‘Yes.’ She sipped her coffee. ‘I’m not really sure we should be talking about him like this.’

  ‘I think I have to try and explain his attitude to you. Jake has been a good friend of mine for years now. I’ve seen him triumphant and I’ve seen him in the depths of despair, and I don’t think that what I’m about to tell you can harm him in any way. He was married for twenty years to a woman who should never have been any man’s wife.’

  Stacy swallowed hard, her face pale. ‘Twenty years?’ she repeated dully. It was a lifetime! She had thought perhaps he had been married a couple of years and it hadn’t worked out, but twenty years!

  Brad nodded. ‘It’s a long time if you take it at its face value. In actual fact Jake and Margaret only lived together for a year of that time, the year it took Jake to learn she had a sickness no one man could satisfy.’

  She blushed as his meaning became clear to her. ‘I don’t think Jake would thank you for telling me this.’

  Brad smiled. ‘One day he just might do that,’ he disagreed. ‘He’s lived alone too long, shut himself away from emotion too long. And I’m not talking about physical emotion,’ he added as she made to protest. ‘A man as virile, as Jake would need an outlet physically, but that’s all it’s ever been. Margaret soured him for marriage, I’m afraid.’

  ‘I don’t think I want to hear any more. This is his private life and—’

  ‘And you love him.’

  Stacy looked stricken. ‘No!’

  ‘Please don’t attempt to deny it,’ he said gently. ‘I’ve been a lawyer too long now not to know when someone is lying to me.’

  She smiled wanly. ‘That must be very helpful in your cases.’

  ‘It can be frustrating when I know someone is guilty and yet I know I’m going to lose my case. But we’re getting away from the point.’

  ‘Yes,’ she sighed. ‘You said that Jake’s wife soured him for marriage. If he felt that way why didn’t he just divorce her and rid himself of her once and for all?’

  ‘Ordinarily that would have been the thing to do, but there was a child, and—’

  ‘Child?’ she queried sharply. ‘There’s a child?’

  He nodded. ‘Yes, a boy.’

  ‘But he—he told me he doesn’t have any children.’

  ‘He doesn’t—now. Danny died twelve years ago. He was seven.’

  ‘Oh God,’ she felt faint, ‘how awful!’

  ‘Yes. It wouldn’t have been so bad if Margaret hadn’t kept blaming herself for it.’ Brad took a deep breath. ‘I’m not explaining this very well. When Jake realised exactly what his wife was he moved out of their house and into an apartment. Unfortunately, unknown to either of them, Margaret was already pregnant with Danny. Over the next five years they tried on and off to make a go of it, but it just didn’t work out. And yet Margaret was really good with the boy, an ideal mother in fact. And if Danny had more uncles than any other kid in the neighbourhood he didn’t seem to realise it.’

  ‘Surely if things were as bad as that Jake could have taken the boy away from her?’

  ‘Like I said, you couldn’t fault her behaviour as a mother. So it went on year after year, Jake married and yet not married, the one thing holding them together the love they both felt for the boy. Then Danny died.’

  ‘What happened?’ she asked.

  ‘He had leukaemia. It was as if Danny had been the only thing holding Margaret on the ground, after his death she was either high on booze or drugs the whole time.’

  ‘And Jake?’ she asked quietly, shocked and appalled by the tragic past Jake hid from everyone.

  ‘Jake has his own way of dealing with grief. He works himself until he drops. And drop he did. He was as much of a wreck as Margaret for about a year—he really loved that kid. But finally he came to his senses and set about building what life he could, something Margaret was never able to do.’

  ‘Why did she die?’ Stacy asked.

  ‘Now that’s something you’ll have to ask Jake about if you really want to know, and if he really wants to tell you. I’m just trying to explain to you why he hits the roof every time he sees you with another man. He can’t take that from a woman after Margaret.’

  ‘But I’ve tried to explain to him that they mean nothing to me!’

  Brad shook his head. ‘That wouldn’t mean a thing to him. Do you think Margaret didn’t tell him the same thing time and time again? The only trouble with her was that they didn’t mean a thing, she just needed them like she needed oxygen.’

  ‘Poor Jake!’

  ‘Indeed,’ he agreed. ‘I just hope what I’ve told you has helped you to understand him a little better.’

  ‘Understand him, yes. But I still don’t see why he should get so upset about my seeing my friends. We hardly know one another for him to act so possessively.’

  ‘You’ve known him long enough to fall in love with him, and Jake—well, you’ll have to ask him about his feelings for you.’

  Stacy turned away. ‘I already know his feelings, he made them very clear last night.’

  Brad chuckled. ‘I seem to remember you made certain feelings clear last night too, but they aren’t your true ones.’

  ‘That’s different. I—’

  ‘Not at all,’ he rebuked. ‘You acted out of anger. Jake did the same thing and yet you’re condemning him for it. The next time he sees you he’ll probably apologise.’

  ‘I wouldn’t count on it,’ she said wryly.

  ‘Neither would I if he hasn’t calmed down. He had a hell of a hangover this morning. Ready to leave?’ he indicated her empty coffee cup.

  Stacy sighed. ‘I suppose so.’ She was so confused with what this man had just told her about Jake.

  They left the dining-room together, Stacy unsure of how she was going to spend the rest of the day. If she went down to the film set she would undoubtedly see Jake, and yet she didn’t want to stay here at the hotel on her own.

  ‘Talk of the devil,’ Brad muttered at her side, keeping a firm hold of her arm as she would have moved away.

  Jake had entered the hotel and was now making his way towards them, his face grim. His blue eyes flickered scathingly over the hold Brad had of her arm and Stacy felt herself tensing for his sarcasm.

  ‘Give him a chance,’ Brad murmured for her ears alone.

  ‘To do what?’ she muttered back. ‘He looks murderous!’

  Brad chuckled. ‘He wouldn’t get violent here in front of everyone.’

  ‘I wouldn’t count on it!’

  Jake had reached them by now and after a contemptuous look in her direction he turned to his friend. ‘I came to say goodbye and apologise for my churlish behaviour this morning. I didn’t realise you would have company.’

  ‘Stacy and I had breakfast together.’

  Jake’s speculative look seemed to ask what else they had done together. ‘You’re leaving now?’

  ‘In a few minutes,’ Brad confirmed.

  Blue eyes turned to focus on Stacy again and she saw the reason Brad had known she had hit him. On the left side of his face there were three scratch marks on his cheek where she must have caught him with her nails.

  ‘Is there something wrong?’ Jake asked her coldly as she continued to stare at him.

  She looked hurriedly away. ‘No, nothing,’ she mumbled.

  ‘Good.’ He turned back to Brad. ‘You’ll check on that business for me when you get back?’

  ‘Yes.’ He looked at his watch. ‘Actually, I have to be off now. Thank you for keeping me company, Stacy. And remember what I told you.’

  ‘I’ll remember,’ she said quietly.

  There was a stilted silence between them once Brad had left, she nervous and shy with him, and Jake withdrawn and haughty.

  He too looked at his wrist-watch. ‘I’ll have to be getting back,’ he said tersely.

  Stacy tentatively touched his arm. ‘I—er—I’m sorry about your face.’

  ‘Don’t be,’ he snapped. ‘In your estimation I probably deserved it. I didn’t realise you were that friendly with Brad.’

  She frowned. ‘That friendly?’

  He shrugged. ‘I suppose I should have guessed, really. He’s a man, isn’t he.’

  ‘Just what do you mean by that?’ she demanded.

  ‘Every man who looks at you wants you,’ he remarked coldly. ‘Brad was attracted to you from the start. And you like a man’s adoration.’

  ‘No! That isn’t true, Jake. Brad—’

  He shook off her hand. ‘I don’t want to know.’

  ‘But I’m not like that. I’m not like Marg—’ She broke off, biting her top lip painfully.

  His fingers dug into her arms as he restrained her. ‘Like who?’ he demanded, his eyes narrowed in glittering anger.

  She couldn’t meet that look. ‘I’m just not like that. I— Let me go, Jake. You’re hurting me!’

  ‘I’d like to do more than that,’ he ground out savavely. ‘What do you know about Margaret?’

  ‘Who?’ she evaded.

  He gave a cruel bitter laugh. ‘It’s too late for prevarication. Now tell me,’ he shook her, ‘what do you know about my wife?’

  ‘Nothing!’ She struggled against him. ‘I don’t know anything.’

  ‘It was Brad, damn him,’ he snapped. ‘You’ve been having a cosy little chat with him about me and my sex-crazed alcoholic wife.’

  ‘No—’

  ‘Oh yes,’ he insisted. ‘You have a way of making men talk to you. But he had no right to tell you anything about my marriage.’

  ‘He did it for the best,’ she explained pleadingly. ‘He thought it would help—’

  ‘Help what?’ he bit out coldly. ‘We know all we need to know about each other, and what I’ve come to know about you I don’t like.’ He pushed her roughly away from him as if she burnt him. ‘Did you see the similarity between yourself and my wife?’ he taunted.

  Stacy’s face went white with shock. ‘No! You’re wrong,’ she choked. ‘She was ill. She—’

  His mouth turned back in a sneer. ‘And what do you call your affairs—a healthy appetite?’ he scorned. ‘I can think of a better name for it.’

  ‘Jake, please—’

  ‘Oh, get out of my sight!’ he said fiercely, and marched away from her with long angry strides.

  CHAPTER NINE

  EVERYONE was standing about the film location. A brief storm had made the rape scene in the cave impossible to film this morning, and although it had cleared up now it was still overcast.

  These were the times Stacy hated the most, just sitting around waiting for the right weather. And it would have to be today of all days, the day she had been dreading for the last few weeks, and even more so since Paul Forbes’ attack on her.

  He came to stand beside her now. ‘Looking forward to it?’ he taunted.

  She stopped chewing her lip long enough to glare at him. ‘Like an appendectomy.’

  He gave a cruel laugh. ‘That’s a shame, because I’m going to enjoy every minute of it.’

  ‘You disgust me!’

  ‘I know.’ He was still laughing as he walked away.

  Damn him! Stacy hated him more than she had ever hated anyone in her life before, and once she had got this scene over she hoped she never had to see him ever again.

  ‘What did he want?’ Juliet had come down to keep her company even though she had officially finished her work.

  Stacy grimaced. ‘What do you think?’

  ‘I suppose he was being his usual obnoxious self.’

  ‘He can’t be anything else.’

  ‘I think they’re getting ready for filming now.’ She looked at Stacy’s pale face. ‘They did a good job on your make-up.’

  Stacy touched her mouth. ‘It’s not too bad now that the swelling has gone down.’

  ‘I think they’re ready for you now,’ Juliet said gently.

  ‘Oh God!’ Stacy’s hand trembled. ‘Wish me luck,’ she begged.

  ‘I do,’ Juliet squeezed her hand encouragingly. ‘Off you go.’

  She was supposed to run along the shoreline pursued by five or six of the marauding sailors, their sole task in life to steal as much and rape as many girls as they could. Of course the story was written mainly to appeal to the male population, mainly consisting of exciting sea battles and skirmishes, but like all good stories there had to be some romance. Paul Forbes played the sea-captain, the winner of many fair maidens but wanting only one to the point of desperation.

  And Stacy was that one, taken once by force before finally being wooed and married by her roving sea-captain. Of course, the way Jake Weston wrote it women had a very small part in the actual story, his main interest being in the actual sailing of the ship and the adventures encountered at sea. More women had been added to the story as a way of appealing to more of the public.

  Now Stacy had to flee from them, caught by one but claimed as the prize of the captain. And she was dreading it, especially as Jake was standing with Martin Payne. Everyone who wasn’t needed for this shot had been sent back to the hotel, so at least she could be grateful for that. But it was Jake’s presence here that actually bothered her the most, his all-seeing eyes narrowed and speculative.

  The first part of it went all right, with her running as if in fear of her life, her hair breaking free of its binding, her feet bare in the golden sand. The men fought over her as she fell, the captain finally moving forward to claim her for himself.

  This was all shot in one sequence, the camera moving in for her ravishing among the rocks. She set her teeth as Paul Forbes bent over her, her eyes closed to shut out the gleaming sadism in his face.

  Of course, both their reactions were ideal for the film, but her fear of this man was so great that she was shaking all over. His mouth on hers made her cringe, his hands on her body nauseated her. She struggled to escape him, but he had her pinioned beneath him, and she was aware that he was aroused at her dislike of him.

  ‘Fight, you little bitch,’ he encouraged in a savage whisper in her ear, so softly that it wouldn’t be picked up on sound. ‘Go on, fight me!’

  ‘God, you’re loathsome!’ she muttered vehemently.

  His teeth gleamed down at her before he bent his head and bit her ear. Her cry of outrage and pain only seemed to incense him more and she felt the front of her dress rip. Her eyes widened with shock and surprise. This wasn’t supposed to happen. She had only agreed to do this scene at all because they had assured her there would be no nudity.

  She was fighting in earnest now, scratching and clawing at him, the front of her dress in ruins.

  Suddenly he was wrenched off her, then a fist landed in his face and knocked him to the ground. Jake stood over him, his face a picture of livid anger. ‘Get off her, you bastard!’ his teeth were savagely bared. ‘You filthy scum!’

  Paul Forbes sat on the sand rubbing his jaw. ‘She was enjoying it, you fool,’ he scorned. ‘Her sort always do.’

  Jake pulled him to his feet by the scruff of his neck. ‘You make me sick,’ he ground out. ‘You’re the lowest form of life!’

  The actor laughed. ‘She likes a man to be rough with her. I would have thought you would have found that out by now.’

  Stacy stood up on shaking legs, tears streaming down her face. ‘You lying—’

  Jake turned to her. ‘It’s all right, honey.’ He pulled off his jacket and wrapped it around her shoulders as she shivered uncontrollably. ‘Come on,’ he said gently, ‘let’s get you out of here.’

  Martin Payne had joined them by this time, his face flushed. ‘What on earth is going on here? You can’t just interrupt a scene like this, Jake. We were in the middle of filming!’

  ‘Talk to me about it later,’ Jake dismissed.

  ‘But— Where are you going?’ Martin called after them as Jake gently led her away.

  ‘Where the hell do you think?’ Jake rasped. ‘And keep that swine away from me or I’ll kill him with my bare hands!’

  ‘But—’ Martin Payne was obviously out of his depth.

  ‘We haven’t finished filming.’

  ‘Oh yes, you have. Use what you’ve got. Stacy certainly isn’t going near him again.’

  She was huddled against his side, a bundle of misery and embarrassment. Although there weren’t many people here, what there were were staring at them with unconcealed curiosity.

  ‘You’re a fool, Weston,’ Paul Forbes called after them mockingly. ‘She’s a better actress than even you realise. Do you really think I didn’t take her the other night?’ he gave a short laugh. ‘She enjoyed every minute of it!’

  Stacy held Jake’s arm as he would have turned angrily back on the other man. ‘He isn’t worth it, Jake,’ she said dully.

  ‘Didn’t you hear what he said?’ he demanded roughly. ‘And for everyone to hear!’

  ‘What does it matter? It’s been said now, nothing you do or say can undo that.’

  ‘But he—’

  ‘Listen to her, Weston,’ Paul Forbes taunted. ‘She knows I’ve only told you the truth. And you can’t deny the truth.’

  A numbness had overtaken her now and she turned away without saying another word. Everywhere she looked there seemed to be hostile accusing faces, people who she knew to be friends suddenly appearing as enemies.

  Juliet came to her side as she stumbled away, helping her up the rocky pathway. ‘Are you all right?’ she asked gently.

  ‘Yes.’

  Juliet turned to Jake. ‘She’s in shock, Mr Weston. I think we should get her to a doctor.’

  ‘No!’ Stacy said forcefully. ‘No doctor.’

  Jake was once again the cold removed stranger, his fierce anger seeming like a dream. ‘Juliet’s right, you should see a doctor.’

  ‘No!’ her voice rose shrilly. ‘I just want to get away from here. I’m going back to the hotel to pack my things, and I’m leaving here today.’

  ‘You’re seeing a doctor first,’ he insisted. ‘You’ve had a lot of shocks the last few days.’

  ‘Shocks!’ she repeated hysterically. ‘If you mean almost being raped by two men then I suppose you’re right.’

  ‘Two men …?’ Juliet looked at Jake Weston with dawning comprehension.