Seen by Candlelight Page 3

  She remembered the nights of the long hot summer that had followed their marriage, when, too hot to sleep, they had gone down to the pool and swum in the moonlight. They had been utterly alone, the rest of the household asleep, and they had made love, their bodies dripping with the cool delicious water.

  Groaning, Karen slid wearily out of bed and padded into the bathroom. Filling a tumbler full of water, she extracted a sleeping tablet from the bottle in the cabinet and swallowed it with some of the water. She peered at her weary face in the mirror of the cabinet and frowned. Was she to look like a hag when he saw her tomorrow? Would he be glad he was no longer married to such a tired-looking creature?

  She returned slowly to her bed and slid back between the sheets. Moodily, she mused that at least during her marriage to Paul she had never had to resort to sleeping tablets, at least not while they were living together. On the contrary, she had slept soundly and dreamlessly as a child in his arms, conscious of the security of those arms always.

  Achingly she stared into space until the cotton wool world of the drug descended upon her and she slept.

  She awoke with an aching head next morning, hearing the steady buzz of the vacuum cleaner from the lounge. She slid out of bed and pulled on a blue quilted housecoat before opening the door leading to the lounge.

  Mrs. Coates, the daily, was just finishing and she smiled cheerfully at Karen. She was a small, plump woman of about fifty, with a husband and six children at home. She often regaled Karen with stories of “our Bert” or “our Billy”, and Karen found her a refreshing personality.

  “I’ve made your coffee,” she said now, looking critically at Karen. She nodded towards the kitchen. “You look as though you could do with some.”

  “Thank you,” replied Karen dryly, but padded willingly into the kitchen.

  The percolater was bubbling merrily and she poured herself a cup of black coffee and went back into the lounge for her cigarettes.

  “Are you all right, dearie?” asked Mrs. Coates, looking worriedly at her.

  “Of course. Thank you, Mrs. Coates. I slept rather badly, that’s all. I’ll be all right when I’ve had this.” She nodded to the coffee.

  “Right.” Mrs. Coates pulled on her mackintosh. “I’ll be off, then. See you in the morning.”

  “Yes, all right, Mrs. Coates,” said Karen, managing a smile, and the woman left.

  After she had closed the door, Karen stood down her coffee and walking over to the switch she turned down the temperature of the central heating. Mrs. Coates always kept the place like a greenhouse, and this morning Karen felt as though she needed air, and lots of it.

  Her watch told her it was only nine-thirty, so she collected the daily papers, which Mrs. Coates always brought for her, from the kitchen and settled herself on the couch in the lounge.

  She knew that Paul would not reach the office until ten o’clock at the earliest, so she read for an hour before tackling the telephone. The newspapers were full of the world crises, but for all the impression they made on her she might just as well not have bothered reading them. Her mind buzzed with the telephone call ahead of her and eventually she laid them aside and merely waited.

  Today when the switchboard operator at the Frazer building answered her, Karen again asked for Mr. Frazer and was immediately put through to Paul’s office suite.

  His private secretary answered her and asked in her cool, modulated voice who was calling and what it was about.

  “Mr. Frazer is extremely busy this morning,” she continued silkily. “He has a board meeting in half an hour so I’m afraid I must ask you to either call back tomorrow or tell me what it’s about. I’m sure I will be able to assist you, whatever it is.”

  Karen clenched her fingers round the red receiver.

  “Just tell Mr. Frazer that Miss Stacey wants to speak to him,” she said coolly. “I’m sure he won’t refuse to speak to me.”

  Whether the girl recognized the name herself, Karen couldn’t imagine, but after an impatient wait of about five minutes she heard a man’s husky voice saying: “Karen, is that you calling?” and she realized it was Paul.

  Her heart thumped so loudly she felt sure he must be able to hear it. His voice was so familiar, even after all this time, although it was as cold as a mountain stream.

  For a second her nerve almost failed her, and she thought she was not going to be able to go through with it, and then she managed to murmur:

  “Yes, it’s me. Hello, Paul. How are you?”

  Even to her own ears her voice sounded rather nervous and she wished she could be as confident as he sounded.

  “I’m very well, thank you,” he replied flatly. “Are you?”

  “Oh, yes, I’m fine.” Karen stiffened her shoulders determinedly.

  “That’s good,” he said, and waited, obviously expecting her to speak and explain why she had called at all. Karen sought about for words to begin the conversation and with cold emphasis Paul said: “Karen, why did you ring me? I’m sure it wasn’t simply to ask about the state of my health.”

  “No,” she agreed, sighing.

  “Then why?” he asked curtly. “Come on, Karen. I’m a busy man.”

  Karen gasped. How dared he speak to her like that? In that superior tone! All of a sudden her courage returned. His manner had caught her on the raw and she was damned if he was going to treat her like dirt.

  “I’m afraid I cannot discuss it over the telephone,” she replied icily. She had been going to tell him a little of the matter over the phone and suggest that they meet to discuss the rest, but now she decided he could wait and find out what she wanted. “It’s a personal matter,” she continued, “I should like to see you.”

  “I can’t imagine what we have to say to one another,” he replied coolly.

  Karen tried to control her rising temper. She felt much better about everything now. He was just as belligerent as ever. No doubt he thought that she wanted to talk to him about Ruth.

  “Paul,” she said carefully, in a controlled voice, “this matter concerns two other people, not ourselves, so don’t think for one moment that I’m trying to make an assignation with you.”

  Paul sighed. “I don’t understand a word of this, Karen. Why can’t you tell me now?”

  Karen sighed herself. “Good lord, Paul, just take my word that it concerns you just as much as me.”

  “And when do you suggest we meet?” he asked.

  “How about lunch?”

  “Today? God, Karen, I only arrived back from Leeds last night. I’m absolutely up to my eyes in work.”

  “Oh, dear.” Karen sounded sarcastic. “But then, even tycoons have to eat sometimes, don’t they? Or do you live on vitamin pills these days?”

  Paul was silent for a moment and she heard him flicking over the papers on his desk.

  “Make up your mind,” she said abruptly.

  “All right,” he said slowly. “I suppose I can make it.”

  “Don’t put yourself out,” she exclaimed heatedly.

  He sounded almost amused. “Still the same old Karen,” he remarked cynically. “Will one o’clock at Stepano’s suit you? I have a table there.”

  “Admirably,” she replied dryly, and rang off.

  As she lit a cigarette she found she was trembling again. This would never do. She hated herself for becoming so emotionally involved. After all, it was only a luncheon appointment, not a visit to the torture chamber.

  She spent a long time deciding what she would wear. She needed something smart but not too dressy. Certainly nothing to make him imagine this was anything other than a business engagement. On the other hand, she wanted to look her best, if only to show him how well she was managing alone.

  Black was the best idea, she decided at last, and chose a close-fitting black suit which suited her very fair colouring to perfection. The neckline of the suit was low and round, and she added a string of pearls, which he had bought her for their first wedding anniversary, to complete
the ensemble. She never wore a hat and her thick, straight hair needed no adornment. It tip-tilted slightly at the ends and was so soft and silky that it always looked attractive. Paul had always admired her hair, the jagged fringe straying across her wide brow and framing her piquantly attractive face.

  She studied her face in the mirror for a moment when she was ready, wondering whether she had changed. Her best features were her eyes, framed by thick black lashes that needed no mascara. Her eyes were greeny-grey and very widely spaced, while her nose was small and slightly retroussé. Her mouth was full and passionate and much too big in her estimation. However, she sighed, she was as she was and nothing could change that.

  She took a taxi to Stepano’s. The traffic in London at lunchtime was such that to take her own car would have been a futile effort. Besides she hated driving in the rat-race of vehicles, always conscious of the swarm of cars on her tail, ready to pounce if she made a mistake.

  Stepano’s was a massive, glass-fronted restaurant in Oxford Street. Karen had never been inside before, but as she entered she was greeted by a white-coated waiter who escorted her with reverence to Paul’s table. Paul had not yet arrived and Karen ordered a dry Martini and lit a cigarette.

  As she sipped her drink her eyes surveyed the large dining-room with its gleaming damask cloths, shining silver and hot-house flowers. The clientele matched their surroundings, over-indulged, expense-account fed men and elegantly jewelled women. There were some younger people, but even they were all too obviously bored by too much of everything. However, she was aware that she too was being studied and discussed. After all, this was Paul Frazer’s table and she was not the woman with whom he had been photographed so frequently lately. She wondered if any of them recognized her as Paul’s ex-wife. She felt quite amused as she imagined their comments if they did.

  At five past one, the swing glass doors opened to admit, Paul Frazer. He was dressed in a camel-hair overcoat, which he removed and gave to the waiter who hovered at his side. Underneath he was wearing a charcoal grey lounge suit of impeccable cut, and he looked bigger and broader than she remembered. Even so, he did not look to have an ounce of spare flesh on him. He was big-framed and muscular, and as she watched him thread his way through the tables to his own, she was intensely conscious of the almost animal magnetism about him which had so thrilled her in the old days. He walked with a lithe, easy grace for such a big man, passing a word here and there with acquaintances he knew. His hair was still as thick and black as ever, only lightly touched with grey at the temples, which served to give him a distinguished appearance. He was still as lazily attractive as ever and at thirty-seven looked the well-dressed, assured business tycoon that he was. If he had grown a little more cynical with the years that was only to be expected of a man with his wealth and position, who knew that money could buy most things he wanted.

  He reached the table and seated himself opposite her with a brief nod. Conscious that they were the cynosure of all eyes, Karen flushed and looked down at her drink.

  “Well, Karen,” he murmured lightly, “you haven’t changed much. Still as beautiful as ever, and as talented too, I hear.”

  Karen looked up at him and for a moment his dark eyes held hers. Then with a rush she said:

  “Thank you, Paul. You haven’t changed, either. Are you still working hard, too?”

  He half smiled in a mocking manner. “I was, until I was dragged to a certain luncheon appointment.”

  Karen looked indignantly at him. “You need not have come,” she stated abruptly, colouring.

  “Oh, really? With you flinging innuendoes left, right and centre? Besides, you set out to make me curious and you succeeded. That should please you.”

  The wine waiter appeared by his side and he ordered himself a whisky and another Martini for Karen. After the wine waiter had left, the head waiter arrived for their order, and Paul took the menu and ordered for them both as he had always done in the past.

  When his whisky had been supplied together with Karen’s Martini and they were waiting for the first course to be served, he said:

  “No retaliation yet. I felt sure you were thinking up some vitriolic reply while I studied the food.”

  “Don’t be so clever,” she retorted, disliking his mocking treatment of her. “I ought to be congratulating you on your engagement, but I won’t.”

  “Thank you, all the same. Was that what you wanted to talk about?”

  Karen gasped. “I told you it had nothing to do with us,” she snapped angrily.

  Paul shrugged, and iced melon was served. Karen felt singularly unhungry, which was quite unusual for her, and only toyed with the food.

  Paul ate his and then said: “Well, come on, then. Don’t keep me in suspense.”

  Karen pushed her plate away.

  “My … my mother asked me to speak to you,” she began slowly.

  “Oh. I see. And how is Madeline these days?” He swallowed the remainder of his drink. “I keep meaning to visit her.”

  “She’s all right,” replied Karen, glad of the brief diversion. “I’m sure she’d be overjoyed to see you. You were always her blue-eyed boy, in a manner of speaking, of course.” This last because she knew his eyes were a very dark grey so as to appear almost black at times.

  “Good.” He raised his eyebrows. “Well … go on.”

  Karen reluctantly continued. “It’s really about Sandra that I wanted to speak to you,” she said.

  “Why? Does she need money or something?”

  “No,” retorted Karen shortly. “Money; the be-all and end-all of everything to you, I suppose.”

  “It helps,” he remarked sardonically.

  “Anyway, it’s not money. Sandra is going around with Simon … your dear brother Simon, that is.”

  “Simon?” echoed Paul, all mockery gone from his voice. “Good lord, is she completely out of her mind? Simon’s years older than her, and he’s married into the bargain.”

  Karen sighed and nodded. “I know that and you know that, but Sandra apparently, doesn’t. You know how wilful she is, how wild and uncontrollable. Goodness knows what trouble she’ll get herself into. She’s stupid enough to allow him enough licence to … well, you know Sandra … and Simon.”

  Paul nodded and looked thoughtfully down at the salmon which had been placed before him.

  “She needs a damn good hiding,” he muttered violently.

  “Precisely, but no one is likely to give it to her,” said Karen moodily.

  Paul shrugged. “So. What am I expected to do about it?”

  “You know what Simon is like,” said Karen, looking at him earnestly. “And you can handle him. You’ve told me so numerous times. We want you to stop him seeing her. She won’t take any notice of us, and short of locking her up every night, there’s very little we can do.”

  “I see. So you want me to play the heavy father! How?”

  Karen flushed. “You employ him. You dictate his income. He has no money of his own to speak of. I know that.”

  “Hmn. You’ve got it all worked out, haven’t you?” he remarked dryly.

  Karen clenched her fingers round her knife and fork. His voice was mocking again and she hated the humble position she had put herself into.

  “And … er … why should I do this?” he asked annoyingly. “I mean, Simon is free, white, and over twenty-one. If Sandra is reckless enough to go out with him, oughtn’t she to bear the consequences?”

  “Yes, she ought,” exclaimed Karen hotly. “And if I had my way, I would never have asked you to do anything. My mother bribed me into doing this by one of her devious methods and at the moment I couldn’t care less what you do.”

  He smiled. “Do keep your voice down, Karen, or do you want the whole restaurant to hear our discussion? It would make a charming topic of conversation at cocktails this evening.”

  “Oh, you’re hateful!” she cried, feeling as though she might burst into tears at any moment.

  “Relax,” he
remarked abruptly. “Your mission is accomplished. I’ll speak to brother Simon. If only to keep you in good stead with your mother.”

  “Thank you,” she muttered, and thereafter ate in silence. She was conscious of his speculative gaze on her often during the course of the meal and to her ignominy, her face refused to resume its normal colour and remained flushed.

  When the meal was over and coffee was served. Paul offered Karen a cigarette and after he had lit hers and his own he said:

  “You’re still with Lewis Martin, then.” It was more of a statement than a question.

  ‘Yes. Lewis and I get on very well,” she replied coldly.

  “I’m sure you do,” he agreed smoothly. “Why haven’t you married him?”

  “Because I haven’t,” she retorted. “In any case, it’s no concern of yours.”

  “Of course not. I was merely making conversation.” He smiled mockingly and she conveyed her own gaze to the tip of her cigarette.

  “How … how is your mother?” she asked quietly.

  Paul’s mother lived in the South of France. When her husband died and Paul took over the business, she had retired there to live with her sister and Paul and Karen had visited her a couple of times during their marriage. Karen had liked her but had not had a lot to do with her.

  “She’s very well,” answered Paul gravely. “I expect Ruth and I will stay there for a while after the wedding.”

  “Does Ruth already know your mother?”

  “She has met her, yes. She flew over for the engagement party.”

  “Ah, yes. I ought to have remembered,” said Karen, shrugging. “And when is the wedding to be?” The question was a tortuous one for her. Asking when Paul intended to make another woman his wife.

  “In about three months,” he replied smoothly. “Ruth wants to be a June bride.”

  “How sweet,” remarked Karen sardonically. “I’m sure she’ll do you credit.”

  “I’m sure she will,” he said easily. “She’s a very attractive person.”

  Karen drew on her cigarette. She had only seen a photograph of Ruth in a newspaper and really it had not given much life to her features.