Betrayal (17 page)

'Yes, although it takes her time to get over her attacks. It's asthma, brought on this time by the cat getting indoors. She's allergic to lots of things: feather pillows, long grass, cats, birds… Sometimes I wonder if it's all psychosomatic. A good excuse for staying indoors.' 'Don't be so unsympathetic. Isn't it time you went to work?' she added as his hands strayed down the front of her robe . He cupped one of her breasts and lightly stroked the nipple until it was erect.

'If you want me to go… ?'

'I'd rather you did,' she admitted.

He shrugged. 'Never mind, I'll put my faith in body language! Until tomorrow evening then. Mike will pick you up.' After he'd gone she felt very lonely.

When Bishop arrived at the Ritz, Renato Bellini was already waiting for him. He was sitting at a window table reading the wine list while all the women in the restaurant glanced at him as they wondered who he was and whether he was available.

He rose to his full 6' 4" and nodded pleasantly to Bishop. However, he didn't hold out his hand, which was a pity because Bishop had been prepared to ignore it and felt deprived of scoring the first point.

'It is pleasant to see you again,' smiled Renato, but his eyes said otherwise.

'Indeed it is. Paris last Spring, wasn't it?'

'Around that time. Are you still looking for girls?'

'No, we've got enough. You, I imagine, have them to spare!' 'The type of women I know wouldn't suit your purposes. My father was distressed to hear of Kay Marshall's death. He met her here several years ago and thought her a pleasant and cultured woman.'

'Is that when they met? I don't suppose the sea knows the difference between an aristocrat and a peasant! Well, appearances can be misleading; as can women.'

'Naturally, but no one in our position would ever be foolish enough to place our trust in one, would we?' And the teeth flashed in a cynical smile.

'She worked for you,' said Bishop quietly, realising that Bellini wanted it out in the open. 'What did your father expect? Marriage to Mr Gueras?'

'I don't think my father would make Neal Gueras a very good wife!'

'Highly amusing. How long had she worked for you?'

Renato shrugged. 'I've no idea. All the time, I suppose. Why?' 'We didn't know,' muttered Bishop through clenched teeth. 'We never knew until just before she died. If we had… '

'Her death would not have been an accident! How fortunate she drowned as she did, then.'

'Why are you here, Bellini?'

'To check on our London director.' 'Bullshit!'

'To see the sights; to taste the wonderful British food and the even more wonderful women! Why do you think I'm here?'

'Because we're getting in your way!'

Bellini shook his head. 'No, that is not why. It is because we are worried about your organisation. It is, shall we say, less efficient than it was once. The control is looser. You are allowing yourselves to move into areas unacceptable to us it is true, but mostly we are worried about the lack of control.'

'There's room for us all.'

A waiter arrived and took their order but Bellini scarcely seemed to be interested in what he chose. 'Theoretically that is true, but firm direction from the top would be necessary and we feel this is lacking.'

'Of course you know why?'

Again a quick smile, this one almost menacing. 'It is a woman. A woman he wants and cannot have!'

'Incredible, isn't it? One stuck-up, razor-tongued, stick-insect of a girl has him running round in circles. I don't know why he doesn't just rape her and get it over with.'

'You are undoubtedly a ladies' man, Bishop, I can tell by your approach! Ah, the food.'

'He'll get over it,' said Bishop, toying with the duck. 'You think so? When?'

'Either when she puts out or when he gets fed up with chasing her.' 'You don't think she might be holding out for marriage?'

'No, she's not very keen on him. She had a brief disaster of a marriage to an actor that's left her with a retarded daughter and a lot of emotional hangups. I don't think she wants marriage at all.'

'What kind of mental trouble affects her daughter?'

'She's autistic; an absolute savage and totally untrainable.'

'There have been encouraging results achieved with such children,' murmured Bellini thoughtfully.

'Never mind the bloody child, it's her mother who's causing all the trouble.'

'On the contrary, it's your employer who's causing the trouble. Should he continue to be distracted from his work, allowing the situation to worsen, then we might feel it necessary to move in and straighten out the demarcation lines.'

'But not if someone else took over. Suppose Mr Gueras were to be superseded, then there would still be room for us both.'

'My friend,' said the Italian softly, 'we know of no one in your organisation whom we would trust to take over the running of day to day affairs. No one at all.'

The blood drained from Bishop's face as he sat opposite this powerful foreigner and was obliged to swallow the insult, politely delivered but so utterly final. He looked down at his food and found that the sight of it made him feel ill. Consumed by fury, he knew if he remained he'd say or do something utterly unforgivable and so he stood up and forced a bleak smile to his face.

'I don't think there's any point in discussing matters further. You've made your feelings quite clear and I'd prefer to eat alone.' 'Alone?' Renato's voice was amused. 'You are offended by something I have said, I assume, but what? Surely it cannot be that you yourself were contemplating betraying your own employer? That you were seriously considering removing him and taking over the reins of his empire? No! You are far too loyal to have thought of such a thing, so how have I offended you?'

'Naturally under normal circumstances I'm loyal,' said Bishop stiffly, recognising too late the trap which Bellini had set for him, 'but these are not normal circumstances. If a man can't control the women in his life what chance does he have with the men? Gueras is losing respect, hence the chaos your secret society has already noticed.'

'We are not a secret society. We are a firm of bankers.'

'I'm not a natural Judas,' Bishop continued, ignoring the interruption,' but there are times when personal loyalty has to be set aside.' 'An ambitious lieutenant is more dangerous than the most ruthless opponent,' mused the Italian. 'That is why in my country we prefer to keep things within the family. It avoids such power struggles. Since I now know that you would—albeit unwillingly—be prepared to take on the responsibilities currently undertaken by Gueras, then naturally my original comment no longer applies. I would say that today you have made quite clear to me exactly where your priorities lie.'

Bishop waited for the smile but it didn't come. The dark eyes opposite him were wide and innocent, yet he wasn't deceived. They were two very good poker players who concealed their feelings perfectly. The lack of a smile did tell Bishop one thing: Bellini disliked him. The games were over; he'd probed and tested until he'd discovered what he'd come to learn before forming his judgement and finding Bishop wanting. Not, possibly, as a businessman but as a human being.

'Things are different here,' Bishop said at last, still standing by the table. 'In our organisation the best man usually finds his way to the top of the pile.'

'Gueras has money, status, a shrewd brain, and moves in the best circles. You have nothing except your brain. A better one, I admit, but it is not enough. Your women are kept hidden, your background is unknown, you are not popular, and worst of all you have no sense of humour. You are not front man material and you never will be. A drawback, yes?'

'Yes.'

'You have a solution?' 'I'd have to marry well.'

Bellini laughed. 'You sound like St Paul—better to marry than to burn! Who among today's society women would be willing to marry you, I wonder?'

'Louise Gueras.'

There was a silence. 'Indeed? Well, perhaps you will manage after all. Naturally she would not marry you after you'd removed her father!'

'I'd marry her first.'

'Very wise. Would he approve of the marriage?' 'Possibly not, but he'd agree if she was pregnant.'

'A wife and a child! Perhaps also a cottage with climbing roses over the door?'

'I'm telling you what I can do. What's your opinion?'

'You must decide for yourself. I am only here to look round. Naturally I'm interested but that is all. I am more concerned with the whereabouts of the bullion that went missing in that bank raid six months ago.' Now he did smile, but only his bottom teeth were revealed and there was a hint of challenge in his eyes.

'I hope,' said Bishop at last, 'that nothing we've discussed comes about. In my opinion it's the girl who should die.'

'Be careful,' said Renato softly. 'If he thinks he's in love with her, and she should come to any harm, you might end up taking a trip across the Channel in a boat that isn't seaworthy. I don't think the French police are ready for yet another body on their shore!'

'I'll be in touch,' said Bishop curtly, before walking away.

Bellini nodded to himself and settled down to eat. It had gone very well. The more caught up they were in quarreling amongst themselves the less time they'd have to notice where he went or what he did. But he sensed that Bishop shouldn't be underestimated, particularly if he had one of the Gueras girls hanging around after him.

Now he wanted to take a look at Lisa Walker and her small daughter. He would find out where she went with the child and observe them from a distance. It would be fascinating to see the woman who'd got Neal Gueras in such a state simply by keeping him out of her bed. She was probably very clever and totally self-centred, but just the same he wanted to see for himself. Both he and Gueras loved beautiful things, and flaws in temperament didn't matter if all you were going to do was look.

Thinking of Bishop, he smiled and drank the last of the wine. A very dangerous opponent but a decidedly worse ally. He didn't have an ounce of humanity in him, and that made him very dangerous indeed.

Chapter Thirteen

Men's Finals Day at Wimbledon mar ked the beginning of a new stage in Lisa and Neal's relationship. Much to her surprise, she found that after some initial nervousness she thoroughly enjoyed herself. It was exciting sitting a few rows behind the charming Duchess of Kent with an uninterrupted view of the tennis. On her two previous visits as a schoolgirl, she'd queued for returns at the gate during the first week , and although it had been fun at the time it couldn't compare with the luxury of the Royal Box.

Even the champagne with their strawberries and cream—things she'd affected to despise when younger—fitted in perfectly with the day, and Neal's obvious pride in her made her feel confident and self-assured.

When the tennis ended they went out to dinner before returning to Chelsea, and she was ashamed to find that when she stepped inside her home her stomach tightened in anticipation of Jessica's screams. In fact it was peaceful, but Nurse Clarke looked flushed and admitted that the little girl had been difficult, a statement fully endorsed by the red lump above her left eyebrow where Jessica's foot had made contact during a frantic screaming struggle that had lasted for over an hour.

Lisa's shoulders began to sag as the nurse continued her report until Neal cut her short. 'What did you expect?' he asked sharply. 'You knew the child was handicapped.'

'I hadn't realised… '

'Realised what?' he demanded, furious that the animated shine was already fading from Lisa's eyes.

'How bad her condition was. Or that she was utterly undisciplined.'

Lisa turned furiously on the nurse. 'My daughter's ill. She can't help the way she behaves, she's terrified by everything that happens to her. What kind of discipline do you think I should exercise? A good thrashing now and again?'

'Perhaps if you ignored her temper tantrums? I can't believe she's totally unaware of what she's doing. She looks very intelligent.'

'I thought you knew she was autistic!'

'In my opinion autistic is a label they give to children whose parents lose control of them.'

'Get out,' said Neal. He spoke so quietly that at first neither woman thought they'd heard him properly. 'I said get out,' he repeated patiently. 'You've said quite enough. I shan't be requiring your services again, either here or in Berkshire. You'll leave before the week's out. I'll find someone new for my wife.'

'No!' protested Nurse Clarke vigorously. 'I don't mind about this job, I'm not a specialist with children, but your wife's used to me. I'm the only person she trusts and I help her. Without me she'll be totally lost.'

'It's a pity you didn't think of that before you spoke your mind.' 'You're being most unfair!' She was almost in tears and Lisa opened her mouth to speak but remained silent when Neal glanced warningly at her.

'In my opinion you're bad for my wife,' he continued calmly. 'I'm certain that a fresh face is just what she needs. Someone who won't pander to her as you do.'

'The poor woman needs someone. For all the interest you take in her, she might as well be dead.'

The genuine anguish on the nurse's face was terrible and Lisa turned away. She closed her eyes and tried to recapture some of her pleasure in the day that was rapidly becoming little more than a distant memory.

'Your loyalty's very touching,' sneered Neal. 'However, it does seem to me that such attachment to my wife isn't entirely healthy and precludes any chance of a dispassionate approach to her case. She'll be better off without you even if it's hard for her at first.'

Nurse Clarke was ashen, aware of the enormity of her mistake. She swallowed hard. 'I'm sorry about my earlier remark,' she began. 'I suppose I sounded unsympathetic but… '

'Just go.' Neal's voice was casual. 'If you want a good reference I suggest you don't make any kind of scene when you return to collect your personal possessions. If you're right about the strength of my wife's feelings for you, then you should be able to help her make the transition to a new nurse more easily.'

Lisa saw the nurse's hands trembling and she was having trouble keeping back tears as she collected her bag and coat. 'I'm sorry' said Lisa impulsively. 'I never meant… '

The nurse glanced round and saw her employer was standing outside the front door talking to his chauffuer. 'You cunning little bitch!' she hissed. 'I can see what you're doing: playing the innocent and keeping him waiting. He won't marry you, you know. He can't, not so long as his wife's alive, and there's nothing wrong with her physical health. She could easily outlive him the way things are going, and then where will you be?'

'It isn't like that!'

'And the moon's made of green cheese, I take it? You all make me sick! None of you consider her feelings. That poor woman. I'm all she had, and now you've taken even me away. I only hope you can live with yourself.'

'Ready?' enquired Neal, and stood to one side as he let her out. 'I'm not sorry to see her go!' he continued cheerfully, turning back to Lisa. 'I've been waiting for an excuse to… What's the matter? What did she say to you?'

'Nothing,' murmured Lisa, sitting down on the nearest chair. 'I'm a bit tired, that's all.' But she wasn't, she was suddenly seeing herself through the eyes of the nurse and she didn't like what she saw one little bit.

Neal took out his diary. 'Right, let's get organised. There's an important dinner on Saturday night that we ought to attend. Formal, your blue silk would be about right. Then on Sunday… '

'I can't come,' she said tightly. 'You've just sacked the nurse and Jessica can't be left with an untrained babysitter these days.'

'I'll get someone who knows what autistic means by Saturday. Now, on Sunday… ' 'What about your wife?' 'Naomi?'

'Unless you've got others I don't know about.' 'Lisa, calm down.'

'I didn't like what Nurse Clarke said.'

'I thought she'd said something to you . One minute you were fine and the next you looked as though you'd just discovered there was no such person as Father Christmas.'

'Perhaps I did. She made me realise what I look like to other people. I didn't stop to think before. I'd assumed that when you said Naomi didn't like doing the social round with you, that was true.'

'It is.'

'Have you asked her to anything lately?' 'No.'

'Then for all you know, she's changed. Also, I don't like thinking of myself as just another number in a long line of women you've taken around.'

'You're not!' he protested.

'Nurse Clarke implied otherwise.'

'I'd just sacked the bloody woman, she wasn't likely to sing my praises! Use your common sense.'

'I suppose I've been naive not thinking about what it must look like to other people. We know we're only friends but… '

'What I feel for you is far deeper than friendship. The only reason I haven't made it more obvious is because I know you're not over your disastrous marriage, but I'm not taking you around with me as an act of charity. All my contributions to charity are strictly tax-deductible!' He gave a short laugh.

Lisa sighed. 'She's spoilt it, hasn't she? I had such a lovely day as well.'

'I'm going,' he said abruptly. 'You're over-tired and not thinking straight. What does it matter if some people don't approve of you? You can't go through life pleasing everyone, and she was only an employee of mine. I could understand your attitude more if you'd been snubbed socially, but that's not going to happen. In all the years Kay and I were together it never happened to her, and I promise it won't happen to you either.'

'You don't understand what I'm talking about, but I suppose it's always different for the man.'

'It will work out all right. Just put Nurse Clarke out of your mind.' She nodded, knowing full well that she couldn't but not wanting to spoil their day any more than she had done already. 'Do I have to wear the blue silk on Saturday?' she asked lightly.

'Of course not! Wear what you like. Why not go out and buy something new. I know a very good woman who's just starting her own business off Bond Street. She's going to be very popular, but at the moment she'll have time to work out a style that's uniquely you. I've got a card of hers somewhere.' And he began to go through his wallet.

Lisa kissed him lightly on his left cheek. 'You're very sweet. I don't know what I'd do without you at the moment.'

As he handed over the card, he smiled. 'I'll always be here,' he assured her. She thought it strange that such a reassuring remark should make the hairs at the back of her neck prickle, and as though her unease was contagious, Jessica chose that moment to begin crying.

With her awake, Neal quickly left. 'I'll let you know about a new nurse,' he promised, hurrying away. 'You could interview a couple if you like. Choose the one you feel comfortable with.'

He thought of everything, she reflected; everything to make her secure. He was also intelligent, and exuded an aura of confidence and power that was undeniably attractive. Then why, she wondered, was she so hesitant about their relationship?

During the next two hours, as she struggled to get Jessica back to sleep, she pushed the problem away. Sometimes she thought she was deliberately punishing herself by resisting becoming his mistress. As though as long as she didn't let him make love to her she wasn't harming Naomi or his children. That was the only logical way to explain her fear of total commitment to a man who obviously thought highly of her, and who could save her from having to cope alone with Jessica.

'You could have been a model!' exclaimed Carol in delight as she slipped the tape measure around Lisa's hips. 'I must thank Mr Gueras for sending you here. We'll really set them talking between us. Dramatic colours but no frills, that's how we'll do it. Of course you'd look good in a sack, but that wouldn't get me any attention! You do like clothes, I hope?' she added, breaking off a monologue that had started the moment Lisa walked in the door of the tiny shop tucked away behind Bond Street.

'I suppose so. I like to look good for special things, but the rest of the time I usually wear slacks.'

'What does Mr Gueras say about that?' 'Nothing. It isn't really his business.'

Carol pulled a small face. 'Don't tell me you think that would stop him! I was a friend of Kay's—don't worry, she was bound to get the elbow one day, it wasn't your fault—and I know he absolutely forbade her to wear slacks. You say you've got an important dinner this weekend? Well, I've got a lovely red and black number in shot silk that would probably… '

'Kay left Neal,' interrupted Lisa. 'Sorry?'

'You said she was bound to get the elbow, but she left him. Apparently she wanted to settle down and find herself a husband.'

Carol flushed slightly. 'Very probably. I never saw her after they split up. She died before I had a chance to talk to her. Naturally I assumed… Still, Mr Gueras should know.'

'Are you surprised that she'd leave?'

'It's nothing to do with me,' said Carol quickly. 'She always seemed potty about him, but she was getting older and perhaps… Anyway, let's talk about something more cheerful—like clothes!' In a relatively short space of time, Lisa chose three evening dresses, two day dresses that would be made up for her, and a selection of vivid casual clothes suitable for wearing around the house. Before she left , Carol brought her a cup of coffee and invited her into her small office. 'If you like I could work on an Autumn collection just for you. I've got the time and it would help both of us. What do you think?' 'That's the best idea I've heard for ages. Neal wanted me to go to the big fashion shows but… '

'You'll have to go to them as well. He'll expect you to wear designer clothes most of the time, but if I do the specials and people like them I'll be made!'

'Will you really?'

'Of course. That's how it works. You've got a little girl, haven't you? How about one or two matching dresses for her. I know it's rather twee but it's still an attention grabber, and all girls like dressing up.'

Lisa shook her head. 'I don't think so.'

'Why not? I bet she's as beautiful as you, you'd look fantastic together.'

'She is beautiful,' said Lisa slowly, 'but she's also handicapped.'

Carol looked down at the floor. 'I'm sorry, I didn't realise. I'd heard Mr Gueras mention your beautiful daughter and… '

'He did what!'

'At least he isn't bothered by her handicap. It was at a meeting I went to. I was trying to raise capital. He was there and said he might be able to put some custom my way and that his… that he knew this attractive young woman with a beautiful daughter who'd be perfect for my style of clothes.'

'He must think that since people are bound to see her eventually it's better to talk about her than ignore her, which is what he does when he visits.'

'What's wrong with her?' 'She's autistic.'

'What does that mean?'

Lisa sighed. 'Unfortunately that's what most people ask. I can't explain but there's no way she could be dressed up in clothes like yours. Neal's invested in your business, has he?'

'Along with a few other people, but he's the main backer.' 'Did Kay ever wear your clothes? '