Interlude in Arcady by Margery Hilton

Author:Margery Hilton [Hilton, Margery]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9780263710540
Publisher: Mills & Boon
Published: 1969-11-14T18:30:00+00:00

Catrina came down early next morning, looking bandbox fresh and perfect in the same cream lightweight tweed suit in which she’d arrived. Nicola returned her friendly greeting with frank admiration; the cream suit betrayed not a single hint of being driven in for over two hundred miles yesterday. The secret of an actress’s grooming and good tailoring, Nicola decided, and held her breath as Marcus entered at that moment and came to kiss her as though it was the most natural thing in the world.

There was no sign of Felicity, and he said with callous carelessness, ‘We may as well start,’ and drew out chairs for Nicola and Catrina.

During breakfast the young actress enthused over Arcady, hinting openly that she would love to be invited if Marcus and Nicola decided to take up residence there after they were married.

‘Shall we, darling?’ asked Marcus. ‘For the summer months?’

Nicola tried not to choke over her toast, and he said slyly, ‘We’ll have to think about it, especially when the family starts coming along.’ Ignoring the stifled gasp at his side and assuming a nostalgic expression which would not have disgraced an Irving, he began to extol the joys of childhood summers spent at Arcady. Carried on by enthusiasm for his part—or so Nicola thought furiously and impotently—he dreamed up plans to restore the grounds, wondered whether to decorate the principal bedroom in white and gold or midnight blue and ivory with silver stars on the ceiling, and enlarged on an idea to transform the conservatory into a glassed-in patio for Nicola to sunbathe in, until Nicola felt she could cheerfully have strangled him.

‘But I don’t know whether you could tear yourself away from city life, could you, my sweet?’

His sweet said with ill-concealed acidity that it was all very well in theory but he would probably be bored stiff himself when the novelty wore off.

‘Perceptive little darling, isn’t she?’ he observed, tweaking her chin. ‘But it’ll be up to you to see that I don’t get bored.’

Catrina giggled. ‘I shall give you a rolling pin for a wedding present, and one of those ghastly cube puzzles that interlock several thousand ways.’

Marcus shuddered. ‘Make it an illuminated copy of the Kama Sutra, please.’

Catrina giggled, and Nicola wished she had a rolling-pin to hand at that moment; a cracked skull would take the devilment out of his eyes! He hadn’t a shred of mercy. While she struggled with indignation Felicity walked in.

‘What’s the joke?’ she asked, stifling a yawn and making for the coffee pot.

‘You wouldn’t see it,’ said Marcus coolly, rising briefly and sitting down again. ‘Sleep well?’

Felicity made a face. ‘Who else lives here?’

‘No one,’ said Marcus. ‘Who should?’

The blonde girl shrugged. ‘I thought I heard someone moving about during the night.’

Marcus’s mouth twitched. ‘It would be the mice.’

Felicity shuddered and shook her head. ‘No, no bacon, thank you. Could I have a lightly boiled egg and some crispbread, if you have it?’

Nicola left the dining-room and went to the kitchen. Somebody

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