“There’s no need,” Kate protested.
He turned on her, his dark face savage. “You’ll see
him! Even if you pay him yourself!”
There was an astounded silence as he slammed out of
the room. Kate forced a laugh, conscious of her burning
cheeks.
“I’m afraid he’s cross this morning. The boat is a total
write-off, you know.” She looked at his mother
nervously.
Mrs. Lillitos watched her thoughtfully. “Don’t worry
about it, my dear. Marc is a man of great depths of
emotion. He is quickly angry, quickly calm. Next time
you see him he will be his usual self, I’m sure.”
Kate doubted that. After what she had said to him,
Marc would dislike her intensely. His expression had
been dangerously violent when he turned on her just
now. She had had the impression that he could almost
have killed her.
She went to her room, meeting Pallas on the way, had
a short chat with her, and then, with relief, had a long,
hot bath. She lay soaking in the water, thinking back
over the events of the last few hours. She must try to
keep her temper. Marc couldn’t help treating everything
as a commodity to be paid for, could he? It was the way
he had grown up, in a mercenary world.
I must see Peter again, she thought. Already the day
she had spent with him seemed an eternity ago, as
though she had travelled hundreds of miles and changed
totally in the meantime.
She must reassure herself. She got out of the bath,