Betrayal Read Free

and give up smoking, but that's a difficult combination. When I don't smoke I eat more!'
    Lisa realised that he didn't look well. He was pale and his hair had turned completely grey. 'I know everything there is to know about balanced diets and animal fats, I'll make sure you eat properly while I'm home,' she teased, picking up her cases and following Stephanie indoors. An hour later she was sitting in the library when Simon came hesitantly into the room. 'You don't really dislike finishing school, do you, sweetheart? It's important that you get all you can out of it. Stephanie and I, we're self-made people. I want you to…'
    'All they teach you is how to be a good wife! We've got to be able to fold napkins into imitation boats, turn tomatoes into red water lilies, think of colour themes for our dinner parties, know how to make a shy guest feel comfortable… it's so trivial.'
    'But…
    'Oh, we do some work. Languages, history… but they don't really count for much. It's certainly a finishing school. They're showing us how we'll finish up: rushing about playing at being a hostess while our wealthy husbands are off running their industries and making love to girls who learnt how to please men in bed rather than out of it!'
    'Surely you want to make a good marriage?'
    'I'm not sure what you mean by a good marriage,' replied Lisa softly.
    They looked at one another and he was the first to glance away. 'I meant a wealthy one.'
    'You're wealthy. Do you want me to have a marriage like yours?' she asked gently.
    'I made my money after I'd married; that's quite different.'
    'I really want to work with children,' she confided, her face suddenly more animated.
    'But that's ideal! Lots of rich wives don't know what to do with their spare time. You could work for the N.S.P.C.C. or something like that.'
    'I don't think I'd be able to make a living doing charity work!'
    Simon cleared his throat. 'You'll never be poor, darling. I've put a lot of money into a trust fund for you. No matter what happens that will always be there.'
    'I'm very grateful, but I do want to earn my own money.' 'You might not have time,' he said sadly.
    Lisa stared at him. 'What do you mean?'
    'Lisa, I have to talk to you during the holiday. Not now, but soon. Perhaps tomorrow night, when Stephanie's at her bridge evening.'
    'If you don't hurry up and get ready the dinner will be half over before we even arrive!' said Stephanie indignantly as she walked in on the pair of them. Lisa stood up slowly and walked gracefully out of the room.
    'You have to admit she's stunning,' whispered Simon.
    'With her approach to life, she needs to be. I'm only thankful he isn't going to be there tonight. I'd expected the school to soften her… '
    'She's all right,' Simon said in a tired voice. 'I'm going to have a whisky before I shower. Do you want a drink?'
    'The doctor said no alcohol.'
    'Sod the doctor!' he snapped, and Stephanie left him. She knew that there were times when he was better alone. Especially these days, when things were going so horribly wrong.
    Dinner was at the house of a Hatton Garden jeweller who'd done a lot of business with Simon over the years, not all of it legitimate. Simon had bought gifts for Stephanie from his shop, but outside office hours, in the small back room, other transactions had taken place. David Markoff either hadn't heard the rumours about Simon's current misfortunes or else he didn’t care.…Unlike many of the Greenes' so-called friends he hadn't severed all contact, and Simon was grateful. So grateful that he spent most of the evening chatting to David's wife, and missed the beginning of what was to be his greatest personal disaster.
    Lisa, still hungry because the food had been good but not abundant, wandered off into the room where the drinks were being served and began to help herself to some dry roasted peanuts. The young boy behind the bar, his eyes constantly checking the guests for attractive men, was totally disinterested in her