雙語·面紗 第二章

He did as she bade and in five minutes she joined him. He was smoking a cigarette.

“I say, could I have a brandy and soda?”

“Yes, I'll ring.”

“I don't think it would hurt you by the look of things.”

They waited in silence for the boy to answer. She gave the order.

“Ring up the laboratory and ask if Walter is there,” she said then. “They won't know your voice.”

He took up the receiver and asked for the number. He inquired whether Dr. Fane was in. He put down the receiver.

“He hasn't been in since tiffin,” he told her. “Ask the boy whether he has been here.”

“I daren't. It'll look so funny if he has and I didn't see him.”

The boy brought the drinks and Townsend helped himself. When he offered her some she shook her head.

“What's to be done if it was Walter?” she asked.

“Perhaps he wouldn't care.”

“Walter?”

Her tone was incredulous.

“It's always struck me he was rather shy. Some men can't bear scenes, you know. He's got sense enough to know that there's nothing to be gained by making a scandal. I don't believe for a minute it was Walter, but even if it was, my impression is that he'll do nothing. I think he'll ignore it.”

She reflected for a moment.

“He's awfully in love with me.”

“Well, that's all to the good. You'll get round him.”

He gave her that charming smile of his which she had always found so irresistible. It was a slow smile which started in his clear blue eyes and travelled by perceptible degrees to his shapely mouth. He had small white even teeth. It was a very sensual smile and it made her heart melt in her body.

“I don't very much care,” she said, with a flash of gaiety. “It was worth it.”

“It was my fault.”

“Why did you come? I was amazed to see you.”

“I couldn't resist it.”

“You dear.”

She leaned a little towards him, her dark and shining eyes gazing passionately into his, her mouth a little open with desire, and he put his arms round her. She abandoned herself with a sigh of ecstasy to their shelter.

“You know you can always count on me.” he said.

“I'm so happy with you. I wish I could make you as happy as you make me.”

“You're not frightened any more?”

“I hate Walter,” she answered.

He did not quite know what to say to this, so he kissed her. Her face was very soft against his.

But he took her wrist on which was a little gold watch and looked at the time.

“Do you know what I must do now?”

“Bolt?” she smiled.

He nodded. For one instant she clung to him more closely, but she felt his desire to go, and she released him.

“It's shameful the way you neglect your work. Be off with you.”

He could never resist the temptation to flirt.

“You seem in a devil of a hurry to get rid of me,” he said lightly.

“You know that I hate to let you go.”

Her answer was low and deep and serious. He gave a flattered laugh.

“Don't worry your pretty little head about our mysterious visitor. I'm quite sure it was the amah. And if there's any trouble I guarantee to get you out of it.”

“Have you had a lot of experience?”

His smile was amused and complacent.

“No, but I flatter myself that I've got a head screwed on my shoulders.”

他照她的話做了，過了五分鐘，她也來到起居室，他正抽著香煙。

“我說，能給我來點兒白蘭地和蘇打水嗎？”

“好的，我按鈴叫人送來?！?/p>

“照目前的情況來看，我覺得這事對你不會有什么傷害的?！?/p>

在等男仆回應(yīng)的時候，他們沉默了一會兒。她又下了一道命令。

“你給實驗室打個電話吧，問問沃爾特在不在，”過了一會兒她說道，“他們聽不出你的聲音?！?/p>

他拿起了電話，問了她號碼。他在電話里詢問了費恩博士在不在實驗室。然后，他放下了聽筒。

“午飯后他就不在實驗室了，”他告訴她，“你問問那男仆他是不是回來過了?！?/p>

“我不敢，要是他回來過了，而我又沒看見他，這看上去太奇怪了?！?/p>

男仆拿來了酒水，湯森自顧自地倒了一杯。當他遞給凱蒂一杯時，她搖了搖頭。

“如果真是沃爾特，我們該如何是好？”

“也許他不會在乎的?！?/p>

“你是說沃爾特嗎？”

她的語氣充滿狐疑。

“我印象中他相當靦腆，你知道，有些男人經(jīng)不起場面，他們明白鬧出了丑聞對他們可沒有絲毫好處。我覺得不可能是沃爾特，但哪怕就是他，我感覺他也不會鬧出什么動靜的，他會當這事沒有發(fā)生過一樣。”

她思索了一會兒。

“他特別愛我?！?/p>

“哦，那樣更好，你可以哄哄他?！?/p>

他給了她一個迷人的微笑，對他的這種微笑，她發(fā)現(xiàn)自己總是無法抗拒。他的微笑首先在清澈的藍眼睛中慢慢散開，然后逐漸游弋到有型的嘴角，最后到達小巧、潔白、整齊的牙齒。這是一種十分性感的微笑，足以令她的心為之融化。

“我并不是很擔心，”她說道，帶著一股突然涌出的喜悅，“這值得?！?/p>

“都是我的錯?！?/p>

“你為什么過來了？看到你來讓我又驚又喜?！?/p>

“我忍不住要來看你?！?/p>

“親愛的?！?/p>

她的身子依偎著他，烏黑閃亮的雙眼充滿激情地凝視著他的眼睛，嘴微微張著，帶著渴望。他伸過雙臂把她攬了過來，她發(fā)出一聲狂喜的輕嘆，忘情地投入了他的懷抱。

“你知道你總能指望上我?！彼f道。

“我跟你在一起幸福極了，我希望我能讓你感到和我一樣的幸福?！?/p>

“你不再害怕了？”

“我討厭沃爾特。”她回答道。

他不是很清楚應(yīng)該如何作答，所以親吻著她，而她用臉溫柔地貼著他的臉。

但是他抬起她的手腕，看了看腕上小金表上的時間。

“你知道我現(xiàn)在必須做什么了嗎？”

“溜走？”她微笑著說。

他點了點頭。一時間她又更緊地貼著他，但她能覺出他想要離開了，所以她放開了手。

“你玩忽職守，真不害臊，我不理你了?！?/p>

他從來不拒絕這種挑逗性的調(diào)情。

“你似乎急不可耐地要擺脫我呀。”他輕佻地說。

“你知道我不愿意讓你離開?！?/p>

她的回答低沉而認真，他無言以對，只好討好般地笑了笑。

“你的小腦袋瓜兒別再為今天的神秘來客傷神了，我敢肯定是女仆，而且如果真有什么麻煩，我保證幫你擺平?！?/p>

“你有很多經(jīng)驗嗎？”

他的微笑顯示出他既覺得好玩，又有點兒得意。

“沒有呀，但我還是要自夸一下，我的腦袋還是蠻靈光的?！?/p>