'No. I'm the one who's crazy,' Natalie murmured, half whispering. 'I knew the set-up. I just walked right into it. I'm going to bed, Ray.' She put her hand on his arm, looking up at him, her olive-tinted skin shockingly white. 'Thank you again. You've never stopped rescuing me since you came here. If there's anything I can ever do for you...'
'Kill Bradshaw,' he muttered as he left. 'Nothing else will do, kiddo.'
Natalie was trembling so much by the time she reached her room that she had to sit down. So that was all it had meant? He had told Annette already and she was quite prepared to take him back on the old terms.
Why had she believed him when he had said there was nothing between him and that woman? You didn't tell things like that to a casual acquaintance. She could hardly believe it of Kip but how else could Annette have known? In any case, hadn't «he been forewarned? In love for one night at a time. Tears streamed down her face and she could still not stem them when someone knocked at the door.
She was wiping her eyes frantically as she opened it and the sight of Neil standing there almost had her slamming it in his face.
'What do you want?' She almost screamed it and he looked completely shocked, coming in before she could stop him and pushing the door to.
'For God's sake, Natalie! You're yelling.'
'Not as much as I'd like to be.' She turned her back and rubbed at her eyes, trying to gather some composure round her before she faced him. She took a deep breath and spun round.
'What can I do for you?' It was difficult to control her voice but she did it and his face softened, making him look like the Neil she had imagined him to be. It seemed a long time ago now.
'Come back down to the party, Natalie. Stay with me. I know you're unhappy and I can't bear to see it.'
'Thank you,' she managed, not able to keep the sarcasm from her voice. 'How kind everyone is being to me.'
'There's no kindness in Forsythe,' he said tightly. 'I tried to warn you, darling, but you always have been headstrong.'
Darling! He really didn't know when to quit! Natalie's eyes narrowed to glittering green but he was beside her before she could speak, his arms coming round her
tightly as he grabbed her with a show of desperation that took her breath away. 'Let me go!'
'No, darling, no. I know how I've hurt you, why you turned to Forsythe.' He began to scatter kisses all over her face, holding her fast when she struggled. 'We'll go back to London and be together again. Paula will understand. Deep down she knows it's you I love and she's a nice girl.'
'Too nice for a swine like you!' The cold, harsh voice from the doorway stopped Neil in his tracks and Natalie almost fell as he let her go abruptly and swung to face Kip.
'What are you doing here?' Neil sounded outraged as if he himself had every right to be here.
'Making a mistake, obviously,' Kip rasped, his eyes furiously on Natalie's flushed face. 'If you want rescuing, say so now,' he bit out, and it was quite enough to send her from misery into a rage. It was clear what he thought and why shouldn't he? He went from one woman to the next with skilful ease. To a man like that, every woman was the same.
'Out! Get out, both of you!' She stormed to the door and swung it open wide and Kip took one look at her rather ferocious face and turned on his heel, disgust written clearly in his eyes. Neil lingered, his hand stretched out to her. If he told her to calm down and not be an impetuous little thing she would kill him and fulfil Ray's wishes. She reached for the nearest ornament and handled it threateningly. 'Out!' There was not one flicker of compromise in her face and Neil went, murmuring that he would see her tomorrow when she had calmed down.
She locked the door firmly, threw herself on the bed and cried her eyes out.