Chapter 5

Gayle deliberately timed her arrival in the long drawing room so that she was not quite the last one down but so very nearly that her entrance brought a little murmur of interest as the others turned. Cocktails were being served and Don, grinning warmly at her, his eyes taking her in from head to foot in the deceptively simple, beautifully draped jade-green satin, came to meet her, a cocktail in both hands.

"You're looking very pleased with yourself," he drawled as he handed her a cocktail. "But at that I can't blame you. There must have been a mirror in your room to show you how much you had to be pleased with."

Gayle accepted the cocktail and gave him a cool, merely polite smile.

"Making with the pretty words will get you nothing but the back of my hand!" she said through her teeth.

Don grinned wickedly and his eyes dwelt for a moment on the warm, sweet curve between her exquisite breasts with an almost possessive look.

"Oh, I don't know," he said gently. "Making with the pretty words has gotten me quite a lot in my time. And much appreciated it was, too."

She turned almost sharply away from him, as Sue and Clyde came over and the conversation became general. But Gayle was pleasantly aware of Clyde's deepening interest as she exerted herself to be gay and vivacious and amusing. Sue beamed with pride as though she herself had not only produced Gayle, but had created her.

After dinner, the older guests, the Leslies' friends, settled down to bridge and the younger ones descended to the playroom in the basement, for such amusement as might appeal to them.

Gayle settled herself in a deep colored leather chair, and watched the group. There were half a dozen young men and girls all born in the lap of inherited wealth and luxury; the sheltered ones, the safe ones. She eyed the girls and there was the bitter taste of hatred in her mouth for these girls who had never had to do a single thing to guarantee their security except to be born. What the hell could they know of being cold and hungry and frightened, alone and defenseless?

Clyde came over and sat beside her, and Gayle dropped her white eyelids above her eyes lest she should betray more than she was willing for him to see of the bitterness in her heart at this glimpse of a world so foreign to her that it might have been on another planet.

"You must lead a very exciting and interesting life in New York," was his, by no means brilliant, opening.

Gayle kept her eyelids downcast and for a moment did not answer him until she had been able to fight down her bitter, raucous mirth.

"Oh, yes," she said drily. "It's wildly exciting."

"Oh, well, I suppose it's work, too," admitted Clyde, laughing a little, disarmingly, his eyes warm and admiring. "But I imagine a good many women would think that to earn one's living by wearing beautiful and expensive clothes and parading up and down swanky salons would be a lot of fun."

"I suppose so." Her answer was colorless, and then she let a bit of warmth into her voice and made a graceful little gesture that took in the room, the house, the favored people. "But very few women in my position who earn their living would not be willing to change places with women like these-who have nothing to worry about but a new frock, or a new servant or-whatever women like these have to worry about. For my part I can't see anything they could possibly worry about."

"Oh, I suppose they get bored and restless-"

"No doubt!" her voice was dry. "But the assurance of a home, of some man to look after you-and love you-most of them have that and it takes a woman like me to know that-that's about all that really matters in this cockeyed and screwy world."

"So the career girl yearns to be a housewife!" teased Clyde, but his interest had deepened a little.

"I don't know a career girl who wouldn't jump at the chance," she told him flatly.

Clyde's eyebrows went up a little.

"Meaning you would?"

"Don't you dare try me!"

"I would think there would be a great many men you know in New York who would have long before this-"

"A great many men I know in New York aren't looking for wives; many of them already have wives; most of the others are being very sure they don't acquire them."

She looked up at him for a moment and Clyde's eyes widened a little at the look in hers.

"Look, Clyde," she said very softly. "I'm probably Sue's oldest friend; I want very much to be your friend, too. So do you mind if I offer-well, a bit of advice?"

Clyde looked a trifle wary though his reply was prompt and polite.

"Of course not."

"Then-don't let Sue boss you around-"

"Sue wouldn't-she's not that sort-"

"Oh, Clyde, don't be a fool!" It was said with a warm lktle smile but there was a tinge of anger in her voice. "All women are that sort-if a man gives them a chance to be. Don't ever let her get the upper hand-if you want your marriage to last."

Clyde said stiffly, "Thanks. I know you mean well, but-"

Her smile enveloped in a caressing warmth.

"But hell is paved with good intentions, isn't it? I'm sorry," she apologized winningly. "It's just that I am so very fond of Sue-"

"So am I!"

"And I know that Sue wants a husband strong enough to-make her do what's best for her, whether it is what she wants, at the moment, to do or not. The poor, sweet, silly child is-scared to death of marriage-"

Clyde's eyes flashed and his jaw hardened a little.

"That's-a damned fool thing to say. Sue is in love with me-" he pointed out stiffly.

"Sure-and Sue's a virgin-and virgins brought up as Sue have been are taught ah sorts of-silly things about-the ugliness of sex-so you have your work cut out for you-"

"Thanks," said Clyde stiffly and his jaw was still hard. "I think, if you don't mind, I'd as soon not hear any more on the subject. I think you can safely trust Sue and me to handle our marriage-"

Gayle leaned towards him a little, quite conscious that the gesture pulled the low cut of her gown so that the upper curves of her warm, deliciously fragrant breasts were revealed to eyes that could not quite tear themselves away from such a lovely revelation.

"Now you're angry with me," Gayle mourned and laid her hand impulsively on his arm, and her whole manner was so sweet and warm that Clyde's anger melted before a little rising tide that he was shocked to discover was desire. "Please don't be, Clyde. I don't mean to be officious or meddlesome; it's just that Sue and I have been good friends since we were children and I just couldn't bear it if you were not completely happy and-fulfilled-in your marriage-"

"Please try not to worry about that," said Clyde, and now he was a little red and had torn his eyes away from her lovely breasts with an effort. "We'll manage, I'm sure."

And then Don was saying above them, "Hi, make way for the best man, you bum! That's my girl you're flirting with!"

Clyde stood up and Gayle had to lower her eyes and set her teeth for a moment because he was so obviously relieved at escaping from her.

"So you won't take a friendly warning, eh?" said Don softly as he dropped down on the arm of Gayle's chair, where Clyde had been sitting and turned a gleaming eye upon her as Clyde joined Sue. "I warned you to lay off the bridegroom-remember?"

Gayle was silent for a moment and then she looked up at Don and there was something in her eyes that made Don's eyes widen a little.

"I made a discovery while Sue and I were being very girlish and confiding in my room before dinner," she offered sweetly.

"Of that I have no doubt," said Don cautiously. "Would a man be risking his cherished all if he dared to ask what sort of discovery?"

"Oh, you don't have to ask-I was going to tell you anyway, because it's very important and I think you should know it-for your own good as well as Sue's," she assured him sweetly.

Don's wariness increased and he studied her sharply.

"When somebody tells me they are going to tell me something for my own good, I prepare to duck," he admitted.

"Smart of you-so you'd better start ducking," drawled Gayle. "I discovered that Sue isn't a bit sure she's la love with Clyde."

Don's jaw set and his eyes glinted with anger.

"Just what do you hope to gain by springing an infamous he like that?" he asked curtly.

Gayle's raised eyes were wide and limpid with an innocence that sharpened Don's suspicion, as she well knew it would.

"Why, nothing at all-how could I gain anything by it?" she told him gently. "Not your friendship, because I know there is no chance I could ever win that; perhaps it is Sue's happiness I'm concerned with-"

"And perhaps the sun will rise out of the west in the morning, but I beg leave to doubt it," said Don grimly.

"Oh, well, if you don't want to know that Sue is fatuously in love with you-" Gayle dismissed the subject airily and would have risen except that Don clamped a hand hard on her shoulder and held her in her chair, while Gayle regarded him coolly, making no effort to free herself.

"That's-an incredible he," said Don at last huskily. "If you want to think so-"

"I tell you, it's a he. She's known Clyde since they were in diapers-I've known her less than a month-" he said through his teeth.

"And that's supposed to mean something?" she drawled.

"Of course-"

"That Clyde is merely a habit, perhaps, and that they have 'gone around' together, as people say down here, and everybody has expected them to marry until finally they have accepted the suggestion," said Gayle softly, her eyes holding his tightly, her heart leaping with wicked glee as the torment in his eyes became more apparent. "Then Sue meets you-and tumbles headlong into love with you-but is trapped because she doesn't want to hurt poor, dear Clyde-"

Don's hand was still on her shoulder and his fingers gripped so hard that she winced a little and drew away from him.

"Did-Sue say that-" his voice was husky and unsteady.

Gayle shook her head, a warm little smile touching her mouth.

"Of course not-at least not in so many words," she said gently. "She wouldn't-she's such a faithful, loyal little-darling." She was about to say "fool" but caught herself in time.

Don's brows were drawn together in a taut frown and his jaw was set and hard. For a moment he was still, thinking hard.

"The poor darling!" cooed Gayle very softly so that the words could reach no further than his ears. "She's frightened silly at the thought of being married to Clyde-she doesn't want to sleep with him, you see."

She could have chuckled with wicked glee as she saw the blow of that thought rock Don a little. How many times, loving Sue, wanting her with all a mature man's passion, he must have writhed at the mental picture of her charms engulfed in Clyde's young, virile masculine passion!

"And of course," said Gayle in that soft, sweet tone, "a girl who is really in love with a man wants to sleep with him-wants it as much as he does, though she has been brought up to feel it isn't 'quite nice' to have such desires!"

"Damnyou!" said Don, his voice no more than a gust of sound, thick with anger.

Gayle lifted her creamily perfect shoulders in a little shrug that did interesting things to the alluring, pointed breasts so thinly sheathed in jade-green satin that they seemed proudly thrusting their way forward towards a just appreciation of their tempting beauty.

"Oh, well, of course, if you want to sit by and see her go though that-just because you and Clyde are friends-if you don't want her enough to fight for her-knowing that she wants you-" she got up and walked away, knowing that she had plunged her stiletto deep in him and that she could safely leave the matter until another time.

And she'd make sure there was another time!

Throughout the evening, she was vastly, if secretly, amused to watch Don as he went about the business of having a good time and doing his duty as a guest, yet managing to keep his eyes on Sue. Managing not to be very far from her at any time.

When she went up to bed at last, Gayle was quite content with her evening's activities. She had stirred Clyde's sluggish emotions to an awareness of herself as a very desirable and alluring woman, not too far out of his reach; she had stirred Don to temptation to fight for Sue; and she had suggested to Sue that she submit her body to Clyde before marriage, to be sure she wanted to marry him. Shrewdly, Gayle told herself that the inevitable result of such yielding would be the disgust any virgin feels after her first, and, probably since Clyde was young and virile, rather brutal acquaintance with sex. After the wedding night, when the bride knows she is well and truly married, and there is no escape, she gradually adjusts herself and begins to let her normal, heretofore smothered, appreciation of sex rise up and take over, and meets her husband's demands with alacrity and healthy cooperation; but if Sue allowed Clyde to have his way with her, she would be so disgusted, she would feel so degraded, that she might do almost anything to stop the marriage.

Just what she herself could gain from that Gayle was none too sure. But she might, if she were colossally lucky and adroit, be able to wangle Clyde for herself; Clyde would be a very dull and boring, and a no doubt inexpert lover. But as a husband, a good provider of the sort of security for which Gayle yearned with her whole being, Clyde would be pretty fine. Of course, she'd much rather be married to Don-even now her body thrilled a little and her hands cupped her throbbing breasts appeasingly at the memory of his inspired love-making-but she had about as much chance of marrying Don as she had of marrying a movie star! And she mustn't allow herself any crazy cockeyed dreams. Clyde she might get; Don she never could. So she would concentrate on Clyde! And that was a pleasant, amusing and intriguing thought that curled her wantonly lovely mouth with a self-satisfied smile.