January
The day after
Craig Russell and Jade Kimberley attended a dinner party in Quarry Hill with
his cousin Angus and family, it was the day of the Burns Night Supper and Craig
invited Jade to attend as his plus one and as her mother and stepfather were
dining with the Lord Lieutenant of the County she accepted.
However, after
breakfast, he was summoned to Bella’s suite, which he politely declined as he
had a full day with the Russell Clan who arrived in a steady stream all day.
After the Burns
Night Supper, Craig took Jade back to his room again and kept her in his bed
until the next morning.
Then after
breakfast, he was summoned once again to Bella’s suite, and he was of a mind to
disappoint her again and told Jade as much but to his surprise she urged him to
meet her.
He knocked on
the door and after a moment it was opened by the sycophant who, with typical
aristocratic arrogance, silently looked him up and down.
“I was
summoned,” he said, and he stepped aside to let him in.
Bella Donna was
seated at her desk with her back to him and without turning around she said
brusquely.
“You may sit.”
“You’re too
kind” he said factiously.
“You’ll do well
not to adopt an attitude with me Mr. Russell.”
She said still
with her back to him.
“I don’t think
I need a lesson in manners from someone who doesn’t even have the courtesy to
look at the person they are addressing” he said annoyed at himself for losing
his temper, but it did have the desired effect as she turned around to face
him.
“I am superior
to you in every conceivable way Mr. Russell and I therefore have no need to
show you anything other than contempt” she said.
“Is that the
only reason you summoned me? To tell me how superior you are” he said and stood
up.
“I summoned you
to tell you to stay away from my daughter,” she said without expression.
“Well, you’ve
told me,” he said and walked towards the door.
“Don’t go
without what you came here for,” she said.
“This should
satisfy you” she added and held out a cheque which he took from her, and she
smiled an ugly grimace, then he tore it up and threw the pieces at her.
“That was my
only offer,” she said, “and you’ll never see a penny of Jade’s money.”
“I’m not
interested in your daughter’s money” he said angrily “I work for a living, and
I have my own money.”
He left the
room slamming the door behind him; he was so angry that he stormed out of the
Hotel and was gone for an hour.
When he
returned, Craig found Jade waiting anxiously in reception and it was apparent
she had been crying and she was on the verge of crying again, so he took her in
his arms.
When they saw
her mother exit the lift and start walking towards them, they ran out of the
door and jumped into his car.
They drove for
about an hour before parking on the promenade and then spent an hour in
Bizzoni’s Ice Cream Parlour and made their plans for the future.
These plans
involved, to a large degree, his cousin Angus and his wife Sally.
They had
decided not to return to the Hotel, but he needed to check out of the Hotel and
Jade needed some of her clothes and some items of sentimental value.
No comments:
Post a Comment