Free The Desert Castle by Isobel Chace Page B

followed in his footsteps. It was Lucasta who told me about your evening classes. My sister could hardly believe her luck when I offered to have Lucasta for the holidays—providing you came along too. ’
    M arion squinted into the sun. ‘ That child is left alone far too much, ’ she said severely. ‘ Isn ’ t your sister afraid she ’ ll get, into trouble ? ’
    ‘ I fancy she feels the risks are less in London than if she were to drag her off to some of the parties she and my brother-in-law go to. Lucasta is too young to keep her head amongst the jet-set just yet. ’
    ‘ You don ’ t seem to mind if Gaston turns her head. He ’ s quite a bit older than she! ’
    G regory grinned. ‘ He won ’ t do her any harm. He ’ s still wet behind the ears compared to the sort of gentlemen I ’ m thinking about. Lucasta will run rings round him and he won ’ t even know it. He ’ s a decent enough young fellow. ’
    ‘ But, at seventeen— ’
    ‘ Lucasta is as old as Cleopatra compared with her would-be chaperon, ’ he mocked her. ‘ You don ’ t have to worry about any niece of mine, Marion. ’
    B ut she did have to worry about herself ! She sat back in her seat, half wishing that he would give her something more to worry about. The desert was more beautiful than ever and she amused herself by trying to judge how many miles she could see in any given direction. They met the old King ’ s Highway, the ancient trade route the caravans of old had travelled between Cairo or Mecca in the south, and Damascus, the Lebanon, and even Antioch, which was now the ruined Roman city of Jerash, in the north. The new, modern Desert Highway that cut several hours off the journey went off to the left.
    ‘ That ’ s the way to Aqaba, ’ Gregory told her. ‘ And to Petra, the “rose-red city half as old as time .” ’
    P etra had been a dream of her childhood, but sh e had never thought sh e might go there herself.
    ‘ I don ’ t suppose Lucasta would be interested, ’ she si ghed.
    ‘ Probably not, ’ Gregory agreed, too promptly not to be convincing. ‘ You ’ l l have to get someone else to take you. ’
    S he felt snubbed and supposed she deserved it ‘ Have you been there often ? ’ she asked in a small voice.
    H e turned to look at her. ‘ Are you asking me to take you ? ’ he said bluntly.
    ‘ No, of course not. ’ She tried to leave it there, but sh e could not . ‘ If I asked you, would you take me? ’ sh e asked.
    ‘ No. ’
    That hurt more than anything else had done. She tried telling herself that he had his deadline to meet and that he couldn ’ t possibly spare the time to indulge her childhood dreams. He was more than doing his duty by taking her to Madaba.
    ‘ I ’ ll talk to Lucasta about it, ’ sh e said.
    ‘ You won ’ t make me change my mind, ’ he told her, his voice hard with the dislike she knew he felt for her. ‘ Petra has long been my dream too, and I won ’ t allow you to spoil it . You might persuade Denise to fly you down there. ’
    ‘ I don ’ t want to go with Denise, ’ she said childishly. ‘ If Lucasta doesn ’ t want to go, I won ’ t go at all ! ’
    ‘ Then I wish you luck in persuading her, ’ he told her. But it wasn ’ t luck he was wishing her. He was hoping that she would never get there, though she didn ’ t stop to ask herself why. The tears burned at the back of her eyes. She had made a mis take in wanting to be friends with him. He was the most hateful creature she had ever met!
    ‘ You can ’ t stop me going ! ’ she challenged him, sure that he would if he could.
    ‘ I could, but I won ’ t. ’
    ‘ Just because I ’ m staying at your castle, it doesn ’ t give you the right to say what I can and can ’ t do ! ’
    ‘ You ’ re staying at the castle as my employee, ’ he reminded her with crushing emphasis. ‘ Paying your fare out here and your salary for the next few weeks means that your time belongs to me while you ’ re