into you.'
His grip tightened on her hands and his eyes probed into hers, insistent, compelling.
'I don't want ...' she began shrinking from him.
'You will for your father's sake, or was all that display of affection an act? He will find it hard to forgive your deception.'
'But it wasn't intentional,' she pleaded. 'It would never have come about if he'd seen me skate, but he hasn't, not since I was a child.'
'I doubt if even then he would have accepted it. He has built up an image of you which blinds him to reality. But if you will put yourself into my hands, we will make his dreams come true.'
Sudden hope illuminated her face like a ray of sunshine, lending it infinite charm.
'If only you could!' she breathed.
'I can,' he said confidently.
She looked at him uneasily. 'Will you hypnotise me, or something like that?'
He laughed. 'No, only give you confidence.'
But there was something mesmeric about his intent gaze and his grip of her hands was possessive.
'I don't see why you should go to so much trouble for me,' she told him. 'There are plenty of other girls who have got abandon or whatever you call it. Thomasina would be really good if she gave her mind to it. She lets herself go—I can't.'
'I have told you why I do not want to skate with Tom.'
Sonya noticed he used the abbreviation of her name which was reserved for her intimate friends. He must have improved his acquaintance with her since the night they were introduced. Slightly nettled, she asked:
'Do you mean you can forget I'm a girl when you skate with me?'
'Something like that.'
'How very insulting!' she exclaimed.
He released her hands and leaned back against the settee.
'I was not insulting you, Sonya, but, as I am sure your father has impressed upon you, it is better to keep emotion out of these connections.'
'Oh, he has, but he and Mummy were lovers as well as skating partners. It didn't seem to have any ill effects.'
'But they were married.' He grinned mischievously. •You would not want to marry me?'
'God forbid!' she ejaculated so fervently that he laughed.
'Then we had better keep our relationship impersonal.'
'I entirely agree with that,' she said with a hauteur which seemed to amuse him.
'You are still very much a child, Sonya. I shall consider it my duty to protect you.'
'Oh, for crying out loud!' she exclaimed. 'I don't want another father.'
'I am a little young to be that.' His eyes were full of merriment. 'And I think it is you who protects your father. I will be an uncle to you—and in my avuncular role, who was the young man with brown eyes who accompanied you that night at the club?'
He certainly did not miss anything, Sonya reflected; he could only have glimpsed Derek.
'He is my boy-friend,' she said demurely.
'Indeed?' The word came out with a drawl. 'And does your father approve of this boy-friend?'
'He doesn't know anything about him,' Sonya admitted frankly. 'Oh, it hasn't gone very far,' she went on with a grown-up air which diverted Sven. 'But he was very kind to me when I joined the club and nobody was friendly. You see, it was an awful handicap being the founder's daughter.'
She had revealed more than she had meant to do by this naive, admission, and Sven's hard face softened.
'Your father has not made life easy for you,' he observed.
Instantly she was up in arms. 'Don't dare to say a word against him! He's been wonderful to me.'
'I was not going to do so. He is much to be pitied, and so are you.'
'I don't want pity,' she said proudly.
'That is the right spirit.' He nodded in approval. 'Well, Sonya, if you have said all you wish, I had better be on my way.' He glanced at his watch. 'You will want to say goodnight to your father and reassure him.'
Sonya stood up, realising she was now completely committed to the demands of this disturbing young man. As she walked into the hall with him, she said nervously:
'You will be kind to me?'
His face hardened. 'You do not need kindness, Sonya, you need bracing.
His grip tightened on her hands and his eyes probed into hers, insistent, compelling.
'I don't want ...' she began shrinking from him.
'You will for your father's sake, or was all that display of affection an act? He will find it hard to forgive your deception.'
'But it wasn't intentional,' she pleaded. 'It would never have come about if he'd seen me skate, but he hasn't, not since I was a child.'
'I doubt if even then he would have accepted it. He has built up an image of you which blinds him to reality. But if you will put yourself into my hands, we will make his dreams come true.'
Sudden hope illuminated her face like a ray of sunshine, lending it infinite charm.
'If only you could!' she breathed.
'I can,' he said confidently.
She looked at him uneasily. 'Will you hypnotise me, or something like that?'
He laughed. 'No, only give you confidence.'
But there was something mesmeric about his intent gaze and his grip of her hands was possessive.
'I don't see why you should go to so much trouble for me,' she told him. 'There are plenty of other girls who have got abandon or whatever you call it. Thomasina would be really good if she gave her mind to it. She lets herself go—I can't.'
'I have told you why I do not want to skate with Tom.'
Sonya noticed he used the abbreviation of her name which was reserved for her intimate friends. He must have improved his acquaintance with her since the night they were introduced. Slightly nettled, she asked:
'Do you mean you can forget I'm a girl when you skate with me?'
'Something like that.'
'How very insulting!' she exclaimed.
He released her hands and leaned back against the settee.
'I was not insulting you, Sonya, but, as I am sure your father has impressed upon you, it is better to keep emotion out of these connections.'
'Oh, he has, but he and Mummy were lovers as well as skating partners. It didn't seem to have any ill effects.'
'But they were married.' He grinned mischievously. •You would not want to marry me?'
'God forbid!' she ejaculated so fervently that he laughed.
'Then we had better keep our relationship impersonal.'
'I entirely agree with that,' she said with a hauteur which seemed to amuse him.
'You are still very much a child, Sonya. I shall consider it my duty to protect you.'
'Oh, for crying out loud!' she exclaimed. 'I don't want another father.'
'I am a little young to be that.' His eyes were full of merriment. 'And I think it is you who protects your father. I will be an uncle to you—and in my avuncular role, who was the young man with brown eyes who accompanied you that night at the club?'
He certainly did not miss anything, Sonya reflected; he could only have glimpsed Derek.
'He is my boy-friend,' she said demurely.
'Indeed?' The word came out with a drawl. 'And does your father approve of this boy-friend?'
'He doesn't know anything about him,' Sonya admitted frankly. 'Oh, it hasn't gone very far,' she went on with a grown-up air which diverted Sven. 'But he was very kind to me when I joined the club and nobody was friendly. You see, it was an awful handicap being the founder's daughter.'
She had revealed more than she had meant to do by this naive, admission, and Sven's hard face softened.
'Your father has not made life easy for you,' he observed.
Instantly she was up in arms. 'Don't dare to say a word against him! He's been wonderful to me.'
'I was not going to do so. He is much to be pitied, and so are you.'
'I don't want pity,' she said proudly.
'That is the right spirit.' He nodded in approval. 'Well, Sonya, if you have said all you wish, I had better be on my way.' He glanced at his watch. 'You will want to say goodnight to your father and reassure him.'
Sonya stood up, realising she was now completely committed to the demands of this disturbing young man. As she walked into the hall with him, she said nervously:
'You will be kind to me?'
His face hardened. 'You do not need kindness, Sonya, you need bracing.
Similar Books
