Legacy of Desire by Marina Anderson Read Free Book Online Page A

that you Americans believe the knife is the answer to everything, don’t you? Not just knives either. You use knives to slice and dice and keep yourselves forever young, and guns to shoot each other when you want a change of partner.’
    ‘That’s a helluva sweeping statement,’ said Jay calmly. ‘Perhaps you’d like to justify it.’
    ‘I don’t see why I need to,’ snapped Phil. ‘We’re forever reading in the papers about tourists getting shot at in Florida. Seems a strange place to have Disney World when you think about it. Doesn’t the tourist board have a list of recommendations about never moving out of your designated hotel area and—’
    ‘You don’t have any crime here I take it?’ said Jay.
    ‘Sure we have crime, but we also have strict gun laws. Mind you, it seems to me that the American male lacks self-confidence. His gun seems to reinforce his manhood.’
    ‘Is that a fact?’
    ‘You must see it in court all the time,’ said Phil, his mouth set in a firm line.
    ‘I see all kinds of things in the courtroom,’ said Jay. ‘Sure there are murders, but you have murders here, and gross miscarriages of justice as well …’
    ‘Such as?’
    ‘Derek Bentley.’ There was an awkward silence.
    ‘Okay, so that was a mistake,’ agreed Phil. ‘But at least we no longer execute killers. If the Derek Bentley case happened today it would all be very different.’
    ‘But it didn’t happen today, did it? The fact that you don’t execute killers any more isn’t of any help to Derek Bentley. In any case, as I understand it the average British citizen would like to see capital punishment brought back. Fair to say?’
    ‘I’ve no idea,’ said Phil.
    ‘Oh come on, Phil,’ exclaimed Davina. ‘You know Jay’s telling the truth. If you held a national referendum next week the majority of people would vote for bringing back capital punishment.’
    ‘Only for certain crimes,’ protested Phil.
    ‘Ah I see,’ said Jay. ‘So it’ll be okay to hang the wrong person for, say, killing a child or a policeman, will it?’
    ‘No.’
    ‘But if you introduce that kind of system there’s bound to be mistakes.’
    ‘I didn’t say I wanted that system brought in,’ protested Phil.
    ‘But you agree that most of your countrymen do?’
    Phil’s cheeks were flushed. ‘Let’s just forget it, shall we?’
    ‘I was enjoying myself,’ said Jay, and Davina could tell from the brightness of his eyes that he was telling the truth. Unfortunately, the same wasn’t true of Phil and she decided that it was up to her to change the subject.
    ‘I understand you like England,’ she said to Todd, and for the next twenty minutes he and she talked together about the differences between their cultures. Phil, having decided he didn’t wish to tangle with Jay again, became immersed in conversation with Pattie.
    After dinner they moved into the large drawing room and Davina was astonished at the changes that had already been made to the house. The room looked fresh and clean, but at the same time Jay had retained its character. ‘Do you approve?’ he asked suddenly, coming up behind her so quietly that she wasn’t aware of him.
    Davina jumped. ‘Yes, very much.’
    ‘Good. You know, I do realise that I must have come as rather a nasty shock to you. Believe me, I had no idea your uncle was going to leave me this place, and while I don’t suppose for one moment it means as much to me as it does to you I really value it. Despite what your boyfriend may think, not all Americans are completely vulgar. I feel it’s a privilege that I’ve got the money to make the place look as good as it can. Maybe that’s why your uncle left it to me rather than you.’
    ‘It really doesn’t matter,’ Davina assured him. ‘I’ve never thought about living here, and that’s the truth.’
    ‘Is it? I don’t think your boyfriend feels like that.’
    ‘I don’t think it matters what Phil feels.’
    ‘That’s interesting,’