Daphne Clair – Dark Mirror (страница 7)
She shook herself mentally, and clenched her fists against an involuntary shiver.
He was waiting, looking at her. She hoped her eyes weren’t giving away the sudden agitated thumping of her heart. She moistened her lower lip and kept her voice flat, indifferent. ‘Goodnight—Kyle.’
She picked up the tray and took it out, her hands perfectly steady, her mind filled with dismay.
Packing the cups and saucers into the dishwasher in the kitchen, she tried to rationalise.
He had something, undoubtedly, some kind of sex appeal that wasn’t immediately apparent, not all on the surface, and the more potent for that. The man was an expert manipulator, she reminded herself, obviously with a lot of practice. He knew perfectly well what effect he had on women, and OK, she wasn’t immune.
But she was no adolescent innocent, ready to fall at his feet because he said her name in a way that made it sound special. She was a grown woman—older than him, for heaven’s sake! Even if she hadn’t been wise to his games, she had no reason to suppose he’d have been interested in her! His taste ran to younger women. Much younger. Although Devina Roache, for all the unlined perfection of her features, must be over twenty-five.
Not as much over as you are, a mean-spirited inner voice jeered. You’re the
Stop there! Fler ordered herself, appalled at the trend of her thoughts.
Of course she didn’t want to catch Kyle Ranburn’s eye. The less she had to do with him the better. The summer school this year couldn’t be over and done with soon enough for her.
But it hadn’t even started, yet.
* * *
Next morning eager students of all ages from teenagers to white-haired eighty-year-olds descended on the tiny beach community and were speedily dispatched to makeshift classrooms, all within convenient walking distance of the community hall. By ten o’clock, cars had stopped arriving and relative quiet reigned as everyone settled in for the first sessions.
Fler ushered an apologetic late-comer into the front lounge, and returned to the desk to do some bookwork. The door to the lounge was open to allow a cooling breeze to circulate, and she could clearly hear Kyle launching into his session. He would be accustomed to addressing a lecture hall full of students, of course. Although, didn’t they use microphones these days? Anyway, he had a good, deep, clear voice, easy to listen to...
Finding that was what she was doing, she bent her head to the books.
A burst of laughter came from the lounge. Tansy had said he often made his students laugh, it was one of the things she liked about his classes. ‘With him it all comes alive,’ she had said eagerly. ‘He makes the people seem real, not just words in history books.’
Fler picked up a ruler and drew a precise red line under a set of figures. Tansy had said he was brilliant at his subject. But then, she might have been biased.
* * *
At lunchtime Fler helped the kitchen staff serve salad, fruit and cheese for the lecturers. The students either brought their own lunch or made other arrangements.
Kyle said to her, ‘Do you mind if I take mine outside?’ Some of the students were picnicking on the lawn or the veranda steps.
‘Whatever you like,’ Fler told him. ‘Just return the plate later.’
He brought it back as Fler was clearing away the cheese. ‘Sorry, I got talking.’
Fler reluctantly asked, ‘Would you like some cheese?’
‘Thanks.’ Casually he picked a chunk off the plate she was holding.
‘What about coffee?’
He smiled at her. ‘You do live up to your reputation, don’t you?’
‘I’m doing my best.’
The smile turned wry. ‘You know, I’m
‘”But Grandma, what big teeth you have”!’ Fler said.
He laughed, then. He didn’t have particularly big teeth, but they were white and even. He looked down at her, the laughter still in his eyes, making him look—damn him!—more dangerously attractive than ever.
Fler swallowed, clamping her own teeth together to stop an involuntary smile.
Kyle shook his head, put the chunk of cheese in his mouth and sauntered out.
CHAPTER FIVE
FLER picked her way across the drift of pebbles and shells and walked into the gentle breakers, wading up to her thighs before plunging under the cool water.
Visitors were told they should take the short walk across the headland to the longer, sandier and gentler beach next door. But on hot summer evenings like this the sea washing into the little cove was tranquil, almost smooth, and a swim was a welcome refresher after a day’s work in the heat.
It felt cold at first but soon warmed, and she stayed in until the last of the daylight was almost gone from the sky.
When she came out, she was surprised to see Kyle Ranburn sitting on the dry sand where she’d left her towel. He had changed into shorts and his feet were bare.
As she approached he got up and picked up her towel, shaking out the sand before handing it to her.
‘Thanks,’ she said rather curtly. He hadn’t been waiting for her, had he? She’d probably been unrecognisable while in the water. Perhaps he’d hoped that it was one of the younger and more attractive female students.
‘I thought this beach was unsafe for swimming?’ he said.
‘It’s all right when it’s calm, and provided you know where the rocks are. But the other beach is patrolled and better for visitors. We wouldn’t like to be responsible for anyone getting into trouble in the water.’
‘Mmm.’ He was regarding her idly as she dried her hair and face, then blotted the towel over her shoulders and arms. ‘How old
Her head went up. ‘What?’
He spread his hands. ‘You look too young to be her mother. You must have been a child bride.’
‘It’s dark,’ she reminded him. Twilight, anyway. Flippantly she sang a snatch of Gilbert and Sullivan. ‘”She may very well pass for forty-three in the dusk with a light behind her”.’
He threw back his head and laughed. ‘Are you forty-three?’ he enquired.
‘No, I’m not!’ she said, ridiculously outraged. ‘I was nineteen when Tansy was born.’ She wound the towel about her waist and tucked the end in. That kind of flattery, she told herself firmly, was so obvious it was laughable. So what if he sounded perfectly sincere? No doubt it came easily with practice.
She thrust back her damp hair with one hand, and started towards the cliff path.
Kyle kept pace with her. ‘How old were you when you got married, then?’
She cast him a frosty glance. ‘Eighteen, and for the record it was eleven months before Tansy appeared on the scene.’
‘I wasn’t counting.’
She didn’t answer that, and as they reached the path he said, ‘You’re only seven years older than me.’
‘Congratulations,’ she said. ‘I thought your subject was history.’
He laughed again, briefly. ‘Were you always this sassy?’
Sassy. It sounded American. Had he spent time in the States? ‘It comes with age,’ she said, going ahead of him up the steep path. ‘I suppose your adoring young students wouldn’t dare try to cut you down to size.’
‘Most of them don’t adore me,’ he said.
‘Just Tansy? Surely she’s not the only one.’
He was silent until she had breasted the top of the cliff. She stamped out a small surge of disappointment. There was something about sparring with him that had sent a surge of adrenalin through her. She’d almost begun to enjoy herself.
She’d climbed too fast, and as she stopped at the top of the path to get her breath, he joined her on the coarse, springy buffalo grass. He said, ‘Do you think we could make a pact?’
Wary again, she said, ‘What kind of pact?’
‘You’ve made up your mind about me, as far as your daughter is concerned. Whatever I say you’re going to hold it against me. We’ve agreed not to spoil the summer school for everyone else by airing our—differences in public. But it’s going to be difficult if every time we happen to bump into each other we come back to the subject.’
‘Believe me, I’m doing my best not to bump into you, Mr Ranburn.’
‘Kyle!’
Fler shrugged. ‘Kyle.’
‘We can’t avoid each other forever,’ he said. ‘And I’m not sure I want to.’
Stupid,