difficulty adjusting to the peculiar structure of our family, but I'm sure in no time you'll be like the rest of us,’ he mocked.
'Are you really Ben's grandson?'
'Yes.’ His smile as he answered was cynical with a bitter twist to the corners of his mouth. ‘You find that hard to believe, don't you?'
She nodded silently. A large, calloused hand gripped her elbow and they began walking as if he could bear no more to stand in one place.
'You overheard a great deal today in Ben's study, didn't you?'
'Yes,’ Coley answered, acutely conscious of the burning restlessness of the man beside her.
'That was unfortunate,’ he stated, taking a puff from the cigar before hurling it into the night.
'I don't really understand,’ Coley said, glancing hesitantly at his masked face. ‘Why do you ... dislike each other so? What happened?'
His short laugh was embittered with anger. ‘That's a long story that has been told too many times. It's better that you don't know. You're incapable of taking sides and you would be torn apart like Aunt Willy is. Let it be.'
'How?’ Coley asked. Her eyes grew rounder in her effort to understand. For a moment she thought she saw a reflection of the pain that she felt there in the recesses of his glance. But he turned away.
'You're not a murderer!’ Her protest was vehement, though spoken softly.
'I'm not?’ It was a question and not a statement, but it held a bitterly sad note that drew an involuntary sob of pain from Coley.
'I see your dress is none the worse for the storm,’ he observed, his hand still guiding them as they walked aimlessly among the roses.
'No,’ Coley replied quietly. She was grateful for the change of subject and yet wishing Jase would talk about the other. ‘It still is a pretty awful dress.'
'No, no, it isn't.’ Jason's voice was almost gentle with a bit of the reassurance that he had attempted to give her at the dinner table tonight. ‘But I'm sure you'll find a lot more that you will like better when you're shopping tomorrow.'
From the near side of the house came shouts of laughter and splashes of water followed by more boyish cries. She glanced questioningly at him.
'Tony and your brother must be swimming. Would you like to go and see?'
She nodded agreement and they turned towards the house. The bright lights at the pool blinked saucily at them through the thick branches of the oaks, lighting their way to the pool and sundeck surrounding it. Coley and Jase stood on the extreme outer edge of the sundeck out of reach of the exuberant sheets of water that sprayed from the hands of the two swimmers. Coley watched the wet gleaming bodies of her brother and Tony enviously as they gambolled in the water like two playful seals. She felt Jason's eyes on her and smiled up at him briefly before turning back to the pool.
'Hey, Coley!’ Danny cried, waving an arm at her. ‘I wondered where you were.'
'Go and change,’ Tony ordered, his dark hair glistening blackly in the lights. His white teeth flashed brightly. ‘Come on in. The water's fine.'
'I can't,’ Coley called back, a shy smile lighting her face. ‘I haven't got a swimsuit.'
'Who cares?’ hooted Tony, pulling himself on to the sundeck amidst another flood of water. He laughed merrily at her blushing cheeks. ‘Willy can fix you up with something. Come on in.'
'No, thanks,’ Coley smiled. The envy crept into her eyes as Tony jack-knifed into the water near Danny.
'Do you know how?’ Jase asked astutely.
'No,’ Coley's voice was soft and shy. ‘I've never learned.'
'Would you like to?'
'Of course,’ she replied. Her eyes beamed up at him with the hint of a dream peeping through. ‘It always looks so graceful.'
'If you'd like, I'll teach you,’ Jase offered, staring out into the pool at the shimmering lights on the water.
'Would you really?’ Coley exclaimed excitedly. ‘I mean if it's not too much trouble.'
'I wouldn't have offered otherwise.’ He gazed into her happy face. ‘Be
'Are you really Ben's grandson?'
'Yes.’ His smile as he answered was cynical with a bitter twist to the corners of his mouth. ‘You find that hard to believe, don't you?'
She nodded silently. A large, calloused hand gripped her elbow and they began walking as if he could bear no more to stand in one place.
'You overheard a great deal today in Ben's study, didn't you?'
'Yes,’ Coley answered, acutely conscious of the burning restlessness of the man beside her.
'That was unfortunate,’ he stated, taking a puff from the cigar before hurling it into the night.
'I don't really understand,’ Coley said, glancing hesitantly at his masked face. ‘Why do you ... dislike each other so? What happened?'
His short laugh was embittered with anger. ‘That's a long story that has been told too many times. It's better that you don't know. You're incapable of taking sides and you would be torn apart like Aunt Willy is. Let it be.'
'How?’ Coley asked. Her eyes grew rounder in her effort to understand. For a moment she thought she saw a reflection of the pain that she felt there in the recesses of his glance. But he turned away.
'You're not a murderer!’ Her protest was vehement, though spoken softly.
'I'm not?’ It was a question and not a statement, but it held a bitterly sad note that drew an involuntary sob of pain from Coley.
'I see your dress is none the worse for the storm,’ he observed, his hand still guiding them as they walked aimlessly among the roses.
'No,’ Coley replied quietly. She was grateful for the change of subject and yet wishing Jase would talk about the other. ‘It still is a pretty awful dress.'
'No, no, it isn't.’ Jason's voice was almost gentle with a bit of the reassurance that he had attempted to give her at the dinner table tonight. ‘But I'm sure you'll find a lot more that you will like better when you're shopping tomorrow.'
From the near side of the house came shouts of laughter and splashes of water followed by more boyish cries. She glanced questioningly at him.
'Tony and your brother must be swimming. Would you like to go and see?'
She nodded agreement and they turned towards the house. The bright lights at the pool blinked saucily at them through the thick branches of the oaks, lighting their way to the pool and sundeck surrounding it. Coley and Jase stood on the extreme outer edge of the sundeck out of reach of the exuberant sheets of water that sprayed from the hands of the two swimmers. Coley watched the wet gleaming bodies of her brother and Tony enviously as they gambolled in the water like two playful seals. She felt Jason's eyes on her and smiled up at him briefly before turning back to the pool.
'Hey, Coley!’ Danny cried, waving an arm at her. ‘I wondered where you were.'
'Go and change,’ Tony ordered, his dark hair glistening blackly in the lights. His white teeth flashed brightly. ‘Come on in. The water's fine.'
'I can't,’ Coley called back, a shy smile lighting her face. ‘I haven't got a swimsuit.'
'Who cares?’ hooted Tony, pulling himself on to the sundeck amidst another flood of water. He laughed merrily at her blushing cheeks. ‘Willy can fix you up with something. Come on in.'
'No, thanks,’ Coley smiled. The envy crept into her eyes as Tony jack-knifed into the water near Danny.
'Do you know how?’ Jase asked astutely.
'No,’ Coley's voice was soft and shy. ‘I've never learned.'
'Would you like to?'
'Of course,’ she replied. Her eyes beamed up at him with the hint of a dream peeping through. ‘It always looks so graceful.'
'If you'd like, I'll teach you,’ Jase offered, staring out into the pool at the shimmering lights on the water.
'Would you really?’ Coley exclaimed excitedly. ‘I mean if it's not too much trouble.'
'I wouldn't have offered otherwise.’ He gazed into her happy face. ‘Be
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