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different to any I had experienced, but somehow I hadn t expected him to live quite
like this. It wasn t that he snapped his fingers or treated others as underlings, he was
far too much of a gentleman for that, no, and it was just that others expected to serve
him.
I was determined not to spoil things. This was something I might never
experience again cruising on a calm sea in gorgeous sunshine with a man who
could make my bones melt with a look or a kiss. It had to be wonderful and it was.
Fernando had surprised me with a wardrobe full of wonderful new clothes,
once we were on board the kind I had seen wealthy women wearing in Hollywood
movies.
You don t have to wear them, he said, when I stared at him in silence for a
few moments. I bought them for you but wear your own if you would rather.
They are beautiful& I fingered the fine materials reverently, taking out a
long, slim-fitting, white silk, sleeveless dress and a matching coat, both with slits
almost to the thigh. The sheer elegance of the ensemble took my breath away, and I
knew that it had been cut by a superb craftsman. It would look fabulous on and I
should be foolish to spurn such a wonderful gift. I ll wear them for you, Fernando.
Why not?
I want you to be happy, he said and touched my cheek. You are beautiful,
Georgie so why should you not have beautiful things?
Everything he had chosen was in perfect taste, simple, classic designs that
relied on the quality of the cutting and the material, but many of them in jewel-
bright colors that looked like a rainbow as I rippled my hand across them. Matched
with a variety of leather belts, Italian sandals and long silk scarves, these outfits
would make me look as if I had stepped from the pages of a fashion magazine.
The idea amused me, and I giggled as I tried them on one after the other,
Fernando watching and approving as I twisted and turned for his benefit but, in the
end, I wore nothing at all, as I lay in his arms.
I think I wasted my money, he murmured huskily. This is the way I want
to see you, Georgie.
I d better put something on when I come on deck, I replied wickedly.
That s unless you re planning to spend the whole trip in the cabin?
I might even do that, he replied, and bent his head to kiss me again.
It was a very special time for both of us. Each day blurred into the next,
slightly unreal but pleasant. I had no quarrel with Fernando s lifestyle if he gave it
all up tomorrow, it wouldn t change the situation of the underprivileged. What was
needed, to my mind, was for the rich and powerful of this world to make the kind of
laws that would bring a new dimension to equality.
Meanwhile, I was prepared to enjoy myself. Perhaps this wasn t my world
but, in this new mood that had gripped me, I could appreciate the benefits and enjoy
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my surroundings and the Florida Keys were undoubtedly a little bit of heaven.
A verdant island chain stretching across a deep bluey-green sea. The islands
themselves were a wilderness of flowering lushness, a necklace of jewels
shimmering beneath the sun, though they were also beset with many of the tourist
problems encountered in paradise these days. Despite all efforts to protect the coral
reefs and the treasures of these islands they were suffering from the influx of eager
visitors.
Over the next few days we swam, went skin-diving and snorkeling, fished for
snapper and snook, and marveled at the dolphins that sometimes came to join us at
our play. Fernando taught me to water ski, and we hired jet skis to whiz us up and
down the bays. He made me laugh, teasing me gently, sweeping me along on a tide
of passion as we made love lying on a deserted beach.
Sometimes we explored some of the smaller islands, walking on sandy
beaches or watching the elusive deer and pale raccoons that inhabited the Lower
Keys. Throughout these woods there were exotic trees, and tropical birds flitting
amongst the lush greenery. In the evening we occasionally put in, to one of the larger
islands and went out to dinner, dancing until the early hours of the morning but at
other times we simply sat and watched the wonderful sunsets over the Keys.
His excellent chef provided us with delicious picnics, which we ate in our
splendid isolation, sipping fine wines and long, cool fruit drinks. My skin turned a
pale gold in the warmth of the sun, and I glowed with a feeling of well-being.
London seemed far away, as did all the events of the past few weeks. I could
almost believe that none of it had ever happened, though of course there were some
things I would never completely forget.
It was on the ninth day that I went up on deck, wearing yet another new
outfit that Fernando had bought for me. He was already there, using his mobile
phone, his back towards me.
You should have told me sooner. You had no right to keep this from me,
Arianne. I would have come home if I had known& Fernando turned and saw me.
I ll be there in a couple of days.
He was frowning as he closed the call.
Something wrong? I asked, going to look out across the rails to the mango-
fringed shore of an island.
Just business&
No, I said, looking round at him as he joined me. I don t think that s true,
Fernando. That was personal, wasn t it?
I suppose there s no point in trying to hide it. The call was from my wife. She
wanted to know when I was coming home. It s been some weeks since I was there.
I ve been avoiding it.
Why because of me?
Yes. I needed to be sure how I felt that this wasn t just a physical thing that
would burn out in a few weeks.
And? He hesitated and I started to move away, but he caught my arm
preventing me. I looked back at him. You don t have to pretend, Fernando. I m not
demanding anything.
I care about you, Georgie. His voice was hoarse with emotion. I ve been
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thinking that I might ask Arianne about a separation. Divorce isn t an option, but I
was ready to make a change&
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