Dark Secret by Marina Anderson Read Free Book Online

accepted him. All the dramas, all the weeping and wailing have come from you. And not only do you claim you want to be rid of him, you also want “to be a proper actress”. Well, for your information real acting hurts. You have to put yourself through a hell of a lot of emotional pain if you’re going to pull off a part like this. I warned you before we began, but you said it was what you wanted. I’m afraid there’s too much money involved for you to pull out now.’
    Rowena turned and pressed herself against her husband’s body. ‘Make love to me,’ she whispered.
    ‘No,’ said Lewis, gently removing her armsfrom around his neck.
    Startled she took a step backward. ‘Why not?’
    ‘I haven’t time right now.’
    ‘You’ve always had time before.’
    He kissed her gently on the mouth. ‘Then perhaps I just don’t want to,’ he murmured, and to her dismay he walked away, back into the house.

Chapter Three
    HARRIET HAD BEEN working for Rowena for a week now and she still didn’t understand her. Sometimes she was charm itself, smiling, making jokes and sharing female confidences with Harriet as though they were friends. At other times she was sullen and withdrawn, criticising everything Harriet did and impossible to please.
    It didn’t worry Harriet. She accepted it as part of Rowena’s artistic temperament, and even if it had worried her, being near Lewis would have been ample compensation. With every day that passed she found herself more and more obsessed by him. She was sure that he was interested in her. Whenever Rowena had been particularly difficult he would go out of his way to be extra warm towards Harriet, as though he knew exactly the kind of day she’d had. He was always watching her too, yet he still was clearly in love with his wife, forever touching or stroking her as he passed.
    Once Harriet had come upon them embracing passionately on the stairs. Lewis’s back had beento the wall and Rowena’s legs were straddling his right thigh as she pressed her body against his. Although Harriet had retreated as quietly as possible the image had stayed with her and seemed to return almost every night when she was trying to get to sleep.
    On this particular day she’d been working on the word processor nearly non-stop for the entire morning and when she straightened up for lunch her neck and shoulders were rigid with tension. Rowena came in to sign the fan mail and looked at her sympathetically.
    ‘You’ve spent too long hunched over that machine. Why don’t you have a massage? My masseur’s in the house somewhere – you’re welcome to use her.’
    Harriet couldn’t think of anything nicer. ‘That would be great. Are you having lunch today?’ she added. Rowena’s eating habits were unpredictable.
    Rowena shook her head. ‘Tell Lewis I’m going over something with Chris, would you? There’s a script he’s been sent to look at. He needs my advice.’
    ‘Of course,’ agreed Harriet. Privately she thought it highly unlikely that Chris would ever be anything like the kind of star his half-sister was, but she’d already come to realise that in Rowena’s eyes Chris was perfect.
    They always had lunch in the spacious conservatory, although it was no longer quite so spacious since Harriet had obeyed Rowena’s instructions and half-filled it with exotic green plants, which the film star herself attended to every day, claiming it was therapeutic for her.
    Lewis looked up when Harriet entered. ‘No Rowena?’
    ‘She and Chris have a script to go through.’
    He looked surprised. ‘Really? I’m surprised she didn’t mention it to me. Did it come through the post today?’
    ‘If it did, I didn’t open it,’ replied Harriet. ‘Do you know where Rowena’s masseur is?’ she added. ‘My shoulders are stiff and she said I could use her.’
    ‘She’s gone I’m afraid, but I’m very good at reflexology. Would that help?’ Harriet assumed he was joking and smiled politely. ‘I’m