Bond of Fate by Jane Corrie Read Free Book Online Page A

Melanie's, asked acrimoniously, 'What did that old devil want?'
    Melanie blinked. She had still not recovered. 'Oh, she just wanted to meet me—I think,' she added doubtfully.
    Julian started to dry himself with his towel, and flung Celia's towel to her. 'No doubt,' he said ironically. 'She's the island gossip. You'll have to watch out for her in future,' he added meaningly.
    That wasn't all she had to watch out for, Melanie thought sardonically, recalling the old woman's comments on his ex-wife!
    `Well, she lost out this time,' said Celia, throwing her towel down after drying herself, and flinging herself down next to Melanie. 'Mrs Winsome beat her
     
    to it. She couldn't get back to the hotel fast enough,' she added with a chuckle.
    Julian dropped his towel back on the sand and settled down the other side of Melanie, making her in some odd way feel surrounded. 'They've not much more to do,' he said, glancing up at Melanie in an almost apologetic way. 'Too much leisure and money to go with it.'
    Vas the Duchess wearing her jewels?' Celia asked. `Not that I could imagine her without them,' she mused, as she searched in her beach bag for some suntan lotion, which she then started to apply to her arms and legs.
    Melanie, watching her, nodded. 'Are they real?' she asked. 'I was completely dazzled !'
    Celia, having finished oiling her arms and legs, handed Melanie the lotion and turned over to have her back done. 'This used to be Dad's job,' she said. 'It's yours now. Oh, they're real enough. She doesn't believe in hiding her treasures away. It's a way of intimidating people, I suppose; everybody falls over themselves to give her good service,' she added.
    Melanie, carefully applying the lotion to Celia's already honey-coloured back, replied thoughtfully, 'I should think she would be afraid of being robbed. I know I would.'
    Julian's deep voice interposed with, 'Not here. No one would dare. The staff are hand-picked, and paid well enough to prevent dishonesty.'
    Melanie was surprised that Julian had heard the conversation, for she had thought that he was asleep. Having finished Celia's back, she started to put the top on the bottle ready to return it to the holdall.
    `Dad next,' Celia said, as she turned round and settled back comfortably on the white sand.
     
    Melanie was about to hand the lotion to Julian when Celia said in a drowsy voice, 'I do his back, so you'll have to do his, too,' and opened one eye to observe Melanie's startled expression.
    Really, Celia could be infuriating at times, Melanie thought, and she could have smacked her for placing her in such an embarrassing position. All she could hope for was that Julian would let her off the hook, as she ignored Celia's words and handed him the bottle, hoping that he would feign sleep.
    Her hopes, however, were short-lived, for she found him regarding her with what looked suspiciously like a twinkle in his grey eyes. `If you would be so kind,' he said gravely, and turned over to present her with his strong, powerful shoulders.
    Gulping down her nervousness, Melanie had no choice but to apply the lotion to his already reddening skin.
    `You've a nice touch,' Julian remarked gratefully when she had finished, and totally embarrassed, Melanie hid her confusion by busying herself with putting the top on the bottle and stowing it away in the holdall. This slight but discomfiting incident was only the beginning of what Melanie had in store, had she but known it, and the next few days proved even more trying for her.
    At her husband's insistence, she had to mix in the company of people she had nothing in common with. She could understand his wish for everything to appear as normal as possible, but it did put her in an unenviable position, and she found conversation difficult in such sophisticated company, more so since the topics consisted only of diversions and distractions to what seemed a pointless existence. Too much money, and too much time on their hands, and
     
    Melanie