Mail-order Bridegroom Part 49

Apart from the fact she didn't want to, she knew her every gesture, her every move was under scrutiny. Yet she felt happy, confident, unfazed by all the introductions. Most people seemed delighted to meet her. Not critical at all. Some did eye her off speculatively. Older women mostly. Probably friends of the Petersens. But in the main she felt she was making a good impression. Marsh's blue eyes every time they rested on her, conveyed enormous pride and pleasure. How could she not s.h.i.+ne? Even Dianne smiled happily and waved, every time they pa.s.sed her. Dianne had taken to growing her hair out. With her pregnancy well established she had gained a soft bloom. Chris must have been threatened with all kinds of things because his manner, though friendly, held none of the usual silly flirtatious ness Perhaps the thought of fatherhood was maturing him.

Kim and Craig had arrived late. Kim standing a statuesque three inches over Craig's head. She was dressed to kill in bright red chiffon. The dress hung on shoestring straps and the skirt was slit in several places to show her spectacular legs. The colour brought out her golden tan and the gilt streaks in her blond hair. Roslyn thought she looked stunning, but her gaze was a little odd. A surprising mix of supreme self-confidence with a decided dash of defiance. Beside her, Craig faded into nothingness. He was prematurely losing his hair, which was sad, but he had inherited a quarter share of the family business with an estimated personal fortune of around 55 million dollars. He was known to be paranoid about publicity but with Kim on his arm he was beaming broadly.

"For Pete's sake, couldn't you have told me?" Marsh demanded as he and Roslyn moved forward to greet them.

"I tried, but I just couldn't find it in my heart. That doesn't mean I'm not going to keep an eye on you."

"Oh, don't be absurd!" Marsh laughed.

"I only hope they're going to spring a surprise and announce their engagement. It'd be just like Kim to break the good news at our party."

"It is possible," Roslyn said.

Instead Kim took Marsh by the arms, leaned forward and kissed him full on the mouth.

"Darling, my congratulations! This is a wonderful occasion."

"Indeed, indeed!" Craig added hastily, giving Roslyn an uncertain smile.

"It was sweet of you both to invite me when you heard I was in town. Youlook absolutely beautiful, Roslyn. A knockout!""I want to steal your necklace," Kim smiled. "Marsh's present, am I right?""Of course!" Roslyn put her hand on Marsh's arm and he hugged her to him so her billowing skirt swayed. "An expression of our love.""Opals are a bit too unlucky for me," Kim said with a tiny shudder of unease."Surely you're not superst.i.tious?" Craig asked, looking embarra.s.sed."I think it's the loveliest necklace I've seen and it suits Roslyn perfectly."Kim patted him and rolled her eyes. A kind of what- would-yoi^know?"The house looks splendid, all the decorations and everything. Did Di make it?""But of course!" Marsh said, sounding surprised."Di would never miss an occasion like this.""Mmm," Kim looked as though she had heard differently."Ah, there are the Munros," Marsh said, his gaze going over Kim's head."Would you both excuse us? I'll catch up, Craig, later on. A few things have happened you might like to know about."

Kim looked momentarily devastated as though some of it could be about her, but it would be business, polo, something like that.

"Watch Kim tonight," Marsh warned Roslyn as they moved off.

"She has a decidedly malicious streak. More, with a few drinks in, she's

nutty enough to do anything."

"So why did I say she could come?" Roslyn answered in a wry voice.

"I'm sure we'll live to regret it. She gives me the impression she's out to make trouble."

After supper Roslyn retired briefly upstairs to repair her lipstick.

She looked fine and that soothed her. So far the party was progressing amazingly well. Kim and Craig had merged in with their friends. Was it possible Craig could control her excesses? He was a hard-nosed businessman after all.

Roslyn decided to take the rear staircase to the ground floor. She would be much less on view. As she commenced the descent to the first landing she realised a group of women was having a conversation in the shadowy privacy of beneath the stairs. She hesitated a moment, unsure whether she should keep going or retrace her steps and take the main staircase. For no reason she could understand she had a sinking suspicion Kim might be one of the women.

Marsh was right. Kim had a kind of aura tonight. It conveyed a certain "I'm going to have my little revenge." Not exactly smart. Roslyn herself wouldn't care to confront Marsh head-on. Nor Justine and ian if they considered themselves insulted. But Kim would gossip in private.

Before she could take another step Roslyn had her proof. Kim.

"Oh, I know she looks good, but she's desperately unsure of herself."

Another woman snapped back, "You'd have fooled me! I thought her incredibly poised. I wouldn't have taken her for a modest little schoolteacher at all. Carol was telling me she plays the piano awfully well. I adore the cla.s.sical piano. I'd love to hear her play."

"You wouldn't enjoy it as much as you think," Kim came back.

"Her style is very over-the-top."

"Darling, would you know? You don't know anything about music,"another voice said. One Roslyn knew. Anne Fletcher."It beats me why you wanted to come tonight. We're sorry Marsh has been s.n.a.t.c.hed from you. We know you're very upset, but it's all history now.

He's made his choice. Accept it.""I'd dearly love to but I'm finding it a little hard after all we meant toeach other. This marriage would never happen if Lady Faulkner were alive."

"Not that awful woman!" Anne Fletcher moaned with black humour."Did you ever meet with such coldness and arrogance? The time she gave the girls, yet she was ruthlessly possessive of Marsh. Not that he tolerated itfor long.""Very tragic Sir Charles was killed," another voice said."s.n.a.t.c.hed away in the prime of life. Such a pity the marriage wasn't a success.""You can blame that on the little bride's mother. The housekeeper,"Kim said with such vindictiveness it made Roslyn ill. She wasn't going to listen to this. She put her hand to her long skirt, lifted it, but again

Anne Fletcher broke in, staying Roslyn's intervention."I'm sure we'd all prefer if you didn't mention that, Kim. You're beingincredibly b.i.t.c.hy tonight. You and Marsh were never that close.

Besides, I don't believe that old gossip for a minute. "

"Then you shouldV Kim maintained in a steely voice.

"Mother and daughter, both opportunists. Roslyn latched onto Marsh and

wouldn't let go. The mother got her hooks into Harry Wallace when all else

failed. He's Lord Mortimer now by the way. I suppose you've heard.It's quite bizarre! The Faulkner housekeeper will most certainly become LadyMortimer. "

"Good for her!" yet another voice said."Why should the rich have all fun!""You're not terribly supportive!" Kim complained, obviously stung by the group's reaction.

"Not very," Anne Beteher agreed.

"We've all been friends with the Faulkners since forever. We're not about to

fall out now and for whafl I can't see that they won't be divinely happytogether. Now, I'm for a drink. Anyone else coming? Doesn't Justine look marvelous tonight? She's finally got herself together."

The women moved off and Roslyn proceeded down the stairs. She felt upset bywhat Kim had said, particularly about her mother, yet heartened by the lackof response. Anne Fletcher was a leader in young society and obviously readyto embrace Marsh Faulkner's wife.

Kim would have her nose well and truly out of joint.

Sometime later Marsh told her many of their guests had expressed the wish tohear her play the piano."You don't mind, do you?" He looked at her, his eyes brilliant."I thought it would be nice if you did.""I don't mind in the least.""I'm sure they'd be very appreciative.""Besides, ian is already lifting the lid."Marsh lowered his head suddenly and kissed her cheek."Show them what you're capable of. You have quite a repertoire. What about the " Ritual Fire Dance' to start seeing we're all on a roll, then maybe one of the Chopin etudes? I like the one that goes all up and down the piano. "

"The

"Ocean Etude." " She smiled."It's a very good thing I haven't touched a drop of alcohol. Bravuraperformances just don't happen unless one's in total control."

Marsh laughed gently and led her across a sea of smiling, expectant faces.

Roslyn arranged herself at the piano, pushed the long piano stool back a little, cleared her long full skirt from the pedals and her feet. Finally she was comfortable and announced in a calm voice her two choices. The "Ritual Fire Dance" by Manuel De Falla and Chopin's famous etude in C minor.

Clapping broke in a wave over the large drawing room. All the French doors were open to the veranda so the music would float out over the lawn. Someone had obviously told the band to stop so the level of noise had dropped dramatically. Many of the guests had heard Roslyn was a gifted pianist but only a handful had actually witnessed a performance.

Near the double doors leading to the hallway, Kim hissed in Craig's ear, "For G.o.d's sake, how boring! Anyone would think she was a famous concert pianist, when she's strictly an amateur. I'm going for some fresh air. You stay if you want."

"I'd like to," Craig said, sounding shocked.

"It might be a good idea, Kimmy, if we toddle off shortly after. You've had one Bellini too many."

Vulnerable to criticism at the best of times, a heated flush rose to Kim's cheeks and she looked back wild- eyed.

"Don't tell me how to conduct myself, Craig McDonald, you little squirt!"

"Squirt?" Craig savoured that for a moment.

"How very delightful!" He turned away deliberately.

Kim waited for no more. She stalked unsteadily into the packed hallway and made for the front door while the thrilling opening bars of the "Ritual Fire Dance" spilled out into the night.

Roslyn sat with Marsh, wonderfully relaxed and happy. Her little recital had been a brain wave It appeared to have established her in her own right. Marsh was telling a story that had everyone laughing when a waiter came to stand at her shoulder.

"I'm sorry. Miss Earnshaw," he apologised, "but Mrs. Herbert would like to see you for a moment in the Garden Room."

Roslyn left immediately, signalling to Marsh with a little wave of her fingers. Probably it had something to do with the handful of guests who weren't behaving as they should. What Roslyn could do about it she didn't know. Justine mightn't like the idea but she could be forced into suggesting they might like to go home.

When she reached the Garden Room, which wasn't open to their guests, she found it very dimly lit. The great hanging ferns and the golden canes in glazed pots stood out in sharp silhouette against the backlit gla.s.s wall which was a blaze of dull gold. Across the hedge of sasanqua camellias she could just see couples walking and beyond that people dancing on the lawn.

"Justine?" she called, just starting to think something was amiss.

Justine wouldn't be standing about in the semi-dark.

"Roslyn?" a voice cried back from somewhere in the shadows.

She felt a flash of rising irritation.

"Is that you, Chris?" She walked towards the sound.

"What are you doing here?" Surely to G.o.d it couldn't be a replay of his and Dianne's engagement party when he'd cornered her for a kiss.

"A bit of fun" as he'd put it then.

"Chris?" she repeated sharply.

"Keep your hair on. Here I am." He was suddenly there, pressing her arm.

"Justine sent a message she wanted me. I expect she has a problem with thesillies in the pool.""Who told you?" Roslyn demanded."I'm sorry?" Chris responded in his supercilious tone."Who told you Justine wanted you?"He touched her hair."Oh, a waiter. I'm sure it was a waiter.""Well, she's not here. It might be a good idea to find the light switch.""Just when I was enjoying it in the dark. / don't know where it is.You've been living here for weeks. "Roslyn moved back to the door."I have, but I don't think I've turned the lights on here once. One would expect to find the panel somewhere here, but it's not. Frankly I think weshould leave.""What, when you've done your best to get me here!" He laughed."That'll be the day!""I wonder. I'd say you planned all this."

"For what purpose?" she asked coldly."Trouble-making, I should think. That would suit you. You are atroublemaker as we all know. That business at Christmas was your doing. Howgauche to imply I was bothering you."

With her eyes adjusted to the gloom Roslyn saw his expression plainly. Itdisgusted her."Are you quite mad?" she demanded."I never said a thing. ""I'm sorry, Ros, I don't believe that. Marsh was just about ready to throwme out. Di was livid. Upsetting her at such a time. I love her.

We've never had such unpleasantness. "

"That's a downright lie. You'll always have unpleasantness while you can't seem to stop yourself from chatting girls up."

He stared at her in outrage. "Chatting girls up? I a.s.sure you I'm only being pleasant. Most girls loveit.""Well here's one who doesn't! It's my opinion someone has set us up.

It's not me and even you couldn't be so dimwitted. ""Dim-witted? Oh, h.e.l.l, yes. That's why I'm so successful. I do believeyour little triumph has gone to your head. If there's any mischief going on,probably you have something to do with it. Of course I know what it is.You're put out I haven't paid any attention to you all evening. Kim'sright. You muscled in on this family. You've tried to make a fool out ofme."

Roslyn saw red.

"From where I'm standing, I wouldn't have to try!"

He gave a derisive snort.

"You don't fool me, Ros. You and your sharp little tongue. Not that it

isn't part of your charm. I suspect you're a vixen at heart. I want you to

know if you cause any more unpleasantness" -- "You'll do what?""I won't have Di upset," Chris said in a pious tone. "You've been causingthese upsets for years. I want it to stop."

"Give me strength!" Roslyn exclaimed.

"You want it to stop when I'm the one who's had to put up with your stupidity. You make me sick!"

By now, Roslyn, in a fine temper went to turn on her heel, but Chris caught