VELVET AND STEEL

Auckland Star, Volume LXVI, Issue 230, 28 September 1935, Page 15 (Supplement)

VELVET AND STEEL

By PEARL BELLAIRS,

THE remarkable romance OF AN INDUSTRIAL DICTATOR.

SYNOPSIS OF PREVIOUS CHAPTERS. JOAN PENBY, youthful and slender, wltli wistful hazel ryes, is introduced to society on arrival at Hotel Mediterranean at Cannes more as the social equal of JIISS GEORGIXA LA FONTAINE than her salaried secretary-companion. Joan, oL' humble origin, lias been educated by the La Fontaine family. Georgina wants iier to marry well and encourages her interest in the rich J,OKI) EDWARD BLAGH, for whom she has littlo respect; and pjEltS HANXKX, of line physique, tiie masterful head of the Hannen steel and iron works, for whom, on account of his arrogant manners and pugnacious countenance, she lias revulsion. "He makes my llesh creep," slie tells Georgina, who replies that I'iers is the soul of honour. Tiers regards Joan's hostility as a challenge. He resolves that he will overcome her dislike of him. He hears-nt a luncheon parly on his yacht, Corsair, that she considers him utterly sellish. Joan iiates sailing under false colours and cannot forget that, unknown to Piers, her father is one of ills employees in his works at I'oplar. Piers Hannen contrives to join Georgina's dinner party, which includes Lord Edward Blagli.

CHAPTER 111. (Continued). 1 Lord Edward suggested that they should drive to Nice after dinner, to see some mutual, friends. Everyone agreed except Piers, who said that lie did not want to go, but would much rather sit on tlie terrace. The others decided, however, that they would go to Xice. "There, you see, you are over-ruled sometimes," said Lord Edward to Piers, and Joan could not resist adding: "I wouldn't have thought it possible!" Piers Hanneti smiled f|,nd said nothing. They did not leave immediately after dinner, but wjiilo coffee was served in the warm night out 011 the terrace, Joan and Lord Edward strolled about the lawns under the palms in the hotel garden. The time when Joan and Miss la Fontaine were to return to London, was growing so near, and Lord Edward had been so charmed by Joan that evening that he was determined to take the plunge and ask her to marry him. He would rather have married a wealthy girl whose birth befitted his own rank —for Miss la Fontaine's secretary-companion was hardly a good match for him. But she was so attractive that lie forgot the fact that his tactful inquiries about lier family had always failed to elicit anything from Miss la Fontaine, beyond a vague assurance that they were people of good family who had fallen upon hard times. "What will I do when you go back to London?" he said. "You'll amuse yourself just as usual," said Joan lightly. "You have crowds of friends Jiere." "Do you think I'm the sort of man you could starid having about always 1" "Stand? Why- —of course, I like you awfully. It's difficult to say about any of one's frienda whether one would want to have them about always!" replied Joan evasively, with a little laugh. "I think we're more than friends," said Lord Edward. His confidence grew. Ho was ,so sure that every woman was anxioU3 to bear his title and share his great wealth, that he asked her outright: "Would you like to I>e mistress of Blagh Castle ?" "Its very fine to be mistress of a castle!" said Joan gravely. He was a little put out;- she looked so lovely in the dim. light cast by a street lamp over the low stone curb of the garden in which they were standing. "You know what 1 mean," said Lord Edward. "I mean will you marry me? I've never met a girl whom I wanted for my wife except you! I think you're wonderful. What do you say to it, Joan 1"

Sho turned, towards him with a gentle smile; what she was going to say, in which way sho was about to answer, he could not havo guessed. "My dear 1" sho began, and stopped abruptly as a voice hailed them. Piers Hannen came to them out of the gloom nnder the trees, brushing aside the fronds of the palms. At first Joan did not recognisc him, except as someone who looked extraordinarily big in the dim light. But „she knew him as soon as he spoke, in his quick, imperative voice: '*

"Hero you are," he said. "Found at last! You'd better go back and find Georgina, Edward. She's looking for you." They were both rather at a loss and Lord 'Edward, inwardly cursing him, echoed: "Find Georgina?" "Yes; go back and tell her I've found you. We'll get into the car," Piers Hannen added to Joan. "Which car?" asked Lord Edward uncertainly. "My car —there it is!" Piers Hannen waved his hand towards the road, where his car, the long crimson roadster, was drawn "tip at the kerb. He put his hand under Joan's elbow and propelled her across the lawn towards the car. He was so. much master of the situation that he made the other two feel stupid in their slowness at grasping it. "Are we going in your car 1" queried Lord Edward.

"I'm going in my car—you can do as you like. Better go and find Georgina, will you? Up—jump!" Piers Hannen added, as he brought Joan to the kerb between the road and the garden, and swung her over it as though she were a child.

This unceremonious way of interrupting a conversation and sweeping one into a car by sheer physical coercion without even inquiring if one wished to go, was tremendously annoying to Joan. She could not have said whether she accidentally or deliberately tripped as she jumped over the kerb, but the event did express her unwillingness to be hustled away by him. "Ouch!" cried Joan, and she fell 011 one knee on the grass on the other side. "I'm sorry! Are you hurt?" he raised her, though she wished heartily that lie would not touch her, and sho

sat back on the top of the kerb. "I—l think it's my ankle," said Joan with a glance behind to see if Lord Edward was there, but he had gone off to do as he was told and find Georgina. She rubbed her ankle. Really it was quite good enough to walk on, but she wanted to gain time. She did not want to get into the car until the others came; for she assumed that they were all froing to Nice. "Does it hurt?" "A little," Joan admitted, truthfully, lie massaged the slender, silk covered ankle with strong fingers, and Joan, as soon as she could, hastily put her foot down 011 the grass, trying its strength. "Better not walk 011 it," he remarked. And before she knew what was going to happen lie had picked her lip in his v rms. "Mr. I-lannen —please—!" Tint he walked the two or three paces to the oar with her, carrying her without a trace of effort; it was all done in a brusque, matter-of-fact fashion, as the it were the most natural thing in the world. With anyone else Joan would not have minded, but from him it offended her. She was thankful when

lie deposited Iter in the seat beside tlie wheel; glancing up at him aa she smoothed her skirts over her knees, she again met that hard mocking gaze which seemed to understand and defy her resentment.

He slammed the door of the ear on her, and she protested: "Someone will have to fetch my wrap!"

"Oh, there's a coat of mine in the back," he replied, going round to his seat on the other side. Did he really think that she was going without licr wrap and was going to wear his coat instead? What a man! Nothing one said, apparently, mattered in the least. Site would send Lord Edward back for the wrap when he ami the Dales and Georgina arrived. A little upset, she stared into the place where Lord Edward had gone into the trees.

She was startled as her attention was called to the fact that her companion had switched on the ignition and was pressing the self-starter. "But, please—l'd rather wait! I was saying something to Lord Edward, and you interrupted the conversation —we broke off in the middle of it!"

"I didn't think that you minded breaking off a conversation in the middle—you did it twice to me this morning!" He put in the gear lever, let in the clutch, and they went away with a roar. "Please. We must wait for the others!" He took no notice. They swept round a bend and out of sight of the hotel garden.

Joan felt furiously angry, sitting upright in tlic bucket seat with the vinil whipping her curls back and blowing through the thin chiffon of her frock: The others, she supposed, would follow 011 to Nice in Lord Edward's limousine. But they might think that slv! had consented to go with l'icrs, and though she did not care for Lord Edward she liated to think of his being in suspense —for their conversation had been interrupted at a moment when he could not have known, poor man, what her reply was going to be. If only Tiers Hannen had come three minutes later with his rude interruption! "Turn back, please! I'd prefer to go back, if ; ou don't mind!" .Joan said in his ear, speaking coldly and distinctly so that lie might understand that she was really njinoyed. But he only laughed and the car sped on into the night. She sank back in the seat, gazing furiously at his inexorable profile; and then with a start, a sudden sinking sensation, she realised that they were not on the road to Nice. They were flying northward, leaving the town behind already. The lights of the car lit a dusty, empty road, and there veie lonely vineyards 011 either side. "You're on the wrong road," she said, trying to speak steadily and quietly. "The"road to Nice goes the other way. "I'm not going to Nice," ~aic. Piei s Hannen. "I said that I didn't want to go to Nice at dinner. Didn't you hear "Will you please stop? The others are going to Nice—l insist 011 going! "They've decided to play bridge instead. That was why they wanted Edward—to make up a four. Ive not heard a word about Nice, young woman, except from you; and you seem to be obsessed by it!" „„„i. He looked round at her, and she sank back out of the too-revealing windhoUinc the fluttering clutlon down over her ■ knees. In 'the glow of light from the dashboard his face was forbidding. "We're going for a drive, you ana !. ll6 "Tlii9 is absurd," said Joan. "Please, Mr. Hannen, I don't think this is funny, in a moment I shall be seriously _ angry. I don't want to go for a drive— For answer he pressed the accelerator and the whine of the super-charger screamed through the night as the car leapt forward along the rough shingle road, a road, Joan guessed, which fol lowed the bed of some river into the 10 "You're S 'illogical," he pointed out, calmlv. "I'm a man who has 110 consideration for anyone or anything save his own pleasure. Motive told me so. I mi "lit as well be hanged for a sheep as a "lamb. If I have that reputation I'm eoing to get all I can out of*'" "How ridiculous!" said Joan, thoug he had managed to frighten her. Wheie —where are we going?' "We're "oing into the mountains, Jl9 said coolly. "Where we shall investigate your dislike for me!'

"What Is the Matter With Me?" ' Joan was really- scared-and she was an«ry too. She could not reply that she did not dislike him, that would have been too extreme an untruth. And she saw that to rage and storm would please him more than anything. Appai ently he had brought hfer out here to amuse himself with her. But she was very angry and humiliated, and she coud not help thinking of poor Lord Edward, who did not know whether she was "oinc to marry him or not. ° Suddenly the car's speed 3 t ue Sd mid he drew up at the side of the Immense relief flooded her at the belief that he had decided to turn back. instead he turned to her, saying: "You had better put on that c. o^Joan rose to the disappointment tard,» in kC Hr^t V out kThe h c a ar C and puUed the * on but as she was afraid that ] she did not do it herself lie would do for her, she obediently did so. She was nearly lost in it. "The consideration is wholly for n self." he told her. ironically as lie „ot back into the driver s seat. JI can talk to you if you're shiveung. And in a minute they were toarin„ again through the night The road began to climb gently at first, then steeply, until they were swinging to an fro on the long hairpins of a n) OU " t <V" ascent. Joan had time to accept the situation calmly. It made her furious to think that he could inflict so much discomfort on everybody by his hi li handed ways. She thought she wo d trv to enter into the spirit of the thi „ -to-morrow would do for letting him know what she really thought. To ; night there was a long drop over the side ot the road, there was not another soul tor miles, presumably, and she was decidedly nervous! • , , , „ She laughed, and he glancod at her. "So tins' is to show me what an inconsiderate man is really like!" "No; it's to give you a chance oi explaining why you look at me as though I'were a cold, bad egg! _ . They were hurtling along the precipitous road and he pulled up suddenly, saving: . '"He'-e will do its well as anywhere. He drew the car up at the side of the road, switched off the head lamps and turned on the light on the dashboard; ' then settling himself back in his seat

he turned to look at her with mocking eyes. She tried to appear nonchalant, but she was trembling a little, even though she was amused.

"Well? What is the matter with me? Explain!" Waiting, he lighted a cigarette, and when, under his amused eyes, she still hesitated, he said: "Perhaps you would find it easier to explain to me in the dark." He switched out the light on the dashboard.

"It might not be dislike for you which makes me —as you assert —look rather doubtful about you," said Joan painfully, at last. She was determined not to say that she liked him, at the same time she know that it would only amuse him now if she told him how ill she thought of him. But some other time —later —such a revelation might teach him a lesson!

The tiling to do was to evade the question if she could. "I might bo uncertain about you. It might be that I never know quite how to take you, never know when you're joking or when you are in earnest." She explained it in as reasonable a tone as possible, and she little knew how disarming her'quiet voice was. "Do I believe that?" he asked, mus-

ingly. He was silent and Joan, fancying that he was a little disappointed by her compromise, had time to' look about her. They were very high up and the mountain tops were outlined faintly against the stars; there was a deep valley below filled with dark and the sound of trickling water. It was very quiet, and warm, so warm that Joan threw open the great leather coat ~she was wearing. Poor Lord Edward! She was thinking. What would he think of her believing that she had gone off willingly ill the middle of his proposal? Oh, but she would be even with this captor of hers as soon as she was safely out of his hands!

She heard Piers Hannen laugh suddenly in the dark; he stopped and said: "I can smell daphne." She was surprised at a man of his type being able to recognise any sweet scent.

"I have a picce on my frock," she said.

"I like it. I'll have it." "I'll have it!" she mimicked. "Seriously, why should you?" For answer he switched on the light on the dashboard; his face purposeful, his eyes attempting to look as grim as the rest of him, he leaned over and would have taken the daphne from its place where it was pinned on her shoulder, had she not forestalled him. With a certain breathlessness, a twinge of very real fear, she detached the little sprig of pink flowered laurel herself, and gave it to him. He took it and put it to his nostrils, looking at her; her hands quivered a little as site drew the coat more closely about herself; she was ashamed of her moment of terror and more exasperated than ever by him. "Do you want it?" he asked quizzical! v.

For answer she turned her face slightly away. "Will you thank me nicely for it? he asked, and when she still said nothing. he added: "Thank me nicely, for it, throw it out of the car."

She said nothing; so he tossed it away into the darkness. She had not thought that he would really do it. It brought home to her her helplessness. That he should have done it! It was only a sprig of daphne, but had smelled so sweetly, and she had wanted it—now he simply took it from her and threw it awavt

Her helpless rage and exasperation blazed in her eyes. "No," he said. "It wasn't doubt before! You don't know exactly how to take me. And you're, furious!" The things this man did! Joan felt like crying. "It's too bad." he said. "To torment you. We'll cry quits. You had the effrontery to give me a most unpleasant character when you had only seen me once, so I thought I would live up to it!"

"You have," slie said. He laughed. "I was bored to death in Cannes this morning. But I'm not in the least bored now. My boredom vanished as soon as you stepped aboard the Corsair with Georgina this morning. I said to i le i—shall I tell you what I said to her';" ~ _ "No, -please don't!" said Joan, more disconcerted than ever by his sudden change of tone. "I really don t want to hear." , . "I told her that you aroused a hope which had 'long been extinct in me— that there is something in women besides a passion for clothes and admiration." . , "There is nothing unusual in me, i assure you!" said Joan hastily. If he was going to start saying that he admired her, she was only too anxious to cool his interest. "Nothing at all. I love clothes-, I wallow in admiration! Oh, please, please, Mr. Hannen —take me'hack to Cannes!" "Oh, but there was some more ot it— I said that you had the most delicious —what? You're covering them up now. I said that you had the most delicious little ears—all right, I'll tell you the vest to-morrow!" (To be continued Saturday next.)