Indiscretions - Elizabeth Adler [77]
“Vennie,” called Kate from the hall, “it’s for you.”
“Who is it?” Venetia unrolled herself lazily from the floor.
“It’s Morgan. Hurry up, he’s in Barbados.”
“Barbados?” Venetia shot to her feet and ran down the hall to Lydia’s room, where Kate sat on the edge of her mother’s bed, giggling with Morgan McBain.
“Bye, then,” she called. “Here’s Vennie.”
“Morgan, hello. Are you really in Barbados? You are? And is the sky really blue and is there still sunshine somewhere in this wet world?” Venetia curled up on the bed and tucked her feet under her comfortably, a smile lighting her face. “Yes … I think I’m missing you.”
Kate watched with interest. There was no doubt in her mind that Morgan was very keen on Venetia.
“Morgan, really? You can’t mean it? But I can’t—I mean it’s impossible … I might be starting a new job next week. What do you mean, doing what? Cooking, of course—actually, as chef at a new restaurant.”
Kate gazed at her anxiously. “What’s going on?” she whispered.
Vennie put her hand over the receiver. “He wants me to go to Barbados for a week or two—to stay on his father’s yacht. But how can I? I’ve got to take this job.”
“Ohh,” groaned Kate, clapping her hand to her head dramatically and falling backward onto the rug, “Venetia Haven, you are so thick sometimes, I can’t bear it.”
Venetia grinned at her doubtfully. “No, no, Morgan, it’s just Kate acting silly.” She looked at Kate again. “He says you can come too.”
Kate groaned louder. “I have exams for the next two weeks, Vennie! But you don’t.”
“Morgan,” said Venetia firmly, “I can’t come, it’s very tempting, but I can’t. I really must take this job. What? Oh, now you are joking! You’ll check to make sure? Okay. Yes, yes. Right … yes, me too. Bye.”
“What?” cried Kate. “What now?”
“Morgan said that the chef from the Fiesta wants to go back to New York to work, and they have to find someone else. He’s pretty sure I could have the job for the entire winter season in the Caribbean.” Vennie clapped her hands over her ears at Kate’s scream of delight.
“Amazing!” shrieked Kate. “Brilliant! It’s option four! Wait a minute, how much will they pay you?”
“Oh, Kate, I don’t know,” laughed Venetia, “but in any case I don’t think that I could accept the job.”
“Why ever not? You’re good enough.”
“It’s sort of … well, they would really be doing me a favor offering it to me.”
“And what else,” demanded Kate, “are friends for? I only wish they needed a half-trained computer scientist!”
Venetia laughed. “Then you think I should take the job—that is, if it is offered?”
“Take it,” said Kate firmly, “and take a large jar of Marmite with you in case you’re shipwrecked on a desert island with Morgan. Give or take a prince or two, Morgan McBain is the catch of the decade, and I think it’s you he’s after!”
“I’m just a passing fancy,” said Venetia, remembering the way Morgan’s mouth had felt on hers, the pressure of his strong, slim body as he held her close.
“Don’t you believe it,” Kate assured her. “He has all the signs of a man in the early throes of love, and you are the object of his secret passion!”
As their eyes met they burst into laughter, rolling on the bed in delight. “Imagine me as the object of anyone’s secret passion?” gasped Venetia. “Me, a femme fatale!”
Lydia Lancaster wondered what was going on. The two girls were hovering near the phone, pouncing on it every time it rang like lovelorn teenagers—Which I expect they are, she told herself, picking up the phone and dialing.
“Mummy! Who are you calling?”
Lydia stared at Kate in astonishment. “I’m calling Jennifer Herbert, dear. Why?”
“Ohh, Mummy, please, not now—you’re always ages with her and we’re expecting a call any minute. An important call,” she added, placing her finger on the receiver rest.
“Kate! Really, that’s too much—you’ve cut me off!”
“I’m sorry, Mummy, but please—just this once. It’s truly important.”
Kate stood implacably holding down the phone