One Chance At Love. Carole Mortimer
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‘I may start screaming at any moment!’ she groaned.
‘Oh, come on, Dizzy,’ Christi chided lightly. ‘It’s very funny.’
‘Not if you’re me. Or Henry,’ she added disgustedly. ‘We’ll just have to hope his girlfriend down the road doesn’t get to hear about this!’
‘Hey,’ Christi’s eyes lit up with mischief as she ignored Dizzy’s nonsensical ramblings, ‘maybe what’s really worrying my uncle is that he has brown eyes and must get very lonely here in this mausoleum!’
‘His eyes aren’t brown, they’re golden,’ Dizzy told her absently, colour warming her cheeks as she realised what she had said.
Luckily, Christi didn’t seem to have taken any undue interest in the comment. It was testament to how disturbed by this situation her friend was that she hadn’t noticed Dizzy’s very personal observation about her uncle. Usually, Christi never ceased trying to interest her in one man or another, chagrined that Dizzy seemed able to keep her life man-free, while she somehow managed to attract a cluster of them, more often than not at the same time!
Dizzy could only breathe a sigh of relief at Christi’s lack of attention just now, although she recognised it was mainly because her friend couldn’t see that her uncle was an attractive man. But then, Christi hadn’t seen him the way she had!
She gave an impatient sigh. ‘Couldn’t you have just explained to your uncle that Henry is your dog?’
‘Of course not.’ Christi sounded irritated. ‘If I had done that, he would have realised you were pet-sitting at my flat. We aren’t supposed to have seen each other for years,’ she reminded. ‘And you were supposed to have called me this morning!’
‘Oh, I realise that.’ She shook her head. ‘You really went over the top with that “park bench” story,’ she said disgustedly. ‘Especially as I’m sure your uncle must have heard my comment about your having kept me out of spending a night in jail!’
‘This isn’t all my fault,’ Christi returned caustically. ‘You were the one who told him your name is Dizzy James!’
‘It is my name,’ she said firmly. ‘Professionally, at least. Besides, do you really think your uncle would have believed your story of my destitution if he had realised who my father is?’ she drawled derisively.
‘You’re right.’ Christi chewed worriedly on her bottom lip, then she grimaced. ‘I told him your family lost all their money shortly after you left school. That was very quick thinking on your part, Dizzy,’ she said thankfully.
Dizzy raised her eyes heavenwards. She hadn’t given her name as James to try and further Christi’s ridiculous plan, and Christi would have realised that if she was thinking in the least bit straight. Unfortunately, she wasn’t. But Dizzy had given up using her father’s name years ago, as she preferred not to be connected to him.
‘I’m glad you approve,’ she derided drily. ‘Now, what are we going to do about this mess you’ve got us into by telling your uncle these outrageous lies?’ She quirked blonde brows.
Christi looked wounded, and then a little sheepish, as Dizzy continued to meet her gaze mockingly. ‘OK, so I’ll have to think a little more before I speak,’ she accepted uncomfortably. ‘But other than that, everything is working out perfectly,’ she defended. ‘Since I told him about you, and the circumstances behind my inviting you to stay, my uncle hasn’t mentioned the fact that I’m going to Drama School, and that I don’t have the same boyfriend for more than a month at a time, sometimes less than that!’
‘I’m glad to have been of service!’ Dizzy’s sarcasm was barely veiled.
Christi, however, seemed to have missed it completely in her feeling of self-satisfaction. ‘I knew you would be.’ She hugged her. ‘Oh, Dizzy, it’s so good to have you here!’ she told her enthusiastically.
Her expression softened at her friend’s genuine pleasure. ‘It’s good to be here,’ she said wryly.
‘It’s going to be so much more fun now.’ Christi smiled her delight.
Poor pet, thought Dizzy, she really looked as if she had been having a miserable time of it, although the vivacity was fast returning to her enormous blue eyes. ‘I thought there was nothing to do,’ she teased.
‘There isn’t,’ Christi grimaced. ‘But I can never remember a dull moment in your company in the past.’ She brightened.
‘I’m getting too old to be the class clown,’ Dizzy dismissed absently, her gaze drawn towards the window that faced in the direction of the lake she had seen Zachariah Bennett in earlier. ‘But, talking of things to do,’ she turned interestedly back to Christi, ‘does your uncle go—bird-watching, often?’ She arched blonde brows expectantly.
‘Most afternoons,’ Christi confirmed in a bored voice. ‘He says it helps relax him after a morning of intensely draining work!’
Skinny-dipping should certainly blow away the cobwebs!
‘I don’t honestly know why he bothers,’ Christi added disgustedly. ‘He only comes back and buries himself in work for another couple of hours!’
After his nude swim, he probably felt completely invigorated! ‘It must be expensive maintaining a castle,’ she pointed out softly.
‘I suppose so,’ Christi conceded grudgingly. ‘But if he would just release my money I would be willing to help him out.’
Dizzy gave her friend a reproving look. ‘I have a feeling your uncle takes his guardianship role very seriously, so for goodness’ sake don’t even think about offering him any money. I’m sure he would consider it a bribe.’ And if his disapproving eyebrows rose any higher they would disappear into his hairline!
‘I know that,’ Christi dismissed impatiently. ‘Or else I would have done it an hour after my arrival!’ she added mischievously.
‘I’m sure it can’t be that bad here.’ Dizzy shook her head ruefully, sure that a man like Zachariah Bennett would have an extensive library. Her fingers itched to touch all those wonderful books.
‘Give it a few days,’ Christi assured her. ‘Even school was fun compared to this—and you know how I loved school!’ she grimaced.
The daughter of a very happily married couple who unfortunately travelled a great deal, because Christi’s father had been an archaeologist, Christi had been completely miserable at being sent away to boarding-school at only eight. It had been their mutual unhappiness with the situation they had both been thrust into that had initially drawn Dizzy and Christi together that first term. Over the years, they had become as close as sisters, helping each other through those difficult years. Dizzy had been able to keep Christi’s spirits up, not because she didn’t dislike the school as much as her friend did, but because, to her, it was preferable to being at home. Anything had been preferable to that!
‘Look, I’ll give you a few minutes’ peace from my chattering while you shower and change—into something equally as disreputable, please!’ she encouraged gleefully. ‘And then I’ll show you around—what there is to see!’ She made a face.
Dizzy nodded, her smile fading once her friend had left, her attention once again drawn to that window that faced east.
Just over that small tree-covered hill lay the lake where Zachariah Bennett had bathed naked. And, if Christi was right about the ‘bird-watching’, he did the same thing every afternoon…
WHY hadn’t she told Christi about seeing her uncle bathing nude?
The two of them had been together for a couple of hours before they parted to change for dinner, and yet she had remained silent about