Daphne Clair: Lovers' Lies

‘I’m sure he is,’ Felicia agreed, lying in her teeth. Joshua Taggett was far from being nice, and she had cause to know it. She withdrew her aching eyes from the view and smiled at the American woman.

‘Do you have someone back home?’ Maggie asked curiously.

Felicia shook her head. ‘No. I’m just not interested.’

‘Oh.’ Maggie looked over at Joshua, standing with his back to them now near the bow. ‘Well, let me tell you, I think you’re picky. If I were ten years younger...maybe make that fifteen...’

Felicia laughed, and saw Joshua quickly turn his head, his eyes homing in on her. He probably thought they were laughing at him. Well, let him think it. She dragged her gaze away.

After peeking at some of the jade and ivory treasures in the buildings near the foreshore, Maggie and most of the older members of the party elected to stroll along the broad winding paths seeking both beauty and shade, while others climbed the steep flights of steps to the Pavilion of Precious Clouds.

The pavilion seemed to have grown from the uneven grey rocks, they were so perfectly blended. Children scrambled happily about among the rocks and the several flights of stairs, watched fondly by their parents. In the gatehouse a small girl in a white frilly dress, white socks and shiny patent leather shoes gazed with awe at two huge ceramic statues with beetling eyebrows and fearsome snarls.

As Felicia stopped beside her the little girl regarded her with as much interest as she had the guardians of the gateway, and said carefully, ‘Hello.’

‘Hello,’ Felicia returned, ‘little princess.’

The child’s parents arrived, panting with exertion. The father picked his daughter up, smoothing her black hair away from her eyes. As Felicia made to turn away the man with signs and smiles urged her to pose with his wife and daughter while he took a picture. Felicia obliged, and then the family posed for her.

She began to make her way down again to the lakeside, only to dodge back into the shadow of the gatehouse as she caught sight of Joshua Tagget ascending the steps.

She hurried back through the gateway and took the nearest flight of steps, arriving in a small square tower. Miraculously, the narrow room was empty. An arched opening down to floor level framed a view across tiled rooftops to the vast plain below. Just beyond the opening a low stone wall hardly impeded the eye. Felicia raised her camera for the obligatory picture.

Moving to just inside the archway, she stooped for a shot of an intriguing orange-tiled roof angle, and as she straightened and turned to the doorway the space was filled by the shadowy figure of a man.

Joshua. Instinctively she stepped backwards, forgetting the open archway. Her feet struck the low barrier and she gasped and threw out a hand towards the wall, her heart plunging in fright.

With a sharp exclamation Joshua lunged forward and grabbed her arm, dragging her towards him so that she came up hard against his chest.

She inhaled the smell of soap and fresh sweat, and her cheek was momentarily pressed against his cotton shirt, warm from the sun and his body.

Then his hands were on both her arms, holding her away from him. And his voice, harsh with shock, demanded, ‘What the hell is the matter with you?’

‘You startled me,’ Felicia said. ‘I...didn’t hear anyone come in.’

His hands dropped. ‘Sorry.’ But his clipped voice told her he thought she was a fool. ‘I wasn’t following you. The message on the boat was loud and clear.’

And he wouldn’t bother pursuing a woman who had made her lack of interest plain. Felicia wondered where the buxom brunette had got to. ‘Thank you,’ she said stiffly. ‘Although I wasn’t really likely to fall. I just got a fright.’

A Chinese family appeared in the doorway and politely hung back.

‘It’s OK, I’m leaving,’ Felicia said, gesturing them to come in as she slipped through the opening.

Joshua pointedly remained standing at the top of the steps as she descended them. She could feel his eyes boring into her back until she made the shelter of the dim, shaded gateway.

Some meals were included in the tour, but Jen recommended several Beijing restaurants for those who wanted to try them. Maggie suggested she and Felicia have a drink in the hotel bar on their return from the Summer Palace and plan their evening.

Others had the same idea. The three young men had joined the party of young women in one corner of the crowded bar, and two middle-aged couples from the tour group called to Maggie and Felicia to join them.

One couple was Australian, the other American, and in the course of the day they had already established a rapport. After enquiring which part of the world she came from, the American man said, ‘There’s another New Zealander on the tour. Joshua—you know him?’

‘We met this morning.’

A waitress came to take their orders. Her English was earnest but limited, and there was much laughter and international sign language.

While Felicia was talking to the Australian couple the American man hailed someone coming in and began pulling up more chairs. It wasn’t until the newcomers sat down that Felicia turned, the smile freezing on her face when she saw who had joined them. Joshua, with the brunette beauty—now wearing loose, cool white trousers and a red figure-hugging top—back at his side.

His mouth turned down at one corner as he acknowledged her presence, his eyes holding a wry amusement. He knew she didn’t want to be anywhere near him, and thought it was funny.

Introductions were made all round, and Felicia smiled nicely at the dark-haired girl whose name was given as Suzette. Perfect for her, Felicia thought, and looked away to watch the waitress fill a tray at the bar.

She drank the mineral water she had ordered, taking no part in the plans for dinner at an outside restaurant. They all seemed happy to stick together, and she decided that if Joshua was going to join them she was bowing out.

Felicia had emptied her glass and was formulating the words to leave when someone ordered another round of drinks, and she found a second glass placed before her.

But when there was a general move to leave she said quietly to Maggie, ‘I’d really rather have a snack and go to bed. I haven’t recovered from the flight. Enjoy your evening.’ At least Maggie wouldn’t lack for company.

The other woman looked disappointed but didn’t argue. ‘Well... see you in the morning, then.’

Unlike Suzette, Felicia hadn’t been to her room to change. Thinking she would freshen up before having a light meal, she made for the elevators.

Two arrived at the same time, and she let the other people who were waiting fill the first, stepping into the second. The doors were already closing after her when a strong male hand made them re-open and Joshua entered.

She thought he almost stepped out again, but changed his mind, allowing the doors to slide to and shut them in.

Startled, Felicia said, ‘Aren’t you going to dinner?’ He turned to lean on the wall beside him as the car started upwards. ‘Not with that crowd.’ After a short pause, he added, ‘I thought you were going with them.’

‘They’re all very nice people.’

His eyebrows twitched. ‘Sure. So why aren’t you with them?’

She could say that she’d been trying to avoid him. But studied rudeness wasn’t natural to her and besides, if she made an issue of this he’d begin to wonder why. ‘My plane was delayed for twelve hours at Auckland,’ she said, ‘and my connection in Hong Kong had to be rescheduled. I need an early night.’

The elevator slid to a halt and the doors opened, but the two people waiting gestured that they wanted to go down, not up.