mother asked eagerly, both of her parents very proud of her work.
'Of course,' she took her mother through to the studio, a second bedroom that had been converted, one wall completely windows, as was most of the ceiling.
'It's marvellous, darling,' her mother enthused over the half-completed portrait. 'She's a very beautiful woman, isn't she?'
She had somehow managed to convey the other woman's outward beauty, the eyes, the mirrors of the soul, partly concealed by lowered lashes. It was the compromise Lewis had said she would find. 'Very beautiful,' she nodded.
'Doesn't she go out with that marvellous looking Greek man?' her mother asked vaguely as they returned to the lounge.
Danielle stiffened that her mother should mention Nick, although neither of her parents were aware of her involvement with him seven years ago. 'Nicholas Andracas,' she confirmed stiltedly. 'And he's more American than Greek.'
'You've met him, dear?'
'Briefly,' she evaded. 'As you said, he's a friend of Miss McDonald's.'
Her mother gave a coy smile. 'Rumour has it they're a little more than that.'
'Mother,' she chided mockingly. 'And I never knew you were a gossip.'
'I'm not, Ellie,' she defended. 'But the man is notorious for his affairs.'
'Yes,' she acknowledged dully.
Her mother gave her a sharp look. 'You aren't attracted to him, darling?' she looked troubled by the thought.
She could understand her mother's worry if she were interested in Nick. Although her parents had never known the identity of her lover seven years ago they had both been aware of the way he had hurt her. 'No,' she answered with complete honesty, her feelings towards him completely opposite to attraction.
'You know we're only concerned for you, Ellie,' her mother explained gently. 'Nicholas Andracas is not the man for you. Now Lewis is a different matter...?'
She gave a throaty chuckle at her mother's attempt at matchmaking, both her parents having met and approved of Lewis. 'Actually he called this morning and invited me to a party,' she decided to give her mother this satisfaction if she couldn't give her anything else.
'And are you going?'
She laughed again at her mother's attempt not to look too enthusiastic about the news. 'Yes.'
'That's nice, dear.'
'Nice?' she teased.
'Lewis is a good man,' her mother defended her matchmaking. 'Steady and reliable.'
A shadow crossed over her face, leaving her eyes
dark. 'He's very nice—'
'But boring,' her mother joked, ' I know. Still, the party will make a pleasant change for you, won't it?'
After the disaster the evening had turned out to be the last time, she had felt she owed Lewis this date, had readily agreed when he telephoned and invited her out. Life was turning out to be a little complicated lately, the normality of Lewis's company was exactly what she needed.
It was quite late by the time her mother left, and after a hurried salad dinner she went into her bedroom to shower and change. She didn't know what it was that caught her attention about the green onyx jewellery box, but something told her it didn't look quite right, that it had been disturbed in some way. Her face paled as she moved towards it, her hands trembling slightly as she lifted the lid.
The two hundred pounds looked to be in the same position as usual, but it wasn't to that she went, putting it dismissively to one side to look at the miniature that lay beneath. As she had known it would be, it had been moved, was lying in a different position than the one she had left it in this morning. It was a likeness she had painted several years ago, was something that she looked at at the start of each day and again before she went to bed every night. The identity of the subject was unmistakable. And there could be only one person who could have looked in the jewellery-box, only one person who would have such a devious interest in her things. What would Audra McDonald do with the knowledge she now had?
Lewis was as punctual as usual when he
'Of course,' she took her mother through to the studio, a second bedroom that had been converted, one wall completely windows, as was most of the ceiling.
'It's marvellous, darling,' her mother enthused over the half-completed portrait. 'She's a very beautiful woman, isn't she?'
She had somehow managed to convey the other woman's outward beauty, the eyes, the mirrors of the soul, partly concealed by lowered lashes. It was the compromise Lewis had said she would find. 'Very beautiful,' she nodded.
'Doesn't she go out with that marvellous looking Greek man?' her mother asked vaguely as they returned to the lounge.
Danielle stiffened that her mother should mention Nick, although neither of her parents were aware of her involvement with him seven years ago. 'Nicholas Andracas,' she confirmed stiltedly. 'And he's more American than Greek.'
'You've met him, dear?'
'Briefly,' she evaded. 'As you said, he's a friend of Miss McDonald's.'
Her mother gave a coy smile. 'Rumour has it they're a little more than that.'
'Mother,' she chided mockingly. 'And I never knew you were a gossip.'
'I'm not, Ellie,' she defended. 'But the man is notorious for his affairs.'
'Yes,' she acknowledged dully.
Her mother gave her a sharp look. 'You aren't attracted to him, darling?' she looked troubled by the thought.
She could understand her mother's worry if she were interested in Nick. Although her parents had never known the identity of her lover seven years ago they had both been aware of the way he had hurt her. 'No,' she answered with complete honesty, her feelings towards him completely opposite to attraction.
'You know we're only concerned for you, Ellie,' her mother explained gently. 'Nicholas Andracas is not the man for you. Now Lewis is a different matter...?'
She gave a throaty chuckle at her mother's attempt at matchmaking, both her parents having met and approved of Lewis. 'Actually he called this morning and invited me to a party,' she decided to give her mother this satisfaction if she couldn't give her anything else.
'And are you going?'
She laughed again at her mother's attempt not to look too enthusiastic about the news. 'Yes.'
'That's nice, dear.'
'Nice?' she teased.
'Lewis is a good man,' her mother defended her matchmaking. 'Steady and reliable.'
A shadow crossed over her face, leaving her eyes
dark. 'He's very nice—'
'But boring,' her mother joked, ' I know. Still, the party will make a pleasant change for you, won't it?'
After the disaster the evening had turned out to be the last time, she had felt she owed Lewis this date, had readily agreed when he telephoned and invited her out. Life was turning out to be a little complicated lately, the normality of Lewis's company was exactly what she needed.
It was quite late by the time her mother left, and after a hurried salad dinner she went into her bedroom to shower and change. She didn't know what it was that caught her attention about the green onyx jewellery box, but something told her it didn't look quite right, that it had been disturbed in some way. Her face paled as she moved towards it, her hands trembling slightly as she lifted the lid.
The two hundred pounds looked to be in the same position as usual, but it wasn't to that she went, putting it dismissively to one side to look at the miniature that lay beneath. As she had known it would be, it had been moved, was lying in a different position than the one she had left it in this morning. It was a likeness she had painted several years ago, was something that she looked at at the start of each day and again before she went to bed every night. The identity of the subject was unmistakable. And there could be only one person who could have looked in the jewellery-box, only one person who would have such a devious interest in her things. What would Audra McDonald do with the knowledge she now had?
Lewis was as punctual as usual when he
Similar Books
