‘Why, Terry, how lovely. Thanks, we’d love to come, and I’ll ask Francesca when she gets here. I’m expecting her in a few minutes.’
‘Good. And I’ll be expecting you in about an hour. Don’t let me down.’ He opened the door and almost collided with Francesca. ‘Sorry, love.’
‘That’s all right, Terry. How are you?’ Francesca asked.
‘Fine and dandy, but late for an appointment.’ He opened the door and let her pass. ‘Toodle-oo,’ he said, waved, and disappeared down the corridor.
Francesca closed the door and came into the room, a striking picture in buff-colour riding breeches, highly-polished black boots, a pink cotton shirt and red silk cravat. Her blonde hair was pulled back in a pony tail and caught at the nape of her neck with a black bow, and her peaches-and-cream complexion looked more perfect than ever. A shopping basket was slung over one arm and she was carrying a large bunch of flowers.
‘Hi, darling,’ Katharine exclaimed, her face wreathed in smiles as she came to meet Francesca. She kissed her on the cheek and went on, ‘I’m so glad you ’phoned.’
Francesca returned her kiss. ‘And hello to you too, stranger,’ she laughed gaily. ‘These are for you. I picked them in the gardens at Langley this morning.’
‘How sweet of you, darling. Thank you so much.’ Katharine took the flowers, buried her face in them. ‘They smell divine. I’d better put them in water immediately. In the meantime, make yourself comfortable. Do you want coffee, or a drink? I can order something from room service.’
‘No, thanks anyway.’ Francesca put the shopping basket on the floor and flopped into one of the chairs. ‘Since I had to come into Ripon, to get a few things for Melly, I thought I might as well stop by for a few minutes.’
‘I’m so glad you did,’ Katharine called from the bathroom. She returned to the sitting room a moment later, carrying a vase of water, and stood by a side table, arranging the flowers in it. ‘I’ve missed you, Frankie.’
‘I know. I’ve missed you too, Kath. Gosh, I see more of you in London than I do when you’re here on location.’
‘Isn’t it stupid! But Mark has been working us awfully hard. He likes to rehearse every scene like a play, not wing it.’ She stepped back, regarding her handiwork, her head on one side, and then rearranged a few blooms. ‘There, that does it.’
‘It is going well now, though, isn’t it?’
‘Oh yes, everyone’s terribly pleased,’ Katharine responded, adopting an off-handed air, not wanting to discuss the film, which had been troubled from the start. She joined Francesca near the windows. ‘Kath…’ Francesca said, ‘come and sit down. I have something to tell you.’
‘You sound excited.’ Katharine gave her a curious look and lowered herself into the chair opposite.
‘Well, yes, I am.’ Francesca’s face was eager with happiness. ‘Daddy and Doris have decided to get married.’
Katharine blanched. ‘But… but… How marvellous…’ She faltered and stared at Francesca blankly, at a loss for words.
Francesca regarded her keenly. ‘You sound funny, Katharine, and not very enthusiastic. I thought you’d be pleased.’ A frown creased Francesca’s smooth brow. She found her friend’s reaction slightly odd.
‘I’m startled, that’s all,’ Katharine exclaimed hurriedly, endeavouring to correct her mistake. ‘I suppose I hadn’t realized it was such a serious relationship. I don’t know how I got the impression, but somehow I always thought Doris planned to go back to the States. I mean, she has such vast holdings there, and she is so very American.’ Katharine laughed nervously. ‘But naturally I’m pleased,’ she now had the good sense to add, even though in all truth she was utterly dismayed. Recognizing it was crucial to allay Francesca’s doubts about her feelings, she reached out and took hold of her hand, squeezing it warmly. Summoning all of her superlative acting ability, and drawing on her immense charm, she said, with that dazzling smile, ‘Oh Frankie, it is exciting. And so wonderful for your father. I’m happy for him, really and truly.’ She shook her head in a reproving way. ‘Kim’s rather naughty. Why didn’t he tell me last night?’
‘He didn’t know then, nor does he know now,’ Francesca explained. ‘Daddy telephoned from the South of France this morning to tell us, but Kim had already left for Skipton. Anyway, there’s going to be an engagement party, at Doris’s villa,’ she hurried on happily. ‘Later this summer, probably in August. Doris is planning to give a supper dance, and everybody’s invited.’
‘What do you mean by everybody?’ Katharine asked, striving to keep her voice light. She wished the tight knot in her stomach would go away.
‘Kim and I, of course, and you too. Oh Kath darling, do say you’ll come. It won’t be the same if you’re not there.’
Katharine managed another of her sparkling smiles. ‘How lovely of Doris to invite me.’ She instantly wondered if, indeed, Doris had extended the invitation, or whether it was solely Francesca’s idea.
‘Doris wouldn’t leave you out! She knows Kim’s potty about you. She also said she’d like you to stay with us at the Villa Zamir at Cap Martin. And for as long as you want. She expects me to spend August there, and I suppose I will. I do hope you can manage a couple of weeks at least, Katharine. It won’t interfere with your preparations for your trip to Hollywood, will it?’
‘No, I don’t think there’ll be a problem. And how really kind of Doris,’ Katharine murmured, amazed at this apparent, but unexpected, show of friendliness from Madame Asternan. ‘When will the wedding take place?’
‘Not until the autumn. November, Daddy said. Here in Yorkshire at the church in Langley. Oh gosh, you’ll be in California. Damn and blast! I hadn’t thought of that. I was hoping we could both be bridesmaids. I was going to suggest it to Doris.’
Katharine began to laugh, picturing, in her mind’s eye, Doris’s face when she was apprised of this particular idea. Me a bridesmaid for Doris. Over Doris’s dead body, she thought with some asperity.
Mistaking her laughter for excitement and pleasure, Francesca said, ‘Even though you won’t be able to be a bridesmaid, I can tell Doris you’ll come to Cap Martin, can’t I?’
‘Yes. It’ll be nice to have a vacation, a rest, before I start the Beau Stanton picture. Well, this has certainly been my morning for unexpected news.’
‘Oh, really.’
‘Yes, Terry was also here to make an announcement. He came to tell me he had just signed a contract with Monarch. He’s off to Hollywood too.’ Katharine went on to explain about this, and finished, ‘Anyway, he’s giving a celebration lunch tomorrow, and he’d like you to join us, Frankie.’
‘I’d love to, but I’m afraid I can’t, Kath. I’m going up to town this afternoon.’
‘To London?’ Katharine blinked, looking surprised.
‘Yes. Have you forgotten? I told you ages ago that my cousin Diana’s arriving from Paris tomorrow. She’s going to be staying with me for a couple of weeks.’
‘Heavens, I did forget. But I’ve been so preoccupied with my work and with my scenes, everything else has been pushed out of my mind. God, actors are so selfish, so self-involved, it’s terrible. And I’m also very stupid! If only I had remembered, I could have asked Victor to give you a lift. He only just left for London himself, about an hour ago.’
‘Oh,’ Francesca said, and glanced down at her shopping basket. She picked it up and placed it on her knee, searching inside for something. Without lifting her head, not daring to look at Katharine, she continued, ‘Well, that would have been nice, but, in a way, I really prefer to go on the train. I want to check my notes, draft my next chapter. It’s a good opportunity to do a little work.’
‘How is the book coming along, darling?’ Katharine asked with eagerness, as always genuinely interested in Francesca’s writing career.
‘Quite well, actually. Better than I expected, to be honest.’ Francesca took the package out of the basket. ‘This is also for you. I know you’ve become addicted to par
kin, so I asked Val to make some for you.’
‘Aren’t you a love. Thanks so much.’ Katharine placed the package on the coffee table, and threw Francesca a wistful look. ‘Then you won’t be at Langley for dinner tonight after all,’ she stated in a tiny voice.
‘No, I won’t, Kath. I’m so sorry about that, but I did promise Diana I’d meet her plane tomorrow morning, and I can’t let her down.’
‘Oh, I know. Still, I was really looking forward to being with you.’
‘Don’t be silly, Kath dear,’ Francesca said softly, seeing the disappointment registering on Katharine’s face. ‘You’ll have Kim entirely to yourself, and that’s much more romantic.’
Katharine twisted the gold signet ring on her little finger, a sense of misgiving invading her. She had counted on Francesca’s presence at dinner, for apart from enjoying her company, she was worried about the prospect of being alone with Kim. His sister always acted as a buffer between them. In a rush, she confided, ‘He’s been awfully annoyed with me. I’ve had to put him off so many times this week. He blames me, when it’s really not my fault at all. He seems to forget I’m in Yorkshire to work. That’s so unfair of him. Also I’ve been under enough strain and pressure without having to cope with his jealousy.’ She sighed. ‘Mark’s tyrannical, Victor’s dictatorial, and as for Kim, well, he’s just plain unreasonable.’
Francesca said nothing. She was on Katharine’s side and filled with sympathy for her, patently aware that she spoke the truth. Mark and Victor were demanding, a couple of slave drivers, in her opinion, and Kim had been exceptionally difficult, impossible really. On the other hand, she did understand her brother’s feelings. She was going through much the same thing with Victor, who had been so involved with the picture, and embroiled in its manifold problems, he had had little time for her.
After a moment, Francesca remarked quietly, ‘I have a feeling Kim realizes he’s been unfair to you, Kath. I had a long talk with him the other day, and told him he was being perfectly boorish, immature, and that he’d better start behaving himself, otherwise he’d lose you. I hope you don’t mind me butting in.’
‘Of course not,’ Katharine said. Her face brightened. ‘I’m grateful. I really am, darling. And perhaps you are right about the two of us being alone. It will give us a chance to talk things out properly, clear the air.’
Francesca, still wishing to play the peacemaker, quickly pointed out, ‘Remember one thing, Katharine. Kim’s in love with you, so it’s only natural he wants to be with you as much as possible. As for being jealous…’ She laughed softly, and continued, ‘You are very lovely, and you’re surrounded by lots of men on the picture. If he weren’t jealous, he’d be abnormal. You can’t hold that against him, can you?’
‘I suppose not,’ Katharine acknowledged, albeit grudgingly. ‘However, I don’t give him any reasons to be jealous, honestly I don’t, Frankie,’ she insisted.
Francesca looked at her fondly. ‘Men don’t always need a reason to behave in outrageous ways. Sometimes they just can’t help themselves.’ Rising, she picked up the basket. ‘You’ll see, everything’ll be fine this evening, and from the way Kim was talking about you yesterday, he’ll be all sweetness and light.’
‘I hope so,’ Katharine replied, getting up from the chair. She linked her arm through Francesca’s and walked with her to the door. ‘I’ll be glad when we get back to London next week. Things’ll be easier then.’ She hugged Francesca, then stood away from her, gazing at her. Quite unexpectedly she felt a rush of warmth in her throat, was filled with the most tender of feelings. Impulsively, she said, ‘You’re the sweetest, dearest friend I’ve ever had in my whole life, Frankie. And the best. I don’t know what I’d do without you.’
‘And you’re very special to me too, Kath,’ Francesca answered. ‘You’re like the sister I never had.’ Francesca’s face became solemn, reflective. ‘I don’t think that’s really quite the right analogy, because not all sisters are as close and as loving as we are. To me you’re better than a sister, better than a best friend even.’
Katharine’s unique turquoise eyes turned misty, and there was a tremulous quality to her tone as she said, ‘What a truly beautiful thing to say, darling. And that’s exactly the way I feel about you too, and I always will.’
***
Francesca’s affirmation of her friendship had given Katharine a marvellous sense of security, for approval was essential to her well being. Besides, she genuinely cared for Francesca, and was gratified to know her feelings were reciprocated. And so, after the other girl had left, she was filled with euphoria as she busied herself in the suite, singing gaily whilst she went about various small tasks. Finally she went through into the bedroom to select an outfit to wear to lunch with Terry and Estelle.
Sadly, her happy carefree mood was shortlived. Quite suddenly thoughts of the Earl’s impending marriage to Doris Asternan intruded, forcing everything else to the back of her mind. She hung the blue linen suit on the open door of the wardrobe and sat down heavily on the bed, staring at the suit but not really seeing it at all. And she focused her mind on Doris Asternan.
From the first moment they had met, Katharine had understood instinctively that she was confronting a real adversary. Time had only confirmed this. Doris did not like her at all. Not that the older woman was exactly blatant in her dislike. She strove always to conceal her antipathy behind girlishly-made confidences, and claims of sistership because they were both American. With her acuity of perception, Katharine knew that Doris’s pleasant acceptance of her was entirely counterfeit. The woman did not accept her at all, neither did she approve of her relationship with Kim. Furthermore, much to Katharine’s irritation, Doris was excessively possessive of the Cunninghams, seemed to believe she had an exclusive relationship with them, and was also their self-appointed protector. This was particularly in evidence when it came to fellow Americans. Katharine recalled how keenly Doris had scrutinized and questioned Victor when they had both been guests at Langley Castle in May. Just as she herself had been weighed up and down, and so assiduously grilled about her early life in Chicago she had been utterly taken aback. But somehow she had managed to sidestep Doris’s probings without it seeming as if she had something to hide.
I don’t have anything to hide, Katharine said to herself, and then groaned out loud. How stupid she had been. She had told a silly little white lie when she had first started classes at the Royal Academy—she had pretended to be an orphan. Repetition had propagated the he to such an extent she was not only stuck with it, but hamstrung by it. How could she possibly tell anyone the truth now? And why in God’s name had she ever said such a foolish thing in the first place? The answer eluded her.
A wave of self-pity washed over her, but she squashed it before it had a chance to take root. She must concentrate on her most pressing priority, which was rectifying the he, and the only way to do that was to tell the truth and in so doing clarify the situation about her background.
She grimaced, dunking now of Doris. As a girl friend of David Cunningham’s she had not seemed to be a threat; but as his wife she would have great influence on him.
‘Oh damn,’ Katharine exclaimed out loud, worrying about Doris, wondering how to get around her. Katharine, clever and inventive, turned and turned the problem over in her mind, but no solution was forthcoming. Why had Doris invited her to the South of France? Had it been the Earl’s idea? Could Francesca have suggested it? Was Doris merely attempting to appear generous of nature solely for the Earl’s benefit? Or was Doris setting her up, trying to trap her? This last possibility was so unsettling to Katharine that she brushed it aside swiftly. However, a valid reason for this show of friendliness on Doris’s part remained as elusive as a means of circumventing her, and although she concentrated on both for some time, in the end Katharine gave up in exasperation.
Glancing at the clock, she sprang off the bed. Terry was expecting her in the bar in fifteen minutes and she could not waste any more time d
welling on Doris Asternan and the Earl.
I’ll think things out more carefully later, she told herself. After all, it’s still only June. Slipping out of her skirt and blouse, she put on the blue linen suit, stepped into a pair of bone kid pumps, and then turned to look at herself in the mirror. How pale she looked, and drawn around her eyes. Although she was not over fond of make-up and always used it sparingly, Katharine dipped into several small pots, adding a touch of delicate pink rouge on her high cheekbones, and a film of hazy turquoise eyeshadow on her lids.
Satisfied with the overall effect, she ran a comb through her hair. And she made her mind up to one thing: she must be especially sweet to Kim this evening, and in the weeks to come, conciliatory, charming and adoring. Yes, she must use all her not inconsiderable powers to ensure his complete devotion and abiding love. This was an imperative, and surely it was the key to everything… her inevitable triumph over Doris, her future life as Kim’s wife, as the Viscountess Ingleton. She repeated the title, liking the sound of it, and a happy smiled expunged the worry in her eyes.
The smile was still intact some ten minutes later when Katharine reached the lobby of the hotel and headed in the direction of the bar. In her usual way, she had convinced herself, somewhat unwisely, that she could bend life to her will; in consequence her problems had evaporated completely. And Doris Asternan had been dismissed from her mind.