Dance-of-the-Snake-Yvonne-Whittal Read online

  'Yes, but not here,' Jessica replied without turning. 'When I'm on call she

  spends the night with Vivien and Peter.'

  'I see.' He pulled out a chair from beneath the table and sat down, and it was

  not until she placed his coffee in front of him that he spoke again. 'It seems to

  me that

  Megan has spent more time with Vivien than with you during her two week

  holiday.'

  'Well, I'm not always around, and Vivien is fond of children, so it's sort of

  solved the problem of what to do with Megan while I'm out during the day,

  and often the night.'

  'How very convenient!'

  His expression was cynical, and she frowned as she seated herself opposite

  him. 'What are you getting at, Dane?'

  'I think Megan was brought here with a purpose in mind.'

  'Do you?' she asked cautiously.

  'I do, yes,' he smiled faintly. 'Vivien and Peter haven't any children of their

  own, and Megan hasn't any parents. Put them together, and you could have

  quite a nice ready- made family.'

  'Dane

  'It's typical of a woman in the medical profession to, allow her emotions to

  rule instead of her head,' he accused, but on this occasion she did not pay heed

  to the jibe, only the fear of what he might do.

  'Dane, I- '

  'I shan't say a word, if that's what you're afraid of,' he interrupted with that

  uncanny knack of reading her mind at times. 'I needed to have my suspicions

  confirmed, though.'

  Jessica shifted a little uneasily in her chair. 'How did you guess?'

  'It was simple,' he smiled mockingly. 'When Peter wasn't discussing some or

  other case, he was discussing Megan and the times they had spent together,

  and it made me wonder just how much time Megan has actually spent with

  you. One thing led to another, and there you have it.'

  'It would be a marvellous solution, and you must admit it,' she argued.

  'Sure, I admit it, but you must remember that you

  can't always manipulate people in the direction your emotional heart dictates.'

  He was right, of course, but at that precise moment she hated him for it, and she

  said stubbornly, 'I'm still hoping for the best.'

  'How like a woman,' he mocked her, draining his cup and pushing it a little

  away from him to make room for his elbows on the table. 'What happens if your

  clever little plan fails?'

  'I shall be disappointed, naturally.'

  'And poor little Megan will be packed on to the train and sent back to her

  orphanage like an unwanted parcel.'

  'Don't say it like that!' she protested, wincing inwardly as he placed a brutal

  finger on a sensitive spot.

  'Face facts, Jessica,' he said harshly. 'You've given her a taste of freedom; of

  home life as she had known it once before, and it's going to be a damnable

  adjustment for her to have to return to that orphanage with its impersonal

  atmosphere.'

  'For God's sake, stop it!' she cried huskily, jumping to her feet and turning her

  back on him to stare out of the window into the darkened garden beyond with

  unseeing eyes.

  'You didn't think of that, did you?' he persisted cynically.

  'I've thought of that, and much, much more!' she retorted hotly, swinging round

  to face him, but clutching at the cupboard behind her for support when she found

  him standing directly in front of her. 'If this fails, then I'm the one who'll bear the

  burden of guilt, and no one else.'

  His mouth twisted cynically. 'I'm glad you said that, because I for one won't be

  sharing it with you.'

  'I never expected anyone to share my burden, and I certainly wouldn't expect it

  of you,' she announced sharply, her heart beating so hard and fast that it was

  becoming difficult to speak.

  'You're beautiful when you're angry.'

  'Oh, shut up!' she exclaimed, the husky note in her voice becoming more

  pronounced. 'Go away,, and leave me in peace.'

  'Can I help it if your conscience is worrying you?'

  She raised her chin defiantly. 'My conscience is quite clear.' 'Is it?'

  There was a look in his eyes that filled her with uneasiness, and she said

  quickly, 'If you don't go now, I'll

  '

  His mouth came down to silence hers, parting her lips in a sensually arousing

  kiss, and "his hand was curved about the nape of her neck when she would have

  drawn back. She tried not to respond, but an aching need rose within her when his

  free hand moved across her back to mould her to his lean, muscled body, and her

  own hands rose to explore the hair-roughened warmth of his chest where his shirt

  buttons had come undone. She felt the hard, steady beat of his heart quicken

  beneath her palm, then she was crushed against him, and her body was being

  explored with a freedom she had neither the strength, nor the will to deny him.

  His clever, supple hands did not lack experience, and her breasts grew taut with

  desire beneath those probing, caressing fingers. Her mind told her that she was

  playing with fire when she pressed closer to him still and slipped her arms about

  his strong neck, but her body seemed to have a will of its own. It was only when

  he raised his lips from hers that sanity returned with painful swiftness.

  'You were saying?' he questioned mockingly, and a hot wave of shame and

  humiliation swept through her, making her struggle free of his arms to put some

  distance between them.

  'I—I think you'd better go,' she managed thickly, trying desperately to control

  the trembling of her body, and it

  did not help when he came up behind her to grip her shoulders and draw her

  back against his hard chest.

  'Must I go?' he demanded in a vibrantly sensual voice as he nibbled at the

  sensitive areas around her ear.

  Tremors of unheard-of delight rippled through her, and her limbs weakened

  with an aching desire that made her lean back against him limply. Dane's soft,

  throaty laughter made her realise how totally he was in command of the

  situation. He knew exactly what he was doing to her, and for this reason alone

  she dared not give in.

  'Please, Dane,' she begged, emotion deepening the huskiness in her voice.

  'Please . . . don't do this to me.'

  'Ah, well,' he sighed with that hateful hint of mockery in his voice and it was

  there in his eyes too when he swung her round and kissed her briefly on her

  soft, trembling mouth. 'It was worth a try.'

  When the front door closed behind him moments later, Jessica was still

  standing where he had left her. She was shaking to such an extent that she had

  to grip the back of the upright, wooden chair for support, and in her heart she

  despised herself for being so weak. She loved him, yes, but that was no excuse,

  and she shrank inwardly when she tried to imagine what he must be thinking of

  her. She had no intention of stepping into the shoes of someone like Sylvia

  Summers, and unless she practised more control over her emotions in future,

  Dane might begin to imagine the opposite.

  Jessica was kept too busy during the next few days to think much about her

  emotional problems, but she could not forget their conversation concerning

  Klegan, and her uneasiness increased every time she
thought of it. What if her

  plans failed, as Dane had suggested? What then?

  She shook herself free of these thoughts, but they returned with a vengeance

  on Megan's last evening before she had to return to Johannesburg. They had

  shared a silent meal in the kitchen of her cottage, and afterwards,

  when they had washed the dishes and tidied the kitchen, Jessica sat down on a

  chair beside the table, and drew Megan to her side.

  'You've been rather glum all evening,' she began tenderly, forcing a smile to

  her lips as she slipped an arm about the child. 'What's wrong?'

  'I'm leaving tomorrow,' Megan said simply, and without hesitation, her blue

  eyes shadowed and her small mouth quivering in a way that made Jessica's heart

  ache for her.

  'Did you enjoy your holiday?'

  'Oh, yes, but. . .' Megan's eyes filled with tears, 'I wish I could stay here

  always.'

  That knife turned in Jessica's heart, and she lifted Megan on to her lap to hug

  her close and comfort her.

  * 'What did you like most about your holiday?' she asked when Megan's tears

  began to subside.

  'Oh, everything,' Megan replied with a quivering sigh. 'I like Frances. She's a

  really super friend, and we're going to write to each other, and .. .' There was a

  contemplative pause before Megan continued. 'I like Aunty Vivien and Uncle

  Peter very much, and, next to my own mummy and daddy, they're just the best.'

  'Do you really think so?'

  Megan nodded her fair head against Jessica's shoulder and tightened her arms

  about Jessica's neck. 'I wish I didn't have to go back to that orphanage. I'm going

  to miss them, and I'm going to miss you too.'

  'You're a darling, Megan,' Jessica whispered, hugging the child close to her,

  and hoping that the tears in her own eyes would go unnoticed.

  A half hour later, with Megan safely tucked up in bed, Jessica slipped out the

  kitchen door and made her way through the moonlit garden towards Peter

  O'Brien's house. She had not formulated anything in her mind, and she had, as

  yet, no idea what she was going to say to him,

  but she knew that she could not leave things as they were.

  There was a light on in Peter's study, and the sliding glass doors which led out

  on to the terrace stood open. Jessica hurried up the steps, her soft-soled shoes

  making no noise, but, at the sound of voices coming from the study, she paused

  and moved quickly into the shadows.

  From her position out on the terrace she had a clear view into the study, and

  what she saw there held her motionless. Vivien was in Peter's arms, and it

  looked as if she was weeping uncontrollably.

  Vivien in tears was such an unfamiliar sight that it was damn near

  unthinkable, and Jessica shrank farther into the shadows when she saw Peter

  lower his head towards Vivien's and murmur something to her.

  T can't let her go back, Peter,' Vivien's sobbing reply reached Jessica's ears. T

  just can't!'

  Jessica turned away silently, but hope flared in her heart as she quickly made

  her way back to the cottage. Vivien could only have been referring to Megan,

  and, if Jessica was correct, then she would not be at "all surprised if she found

  herself entertaining visitors that evening.

  Less than a half hour later there was a knock on the kitchen door, and Jessica

  felt excitement churn through her as she put the lid on the teapot before

  opening the door.

  'Come in,' she smiled at the two people standing on the doorstep. 'I've just

  made a pot of tea, and I could do with some company.'

  'We'll have it here in the kitchen with you,' said Peter, making it clear that

  there was no-ceremony involved in their visit.

  'If you'd like,' Jessica nodded, setting out the cups and pouring out the tea

  while her guests seated themselves at the kitchen table.

  Vivien had obviously repaired the damage caused by her recent tears, but she

  could not quite conceal the

  tremor in her hands when Jessica handed her her tea, and there was an awkward

  little silence before Vivien spoke.

  Jessica . . she began in a halting voice which was quite unlike her. 'About

  Megan.'

  'What about Megan?' Jessica prompted in a controlled, casual voice which

  belied the excitement quivering within her.

  'We'd like to adopt her,' Peter announced before Vivien could reply.

  'Oh!' the sound came out almost like a sigh of relief, but Peter and Vivien were

  totally unaware of this.

  'There's no one who could lay claim to her, is there?' Vivien asked anxiously. 'I

  mean ... a distant relative, or something like that?'

  Jessica shook her head. 'There's no one, Vivien.'

  'In that case I don't foresee any problems,' Peter smiled broadly at his wife.

  'We shall have to talk to Megan first, though,' Vivien suggested sensibly. 'She

  might not like the idea of being adopted by us.'

  'I'll call her,' Jessica smiled at them, 'and if I know Megan then she should still

  be awake.'

  'Before you do that, Jessica, I think we'd better tell you exactly what we have in

  mind,' Peter stopped her before she could reach the door. 'We don't want her to

  return to Johannesburg tomorrow. She could do her final term at the school here

  in Louisville.'

  'I'm certain that it could be arranged,' said Jessica, and a smile once again lifted

  the corners of her mouth. 'My father knows all the right people, and he can be

  very persuasive when he puts his mind to it.'

  Vivien and Peter glanced at each other with a new eagerness in their eyes, then

  Vivien looked up at Jessica and said: 'Could we talk to Megan now?'

  'I'll bring her here to you,'Jessica replied, and moments later she was bending

  low over the child. 'Megan darling,

  I'm glad you're still awake. Uncle Peter and Aunty Vivien are here, and they

  would like to talk to you.'

  Klegan fired questions at Jessica while being helped into her dressing gown

  and slippers, but Jessica told her calmly that she would soon know what it was

  all about, and taking her by the hand she led her into the kitchen where Peter

  and Vivien were waiting anxiously.

  They stared at Megan in silence for a moment, and Megan stared back

  solemnly, then Vivien glanced enquiringly at her husband. 'Peter?'

  'I'll leave it to you, darling,' he smiled amiably.

  'Come here, Megan,' Vivien said quietly, holding out her hands, and Megan

  went to her at once, placing her small hands in Vivien's. 'How would you like to

  stay here with us?' Vivien asked, barely able to conceal her excitement.

  'With—with you and Uncle Peter, you mean?' Megan questioned hesitantly.

  'Yes, Vivien nodded.

  'For good?' Megan asked, her blue eyes widening.

  'Yes,' Vivien nodded again. 'We would very much like you to be our own

  little girl.'

  Jessica could see that Megan was finding it difficult to believe her ears, and

  her heart ached for the child as Megan asked, 'You want to adopt me?'

  'Yes, but -' Vivien halted with a measure of uncertainty in her dark glance,

  'only if you would want that too.'

  Tears sprang into Megan's eyes and, flinging herself into Vivien's arms, she

  cried, 'Oh, yes, yes,
please!'

  ■Megan! Oh, Megan!' There were tears in Vivien's eyes now as she held the

  child close, and laid her cheek against those fair curls, but this time they were

  tears of happiness. 'It's going to make such a wonderful difference to our lives

  having you with us.'

  Tears rose in Jessica's throat and stung her eyelids as she took in the happy

  picture before her, but she hastily blinked her tears away when she caught Peter's

  blue gaze resting on her speculatively.

  'Does this mean that I don't have to go back to Johannesburg tomorrow?'

  Megan was asking.

  'You're going to stay right here with us from now on,' Peter replied firmly.

  'Yippee!' Megan exclaimed excitedly through her tears. 'Oh, I love you Aunty

  Vivien, and you too, Uncle Peter!'

  She hugged them both in turn, and everyone seemed to be talking at the same

  time until Vivien said firmly, 'You'd better get back to bed now, Megan, but I'll

  be here in the morning to take all your things up to our house.'

  'All right,' Megan nodded obediently, her eyes shining stars of happiness.

  'Goodnight, and . . . thank you for wanting me.'

  That was almost too much for Jessica and, turning away, she swallowed

  convulsively at the lump in her throat.

  . 'I'm so happy I could cry,' Vivien announced after Megan had gone back to bed.

  'Oh, no you don't,' Peter warned laughingly. 'You've done enough of that for

  one night.'

  'Yes, I suppose I have,' Vivien admitted, wiping the telltale moisture from her

  eyes with the tips of her fingers. 'Sorry, darling.'

  Peter O'Brien eased his lean body out of the chair to draw his wife to her feet

  and into his arms, and Jessica turned away once again from the intimate scene

  before her to give them a moment's privacy.

  'I'll telephone my father this evening,' she said eventually, 'and he should have

  an affirmative answer for us first thing in the morning.'

  'You're very sure of his powers of persuasion, then?' Peter questioned her with

  a quizzical smile.

  'Very sure,' Jessica smiled back at him.

  'Then we'll leave it all in your hands, Jessica,' he said and, taking Vivien by the

  arm, he ushered her towards the door.

  They said goodnight and when the door closed behind them Jessica could

  almost have leapt for joy, but she restrained herself and hurried into the lounge

  instead to telephone her father.

  If Jonathan Neal was surprised at his daughter's request, then he gave no