Free Sixty Days to Live by Dennis Wheatley Page B

I’m not so used to yours.’
    ‘Of course I will.’ She went out with him on to the porch and together they ran over her pieces of luggage in the waiting car.
    Margery, meanwhile, had turned in the other direction and was talking to Sam. From where they stood they were out of earshot of Hemmingway and Lavina but could see them just outside the open doorway.
    At that moment Hemmingway held out his hand to Lavina and said: ‘Well, I’ll say good-bye now, before the crush surrounds you. Happy honeymoon.’
    She looked up into those strange, wise eyes of his again and once more she had that sensation of vague fear. But Lavina was a courageous person and believed that the best way to conquer fear of anything was to face it boldly. This was fear of herself; not fear of him. And she knew that, since they would be togetherso much in the future, she must root it out now, once and for all.
    To prove herself she smiled back into his eyes and said: ‘Thanks so much for all you’ve done to-day, but isn’t it usual for the best man to kiss the bride?’
    ‘Not in the States, and I’m half American,’ he laughed. ‘I’m a poor hand at kissing people, too, unless I really mean it; and, if I did that, I’m afraid I’d make an awful hash of your makeup!’
    It was said with such charming lightness that it was quite impossible for Lavina to take offence, but she was determined not to be side-tracked so she answered gaily: ‘All right, then, I’ll kiss you.’ And, standing on tiptoe for a second, she gave him a swift kiss on the cheek.
    Sam and Margery had witnessed the little scene from the distance. As he turned towards her to say something he saw that her face was strained and intent.
    ‘May I give you a piece of advice?’ she asked suddenly.
    ‘Why, yes.’ He lifted an eyebrow in surprise.
    ‘Sack that secretary of yours.’
    ‘Sack Hemmingway! Good Lord, why?’
    ‘You’d better, unless you want your marriage broken up. He’s young, extraordinarily attractive and the type that doesn’t fall easily for women but, when they do, fall hard—and I know Lavina. All her life she’s battened on admiration. She’ll never rest until she’s made him as mad about her as all the other men she’s ever known for any length of time.’
    ‘Margery!’ Sam was really shocked. ‘How
can
you say such a frightful thing about your own sister?’
    Suddenly Margery turned away and burst into a violent fit of tears.
    Sam cast an anxious glance towards the drawing-room, flung an arm round the weeping girl’s shoulders and pushed her into the cloakroom nearby; pulling the door to behind them.
    ‘For God’s sake, don’t make a scene!’ he said angrily. ‘Stop crying, now. Stop it! Or your tears will mess up your face.’
    With an effort Margery checked her sobbing, dabbed her eyes with a handkerchief and, walking over to the mirror, pulled out her compact to make good the traces of tears left on her cheeks.
    Sam was furious and he let himself go. ‘You must be downrightwicked to say such a thing to me on my wedding-day. Hemmingway’s my best man and my best friend. I’d trust him anywhere with anything, and I’d trust Lavina to the limit, too. It’s just your rotten, filthy imagination.’
    She turned then, and faced him calmly. ‘I’m sorry, Sam. Terribly sorry. I should never have said that but I did believe it at the time. It was something in their attitude to each other that I can’t explain, and my wicked jealousy, I suppose. You see, Lavina’s always had everything—everything I’ve ever wanted; even the rather second-rate boy-friends, whom she couldn’t be bothered with but I would so gladly have had, all fell for her.’
    Sam stared at her and realised for the first time that she was quite young, not more than twenty-six, and definitely good-looking. Not beautiful like Lavina, but very attractive in her own way; which must have made it all the harder for her that she had had to play the drudge’s part while