June Francis - Man Behind the Façade

‘Just help me up, if you please,’ she groaned.

He took her hand and jerked her to her feet without realising his own strength so that she was catapulted against him. This time he almost lost his balance and for several moments they swayed back and forth on the uneven floor, their bodies pressed against each other and their faces only inches apart. It was strangely comforting, thought Rebecca, in no hurry to have him release her this time.

Then he kissed her.

The temptation to taste her lips had been irresistible, thought Phillip. Her lips were as cool as spring water and as she made no attempt to pull away, he deepened the kiss and delved between their moist softness and captured her tongue. It was a while since he had kissed a woman and never had he found it so arousing. Then he remembered that she did not think much of a player’s way of life and dropped her like a hot brand and walked away.

It was several moments before a now-seething Rebecca recovered her equilibrium and was able to pick herself up off the floor. Giles had never kissed her in such a thoroughly penetrating fashion, but neither had he ever used her so roughly. How dare Phillip kiss her and then cast her aside as if he couldn’t bear to look at her! Obviously he had no thought for her feelings at all. Hurt and anger coursed through her veins and, after taking several deep breaths, she marched out of the room, careful to avoid any obstructions.

He was nowhere to be seen. Had he left her alone in this place, prey to ghosts or vagabonds? She made for the front door and there she found Phillip resting against the door jamb. She waited for him to speak, but after what seemed a long time, she came to the conclusion that he was not going to refer to what had happened. Well, she was not going to allow him to ignore the episode. It might be true that she had enjoyed the kiss, but if he was now regretting what had happened, she was not going to let him know that. Most likely he had kissed lots of women over the years and had enjoyed doing so. Lackwit that she was to think that just because the kiss had set her whole body alight, that it had done the same for him. Misery threatened to flood her, but then she remembered that part of a man’s anatomy that had trouble sleeping. His had flared into life as he had kissed her and flaunted itself against her belly. A definite indication that he had desired her, if only for a moment, before rejecting her.

‘I should have slapped your face,’ she said.

‘I’m amazed that you didn’t!’ He straightened up. ‘I didn’t intend to behave so, but you were irresistible.’

‘Was I? Well, that’s good to know,’ she replied, taken aback. ‘I—I presume you’re not going to make a habit of it?’

He gave a ghost of a smile. ‘Probably not, you’ll be pleased to know.’

‘Good, because we both know that we wouldn’t suit. You’re not in the market for a wife and I have nothing to bring you that would be of help in making your way in the world. Although I am not such a fool to believe that kissing a woman means a man must feel compelled to propose marriage.’ She dimpled at him in an attempt to reassure him that she had decided to make light of the situation, despite the fact that she ached to be held in his arms again.

Phillip found those dimples bewitching and experienced a further rush of desire, but it was obvious that she saw no future for them together, so all he said was, ‘I’m glad that we’ve got that sorted out. Shall we go?’

She nodded, picked up the gown and wig. ‘You forgot these last even.’ He took them from her, thanked her and closed the door before heading towards the trees. ‘Was the ghost the reason you’re up and about so early this morning or were you on your way to collect your costume? I saw your gown and wig and decided to bring them to you. I was doing so when I spotted you.’

‘And your curiosity got the better of you when you saw me?’

‘I can’t deny it.’ Her brow puckered. ‘Do you mind telling me about this figure you thought you saw?’

‘I do not doubt what my eyes saw, Becky, but I didn’t get close enough to make out the identity of the man.’

‘Then can you tell me what Simon told you?’

Phillip’s eyes locked with hers, but still he hesitated.

‘Please, of your courtesy, I would like to know. There is obviously some mystery here that needs solving. I do have a talent for such.’

‘If I do tell you, I want you to bear in mind that he believes it possible that his mind was overtired and he might have imagined what he saw.’

She nodded. ‘That goes without saying.’

Phillip took a breath. ‘He thought he saw your father’s ghost.’

Rebecca felt a peculiar sensation shoot down her spine and the ground appeared to rock. The last thing she wanted was her father to return to haunt her from beyond the grave—why should he appear to Simon? And why here, of all places? It had to be a figment of his imagination. ‘I don’t believe it!’ she said, a tremor in her voice.

‘Neither do I,’ said Phillip firmly. ‘But it’s interesting, isn’t it? And why should he appear here? Is it possible that your father has kin living in the area?’

Rebecca took a deep breath. ‘As far as I know he had no kin. At least he never mentioned any to me, but then he never saw any reason to discuss anything of importance with me,’ she said bitterly. ‘I was only his daughter.’

‘My mother would have loved a daughter, so don’t pull yourself down. Your father was a fool not to appreciate your worth.’

‘You’re just being kind,’ she muttered. ‘Anyway, we’ve strayed from the subject.’

He frowned. ‘Think the worse of yourself then, woman! Tell me instead, is it worth asking the people who live in Minster Draymore about your father?’

‘Surely Simon would have thought of that? Unless he didn’t want to look a fool. Besides, could he be looking for me?’ She looked up at him from scared eyes.

‘Then why come here? Why not seek you out in Oxford?’ he asked reasonably.

Rebecca forced down her fear and smiled. ‘You don’t know how much your saying that relieves my mind.’

Phillip returned her smile. ‘Maybe there is no ghost and it was a real person I caught a glimpse of?’

‘He could have been a vagabond and reacted violently. My next question is—do you think we should speak of this to Simon? He’s normally a man of good sense, but if he mentioned this to you, then it really is playing on his mind.’

Phillip was silent a moment, then said, ‘The person who might know if your father had other kin is your brother.’

Rebecca’s eyes met his and she nodded. ‘But how am I going to get a message to him? I’d have to pay a messenger and I don’t have that kind of money.’

‘I would go myself if I had the time, but—’

‘I would not ask it of you,’ said Rebecca hastily. ‘He might get in touch with me himself before Christmastide, so perhaps I should just wait a while. In the meantime I will see what I can discover here.’

‘I don’t think that will be possible now,’ said Phillip, taking her arm. ‘I’m leaving for Oxford this morning and I offered to escort you and the children home.’

She felt that peculiar leap of the heart. ‘I—I can’t believe you’d want the bother of three young children as well as myself on the journey.’

‘No, I don’t,’ he said, straight-faced, ‘but I could see their poor father was desperate and, as I am heading in that direction, I thought it would be good for you to experience the travelling life, albeit briefly.’

She gave him a severe look. ‘I deem you are teasing me. You are forgetting, Phillip, that I do have some experience of such due to having travelled about with my father for his work. Still, it is generous of you to make such an offer and I accept it gladly. But why is it that you go to Oxford? I cannot believe that you do it purely for my benefit.’