had to kidnap you in order to have you
spend some time with me! I'm surprised your mother didn't have you get in
touch!'
Uncle Theo's voice sounded gruffly annoyed, before he brightened up
briefly. 'At least you play a damn good game of tennis . . . Sara, is it? And
don't think I didn't notice that you let Garon win that last game!'
She had to try to keep her voice from shaking. 'No Uncle Theo, it isn't
Sara. It's Delight, remember? The black sheep.'
His eyes, still alert and intelligent, swept over her before he shrugged
impatiently. 'Well - Delight or Sara — it doesn't really matter. Both Mona's
daughters, aren't you? And both take after your mother, I guess!'
'When did Garon leave?' It was a deliberate non sequitur, but Sara was
beyond the point of worrying about it.
Uncle Theo merely grunted. 'Right after you fell asleep, I reckon! He
had a call from Sally — something to do with one of the kids. But he did ask me
to tell you that he'd like to see you again.'
'Oh . . .' Sara said bleakly. What an idiot she'd made of herself! And
poor Garon, having to be kind.
'I think . . .' Sara massaged her temples exploratively, 'I think I was
supposed to report to the set today. Oh, God. Lew will be furious!'
'What the hell use do you think all my money is? Nobody's going to miss
you. You've got a week off while they're shooting the chase scenes.'
Belatedly, Sara remembered that Uncle Theo 'dabbled'in almost
everything. Just like her father (she winced at that thought).
'Great. I think I'm going to go into hibernation.' 'Well, if you really
feel that way, you're welcome to stay here! I tend to get lonely sometimes.'
'I just don't believe that!' she teased him gently, knowing better.
Uncle Theo had always surrounded himself with people. 'And besides, you have a
house-guest.'
'I like Riccardo . . . but he doesn't stay around much.'
'You wouldn't like it if he did, would you?' He gave an explosive
chuckle. 'Damned if you don't sound more like Sara! She always did lock horns
with me -contradict me. Well, I'll give you the same licence! But come along
now — I've fixed you one of my special omelettes!'
Afterwards Sara would wonder why she hadn't stayed longer to enjoy the
comfortable familiarity, the security, that Uncle Theo offered. She could rest,
be herself, gather herself up ... The thought might have been too tempting not
to accept if Uncle Theo had not had a house-guest. To stay under the same roof
as the detestable Riccardo, Duca di Cavalieri, was more than she could cope
with at this point in her life — especially since she had to think very very
seriously about Garon, and how she was going to deal with him.
Sara spent the rest of the afternoon sunbathing under Uncle Theo's
benevolent aegis. To anybody watching she might have appeared to be sleeping in
the golden warmth of the summer sun — but her mind was far too busy with
questions and imagination. Deliberately centred around Garon . . . Was she
going to have a properly casual affair with him or not? Under the unravelling
heat of the sun, Sara's mind-pictures were ambivalent, and she wavered between
being herself and being Delight - reminding herself firmly that as far as Garon
was concerned she was Delight the outgoing; not Sara the introvert. And did
this fact allow Sara the inhibited to let down all her barriers while she
play-acted at being Delight, who lived up to her name in every way?
Oh, yes, she could have stayed there forever under the sun, forgetting
about decisions and answers and limitations — not having to deal with anything
more serious than the effort of turning over from her stomach on to her back.
Could have and would have perhaps, if not for the feeling of a shadow across
her relaxed body, and a harshly grating voice that seemed to rasp across her
nerves.
'You look as if you are giving yourself up as an offering to the sun!
And unfortunately I am no Apollo - being a more comfortable citizen of hell
than of heaven! Are
spend some time with me! I'm surprised your mother didn't have you get in
touch!'
Uncle Theo's voice sounded gruffly annoyed, before he brightened up
briefly. 'At least you play a damn good game of tennis . . . Sara, is it? And
don't think I didn't notice that you let Garon win that last game!'
She had to try to keep her voice from shaking. 'No Uncle Theo, it isn't
Sara. It's Delight, remember? The black sheep.'
His eyes, still alert and intelligent, swept over her before he shrugged
impatiently. 'Well - Delight or Sara — it doesn't really matter. Both Mona's
daughters, aren't you? And both take after your mother, I guess!'
'When did Garon leave?' It was a deliberate non sequitur, but Sara was
beyond the point of worrying about it.
Uncle Theo merely grunted. 'Right after you fell asleep, I reckon! He
had a call from Sally — something to do with one of the kids. But he did ask me
to tell you that he'd like to see you again.'
'Oh . . .' Sara said bleakly. What an idiot she'd made of herself! And
poor Garon, having to be kind.
'I think . . .' Sara massaged her temples exploratively, 'I think I was
supposed to report to the set today. Oh, God. Lew will be furious!'
'What the hell use do you think all my money is? Nobody's going to miss
you. You've got a week off while they're shooting the chase scenes.'
Belatedly, Sara remembered that Uncle Theo 'dabbled'in almost
everything. Just like her father (she winced at that thought).
'Great. I think I'm going to go into hibernation.' 'Well, if you really
feel that way, you're welcome to stay here! I tend to get lonely sometimes.'
'I just don't believe that!' she teased him gently, knowing better.
Uncle Theo had always surrounded himself with people. 'And besides, you have a
house-guest.'
'I like Riccardo . . . but he doesn't stay around much.'
'You wouldn't like it if he did, would you?' He gave an explosive
chuckle. 'Damned if you don't sound more like Sara! She always did lock horns
with me -contradict me. Well, I'll give you the same licence! But come along
now — I've fixed you one of my special omelettes!'
Afterwards Sara would wonder why she hadn't stayed longer to enjoy the
comfortable familiarity, the security, that Uncle Theo offered. She could rest,
be herself, gather herself up ... The thought might have been too tempting not
to accept if Uncle Theo had not had a house-guest. To stay under the same roof
as the detestable Riccardo, Duca di Cavalieri, was more than she could cope
with at this point in her life — especially since she had to think very very
seriously about Garon, and how she was going to deal with him.
Sara spent the rest of the afternoon sunbathing under Uncle Theo's
benevolent aegis. To anybody watching she might have appeared to be sleeping in
the golden warmth of the summer sun — but her mind was far too busy with
questions and imagination. Deliberately centred around Garon . . . Was she
going to have a properly casual affair with him or not? Under the unravelling
heat of the sun, Sara's mind-pictures were ambivalent, and she wavered between
being herself and being Delight - reminding herself firmly that as far as Garon
was concerned she was Delight the outgoing; not Sara the introvert. And did
this fact allow Sara the inhibited to let down all her barriers while she
play-acted at being Delight, who lived up to her name in every way?
Oh, yes, she could have stayed there forever under the sun, forgetting
about decisions and answers and limitations — not having to deal with anything
more serious than the effort of turning over from her stomach on to her back.
Could have and would have perhaps, if not for the feeling of a shadow across
her relaxed body, and a harshly grating voice that seemed to rasp across her
nerves.
'You look as if you are giving yourself up as an offering to the sun!
And unfortunately I am no Apollo - being a more comfortable citizen of hell
than of heaven! Are
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