PAGAN ADVERSARY by Sara Craven, Chieko Hara Read Free Book Online Page B

sauce. It was all a far cry from the
    scrambled eggs on toast she had planned for supper. And she was
    hungry too. Her tea seemed a very long time ago, but at the same time
    she knew that Alex's presence would have an inhibiting effect on her
    appetite.
    She took the tall slender glass he unsmilingly handed her, and sipped
    some of the wine it contained, wishing for the first time in her life
    that; she knew enough about wines to appreciate the vintage.
    She tasted a little of everything on the trolley, aware all the time of
    the sombre scrutiny of the man who sat opposite. He ate nothing, she
    noticed, merely drinking his wine and refilling the glasses when it
    became necessary.
    Alex broke the silence at last. 'I tried several times to telephone you
    this evening.' His brow lifted sardonically. 'I began to wonder if you
    had taken advantage of Nicky's absence to spend the night with your
    lover.'
    ^Aware that she was being baited, Harriet smiled sweetly and
    confined her reply to, 'No.'
    'Nevertheless my summons to you must have upset your plans in
    some way at least.'
    Harriet thought without regret of the scrambled eggs. 'Onl? slightly.'
    'You are fortunate. I had to postpone an appointment this evening.'
    Another relaxation session with his beautiful redhead? Harriet
    wondered.
    It was probably the champagne which made her say, 'Never mind, Mr
    Marcos. I'm sure she'll forgive you.'
    A faint smile touched the corners of his mouth. 'Now what makes you
    think my appointment was with a woman? You should not believe
    everything you read in the papers.'
    'I don't,'.she denied with more haste than dignity. 'Read the papers, I
    mean—or at least read about you in them.'
    'You surprise me. Judging by some of your remarks to Philippides, I
    imagined you had made a lifelong study of my way of life through
    their columns.' Narrowing his eyes, he held up his glass, studying
    with apparent fascination the bubbles rising to its rim.
    'Eavesdroppers,' Harriet said sedately, taking another smoked salmon
    sandwich, 'rarely hear any good of themselves. How did you know
    my telephone number anyway?'
    He sighed. 'I made a note of it as I was leaving yesterday—in case of
    just such an emergency as this.'
    'Well, I hardly imagined it would be for any other reason,' Harriet
    snapped.
    'Have some more champagne.' He refilled her glass. 'Perhaps it will
    sweeten your disposition.'
    'I don't .think so,' she said. 'Nicky gets his temper from my side of the
    family.'
    'You alarm me. The Marcos temper is also supposed to be
    formidable.'
    'Poor Nicky. He may never smile again,' Harriet said cheerfully.
    'That is what I am afraid of,' he murmured. 'Will he sleep now until
    morning, do you suppose?'
    'I think he will.' She looked round for her bag. 'I—I really ought to be
    going.'
    'I think not,' said Alex. 'In my opinion it would be far better if you
    were here when the child awakes.'
    Harriet didn't meet his gaze. 'You mean—you'd like me to come back
    first thing in the morning.'
    'I mean nothing of the kind,' he said irritably. 'I am suggesting that
    you stay the night here.'
    Harriet continued to stare at the carpet. 'I really think it would be
    better if I went home.'
    'And I cannot formulate one good reason why you should do so.' The
    dark eyes glittered wickedly. 'Why so reluctant, Harriet mou! Are you
    perhaps afraid that the bed I'm offering you is my own?'
    She decided prudently that she had had enough champagne and put
    the glass down.
    She said, 'No, I'm not, but I admit that remarks like that aren't very
    reassuring.'
    His mouth twisted. 'Is that what you want— reassurance?'
    She said wearily, 'I don't want anything from you, Mr Marcos. I came
    here tonight because Nicky needs me, not to indulge in verbal or any
    other kind of battles with you. I think I'd better go home.'
    'No, stay,' he said, and there was the authentic note of the autocrat in
    his voice. 'I admit it amuses me to make you blush, but I have no
    designs on your