His Cinderella Mistress

by Carole Mortimer

  January stared at him. Had he really just told the owner of the Marshall Corporation, his friend as well as employer, what he could do with his job? And if so, why had he…?

  ‘Don’t look so worried,’ Max drawled as he looked up and saw January’s stunned expression. ‘Jude won’t fire me,’ he sighed. ‘We go too far back for him to ever do that.’

  So that challenge had just been bravado on his part? January could hardly contain her disappointment. For a moment there she had really thought—

  The mobile telephone began to ring a second time. Obviously Jude Marshall wasn’t a man used to taking no for an answer.

  Well—obviously, January instantly chided herself, otherwise Max wouldn’t be here in the first place. Something she would do well to keep remembering; Max was only here to try and persuade her and her sisters into selling their home.

  If only she didn’t love him so much!

  ‘January?’

  She lowered long lashes over her eyes, determined that Max wouldn’t see her tears. Let him play his stupid power games with Jude Marshall—and leave her alone.

  ‘Shouldn’t you answer that?’ she said huskily as he came to stand in front of her, the ringing mobile telephone still in his hand.

  ‘I can talk to Jude any time,’ Max rasped, the ringing ceasing abruptly as he switched it off. ‘January—’

  ‘I’m really very busy, Max.’ She moved purposefully away from him as he would have reached out and taken her in his arms—so much for thinking she looked undesirable! ‘And you’re cold,’ she reminded him determinedly. ‘My uncle should have cleared the track shortly, so you’ll be able to drive back to the hotel,’ she added dismissively, her chin rising challengingly. ‘Maybe even book yourself a flight back to America, away from this cold weather,’ she added scathingly.

  A nerve pulsed in his tightly clenched jaw. ‘Is that what you want?’ he muttered grimly.

  ‘Of course,’ she assured him brightly. ‘We all just want to get on with our lives. Don’t you?’ she derided.

  His eyes glittered. ‘My life isn’t in America!’ he snapped.

  ‘Well, wherever it is, then,’ January shrugged, wishing he would just go—before those threatening tears began to fall.

  She simply couldn’t bear the thought of Max going completely out of her life, of never seeing him again.

  Max stared at her for several long minutes, his expression grim. ‘Okay,’ he finally muttered forcefully. ‘I’ll go back to the farmhouse and wait for your uncle. But I’m still coming with you later to see Josh,’ he warned hardly.

  January gave a weary shrug. ‘I doubt I could stop you even if I wanted to.’

  His gaze narrowed. ‘And do you want to?’

  ‘Max,’ she began impatiently, ‘as far as you’re concerned, what I do or don’t want doesn’t seem to be particularly important,’ she snapped. ‘Now, if you wouldn’t mind; I’m busy,’ she added rudely before turning away, hearing the slam of the shed door seconds later.

  Her shoulders slumped wearily after his departure, the tears falling hot on her cheeks. Well, she hadn’t ended up in his arms being kissed this time, had she? No, this time she had told him she just wanted him to leave, not just the farm, but the country!

  And, with him as Jude Marshall’s representative, she most certainly did want that. But as the man she had fallen in love with—!

  She had thought herself in love with Ben last year, had been so hurt when she’d found out that the real motive behind his interest in her, with her father now dead, was with an eye to the farm. Not for the redevelopment Jude Marshall had in mind—just as owner by marriage to one of the sisters. That was probably what had hurt January the most when she’d finally got the full story from him: the fact that he had tried it on with her two sisters, and been kindly but firmly rejected, before turning his attention to the youngest sister. And like an idiot she had fallen for it!

  Just as she had fallen for Max, she reminded herself derisively.

  Yes, and even knowing the full circumstances of his presence here, she still loved Max. He would just never know that she did.

  Perhaps, after all, the sooner Max left the area, the better it would be. For everyone. But certainly for January.

  Which was the main reason she was so cool towards him that evening when the two of them finally managed to visit Josh.

  Not that it was easy to get in to see her cousin-in-law-to-be, a certain amount of police security around him still, but luckily her Aunt Lyn had already left word to expect at least one of the sisters in this evening.

  In fact, January was glad in the end that she had Max with her, so shocked was she at Josh’s changed appearance. Someone had really beaten him badly, a large discoloured gash on his left temple that had obviously needed several stitches, a huge bruise on his jaw, one of his arms in a sling.

  ‘Hi,’ he greeted brightly enough. ‘You just missed seeing Sara; I finally managed to persuade her that I wasn’t going to die if she went home for a bath and change of clothes,’ he explained ruefully. ‘Hello again.’ He gave Max a smile, although it obviously caused him pain.

  January bent to give Josh a kiss on the side of his face that didn’t look bruised, more shaken than she cared to admit—that someone had deliberately inflicted these wounds. Fights and scenes of violence were so often depicted on television nowadays that it was easy to become hardened to them, but to actually see Josh in this terrible state because someone had deliberately attacked him…!

  ‘Whoever did this ought to be—’

  ‘Don’t worry, January, Sara has already said it all,’ Josh assured her with a grimace. ‘And to think I never knew she had such a violent streak in her until yesterday!’ he added affectionately.

  ‘Whereas I already know what January is capable of,’ Max put in dryly.

  January gave him a sharp look, the colour entering her cheeks as she remembered the visit she had paid him at the hotel on Sunday evening, when she had quite obviously wanted to hit him for what she considered to be his duplicity.

  ‘And they call them the gentler sex!’ Josh joined in teasingly. ‘Give me a man to fight any day! Although there wasn’t too much chance of that on Monday night,’ he sobered frowningly. ‘The bast— He hit me on the head with something—’ he held a hand up to the bruised gash on his temple ‘—before kicking hell out of me while I was on the ground!’

  ‘Obviously no one told him about the Queensbury Rules,’ Max rasped.

  Josh gave the other man a grateful smile for his attempt at humour. ‘I wouldn’t say it was part of his vocabulary, no.’

  January sat down abruptly in the chair next to the bed, still shocked that someone could have hurt Josh deliberately.

  A group of them had always gone around together at school, January and her cousin Sara, along with several other girls of the same age, Josh and a group of his friends usually around somewhere, too. That something like this should have happened to one of them…!

  It was testament to how shocked January was that she did not demur as Max sat down in the chair next to her and took her hand into his own, his fingers tightening reassuringly against hers. In actual fact, at that particular moment other human contact was very welcome.

  ‘Fortunately, Sara has decided that she doesn’t mind me looking like this in the wedding photographs, so the wedding is still on for Saturday,’ Josh said lightly. ‘They’re letting me out of here tomorrow,’ he added with satisfaction.

  ‘Any leads as to who did this to you?’ Max prompted grimly.

  ‘Not a one,’ Josh answered disappointedly. ‘The man was wearing a baclava or something, so I couldn’t see his face. The only thing I could tell the police that was of any help was that I thought I recognized his voice.’

  January’s eyes widened incredulously. Josh actually knew the man who had done this to him?

  ‘Did it sound anything like mine?’ Max suggested dryly.

  Josh looked puzzled by the question. ‘What?’r />
  ‘Never mind,’ Max dismissed scathingly.

  While at the same time not even glancing at January! Leaving her in no doubt that, despite her apology, Max really hadn’t forgiven her for even having had that particular thought. But could she blame him…?

  ‘I have no idea where I know it from,’ Josh continued frustratedly. ‘I’ve tried and tried to place it, but it just escapes me. I just know that I had heard it before. Somewhere.’ He shook his head disgustedly at his own inability to remember.

  ‘It’s time for Mr Williams’ rest now, I’m afraid,’ a nurse looked briefly into the room to inform them.

  Josh grimaced. ‘I’ve done nothing but rest since they brought me in here. I shall be glad to get home tomorrow.’

  ‘And I’m sure Sara will be pleased to have you there.’ January bent forward to give him another kiss on the cheek before standing up, Max, to her surprise, retaining that hold on her hand as he too stood up to leave.

  ‘Take care,’ he told Josh as the two men shook hands.

  ‘See you both on Saturday,’ Josh called after them as they left. ‘At the wedding.’

  Josh was obviously expecting Max to accompany her. But after seeing the two of them here together today, holding hands no less, was that so surprising…?

  ‘Don’t look so worried, January,’ Max taunted as he saw her frowning expression. ‘I’m sure that Josh won’t notice my absence amongst all the other wedding guests.’

  Damn it, did she have to make it so obvious that she didn’t want him there? As if he were some sort of ogre, for goodness’ sake. But, then, perhaps to January he was…?

  ‘I’m making it a new rule,’ he continued hardly at her silence, ‘never to go anywhere I’m not welcome!’

  Which just about ruled out the whole of this part of the country, if the Calendar sisters had anything to say about it!

  ‘Max—’

  ‘Don’t say anything, January,’ he snapped as they got outside the hospital. ‘I’ve really had more than enough for one day! I’ll see you around,’ he added dismissively.

  She frowned her confusion. ‘Don’t you want me to give you a lift back to the hotel?’

  To be honest, he had completely forgotten that January had picked him up from there earlier. But it didn’t change the fact that he would rather be alone.

  ‘I’ll walk,’ he assured her abruptly, turning up the collar on his heavy jacket in an attempt to ward off the chilling wind.

  ‘But—’

  ‘Just leave it, January,’ he rasped, blue eyes glittering warningly.

  The fact that she flinched at the harshness of his tone, those incredible grey eyes filling up with tears, was almost his undoing. But, at the same time, he was aware that until he knew exactly what he was going to do next, it was better if he just stayed away from January. He couldn’t think straight around her anyway!

  ‘Josh is going to be okay, you know,’ he told January huskily. ‘A bit battered about the edges,’ he acknowledged ruefully. ‘But he’s young, he’ll make a full recovery.’

  ‘Physically, yes.’ She nodded slowly. ‘But—’

  ‘In other ways, too,’ Max cut in firmly. ‘I’m sure your cousin Sara is going to make sure of that!’

  January smiled for what seemed like the first time today. Much to Max’s relief. He didn’t like the fact that this had made her so unhappy. In fact, he didn’t like anything that made January unhappy…

  ‘I have to go,’ he repeated harshly. ‘Drive back carefully, won’t you?’ he couldn’t resist adding. The roads had been cleared once they’d got down from the farm, but with evening setting in driving was once again hazardous. And he was still recovering from the shock of the last time January ended up in a ditch!

  ‘Of course,’ she acknowledged distantly. ‘Take care,’ she added abruptly before turning sharply away and walking over to where she had parked her sister’s car.

  Max stood and watched her leave, aware that this might be the last time he saw her. He had some thinking to do, and the outcome of those thoughts might just mean she would get her wish and he would return to America.

  She raised a hand in parting as she drove out of the car park, still pale from her shock at Josh’s appearance, but also incredibly beautiful.

  Max stood on the pavement until the car had completely disappeared from view, reluctant to give up what might be his last view of her.

  He had meant it earlier when he’d assured January that Jude would never fire him, but, in view of his personal difficulty over execution of this latest business venture of Jude’s, he did wonder if he ought to resign. To do what, he had no idea, but one thing he knew for certain: he was no longer one-hundred-per-cent committed to the Marshall Corporation.

  After the years he had spent with the company as the main focus of his life, coming to terms with that was hard to do!

  And he needed time, time on his own, to decide exactly what he was going to do next.

  Although maybe walking back to the hotel hadn’t been such a good idea, he decided ruefully, after trudging through the snow and ice for half an hour in order to get there and needing to lie in a hot bath for an hour or so in order to thaw out.

  The telephone rang in his suite as he lay in the bath, but, guessing it was Jude once again, he chose to ignore it. The walk earlier hadn’t done anything to help him with the confused thoughts that were tumbling around inside his head!

  ‘Don’t you ever go home?’ He smiled at John as he walked into the bar a couple of hours later, having decided that a drink was what he needed to thaw him inside as well as out.

  The barman grinned. ‘I thought this was home!’

  Max laughed softly as he ordered his drink. At least John always gave him a warm welcome—which was more than could be said for anyone else in the area!

  Although, on reflection, it was pretty sad that the only person here to show him a friendly face was the hotel barman!

  John placed the requested glass of whisky in front of him. ‘I’m surprised you’re still here?’

  Max shrugged. ‘My business is taking a little longer than I anticipated,’ he understated.

  He had still come to no real decision about his own future plans, having left his mobile switched off so that Jude couldn’t reach him, knowing he needed to think this through without any outside interference.

  John grimaced. ‘This snow can’t be helping. I—uh-oh,’ he murmured ruefully. ‘Here comes Meridew on the prowl again,’ he explained softly as Max looked up at him questioningly. ‘I obviously haven’t been in the last couple of evenings, but apparently he’s been wandering around all week like a bear with a sore head!’

  John moved to begin dusting down the shelves behind him, obviously intent on looking busy while the manager of the hotel was ‘prowling’ around.

  ‘Mr Golding! I trust you are still enjoying your stay with us?’

  Max turned to look at Peter Meridew, his gaze narrowing as he saw the other man’s bandaged right hand. ‘Of course,’ he assured the other man smoothly. ‘Been in the wars?’ He indicated the bandaged hand.

  The other man’s face became flushed. ‘Just a sprain,’ he dismissed abruptly. ‘Well, if there’s nothing I can do for you…’ He turned to leave.

  ‘I didn’t say that,’ Max called after him softly, a terrible suspicion starting to form in his mind.

  Josh had said earlier that he recognized the voice of his attacker, from somewhere, and hadn’t Peter Meridew had cause to have words with Josh and his friends for their rowdiness on Saturday evening, plus there was the fact that the manager seemed to be around a lot whenever January was singing in the bar…? Add that to Peter Meridew’s bandaged hand, and what had you got—?

  Circumstantial evidence was what you had, Max, old lad!

  And as a lawyer he ought to know better.

  ‘Yes?’ the manager prompted brightly.

  Yes—what? He had called out to the other man instinctively, and now he didn’t know what to
say to him.

  ‘Er— I’m probably going to book out within the next couple of days,’ he improvised. Lame, he knew, but he couldn’t think of anything else to say on the spur of the moment.

  ‘No problem, Mr Golding,’ the manager assured him. ‘Just call down to Reception on the morning of departure and they will have your bill waiting for you when you come down.’

  ‘Thanks.’ Max nodded with a dismissive smile.

  ‘Sorry to hear that,’ John murmured once the manager had left. ‘In this job I very rarely get to meet the same people two nights in a row, let alone for a whole week,’ he explained ruefully.

  Max grimaced, knowing that his own job wasn’t much better. Apart from Jude and a couple of other regular employees, he rarely saw the same person twice either; the Calendar sisters, because of their reluctance to sell, were the exception rather than the rule.

  ‘So what’s the real story on Meridew’s hand?’ he prompted lightly.

  ‘Well—’ John gave a knowing grin ‘—he says he sprained it putting in some cupboards at home, but we all think that Mrs Meridew either hit him or threw something at him!’

  Max raised dark brows. ‘There’s a Mrs Meridew?’

  ‘Oh, yes,’ the barman confirmed with feeling. ‘He wheels her out regularly every year for the staff Christmas party, and a more formidable woman you wouldn’t hope to meet. She’s twice the size of Meridew, obviously wears the trousers at home—which is probably why he’s such a tartar when he’s here!’ he concluded heavily.

  Under any other circumstances, Max would have found the other man’s description of Peter Meridew’s married life amusing, to say the least. But in this case…

  Josh said he had recognized the voice of the man that had attacked him, although he couldn’t remember where he remembered it from. Peter Meridew had an obviously soft spot for January. He had been in the room when Josh had kissed her. He had been walking around like a bear with a sore head all week. He also had a suspect injury to his hand. And a formidable wife who probably made his life miserable at home.