Seduction Never Lies(3)

It had become a secret pleasure, not to be indulged too often, of  course, but doing no harm to anyone. In a way, she felt as if her  occasional presence was a reassurance to the house that it had not been  entirely forgotten.

And nor was the Lady, who'd been there for nearly three hundred years,  and therefore must find all these recent months very dull without  company, standing naked on her plinth looking down at the water, one  white marble arm concealing her breasts, her other hand chastely  covering the junction of her thighs.

Tavy had always been thankful that the statue hadn't been sent to the  saleroom, along with Sir George's wonderful collection of antique  musical boxes, and his late wife's beautifully furnished Victorian  doll's house.

You had a lucky escape there, Aphrodite or Helen of Troy, or whoever  you're supposed to be, she said under her breath as she took off her  clothes, putting them neatly on the plinth before unclipping her hair.  Because the lake wouldn't be the same without you.

The water wasn't just cool, it was very cold, and Tavy gasped as she  took her first cautious steps from the sloping bank. As she waded in  more deeply, the first shock wore off, the chill becoming welcome, until  with a small sigh of pleasure, she submerged completely.                       
       
           



       

Above her, she could see the sun on the water in a dazzle of green and  gold and she pushed up towards it, throwing her head back as she lifted  herself above the surface in one graceful joyous burst.

And found herself looking at darkness. A black pillar against the sun where there should only have been blanched marble.

She lifted her hands, almost frantically dragging her hair back from  her face, and rubbing water from the eyes that had to be playing tricks  with her.

But she wasn't hallucinating. Because the darkness was real. Flesh and  blood. A man, his tall, broad-shouldered, lean-hipped body emphasised by  the close-fitting black T-shirt and pants he was wearing, who'd  appeared out of nowhere like some mythical Dark Lord, and who was now  standing in front of the statue watching her.

'Who the hell are you?' Shock cracked her voice. 'And what are you doing here?'

'How odd. I was about to ask you the same.' A low-pitched voice, faintly husky, its drawl tinged with amusement.

'I don't have to answer to you.' Realising with horror that her breasts  were visible, she sank down hastily, letting the water cover everything  but her head and shoulders. 'This is private property and you're  trespassing.'

'Then that makes two of us.' He was smiling openly now, white teeth  against the tanned skin of a thin tough face. Dark curling hair that  needed cutting. A wristwatch probably made from some cheap metal and a  silver belt buckle providing the only relief from all that black. 'And I  wonder which of us is the most surprised.'

It occurred to her that he looked like one of the travellers who'd been such a nuisance over the winter.

They must have come back, looking for more scrap metal, thought Tavy,  treading water. And he's probably here to nick the lead from the Manor  roof.

It was difficult to speak with dignity under the circumstances, but she gave it her best shot.

'If you leave right now, I won't report this to the authorities. But  the place is being watched. There are CCTV cameras, so you won't get  away with a thing.'

'Thanks for the warning. Although they must be well-hidden because I  haven't spotted one of them.' Casually, he moved her pile of clothing to  one side, and sat down on the plinth. 'Perhaps you could show me a safe  exit out of here. The same way you got in, maybe.'

'And I suggest you go back the way you came, and waste no time about  it.' Tavy could feel her teeth starting to chatter and couldn't be sure  whether she was getting cold or just nervous. Or both.

'On the other hand,' he said. 'This is a charming spot and I'm in no particular hurry.'

It's both, thought Tavy. No doubt about it. Plus the kind of hideous  jaw-clenching embarrassment you only encounter in nightmares.

'However, I am,' she said, trying to speak levelly. Reasonably. 'So I'd really like to put my clothes back on.'

He indicated the pile of garments beside him. 'Be my guest.'

'But without you looking on.' Because she'd rather freeze or get caught  in the weeds and drown than have to walk out of the water naked in  front of him.

He was smiling again. 'And how do you know I wasn't watching while you took them off?' he enquired gently.

She swallowed past the sudden tightness in her throat. 'Were-you?'

'No.' He had the unmitigated gall to make it sound regretful. 'But I'm  sure there'll be other occasions,' he added unforgivably, then paused as  soft chimes sounded, reaching into his pocket for his mobile phone.

'Hi,' he said. 'Yes, everything's fine. I'll be with you shortly.'

He disconnected and rose. 'Saved by the bell,' he commented.

'You certainly have been,' Tavy said curtly. 'I was considering charging you with sexual harassment.'

'Just for a little gentle teasing?' He shook his head. 'I don't think  so. Because you'd have to tell the police exactly where you were and  what you were doing. And somehow, my little trespasser, I don't think  you'd want that.'

He blew her a kiss. 'See you around,' he said and sauntered off without a backward glance.





CHAPTER TWO

FOR A WHILE Tavy stayed where she was, waiting until she could be  totally sure he had gone. Then, and only then, she swam to the bank and  climbed out, her legs shaking under her.

She would normally have dried off in the sun, but this time she dragged  her clothes on over her clammy skin, wincing at the discomfort, but  desperate to get away. Cursing herself inwardly for the impulse which  had brought her here. Knowing that this special place had been ruined  for her for ever, and that she would never come back.                       
       
           



       

And she didn't feel remotely refreshed. Instead, she felt horribly  disturbed, her heart going like a trip-hammer. And dirty. Also sick.

See you around...

That was the second time someone had said that to her today, and her  silent response had been the same to each of them-'Not if I see you  first.'

Well, she probably couldn't avoid Fiona Culham altogether, but, after  this recent encounter, she could let the police know that there were  undesirables in the neighbourhood.

And gentle teasing be damned, she thought, pulling on her T-shirt and  sliding her damp feet into their shabby canvas shoes. Remembering the  wide shoulders and the muscularity of his arms and chest, she knew she  could have been in real danger. Because if he'd made a move on her,  there was no guarantee she'd have been strong enough to fight him off.

Trying to make her wet hair less noticeable, she dragged it back from  her face and plaited it into a thick braid, fingers all thumbs, securing  it with one of the elastic bands that had been round the newsletters.

Now she felt more or less ready to face the outside world again. And some, but not all, of the people in it.

When she got back to the gate, she was almost surprised to find her  bicycle where she'd left it. Dad had always dismissed the old saying  about bad things happening in threes as a silly superstition, but it  occurred often enough to make her wonder. Only not this time, it seemed,  she thought with a sigh of relief, as she cycled off, determined to put  as much distance as she could between herself and Ladysmere Manor with  as much speed as possible.

When she got back to the Vicarage, she found her father in the kitchen,  sitting at the table with a pot of tea and the crossword, plus the  substantial remains of a rich golden-brown cake.

She said lightly, 'Hi, darling. That looks good.'

'Ginger cake,' said Mr Denison cheerfully. 'I had some at the WI  anniversary tea the other week and said how delicious it was, so the  President, Mrs Harris baked another and brought it round.'

'You,' Tavy said severely, 'are spoiled rotten. I suppose they've  guessed that my baking sets like concrete in the bottom of the tin?'

His smile was teasing. 'One Victoria sponge that had to be prised loose. Since then-straight As.'

'Flatterer,' said Tavy. She paused. 'Dad, have you heard if the travellers have come back?'

'It's not been mentioned,' he said with faint surprise. 'I confess I'd  hoped they were safely settled on that site at Lower Kynton.'

You can say that again, thought Tavy, her mind invaded by an unwanted  image of a dark face and tawny eyes beneath straight black brows  gleaming with amusement and something infinitely more disturbing.

She banished it. Drew a steadying breath. 'How's the sermon going?'

'All done. But if the caravans have returned, perhaps I should write an  alternative on brotherly love, just to be on the safe side.'

He turned to look at her, frowning slightly. 'You look a little pale.'

But at least he didn't mention her wet hair...

She shrugged. 'Too much sun, maybe. I must start wearing a hat.'