‘None of your damned business!’ she snapped. ‘I—’ She broke off as a crash sounded in the lounge. Oh, lord, Sam! She had forgotten all about the wandering baby in her agitation, and she had had the nerve to rebuke Cal for his negligence of the little boy the first time they had met; she was no better when the provocation was deep enough. ‘I have to go,’ she told Daniel abruptly.
‘Dinner, tomorrow, eight o’clock, at the Bowling Green Inn,’ he managed to say quickly before she put the receiver down to go to Sam.
The baby was standing in front of the fireplace with a guilty look on his face as he looked up at her, tears balanced on the edge of his long lashes ready to fall, an ornamental china robin in two pieces on the fireplace at his feet.
It didn’t take much imagination to realise that Sam had reached up on to the high mantel for the robin, lost his balance and somehow dropped the treasured bird.
‘It’s all right, Sam,’ Helen instantly reassured him as his bottom lip trembled precariously, going down on her haunches so that she was on the same level as him. ‘A bit of glue and the robin will be as good as new.’ She smiled at him.
‘Sam notty.’ He still looked forlorn, his head hung in shame.
Helen had to bite her lip to stop herself laughing at Sam’s accurate description of himself as ‘naughty’; it was obviously an expression he had heard about himself many times before! And no doubt his action was a little naughty, for the little boy was obviously aware that he shouldn’t have touched the ornament at all, but who could possibly be cross with him when he looked so adorable in his contrition? Certainly not her.
‘A little bit,’ she admitted consideringly. ‘But you won’t do it again, will you?’
He shook his head gravely, the incident forgotten as far as he was concerned as she suggested they go upstairs and wash her hair now.
It was obvious from his curiosity that he had never been upstairs in the house before, going from room to room in open nosiness once they were upstairs.
As soon as they reached Helen’s bathroom it became clear he had lost all interest in watching her wash her hair, pulling at his clothes with the intention of taking a bath.
Helen laughed softly in defeat of his determination as she ran the bath water for him; there was obviously a lot of his uncle in the little boy!
She sobered slightly as she thought of Cal’s own stubbornness. Now, more than ever, with Daniel being awkward, she didn’t want to become involved with the other man, felt threatened by one and deeply disturbed by the other, and neither emotion was a comfortable one.
‘I’m so glad you decided to come after all,’ Daniel said smoothly from across the table in the restaurant booth.
It hadn’t been a question of ‘deciding’ anything; she hadn’t had any choice but to come here this evening. If she hadn’t turned up at all she knew Daniel well enough to realise he would make trouble over it. And she hadn’t been able to telephone the house to tell him she wouldn’t be coming because Cal might have taken the call. And Daniel had been well aware of that.
‘What do you want, Daniel?’ she said wearily, not prepared to play games with him.
‘Shall we order?’ he returned lightly.
‘I didn’t come here to eat—’
‘It is a restaurant,’ he mocked, grey-blue eyes dancing with mischief.
He was still so handsome, even more so in the dark suit and pale grey shirt he wore tonight. But Helen was unmoved as she looked at him, knew that this outward charm was a deceit, not fooled for a moment by the warmth of his smile.
‘I’m not hungry,’ she snapped impatiently. ‘Now what do you want to talk to me about?’
He turned the charm of his smile on the waitress as she appeared at the side of their table. ‘Yes, we’re ready to order now,’ he said smoothly. ‘Prawns Marie-Rose and a crispy duck with salad to follow for the lady,’ he ordered over Helen’s gasp at his audacity. She didn’t hear what he ordered for himself in her amazement that he had remembered her own preferences after all this time. ‘You do still like prawns and duck, I hope?’ he murmured huskily once the waitress had gone.
‘Yes…’ She shook her head irritably. ‘That isn’t the point—’
‘I can order you something else if you would prefer it,’ he put in calmly, looking at her enquiringly.
‘I would prefer it if we weren’t having this conversation at all!’ She glared at him.
He sobered, his expression suddenly one of anger rather than the amused indulgence with her discomfort he had been displaying since she had arrived at the restaurant ten minutes earlier. Daniel had already been seated at the table when she had arrived, and she had sat down only long enough to tell him she wouldn’t be staying, wasn’t even dressed for an evening out, her trousers and deep green blouse smart but certainly not suitable for dining out in. He had somehow managed to manoeuvre it so that their meal was ordered, and a bottle of wine was already being opened beside their table.
‘I would prefer it too,’ he rasped once the wine waiter had gone. ‘But I’m sure you’ll agree we have to talk.’
‘I can’t think what about,’ Helen snapped. ‘I said all I had to say to you almost six years ago!’
‘And it’s concerning that very thing that we have to talk now.’ He nodded curtly, his nostrils flared in anger.
Helen frowned. Maybe she was a little dense tonight; she had slept badly the night before, had been sleeping badly since her arrival actually, and she had felt uncomfortable lying to her father earlier when she had told him she was going out for a drive; she certainly had no idea what Daniel and she could possibly have left to talk about!
‘I think the past is best left forgotten,’ she told him abruptly, not wanting to dwell on her past humiliation; it had taken her most of the last five and a half years to try and get over that.
‘My feelings exactly.’ Daniel nodded determinedly, his expression grim.
She frowned her puzzlement. ‘Then—’
‘Completely forgotten,’ he added pointedly.
‘You’re the one who keeps bringing it up,’ she pointed out impatiently.
‘I mean all of it, Helen,’ he bit out coldly, all the smooth charm gone now. ‘Not just our past relationship.’
Her brow cleared as she at last realised what he meant. She had as much as decided, out of loyalty for her father’s friendship with Cal, that she would have to say something to Cal about what she knew concerning Daniel’s past dealings. How to approach the subject, without mentioning her own involvement with Daniel, had been her main problem. She could see from Daniel’s expression that he was very worried about her doing just that.
She shook her head. ‘I don’t think I can do that,’ she shrugged ruefully.
‘Why the hell not?’ he rasped, his eyes narrowed with fury.
‘Cal has a right to know—’
‘I did nothing illegal,’ Daniel cut in forcefully.
‘It was immoral!’ she insisted firmly.
‘That doesn’t necessarily mean it was a crime,’ he scorned.
She was well aware of the fact that nothing he had done had been a criminal offence; if it had been she would have done something about it.
‘Cal—’
‘Just how close are you and Cal?’ he interrupted speculatively.
‘None of your damned business!’ Her cheeks were flushed with anger.
‘You looked close enough to me the other night,’ Daniel taunted.
‘I told you,’ she said in an evenly controlled voice. ‘My relationship with Cal is none of your business.’
‘Oh, but I think it is.’ Some of his anger had faded now, and he was back in control again.
Her mouth tightened. ‘If you think our past relationship—’
‘Oh, that has only a little to do with it,’ he mocked. ‘It’s the relationship we have now that is important.’
‘We don’t have a relationship now,’ she denied vehemently.
‘Exactly,’ Daniel taunted.
&
nbsp; Helen gave an impatient sigh. ‘What are you talking about?’ She gave the waitress an irritated frown as she placed their starters on the table in front of them, the other woman scuttling away timidly in the face of such vehement displeasure. Helen gave Daniel a scathing look. ‘Could we just get this over with so that I can leave? I certainly have no intention of eating this meal!’
‘Please yourself.’ He shrugged unconcernedly, relaxing back on his side of the booth. ‘You see, Helen, after the other night we don’t even know each other.’
‘Daniel—’
‘The moment you returned my formal greeting as if we had only just met for the first time you made it virtually impossible to ever admit to knowing me six years ago.’ His head went back in triumph, challenging her to dispute his claim. ‘If you try to tell Cal any differently now he’s going to wonder why you didn’t come straight out with the truth the other evening, will probably think that you were involved in those past deals too.’
Helen paled, realising just how easily she had played into this man’s hands.
She stood up abruptly.
Daniel’s eyes narrowed as she picked up her bag. ‘What are you doing?’
She didn’t even bother to answer him, walking out of the restaurant, ignoring the waitress’s worried look in her direction as she went out of the door; let Daniel explain—if he could!—her reasons for leaving.
She felt sick, knowing that the situation was of her own making. But she had been so surprised to see Daniel at Cal’s the other evening that her responses to him had been mechanical rather than devised.
But it was just like Daniel to want to take advantage of her disconcertion. He had always been one to recognise the best and easiest way out for himself.
Her father gave her a piercing look as she let herself back into the house, putting down his newspaper as she seemed preoccupied and ill at ease. ‘Have you been to see Cal?’ he queried softly.
She looked at him sharply. ‘Cal?’ she echoed in a puzzled voice; she had avoided being alone with the other man last night, until he had finally had to give in and leave with Sam, the little boy tired out. The telephone had been noticeably silent all day, so it seemed Cal had taken the hint that she didn’t even want to talk to him. ‘Why on earth should you think I’ve been to see Cal?’ She frowned at her father.
He gave a wry smile. ‘Because you always have that harassed look when you’ve been talking to him.’
She sighed at the truth of that; her father couldn’t possibly know there was now someone else in the area who could upset her even more than Cal did, in a completely different way.
‘No,’ she said heavily. ‘I haven’t seen Cal tonight.’
He looked at her consideringly. ‘Then what has upset you?’
Her father was too astute, knew her far too well, to be fobbed off with a half-hearted explanation. Besides, he would have to know about Daniel’s being here sooner or later… The only consolation to telling her father was that he didn’t know the full story of her breakup with Daniel; he hadn’t been in any sort of emotional state himself at the time to be burdened with her humiliating misjudgement as well as her heartache over loving a man who had let her down. Her father had believed then, and still believed, that Daniel had callously ended their relationship because he was no longer interested in her, and had no idea she had been the one to tell Daniel she no longer wanted any part of his life.
The expression on her father’s face darkened when she told him about the other man now working for Cal.
‘It was just a surprise to see him again,’ she dismissed abruptly. ‘The other stupidity is just an embarrassment.’ She had told her father of her initial reaction of acting as if she had never met Daniel before. ‘I would just feel such a fool admitting the truth to Cal now.’ She shrugged with more calm than she felt; Daniel could make her look more than a fool if he was crossed. Lord, how she had ever thought herself in love with such a man was beyond her. Her only possible excuse was that, like her father, she had been vulnerable at that time in her life. And that wasn’t really any excuse for being taken in by a man like Daniel had turned out to be.
‘Well, if Daniel is happy not to admit to the relationship too, it shouldn’t prove a problem.’ Her father shrugged, although he didn’t look very happy about the situation himself.
Daniel was more than happy not to admit to the relationship!
‘I feel uncomfortable about it.’ She made a face.
‘So do I,’ he admitted needlessly. ‘But I don’t suppose it’s necessary for Cal to know…’
Now she had put her father in an awkward position too! ‘If you would rather I told him—’
‘No,’ he cut in abruptly, standing up. ‘But I just hope Scott stays out of my way,’ he said grimly. ‘I remember what you were like six years ago after he had let you down, and—’ He broke off as the doorbell rang. ‘I wonder who that is,’ he muttered vaguely as he went to answer the door.
Cal. She knew it instinctively.
She met his gaze unflinchingly as he came into the room ahead of her father, although she felt as if her duplicity were stamped all over her face.
He looked breathtakingly handsome in a light blue shirt worn beneath a checked jacket, his denims faded from wear rather then affectation, his dark hair once again ruffled from the light breeeze outside.
‘I wondered if you would care to come out for a drink.’ He came straight to the point, probably sensing that her mood was not a patient one.
On top of her empty stomach—she hadn’t been able to eat before she went out to meet Daniel either!—it would probably make her ill. And yet she somehow felt the need to be with him, felt as if she had a heavy weight hanging over her head just waiting to fall on her. And once it did she knew there would be no more invitations like this one. Far from her wanting to stay away from Cal, Daniel’s threat to her now made her realise how much she really wanted to do the opposite. This incomprehensible desire for Cal was even more ridiculous than the way she had once felt about Daniel, and yet to have her relationship with Cal threatened by the other man took all the fight against the relationship out of her.
‘I’d like that,’ she accepted huskily.
She didn’t know who was more surprised by her easy acquiescence, her father or Cal!
‘If you could see your faces,’ she mocked.
Take her out before she changes her mind,’ her father advised Cal.
‘I intend to.’ Cal grasped hold of her arm and led her out of the house, hardly able to believe his luck.
‘There’s no rush,’ she laughed as he bundled her into the Range Rover he had driven over in.
His gaze was dark. ‘How do you know?’
She blushed at the desire in his eyes, his meaning obvious. For once she offered no argument, warmed by her own need to be in his arms.
It was ridiculous, totally illogical after the way she had been fighting against him, and yet she knew that of the two men Daniel was by far the most destructive and selfish. She wasn’t sure how she felt about Cal any more.
But being in his arms proved more difficult tonight than at any other time! Cal actually did want to take her out for a drink, choosing a quiet little inn about ten miles drive away. The evening was still clear and warm, and they decided to take their second round of drinks out into the garden.
Cal gave a sigh of satisfaction as they seated themselves opposite each other around a table shaded by a multi-coloured umbrella. ‘I can’t remember the last time I felt relaxed enough to do this.’ He took a thirst-quenching sip of his beer.
‘Drink warm beer and swat gnats away before they bite you?’ she teased, sipping her own fruit juice with only slightly less relish; it was turning out to be one of the hottest summers they had had for a long time.
He gave her a reproving look. ‘The beer is deliciously cold,’ he drawled contradictorily. ‘And I’m rarely troubled with gnat bites.’
‘But I am!’ She swatted ineffectually at one of
the insects, knowing that, no matter how hard she tried to keep them off her, later tonight she would find her skin speckled with their bites. ‘I just seem to attract them,’ she said disgustedly.
Cal looked concerned. ‘We can sit inside, if you would prefer it?’
‘No, of course not.’ She smiled. ‘Why should I deprive the gnats of the feast they are obviously promising themselves right now?’ she added ruefully.
He laughed softly. ‘Any comment I make to follow that remark would only be misconstrued!’
Warmth coloured her cheeks. He might not have taken her into his arms yet, but he obviously wanted to. It gave her a sense of anticipation as they continued to laze in the late evening sunshine.
‘I’m hoping to have quite a lot of the pressure taken off me in the next few weeks,’ Cal said with pleasure. ‘The man I’ve taken on to help me out seems to be quite capable. But of course, you’ve met him, haven’t you?’ He raised dark brows.
All thoughts of relaxing instantly deserted Helen, and she sat up stiffly. ‘Have I?’ she said sharply.
Cal’s mouth quirked. ‘I remember his interruption of the other evening only too well,’ he reminded self-derisively.
‘Oh, that,’ she realised with some relief, although she didn’t relax. Was that really what Cal meant, or was he testing her in some way? He couldn’t know about Daniel, could he?
His mouth twisted ruefully. ‘I wish I could dismiss it so easily; at the time I felt slightly murderous towards him!’
‘It didn’t show,’ she said almost coyly. Coyly? Her? She didn’t remember ever being coy! But then she had never met anyone quite like Cal before, she acknowledged reluctantly.
Cal shrugged. ‘The man had only been working for me a day; I thought I should allow him a little more time to appreciate what is important to me before bawling him out for it.’ He gave a rueful grimace.
Important to him? Was she?
‘How is he working out?’ She forced a casualness into her voice that wasn’t really there; it would solve a lot of problems if Daniel was to prove unsuitable for Cal.
‘He seems OK so far,’ Cal dismissed. ‘Only time will really tell if Daniel can adapt to our unusual working conditions. He’s been used to working in the city, to normal office hours; he’s going to find it very different working for me.’
Memories of The Past (Presents Plus) Page 9