give her no answer.
As she stepped into the bath she heard the phone ring stridently downstairs and her stomach jumped into her mouth. She paused, with one leg in the water, relaxing only when it stopped and all was quiet again. Within minutes she heard Jasper barking delightedly and her father’s voice, and then seconds later, as she was washing her hair, digging her fingers into her scalp until it hurt, the phone rang again.
‘Candy?’ Her mother’s voice sounded outside the bathroom door. ‘Cam’s on the phone. Can you take it?’
‘No, sorry.’ Her voice sounded amazingly normal. ‘I’ve just got in the bath.’
‘Oh, right.’ Her mother’s voice sounded faintly perplexed but she heard footsteps padding downstairs and she was left in peace again.
As she lay in the thick, scented water, the bubbles covering her arms and legs, hot resentment took the place of the crushing humiliation that had had her in its grip. He had tried that little seduction scene on purpose; he must think she was crazy! How low could a man get? She sat up straight in her anger, the water running in diamond rivulets down her back. He was going to close the school and sack her father, however he wanted to dress it up. That was what it amounted to, and he thought that bit of cheap lovemaking could ease the blow. Maybe he thought that having got one sister twisted round his little finger so many years ago he would have no trouble with the other one. She ground her teeth in helpless frustration. And she hadn’t exactly led him to believe differently, had she? She groaned and slid under the water for a few seconds, holding her breath as the hot water washed across her face.
What else was he going to do now he was back and so powerful? He had virtually written poor Kevin’s mother off without a penny; he obviously didn’t care about the village, the people, anything. There was no reason why he should, but surely a little compassion wouldn’t hurt too much? As she came up for air she realised her mind was going round in circles and climbed wearily out of the bath.
She would fight him—more than ever now she would fight him—but one thing she had learnt tonight. He fought dirty and if she wanted to win she had to fight dirtier still. She squared her shoulders under the thick, fleecy towelling-robe as her eyes glinted with the light of battle. ‘So be it, Cameron Strythe,’ she muttered into the steamy, damp room. ‘No holds barred, just the way you want it.’
CHAPTER THREE
‘AND where the hell did you get to last night?’ Candy had expected mockery or cool indifference, but nothing had prepared her for the furious, rapier-sharp voice that speared her as she sat at her desk at lunchtime with the sound of the children’s laughter echoing in from the playground.
‘I beg your pardon?’ She rounded indignantly to find Cameron standing in the doorway like before, but this time his face was dark with anger and his eyes were as cold as ice.
‘You will beg; before I’m finished with you I can assure you you will beg!’ His voice was a low snarl and if she hadn’t been seated she was sure her legs would have given way at the savagery in his face as he flung her bag on the floor.
‘I searched the grounds for you and then the village. I didn’t know where you’d gone, you little idiot!’
‘Home, of course.’ She glared at him angrily. ‘You phoned, didn’t you? You know that.’
‘You’ve got a nerve. You Baker sisters take some beating for sheer, cold-blooded nerve.’ She realised with a start of surprise that his voice was fairly shaking with anger and something else she couldn’t fathom.
‘What?’ He’d lost her here.
‘Nothing.’ He waved away her question with a weary gesture of contempt. ‘I don’t believe this; I don’t believe I’m actually bothering to talk to you instead of taking you over my knee and giving you the thrashing of your life.’
‘You just try it!’ She reared up like a small tigress and his eyes narrowed with hated amusement.
‘Don’t tempt me, just don’t tempt me.’
She had been wondering all morning how she would face him again after the travesty of the night before, but at least that hurdle was over, she reflected wryly as she watched him pace the room. It was comforting somehow that he wasn’t his normal cool, sardonic self, although she couldn’t have explained why. His anger was preferable to that mocking coldness that chilled her blood.
‘If you ever, ever do anything like that again I won’t be responsible for my actions.’ He had come to stand in front of her desk and she stared at him from behind its comforting bulk.
‘I don’t think that sort of situation will ever arise again, so you needn’t worry yourself on that score,’ she said tightly. ‘If you will go around leaping on women you should expect——’
‘Leaping on you?’ He stared at her astounded for a moment and then she was furious to see him throw back his head and bellow a peal of laughter that echoed round the high ceiling. ‘Is that what you’ve decided happened in that busy little brain of yours?’ He had stopped laughing now, but there was a cruel twist to his mouth. ‘Listen, sweetheart, I was there; I know what happened and so do you.’ His voice was punishingly hard. ‘I’ve no intention of labouring the point, but you enjoyed it as much as I did—and I did.’ He eyed her up and down in insulting slowness. ‘Yes, I sure did. You pack quite a punch after that touch-me-not act.’
She felt the hot colour start in her toes and work upwards. She’d asked for this, but how he was enjoying it! She maintained an icy silence, staring him straight in the eye, and he shook his head slowly as he turned away and walked to the door.
‘I haven’t worked all this out yet, but I will,’ he said coolly. ‘And if it’s as I think then some people have got a hell of a lot of explaining to do.’
‘What?’ She stared after him, baffled. ‘I don’t know what you’re talking about.’
‘And in the meantime,’ he continued as though she hadn’t spoken, ‘you’ll keep a civil tongue in your head, young lady.’
‘You can’t tell me what to do,’ she fired back quickly, her brown eyes glowing with rage.
‘No?’ He paused in the doorway with a cynical smile touching his lips. ‘Think again. You want the school to stay open and you want your father to keep his job?’
‘You...’ Words failed her, but the message in her eyes was piercingly eloquent.
‘Exactly. I’m the lowest thing that ever drew breath, so just remember that when you feel like defying me.’ She had thought she couldn’t hate him any more, but she was finding new boundaries to her emotions every day.
‘I’m having a small dinner party at the end of the week to break the ice with old friends and you’ll be there.’ He looked at her unsmilingly. ‘You’ll be sweet and you’ll be charming and absolutely delighted to have me home. Understand?’
‘That’s blackmail.’ Her voice was a disgusted whisper.
‘Not quite the word I would have chosen, but I see you get my drift,’ he said caustically. ‘You have done nothing but provoke and insult me since I got back and one thing you need to learn fairly rapidly is that I won’t tolerate it. This can be learnt relatively painlessly
