Fear swelled in Susan as she glanced at Nolan. Her attention shifted to the cameraman who was recording the entire scene. Did Mrs. Penrith know about her and Tyler in truth? It wouldn’t be the end of the world, but she might land in trouble with Jennifer.
“Look at this.” Mrs. Penrith produced a sealed plastic bag and held it up like a courtroom specimen.
Susan stared.
Everyone else stared.
A blush sneaked up Susan’s neck, crashing over cheeks and heating her face. She was not going to apologize.She would not. “It’s a vibrator. Mr. Blue,” she added. “Is there any reason in particular why you felt the need to search my personal belongings?”
“Don’t try to shift the conversation, you hussy! A proper girl wouldn’t consider bringing one of these into Nolan’s house.”
“That’s enough,” Nolan snapped. “Give it back to Susan.”
“But…but…” Mrs. Penrith stuttered. She recovered quickly, drawing herself up. “What sort of girl has…has…things like that?”
“Enough.” Susan held out her hand. “I’m not going to apologize for packing my vibrator. Jasmine and Lucy probably have one too, but they weren’t clever enough to bring theirs with them.” Susan drew a breath, beating down the urge to say more.
“Despicable,” Mrs. Penrith said.
Susan failed, words spitting from her like machine-gun bullets. “Doctors invented vibrators to cure hysteria. Maybe you should have a treatment. It might cure your viperous tongue.” She snatched the plastic bag from Mrs. Penrith and marched from the kitchen, escaping the heavy, pulsing silence.
In her bedroom, she chucked Mr. Blue at the wall in lieu of howling. Her hands shook as she cradled her mug of tea, the peppermint fumes doing nothing to aid her state of mind.
Well, no doubt about who would head home after the filming tonight. But surely they wouldn’t show this segment on public television? A groan escaped. Of course they would. Once the show ran, viewers would fall over themselves to discuss Mr. Blue.
The local pub was packed when Susan followed Nolan, Lucy and Jasmine inside. A rock band from nearby Napier belted out cover songs and sang about hungry hearts. How long would it take for the latest juicy rumor to spread? No doubt it would grow in absurdity, taking off like Chinese whispers as it ranged from person to person.
“Would you like to dance?” Nolan asked.
Surprise struck Susan at the same time it hit Jasmine and Lucy. “Sure.”
She refused to apologize for a healthy sex drive. Surely that was a good thing. Certainly better than jumping from bed to bed in order to cure an itch. “I’m sorry if I’ve created friction between you and your mother.”Dang it. She hadn’t meant to do that. Hadn’t meant to apologize when she wasn’t the one at fault.
But she was guilty.Her inner self lashed out with a brutal kick to remind her of her culpability.
“It’s all right,” Nolan said. “Mum had no business poking around in your room. She won’t be coming to the house again, not without my direct invitation.”
Susan nodded. Too little, too late. Nolan should have stood up to his mother years ago and then she wouldn’t be shoving her nose into his personal life. Not that it was any of her business. It wasn’t as if she’d have to deal with Mrs. Penrith again.
The music came to a halt.
“I’d better go and grab one of the other girls to dance,” Nolan said.
“I’ll see you later in the private function room.”
This time he nodded, a curt jerk of his head before he strode away. Susan frowned after him. A hum of chatter rose and swelled over to her right.
Mrs. Penrith.
Susan stomped rapidly in the other direction, glad she’d donned a simple pair of black trousers and a tunic top rather than her good dress that would have restricted her freedom and consigned her to high heels. Instead she wore a pair of boots, which aided her quick getaway.
A glass of wine. That would steady her nerves, make her forget the X painted on her back. And it would give her something to do with her hands.
She made for the bar.
“Squeeze in beside me,” a blonde woman said.
“Thanks.” Susan waited for judgment.
