Scandals and Secrets

'That was Damian,' she told Cora on re-entering the kitchen. 'You're right. He won't be home for dinner.'

She headed straight for the refrigerator where she extracted a bottle of her favorite Chardonnay, then proceeded to open it. With the cork dumped into the bin, she selected a good-sized wine glass from the glass cupboard, picked up the bottle and headed for the door.

'I'm off to shower and change, Cora. I'll eat here with you in the kitchen. You won't mind if I'm in my nightwear, will you?'

'You could go to a ball in your nightwear,' Cora called after her.

Celeste laughed, for she did have a penchant for glamorous lingerie, but the word 'ball' quickly reminded her of Byron and what she had to do after dinner. Groaning, she stopped at the base of the staircase and poured some wine into the glass, gulping it all down before giving a wry chuckle and starting up the stairs. If only some of her business associates could see her now, having to get some Dutch courage out of a bottle.

She paused on the landing halfway up the stairs to have another deep swallow, lifting the glass to the stained-glass window in front of her. 'Here's to you, kid,' she toasted the angel who stared expressionlessly back down at her. 'Not much to say for yourself, have you?' she muttered. 'Still,

I guess I'd get a damned shock if you ever did talk back to me. Good grief, I must be going potty talking to a window. Is that one step up from talking to the wall or one step down? See you later, window. I dare say by the time I pass this way again, I'll have sorted out that crucial question. If not, it certainly won't bother me any more.'

Celeste laughed, poured herself another glassful of wine and headed for the shower.

CHAPTER SIX

CELESTE liked the feel of satin against her bare skin. No other material was as cool, or as smooth or as soft. All her nightwear was made of satin, mostly in neutral or smoky colors that looked good at night and flattered her rather delicate coloring. Ivory, oyster, pearl, champagne and a silvery grey, they were her favorite colors. Occasionally, she would wear a dusky blue or pink. Never black. She didn't like to wear black, yet she wasn't sure why. Black looked well against her blonde hair, but she always shied away from it.

The nightie she put on after her shower was a silvery grey, full length and quite simple with a deep V neckline and tiny shoe-string straps. Her arms raised, it slithered down over her freshly washed and powdered skin, the top molding around her small firm breasts, the rest falling in deep folds to the floor. Slipping her feet into low-heeled fluffy white mules, Celeste drew on the matching robe, which flowed and floated around her as she swanked back down the stairs, pausing briefly to send a mocking glance up at the angel.

'You still there?' she taunted. 'What do you think of this outfit? You don't like satin? Too bad. I do. What about my hair? It looks good caught up at the sides like this, doesn't it?'

Hell, I'm smashed, she thought as she sashayed down the rest of the stairs, still carrying the glass and wine bottle, though both were now empty.

It had been years since she had drunk a whole bottle of wine-before dinner, that was-and it had really gone to her head. She had to get some food into her before she dissolved down on to the floor somewhere.

Cora, God bless her dear heart, said not a single critical word during the meal, despite Celeste dropping her cutlery, missing her mouth with a forkful of food, at which point she giggled uncontrollably for a while. Despite all this, the alcohol did not dull the distressing awareness that she had to contact the enemy after dinner and tell him something he wasn't going to want to hear.

Celeste went to help Cora clear up afterwards, but the housekeeper waved her away. 'You pay me to do this, Celeste. You go have a swim or something.'

'Straight after dinner?'

'Since when did a little thing like a full stomach stop you going for a swim?' the housekeeper said drily. 'Besides, the exercise might sober you up a bit.'

Celeste laughed. 'What an awful thought. I'll be up in my bedroom if you want me.'

'And I'll be in my room if you want me. There's a movie on television tonight I've been looking forward to seeing.'

'In that case I'll answer the phone if it rings.'

Cora smiled her thanks. 'Everyone should have a boss like you.'

'You're the only one who think that, Cora. I'm nicknamed Attila the Hun around the traps.'