Marriage By Arrangement

Did Linus buy all his women orchids, Red wondered, or just his mother? It occurred to her that she still didn’t know whether or not he was married or living with someone, but if that was the case why hadn’t the woman shown up with him this afternoon? And why had he gone to his mother’s house to sleep last night? No, Red decided, he must be a free agent.

They chatted a little, Felicia telling Linus that Red was an actress.

His eyes went over her and grew disparaging. ‘I’d never have guessed,’ he said sarcastically, meaning exactly the opposite.

Red found herself growing angry; what right had he to be so damned cynical? ‘Have you got something against actresses?’ she demanded stiffly.

‘I have nothing against them—when they’re good, when they behave in a professional manner.’

Red opened her mouth to ask him what he meant but Felicia held up a hand to stop her. ‘Please, you’ve both come here to cheer me up and I don’t find such a discussion amusing. Linus, if you can’t behave better you might as well go away.’

‘Which means that you want to get rid of me, I take it.’ He got to his feet. ‘Very well. But remember what I said and don’t go making any plans behind my back. Will you promise?’

‘No, Linus, I won’t. I shall do exactly as I please, the same as I have always done. You ought to know that by now.’

He gave an exasperated sigh. ‘What am I going to do with you?’

‘Kiss me and say goodbye.’

He obeyed her and for a moment she held him tightly. Red quickly looked away, but lifted her head when Linus said goodbye to her too.

Both women watched him walk away, so tall and good-looking, drawing the eyes of that ward of sick women, making them feel wistful in many different ways.

‘One has to be very tough and determined where Linus is concerned,’ his mother remarked.

Red smiled. ‘But you always get your own way, I imagine.’

‘Oh, I let him win occasionally; that’s good policy, you know. But I think I’m going to have a battle on my hands this time.’

‘And you want me to help,’ Red stated.

Felicia smiled. ‘That’s what I like about you Australians. And Americans too. You’re so direct, don’t lead up to things as a British person would. Yes, I do want your help—but you might not be willing to give it when you hear what I want you to do.’

‘You’d better tell me, then.’

‘Well, because of this silly ankle and my shoulder, I’m going to find it rather hard to look after myself for a while. And Linus, of course, has to work, and he may have to go away again. So he wants to hire a live-in nurse to look after me.’ She paused as the senior nurse, the dragon of the morning, walked by. When she was gone, Felicia said, ‘Somehow I don’t think I could stand a nurse.’

‘They’re not all like her.’

‘Oh, I’m sure they’re not. But experienced nurses do tend to be very bossy, don’t you think? I expect it comes from having to deal with children and difficult patients or people who are very ill; they have to be firm with them.’

‘And you don’t feel like being treated like a child.’

‘Exactly,’ Felicia agreed with feeling. ‘I want someone who will just help me as I need it, not wrap me in cotton wool or cosset me so much that it drives me mad. I want someone who’s sensible but willing. And I want someone I already know.’ She came to a stop and gave Red a sideways glance.

It didn’t take much figuring out, although it surprised Red that Felicia should want her help. ‘You want me to come and look after you?’

‘Indeed I do.’

‘But I have a job and—’

‘I’d pay you a wage, of course. As much as I would have paid a nurse.’

‘But if I give up my job I might not be able to get another when you’re better and don’t need me any more,’ Red objected.

‘You could have as many free voice-training lessons as you like,’ Felicia wheedled, making Red smile.

‘Bribery too, huh? But what if I got a part?’

‘Oh, in that case you would take it, of course, and you’d be free to go to as many auditions as you like. Heaven forbid that you should miss a chance on my account,’ Felicia said, meaning it. ‘But you don’t have anything lined up at the moment, do you? And I wouldn’t want you to be on hand twenty-four hours a day, just to help me when I need it.’

‘But you’d want me to live at your house?’

‘Yes. Please.’

‘Why me?’ Red asked bluntly. ‘You must have loads of friends who’d be happy to help you.’

‘Possibly,’ Felicia admitted. ‘But ii would be too much of a strain for someone my own age—and besides, they would feel they had to entertain me, or be entertained, the whole time, which I’m afraid I’d soon find extremely irksome. I’m used to being on my own, you see.

‘But you’re of a different generation, and I think of a more open outlook. If I told you to go away and leave me on my own, you wouldn’t be offended, you’d just go. Wouldn’t you?’

‘Well, yeah, sure. But—’

‘Don’t say yeah.’ Felicia assumed her tutor’s hat to interrupt.

Red gazed at her, a slight frown between her brows, not sure if she liked this proposition or not. Her nature was basically kind and prompted her to help, but she was happy in the life she already had, and could see it changing. She would very much miss Jenny, for instance. And there was another factor to take into account. Bluntly she said, ‘Have you already suggested this to Linus? Is that what you were arguing about earlier?’

‘You noticed, did you? Yes, I have, and yes, he was against the idea.’

‘I can see why.’

‘Well, as I said, he did think that I ought to have a registered nurse,’ Felicia admitted.

Glancing at her, Red was pretty sure that she was holding something back, that Linus had objected on far more grounds than just that. She shook her head. ‘I don’t know.’

‘I do need you, Red,’ Felicia said earnestly.

Red didn’t altogether believe that. There must have been lots of other, more suitable people whom Felicia could have asked for help, so she must be pretty sure that with Red she could get away with doing exactly as she wanted. Although she might be wrong about that, because Red could be firm if the occasion demanded it, the same as any nurse. But again she shook her head. ‘I have a friend I share my flat with.’

‘A man?’

Red gave a surprised laugh. ‘No, a girlfriend.’

‘Couldn’t you find someone else to take your place for a couple of months? I should be able to look after myself by then.’

‘I don’t know,’ Red repeated.

‘Well... Will you promise me that you’ll think about it?’

Red stood up. ‘OK—I mean, yes, all right. I’ll let you know later today. Is there a phone here? Can I call you?’

‘Yes; this is the number.’ Felicia wrote it down for her. Red went to give her the key of her front door, but Felicia wouldn’t take it. ‘No, you keep it until you make up your mind. I do hope you’ll decide to come and help me, Red. I like you, and I’m sure we’d get on very well together.’

It was said in the most charming way, making Red smile. ‘I can see why you always get your own way,’ she remarked, and lifted a hand in farewell.

The entrance area of the hospital was separate from the casualty department; it had a lobby with a drinks-vending machine and uncomfortable-looking seats for people to use while they waited for whatever reason.

Linus was sitting in one and reading a newspaper, which he folded when he saw her. Getting to his feet, he put a firm hand under Red’s elbow and said, ‘Let’s go and find somewhere to have a decent coffee.’

She supposed that she ought to have realised that he wouldn’t be dismissed so easily. There was a determined set to his jaw, and Red wondered if it wasn’t the other way round: that sometimes Linus allowed Felicia to win.

There was an up-market hotel a couple of hundred yards away, and they went into the lounge, sat in a quiet corner and Linus ordered coffee. Glancing at Red’s slim figure, he added, ‘And a selection of cakes.’

‘Do you think I don’t get enough to eat?’ Red asked in some amusement, thinking of the delicious meals that she and Jenny consumed as part of their wages at the bistro.

He gave a small shrug. ‘I suppose you’re forever slimming; most actresses seem to think of little else but their figure and their diet.’

Linus spoke disparagingly, making Red wonder again what he’d got against actresses. Some bad experience in the past, perhaps? She was both intrigued and a little annoyed at his attitude; she was an individual, and didn’t like being bunched with others under such general disapproval. But she said nothing, instead leaning back in her seat to look round the room.

It was Edwardian in decor, very restrained, very expensive. The weather was better this afternoon and the guests had gone out to explore London, so they had the lounge almost to themselves.

Red expected Linus to start on her straight away, but he waited until the coffee and some absolutely gorgeous cream cakes had been served. And then he only led up to the subject in a roundabout way; English subtlety, Red presumed.

‘Have you been in England long?’ he asked.

‘About eight months.’ Red stirred her coffee then took one of the cakes, her taste buds drooling.

‘And how long are you planning on staying?’

Her green eyes flicked up to glance at him. Deciding that she could play cat and mouse too, she answered offhandedly, ‘As long as it takes.’

‘To do what?’

‘Become rich and famous,’ she replied calmly.

He blinked and said drily, ‘That’s your sole ambition in life, is it?’

‘At the moment. Why, what’s yours?’

A taken-aback look came into his grey eyes for a second, but then Linus changed tactics and said, ‘Did Felicia ask you to go and live with her, look after her?’

‘Yes.’

‘And I suppose you agreed,’ he said on a sneering note.

‘What makes you so sure?’

‘You’re hardly likely to pass up such an opportunity.’ The cynical twist to his mouth deepened. ‘You’ve just openly admitted that you’re very ambitious, and I’m quite sure you think that by ingratiating yourself with Felicia, and therefore with me, that you’ll be going a long way towards furthering those ambitions..’

Red frowned in puzzlement. ‘Felicia did offer me free voice coaching,’ she admitted.

‘And auditions?’

‘She said that I’d be free to go to any that cropped up, yes.’

‘And I suppose you expect me to provide the opportunities.’

‘You?’ Red looked at him blankly, completely mystified.

Linus eyed her searchingly for a moment; then gave a small, thin-lipped smile. ‘Perhaps you’re a better actress than I thought. But there’s really no point in going on pretending, and this sham innocence certainly isn’t doing you any good—the opposite in fact.’

‘Just what are you talking about?’

His tone had a definite edge of anger to it as he said, ‘You know perfectly well who I am.’

Leaning forward, Red placed her elbows on the table and rested her chin on her hands as she contemplated him. She was getting rather tired of his disparaging remarks, especially as she had no idea what he was talking about.

‘I feel as if I’m in the wrong conversation. Maybe I missed something somewhere along the line. All I know about you is that you’re Felicia’s son—and I didn’t find that out until this morning. Before that I thought you were her toy boy,’ she added with intentional insult.

Linus glared at her, said curtly, ‘Rubbish! It’s no secret that Felicia is my mother, and she’s often been plagued by would-be actors and actresses trying to get to know me through her, through the lessons she gives.’

‘And just why should getting to know you be such a big deal?’

Again his eyes flicked searchingly to her face, but for only the briefest moment before he said, ‘You admitted that you called my business number yesterday; if you didn’t know who I was before, you must certainly have found out then.’

She frowned, trying to think back. ‘When I called that number all I got was an answer-phone.’

‘But you heard that it was a production company.’

Her eyes widened. ‘Are you saying that it’s a theatrical production company?’

Linus sighed. ‘Must you keep up this act? As I’m sure you must very well know, Cornucopia Productions is responsible for a great many cinema films and television programmes.’

So that was what all this was about; he was afraid that she would try to take advantage of knowing him to get a part in one of his company’s productions. And the only reason he didn’t want her to help Felicia was that he didn’t want to be under any kind of obligation to her.

His arrogant assumption that she was the kind of person who would take advantage of such a situation brought an immediate spurt of anger. Red was only amazed that he hadn’t accused her of pushing Felicia down the stairs as part of some deep-laid plan to bring all this about.

Not bothering to hide her feelings, she said with as much sarcasm as he had shown earlier, ‘And what are you—the office boy?’

Linus had his cup to his mouth, taking a drink, but was so surprised that the liquid went down the wrong way, making him cough. Recovering, he eyed her narrowly. ‘Not quite.’ His mouth was so grim that Red thought that he was going to have another go at her, but he said, ‘I’m not going to allow you to look after Felicia.’

‘Isn’t that up to her?’

‘She needs a trained nurse, not a bumbling amateur.’

‘Felicia doesn’t seem to think so. She’s afraid of being bossed around and losing her independence.’

‘It will only be for a couple of months.’

Putting her head on one side, Red gave him a contemplative look. ‘Don’t you love your mother?’

‘That goes without saying,’ Linus answered shortly.

‘Not necessarily. But if you do then why don’t you let her live her own life? Why do you want her to be miserable?’

‘She won’t be,’ he answered curtly. ‘She only wants you because she knows she’ll be able to do as she likes—which will be far too much and too soon. She needs plenty of rest with her leg up so that her ankle can heal properly. With you she won’t get that; with a trained nurse she will.’

‘And the fact that a nurse wouldn’t have any acting ambitions doesn’t come into it, I suppose?’

‘Possibly,’ he admitted with a grim laugh.

Red finished her cake and licked the cream from her lips with the tip of her tongue, as delicately as a cat. She stood up. ‘Will you excuse me for a few minutes?’

Going into the lobby of the hotel, she found the public phone booth and dialled the number that Felicia had given her, then waited while the phone trolley was wheeled to the invalid’s bedside. ‘It’s Red. I’ve been thinking about your offer and I’ve decided to accept.’

Felicia exclaimed with pleasure and they arranged for Red to move in the next day.

Strolling back into the lounge, Red went up to the table where Linus was waiting, but she didn’t sit down again. ‘I’ve got to shoot through. Thanks for the coffee.’

He looked amused at the colloquialism but then frowned as he got to his feet. ‘Look, I’m grateful that you found Felicia, and for your concern. I’m sure she’ll repay you by giving you some free lessons, but you must understand that—’

‘Sure, I understand,’ Red cut in, again angry that he should think that she wanted some kind of reward. ‘Tell me: that’s your experience of women, is it—that they’re all out for what they can get?’

His face hardened. ‘Would-be actresses tend to get obsessive—and desperate. You’d be surprised at the things they do, the lengths they go to to get themselves noticed.’ He laughed shortly. ‘But no, I’m sure it wouldn’t surprise you; you’re sure to know it all already.’

Red smiled. ‘You know something? You really sound as if you have a chip on your shoulder about actresses. What happened? Did one of them throw you over for some other boyfriend?’

The question was both personal and rude, making his eyes narrow. But that was all; his face gave nothing away, and his voice was silky as he said, ‘That’s the third time today you’ve called me a boy. I assure you I’m not.’

Red felt a small flutter of awareness but firmly ignored it. Boy or man, physically attractive as he was, Linus Hunt wasn’t the type she went for.

She gave him a sweet smile and said, ‘Well, one thing’s for sure: you sure as hell don’t know any Australian girls.’ And with that she turned and walked away with a long-legged stride, leaving him looking after her with a puzzled frown.

Red wasn’t working at the bistro that evening, so she spent the time in packing and trying to explain to Jenny why she was doing this when she didn’t really know herself. It wasn’t just sympathy and liking for Felicia, that was for sure; in some ways Red thought that she would probably be better off with a nurse.

Originally she had intended to turn down the offer, but Linus’s arrogance had sent her, angry and defiant, headlong in the other direction. So now she was committed, and whether she would live to regret her hasty decision was yet to be seen. Although Red doubted it; she seldom regretted any decisions she took in her life; even though some turned out to be wrong they were always interesting.

The next morning she took a cab to the house and let herself in, first ringing the doorbell to make sure that Linus wasn’t there. But he must have spent the night at his own place, wherever that was.

After some argument from Jenny, they had decided to let an out-of-work actress they knew have Red’s room in the flat for two months at a low rent. Which was OK, but meant that Red had had to bring all her stuff with her. And she didn’t travel light; she’d bought a load of irresistible clothes since she’d been in London.

She spent some time downstairs before lugging her cases up to the guest room she’d used before. There were some of Linus’s clothes in the wardrobe and dresser, so she put them into a suitcase that was also in the wardrobe.

Afterwards Red set about unpacking, and was still at the task when she heard the front door open and Felicia’s and Linus’s voices in the hall. Girding up her loins to face him—if women actually had loins—Red ran down the stairs to meet them.

The thunder-cloud frown on Linus’s face told her exactly what he thought of the situation, but Red ignored him; Felicia was on crutches and looked tired and strained from the journey. Deftly Red helped her off with her coat, saying, ‘If you’ll make yourself comfortable in the sitting room, I’ll get you a coffee.’

She didn’t try to help Felicia physically and didn’t fuss, instead going straight into the kitchen, but she noticed that Linus put a strong hand under Felicia’s elbow. A few minutes later he followed her into the kitchen.

‘I thought I told you I didn’t want you here,’ he said furiously. ‘When I got to the hospital with the nurse I’d engaged Felicia refused point-blank to have anything to do with her—because you’d gone behind my back and accepted her offer.’

‘I was pushed into it,’ Red admitted, pouring milk into a jug.

‘“Pushed into it”? What do you mean? Who by?’

‘By you, of course. I felt so sorry for Felicia, being bossed around by you, that I decided she didn’t need a nurse to boss her around as well. So I called her yesterday—from the hotel where we were having coffee,’ she added, enjoying herself.

Linus’s face set like granite. ‘I suppose you think you’re very clever’

She gave him a look but merely said, ‘What happened to the nurse?’

‘I had to let her go—for now. But I’m quite sure she’ll be back when Felicia realises how inadequate you are,’ he said nastily.

Picking up the tray, Red gave a small smile as she carried it through to the sitting room, Linus following her closely.

‘Linus, I won’t have you bullying Red,’ Felicia said querulously. ‘Leave her alone.’

‘That’s OK; I’m tough enough to fight my own battles,’ Red said calmly.

‘Thick-skinned more like,’ Linus cut in as he sat in a chair near the ornate fire-surround.

‘Possibly,’ she admitted, putting just a dash of cream into a cup of coffee and handing it to Felicia.

‘You know how I like it,’ the older woman said in surprise.

‘I’ve watched you make it during my lessons.’

‘You’re very observant,’ Felicia said with gratitude.

Red had brought three cups; she poured one for herself and then sat down. If Linus wanted one he could help himself; she wasn’t his servant. Recognising this small defiance for what it was, Linus gave a grim smile as he rose to pour himself a cup.

For his mother’s sake, he controlled his anger, while Felicia chatted to Red, saying that they must make out a shopping list and let her students know that she wouldn’t be available for a couple of days.

‘You need to rest for longer than that,’ Linus cut in, adding, ‘Please, Mother, promise me that you’ll take at least a week off.’

‘Oh dear, if you call me Mother, you must be serious. I’ll see.’

Linus looked as if he was about to argue, then closed his mouth firmly.

Red got to her feet, putting her cup on the tray and taking Felicia’s from her. ‘Have you practised going up and down stairs with your crutches yet? Maybe it might be an idea to try now while Linus is here, so that he can supply some muscle if you need it.’

‘Catch me if I fall, you mean.’ Felicia smiled. ‘Yes, I suppose it might be an idea; they wheeled me out to the taxi in a wheelchair at the hospital. I felt perfectly ridiculous!’

But she let Linus help her up from the chair and, though she tried to hide it, was obviously quite glad to have him there while she made her slow way up the stairs using only one crutch and the banister rail. Red followed with the other crutch and the small case that Felicia had brought home with her.

‘Where are all the rugs?’ Linus asked, glancing at the landing and then down at the hall.

‘I was afraid Felicia might trip on them so I moved them out of the way.’

Linus’s eyebrows rose a little but he merely gave a brief nod.

Climbing the stairs had exhausted her, and Felicia made only a token protest when Red said, ‘How about a rest till lunchtime?’

She got to her room under her own steam but then was glad to let Red help her undress and get into bed. Red closed the curtains against the morning sunlight and went out, quietly closing the door behind her.

Linus was pacing the hall downstairs. Turning, he walked into the kitchen so that their voices wouldn’t carry upstairs. ‘She’s worn out,’ he said roughly.

‘I’m not surprised, if you’ve been arguing with her all morning.’

He gave her a glare, but said, ‘When she wouldn’t have the nurse I tried to get her to go into a convalescent home for a while, but she wouldn’t have that either. I know she’ll try and do too much too soon. I want you to call each of her students and tell them that she won’t be available for at least a couple of weeks.’

‘I already did.’

‘What?’

‘Well, I told them she wouldn’t be available for a week at least. I didn’t think she’d let me get away with two weeks.’

A glint of surprised approval came into his grey eyes for a moment, but his voice was still curt when he said, ‘Have you any nursing experience?’

‘I haven’t had any training, if that’s what you mean. But I helped to look after my mother when she was ill.’

‘How long for?’

She dug her fingers into her palms, not wanting to remember that terrible time when her mother had fought so hard against the cancer that had eventually killed her, and managed to say matter-of-factly, ‘Several months’

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