Mistresses: Blackmailed With Diamonds / Shackled with Rubies. Robyn Donald

told,’ he told me, with his nicest grin—i.e. his wickedest. There was no difference.

      ‘Oh, will I?’

      ‘Yes, you will. You see, I’m going to be a tyrant—no, don’t giggle. It’s time you found out what a tyrant I am. So if I want you in long diamond earrings, you’ll wear them. The same applies to pearls, emeralds, sapphires, rubies—’

      ‘Rubies don’t suit me.’

      ‘Don’t interrupt. Really top class rubies suit everyone. If you think otherwise you’ve been accepting them from the wrong men—cheapskates who didn’t get you the best.’

      He left the question hanging in the air. I refused to answer, other than to say, ‘Is that so?’

      ‘That’s so.’

      ‘I must send them a memo,’ I said lightly.

      ‘Do. And while you’re at it tell them that you’re mine now, so they can just stop thinking about you.’

      ‘I never let any man stop thinking about me,’ I said firmly. ‘After all, why should they?’

      ‘No reason at all that I can think of,’ he said, in a voice that was suddenly soft and vibrant.

      Shivers went through me at that sound. I waited, hoping he would pursue the subject. When he didn’t I tossed an ember on the fire.

      ‘Anyway, you know nothing at all about my friends or what they think of,’ I said lightly.

      His eyes met mine, teasing, challenging.

      ‘You know as well as I do what every man who sees you thinks of,’ he said with meaning.

      That morning in the great bed, his naked body touching mine, responding to me, making me respond to him against my will, the sight of him dashing across the carpet to the bathroom in all his glory. Everything came back to me in a moment, making me warm all over with intense delight.

      ‘I know what they think of, and I know what I think of,’ I said with a shrug. ‘They’re not necessarily the same thing.’

      ‘Well, it’s time for you to turn your attention to this afternoon’s purchases,’ he said, using the voice of a man forcing himself back to normal. ‘It’s not just jewellery, but anything else you can think of. What? What is it?’

      I’d burst out laughing.

      ‘You should keep your voice down. Do you realise how many people heard you say that? You know what they’ll think?’

      ‘They’ll think I’m crazy about you,’ he said, smiling.

      ‘No, they won’t. They’ll think I’m your tart, your bit on the side, your kept woman.’

      ‘You sound as though you’d enjoy that.’

      ‘In reality I probably wouldn’t, but I’ve always had this fantasy of being a world-class courtesan—maybe Madame de Pompadour, or another of those grande horizontales. Great fun. Well, fun for about five minutes. Then desperately boring.’

      ‘But surely Madame de Pompadour did more than lie around looking good? She had a terrific brain and helped the French king run the country. I see you as being like that.’

      ‘You’re right. I could never resist the temptation to stick my oar in.’

      He grinned. ‘I’ve been warned. Now, let’s go and see if I can distract your attention with a few baubles.’

      He took me into a succession of jewellery shops. At his command they laid everything out for my inspection, and I held my breath at the beauty of it all.

      He wouldn’t tell me the prices, but I could see they were all fabulous. Earrings, bracelets, necklaces—in all stones, but mostly in diamonds. Until that moment I hadn’t known how madly I loved diamonds.

      ‘But it’s all too much,’ I protested in an undervoice.

      ‘Not if you’re going to make the impression I want. They’ll be watching.’

      I couldn’t argue with that, so I just had to put up with him showering me with a fortune. It was hard, but I gritted my teeth and did my duty.

       ‘We’ll be the talk of Monte Carlo after this,’ I said, while the assistants in the last shop were packing things up.

      ‘Monte Carlo?’ He looked shocked. ‘Europe.’

      ‘The world,’ I declared triumphantly.

      And then I saw it. A tiny diamond brooch in the shape of a penguin. I guessed the price was a fraction of anything else in the shop, but it was charming and exquisite and I fell in love with it.

      Jack saw me gazing at it.

      ‘That?’ he asked.

      I nodded, explaining, ‘I’m mad about penguins.’

      He wasn’t like other men. He didn’t say something crass like, What about all that pricey stuff I’ve bought you? He understood at once, and pinned the brooch onto me.

      ‘You’re right,’ he said. ‘It looks perfect on you.’

      When it was time to leave Jack was carrying so much valuable jewellery that the shop provided its own armoured car to take us down to the quay. A phone call ensured that the motor boat would be waiting.

      There were several faces leaning over the rail when we reached The Hawk. Jenny and Charles were there, frankly agog. Jenny told me later that they’d seen the parcels arrive earlier and everyone had been riveted by the sight. Except for Grace and Selina, who had ostentatiously not been riveted.

      ‘Can I come and see?’ Jenny asked eagerly.

      She came down to the cabin with me, while Jack fled to the sanctuary of the bar with Charles and several of the other men.

      ‘Good, that’s got rid of them,’ Jenny said gleefully. ‘Now we can have some fun.’

      While I was showing her my new clothes she ordered champagne by phone, and we drank it together.

      ‘I’ve been keeping an eye on Selina for you.’ She chuckled. ‘She’s seen the writing on the wall and she’s mad as fire.’

      ‘Is she in love with him?’ I asked.

      ‘No way. He’s just the best catch around. Don’t worry, you’re not breaking her heart. She’ll probably end up marrying Derek, who’s nutty about her, and has almost as big a bank balance as she needs.’

      ‘Is she really as bad as that?’

      ‘Worse. She used to date Charles, but his firm had a crash and he lost a lot of money. She dropped him just like that. Luckily I came along and distracted him.’

      She gave a smile that told a lot about her marriage. Then abruptly the smiled faded and she yelped, ‘That!’

      I’d appeared in a long, black velvet dress, low in the front and even lower at the back.

      ‘Wear that one,’ she said. ‘It’s sensational. And diamonds. Do you have any?’

      ‘I don’t think there’s a diamond left in the world.’

      We had a great time dressing me to kill, and Jenny’s instinct was spot on. Black velvet and diamonds were a great combination.

      ‘Can I come in?’ That was Jack, calling from outside the door.

      ‘Come in,’ I called back.

      He walked in and stood stock still, gazing at me in a way that filled me with satisfaction.

      ‘Will she do?’ Jenny carolled. ‘Will she do or won’t she do?’

      ‘She’ll do,’ Jack said quietly.

      That was all. But I’d seen the way he