she had ever seen. One, a blonde, had on a beautiful evening dress of black and silver. The other, a brunette, wore red velvet.
Tegi stared in surprised delight at the beautiful profile, his wide intelligent brow, the black springy hair, the clear-cut features showing the firmness of his chin and firm brown throat. Her gaze became transfixed as her heartbeats quickened and a fiery heat crept over her face and neck. He was breathtakingly handsome in his expensive, well-tailored evening suit.
His chin was tilted now as he laughed at something his two companions had said. Tegi stared as though fascinated at his long brown fingers curling around his wine glass as his careless arrogance set him apart from the other men at the table.
Tony Mastroni, the ladykiller who wore his charm like a badge, and she was staring at him as only a girl on the island would who had never seen anyone like him before. She was still staring when he looked right at her.
Immediately Tegi dropped her gaze to concentrate on the next course, fresh salmon accompanied by sparkling white wine. So intent was she on the food that her father’s voice remained unheard.
‘I was asking if you were enjoying it?’ he was saying.
She nodded. No need to ask if he was enjoying himself. He was in his element among old friends. The next course was turkey served with fresh young vegetables and a delicious sauce. At last she was brave enough to take another look at Tony—and wished she had not, for the blonde girl’s scarlet-nailed hand was on his shoulder as she whispered something in his ear.
His white teeth flashed as he spoke to someone facing him across the table. Tegi could not see who it was but guessed they were the two men who had brought him to see her father.
She said, ‘I can’t see your friends here, Dad.’
He gestured sideways along the table. ‘They’re sitting on this side of the table lower down. We shall all be together later on in the bar.’
‘Then you can count me out of the hearty laughter and back-slapping,’ she whispered fiercely. ‘I’m not going to spend the rest of the evening in the bar.’
‘Then how about joining in the dancing in the ballroom?’
‘On my own? Big deal !’
‘You’ll soon find a partner with your looks. You know you will,’ he said reassuringly.
Tegi said acidly, ‘What about the competition, those two glamour girls stroking Tony Mastroni, for instance?’
Her father glanced at them and grinned. ‘They aren’t a patch on you.’ He winked. ‘You have class.’
Black cherries were served in kirsch with white wine to drink. There was also all kinds of cheeses, pineapple and melon slices. Tegi chose the pineapple and when a glance down the table told her that Tony had chosen it too, she was idiotically pleased.
His two glamorous companions had chosen the black cherries in kirsch with cream. At the moment it was not their own delectable figures they had in mind but Tony’s virile, masculine one, she thought wryly.
It had never occurred to her during the rush in coming to the dinner that she might see Tony there. They would be coming nearer to a meeting when dinner was over. She knew it had been rude to ignore him, but she hated to see the blank stare of nonrecognition in those dark eyes.
How would he greet her if they happened to come face to face? With mocking silence or the frozen mitt? She would have to be prepared. With a sinking of her heart she knew that she would always have to be prepared when meeting him.
When they all finally rose from the table she was wishing hard that the evening was at an end. She kept her father by her side as they all made for a bar for liqueurs, brandy, whisky or port.
It was quite easy for her to slip away unobserved to find the dancing. The music led the way and she paused in the doorway of a room bathed in muted light . The dance band was at the far end beating out the rhythm.
‘Excuse me, but have you seen a rather tall girl in a dress of black and
Tegi stared in surprised delight at the beautiful profile, his wide intelligent brow, the black springy hair, the clear-cut features showing the firmness of his chin and firm brown throat. Her gaze became transfixed as her heartbeats quickened and a fiery heat crept over her face and neck. He was breathtakingly handsome in his expensive, well-tailored evening suit.
His chin was tilted now as he laughed at something his two companions had said. Tegi stared as though fascinated at his long brown fingers curling around his wine glass as his careless arrogance set him apart from the other men at the table.
Tony Mastroni, the ladykiller who wore his charm like a badge, and she was staring at him as only a girl on the island would who had never seen anyone like him before. She was still staring when he looked right at her.
Immediately Tegi dropped her gaze to concentrate on the next course, fresh salmon accompanied by sparkling white wine. So intent was she on the food that her father’s voice remained unheard.
‘I was asking if you were enjoying it?’ he was saying.
She nodded. No need to ask if he was enjoying himself. He was in his element among old friends. The next course was turkey served with fresh young vegetables and a delicious sauce. At last she was brave enough to take another look at Tony—and wished she had not, for the blonde girl’s scarlet-nailed hand was on his shoulder as she whispered something in his ear.
His white teeth flashed as he spoke to someone facing him across the table. Tegi could not see who it was but guessed they were the two men who had brought him to see her father.
She said, ‘I can’t see your friends here, Dad.’
He gestured sideways along the table. ‘They’re sitting on this side of the table lower down. We shall all be together later on in the bar.’
‘Then you can count me out of the hearty laughter and back-slapping,’ she whispered fiercely. ‘I’m not going to spend the rest of the evening in the bar.’
‘Then how about joining in the dancing in the ballroom?’
‘On my own? Big deal !’
‘You’ll soon find a partner with your looks. You know you will,’ he said reassuringly.
Tegi said acidly, ‘What about the competition, those two glamour girls stroking Tony Mastroni, for instance?’
Her father glanced at them and grinned. ‘They aren’t a patch on you.’ He winked. ‘You have class.’
Black cherries were served in kirsch with white wine to drink. There was also all kinds of cheeses, pineapple and melon slices. Tegi chose the pineapple and when a glance down the table told her that Tony had chosen it too, she was idiotically pleased.
His two glamorous companions had chosen the black cherries in kirsch with cream. At the moment it was not their own delectable figures they had in mind but Tony’s virile, masculine one, she thought wryly.
It had never occurred to her during the rush in coming to the dinner that she might see Tony there. They would be coming nearer to a meeting when dinner was over. She knew it had been rude to ignore him, but she hated to see the blank stare of nonrecognition in those dark eyes.
How would he greet her if they happened to come face to face? With mocking silence or the frozen mitt? She would have to be prepared. With a sinking of her heart she knew that she would always have to be prepared when meeting him.
When they all finally rose from the table she was wishing hard that the evening was at an end. She kept her father by her side as they all made for a bar for liqueurs, brandy, whisky or port.
It was quite easy for her to slip away unobserved to find the dancing. The music led the way and she paused in the doorway of a room bathed in muted light . The dance band was at the far end beating out the rhythm.
‘Excuse me, but have you seen a rather tall girl in a dress of black and
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