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Richard said he would wait for her in the foyer, and she had originally
meant to use the servants' staircase and go round to the front of the
hotel from the outside. But for some reason which she felt was quite
out of character she had an urge to use the main stairway. Perhaps it
was that she no longer considered herself an employee... certainly she
did not feel like the despised little room maid who was for ever
enduring the criticism and complaints of Olga Newson.
There was a small bar at one side of the foyer and as Melanie reached
the top of the stairs she saw that in addition to the several guests who
were standing at the bar, Lean and his mother and Eleni were seated
close by, their drinks on the table in front of them. All heads were
turned as Melanie came downstairs, her lovely dress a model of
perfection, setting off the graceful tender curves of her body. The
attention and interest made little impression upon her; certainly it did
not disconcert her. For in her job at home she had often modelled the
dresses which both she and Richard designed, so she descended the
wide staircase with the old assurance of manner, assuming that air of
distinction and proud indifference without which a model would
never reach the pinnacle of success.
Her glance flickered to Lean, held his for a second before passing
fleetingly to his mother and finally to his sister. And then she looked
straight at Olga, sitting there at the reception desk. The older girl
opened her eyes wide as if unable to take in what she saw. Melanie
could almost hear the little inward gasp as, literally floating past, her,
she gave Richard the smile his clients had come to know so well.
He took her arm and together they left the hotel; the taxi was waiting
and Richard handed her in. 'You look like a queen,' he said when they
were seated in the cab. I've surpassed myself with that dress.'
Melanie had to smile. No compliment, his remark about her looking
like a queen. He ought not to marry, she decided, for he had nothing
to offer a wife, dedicated as he was to his work. He lived with it, and
Melanie recalled that even when he did take her out in the old days his
glance had been roving round, examining with a businesslike eye
every dress that happened to be attractive enough to claim his
attention.
They chose the Astir, and immediately they entered the hotel every
eye was turned in Melanie's direction. Again she accepted the
admiring glances without a trace of embarrassment. But she was
interested, for in her modesty she saw those glances directed only at
the beautiful gown she wore.
'You're going to be famous soon,' she remarked as they sat down at
the table.
'I'm already famous,' he returned, smiling at her and at the same time
picking up the wine list.
'I should have said very famous.'
' We are to be very famous. It's a partnership from now on, remember.'
A partnership. ... How thrilled she would have been had he offered
that a few months ago - before the renewal of her acquaintanceship
with Lean. To be so highly rewarded for her work was a circumstance
that had never entered into her ambitions. On becoming Richard's
chief assistant she had believed herself to have reached the point from
which she could proceed no higher. And now she was to be a partner.
She gave a quivering sigh of regret; it was ironical that she should be
denied the elation which would normally have been consequent on
the acquiring of such a coveted position, for she felt certain that
Richard's would one day be the most important fashion house in
London.
Although it was very late when they returned to the Hotel Avra Lean's
light was still on. Later, unable to sleep, Melanie left her bed and,
standing on the chair, looked through the opening that served as a
window. It was a clear night with millions of stars twinkling from a
purple sky and a crescent moon hanging over the sea. She stayed
there a long while, fully aware of the reason for her restlessness and
wondering just how long it would be before tranquillity of mind was
restored to her. Once back home, with all her time and energy
devoted to her work, she might be able to forget Lean ,.. forget ...?
Instinctively her eyes flickered to the garden below. Reflected light
on the grass in front of Lean's bedroom window told her that he, too,
was unable to sleep.
Lean's mother and sister had left the hotel - Madam Angeli to return
to her home near Athens and Eleni to return to London. An English
girl, Pauline, had come to work for Lean and she had the little
apartment which Melanie and Sandra had so laboriously cleaned and
scrubbed. Pauline was engaged to a Cretan boy whom she had met in
England. He was finishing his, education there and Pauline had
decided to come to Crete for a few months in order to discover
whether or not she could settle here. From the first she attended
friendliness to both girls and Melanie felt glad for Sandra's sake that
Pauline had come to work at the hotel.
'I shall miss you just the same,' Sandra declared one evening when
Melanie was sitting with her in her room. Melanie had been to see
Androula and Kostagis, giving them their final lesson and bidding
them goodbye. On informing Richard of her intention, he had raised
objections, but Melanie could not bring herself to do as he suggested
and merely telephone them. Arid so Richard had reluctantly agreed to
go off on his own for one evening. The Greek couple had expressed
regret that she was leaving the island, and so profuse had been their
goodbyes that they had completely forgotten about her fee. Not that
this last couple of pounds mattered, she thought, recollecting with
intense bitterness that not only had all her earnings from this source
gone into Olga Newson's pocket, but it was Melanie's possession of
the money that had made possible die success of Olga's plan to brand
her a thief for the second time. ' We must write to one another,'
Sandra was saying. 'And when I finally do settle down we can renew
our friendship/
Melanie-agreed, although she did go on to ask when Sandra thought
she would have had enough of this travelling and be able to settle [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]

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