off a difficult day? A nightcap to perhaps dull the sting of not knowing where Reith was. She’d seen him walk out of the Cellar Door after the parade and that was the last she’d seen of him.
She shrugged and wandered into the lounge, and stopped dead.
Reith looked up from the paper he was reading. There was a brandy in a balloon glass on the occasional table beside him.
He said nothing.
Kim came to life. ‘That’s where you are,’ she murmured and walked over to the bar to pour herself a brandy.
‘So we’re talking? I wasn’t sure,’ he said dryly.
She merely looked at him and sat down in an armchair.
‘OK, let’s try this—you thought I should have stayed and helped? That’s what you’re mad about?’ he queried.
She shrugged. ‘It would have been a help, but no.’
‘No? You don’t think I should have stayed or—you’re not mad?’
Kim tensed inwardly, bitterly regretting getting herself into this but she felt exhausted and didn’t have the will to go away—where to, anyway? So she took refuge in her drink. She took a sip and stared into her glass.
‘Next minute you’ll be telling me there’s nothing wrong,’ he said softly. ‘One of the all time favourite lies women employ when they’re hiding huge grievances.’
She looked up, her eyes glittering like sapphires in the sudden pallor of her face. ‘Of course you know this from your extensive experience of women, I presume?’
He laughed. ‘Thought that might flush you out, my dear Kim. So, why don’t you go on and spill the beans?’
‘There’s—’ She closed her mouth, nearly biting her lip, and took another sip of her brandy.
‘Nothing,’ he said flatly. ‘Is that why you didn’t look at me? Not once while you were doing your stint on the microphone. Then or later. I might have been nonexistent—’
‘Why should I acknowledge you?’ she broke in. ‘I don’t even know where you are half the time. I had no idea you’d be back for the parade. I had no idea where you went the two nights you were away but, no, I’m not so naïve as to imagine you’re living like a monk.’
‘I spent the first night, what was left of it, in the apartment, alone,’ he said harshly. ‘And the second night, last night, I got permission to take Darcy and some of his mates to a rugby game and they slept over.’
‘That’s—’ her voice shook ‘—not what you intimated when you drove off.’
‘No?’ He stared at her with his mouth set. ‘Then our lines must have crossed. I was intimating that spending another chaste night in this damn house with you was not going to work for me. That’s
all
.’
Kim took several distressed breaths. ‘I…I’m sorry if I got it wrong but—’
‘Why would it bother you if I
was
sleeping around?’ he cut in to ask with a frown. ‘I thought you hated me.’
Kim stared at him. Then she got up and paced theroom. Finally she stopped in front of him with her arms crossed over her beautiful taupe silk top. ‘Reith,’ she said carefully, ‘yes, there are times when I hate you quite…a lot.’
A nerve flickered in his jaw. ‘I did save your family.’
‘You could have done it differently.’
‘No, Kim. I know what you’re going to say. I could have given your father an active position—’
‘Why not?’ she broke in intensely.
‘It wouldn’t have worked,’ he said flatly. ‘You know as well as I do, he would have hated any innovation, he would hate anything I suggested. As for your brother,’ he went on cynically, ‘didn’t any of you realize it’s not wine and viticulture he lives and breathes, but horses?’
Kim flinched. ‘Well …’
‘Not only that—he’s quite clueless when it comes to business.’
She walked back to her chair and took up her glass, turmoil clearly etched into her expression. ‘I still can’t—’ She paused, then heaved a sigh. ‘They’re still my father and brother.’
Reith picked up his drink and looked sceptically into the tawny
She shrugged and wandered into the lounge, and stopped dead.
Reith looked up from the paper he was reading. There was a brandy in a balloon glass on the occasional table beside him.
He said nothing.
Kim came to life. ‘That’s where you are,’ she murmured and walked over to the bar to pour herself a brandy.
‘So we’re talking? I wasn’t sure,’ he said dryly.
She merely looked at him and sat down in an armchair.
‘OK, let’s try this—you thought I should have stayed and helped? That’s what you’re mad about?’ he queried.
She shrugged. ‘It would have been a help, but no.’
‘No? You don’t think I should have stayed or—you’re not mad?’
Kim tensed inwardly, bitterly regretting getting herself into this but she felt exhausted and didn’t have the will to go away—where to, anyway? So she took refuge in her drink. She took a sip and stared into her glass.
‘Next minute you’ll be telling me there’s nothing wrong,’ he said softly. ‘One of the all time favourite lies women employ when they’re hiding huge grievances.’
She looked up, her eyes glittering like sapphires in the sudden pallor of her face. ‘Of course you know this from your extensive experience of women, I presume?’
He laughed. ‘Thought that might flush you out, my dear Kim. So, why don’t you go on and spill the beans?’
‘There’s—’ She closed her mouth, nearly biting her lip, and took another sip of her brandy.
‘Nothing,’ he said flatly. ‘Is that why you didn’t look at me? Not once while you were doing your stint on the microphone. Then or later. I might have been nonexistent—’
‘Why should I acknowledge you?’ she broke in. ‘I don’t even know where you are half the time. I had no idea you’d be back for the parade. I had no idea where you went the two nights you were away but, no, I’m not so naïve as to imagine you’re living like a monk.’
‘I spent the first night, what was left of it, in the apartment, alone,’ he said harshly. ‘And the second night, last night, I got permission to take Darcy and some of his mates to a rugby game and they slept over.’
‘That’s—’ her voice shook ‘—not what you intimated when you drove off.’
‘No?’ He stared at her with his mouth set. ‘Then our lines must have crossed. I was intimating that spending another chaste night in this damn house with you was not going to work for me. That’s
all
.’
Kim took several distressed breaths. ‘I…I’m sorry if I got it wrong but—’
‘Why would it bother you if I
was
sleeping around?’ he cut in to ask with a frown. ‘I thought you hated me.’
Kim stared at him. Then she got up and paced theroom. Finally she stopped in front of him with her arms crossed over her beautiful taupe silk top. ‘Reith,’ she said carefully, ‘yes, there are times when I hate you quite…a lot.’
A nerve flickered in his jaw. ‘I did save your family.’
‘You could have done it differently.’
‘No, Kim. I know what you’re going to say. I could have given your father an active position—’
‘Why not?’ she broke in intensely.
‘It wouldn’t have worked,’ he said flatly. ‘You know as well as I do, he would have hated any innovation, he would hate anything I suggested. As for your brother,’ he went on cynically, ‘didn’t any of you realize it’s not wine and viticulture he lives and breathes, but horses?’
Kim flinched. ‘Well …’
‘Not only that—he’s quite clueless when it comes to business.’
She walked back to her chair and took up her glass, turmoil clearly etched into her expression. ‘I still can’t—’ She paused, then heaved a sigh. ‘They’re still my father and brother.’
Reith picked up his drink and looked sceptically into the tawny
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