His Cinderella Mistress

by Carole Mortimer

  ‘Hmm, in that case, I think I’ll pass, too,’ he drawled warily.

  What could have happened in the fifteen minutes since they’d parted? The last he had seen of January she had been on her way out the door, John at her side.

  ‘Pity!’ January snapped, giving him a scathing glance. ‘I’ve just been having a cosy chat with Peter Meridew—’

  ‘What?’ Max’s wariness turned to shock.

  January hadn’t left with John, after all?

  Damn it, he should have waited until she was safely out to her car, Max remonstrated with himself, should have—

  ‘You heard,’ January bit out accusingly. ‘You’ll be pleased to know, he just sacked me!’

  ‘He what?’ To say it was the last thing Max had been expecting to hear would be an understatement!

  ‘Max, as I really don’t think there is anything wrong with your hearing,’ January began scathingly, ‘I have no intention of repeating everything I say! I’m allowed to stay on until the end of the week, but after that my services have been dispensed with. For the moment,’ she added harshly. ‘And we both know why, don’t we?’ She glared at him.

  Max looked across at her frowningly, totally nonplussed. Peter Meridew had just told January that he didn’t want her coming to the hotel after the weekend? In the circumstances, that didn’t make any sense to Max whatsoever.

  ‘Do we?’ he delayed warily, his thoughts racing.

  The anger deepened in those beautiful grey eyes—although Max wisely decided that now wasn’t the time to tell January how beautiful she looked when she was angry!

  He remembered Jude telling him he had once said that to one of the women in his life—and the next morning he had sported a bruise on his jaw to prove it!

  ‘You won’t succeed in getting us out of the farm like this, Max,’ January told him scornfully. ‘I’ll just get myself another job—and then you’ll be back where you started!’

  She thought he had deliberately—!

  His mouth tightened as his own anger started to rise. ‘Now, listen here—’

  ‘No—you listen,’ she cut in forcefully. ‘You may have managed to lose me my job, but all that’s done is make me all the more determined that you won’t succeed.’

  ‘January—’

  ‘Can you deny it was you who made the complaint to the police about my leaving here alone late at night?’ she challenged, that small pointed chin raised defiantly. ‘A complaint, because of these random attacks late at night, they took straight to Peter Meridew.’

  Max winced at the accusation. He hadn’t exactly complained to the police, more suggested, in the course of his conversation with them, that it probably wasn’t a good idea for a woman to be travelling alone at that time of night. How could he possibly have known that idiot of a manager would turn round and sack January on the basis of that?

  Added to which, if his suspicions were correct, the manager’s subsequent actions made absolutely no sense to him…!

  If they were correct…

  And it certainly looked as if they might not be in the light of Peter Meridew’s decision concerning January continuing to work here.

  Unless it was some sort of attempt at misdirection on the other man’s part? Although, for the life of him, Max couldn’t think what that could possibly be!

  He drew in a sharp breath. ‘Look, I admit that during my conversation with the police, concerning that altercation with Josh at the weekend, I may have mentioned your late-night drives—’

  ‘Oh, you “admit” to that, do you?’ she flared scathingly. ‘Well, I—’

  ‘January, for goodness’ sake, listen to me—’

  ‘No!’ she snapped forcefully, eyes blazing, her whole body tense with anger. ‘You listen to me!’ she snapped even more vehemently. ‘Stay out of my life, Max. Stay out of my sisters’ lives. In fact, just stay completely away from all of us!’ She was breathing hard in her agitation.

  She had never looked lovelier to Max!

  ‘January…!’ he groaned, his hands moving up instinctively.

  ‘Do not touch me!’ She stepped back as if burnt.

  Or as if his merest touch might contaminate her in some way!

  It was altogether too much for Max, all his own earlier decisions to keep an emotional distance between himself and January evaporating like so much mist. He couldn’t bear to have her look at him like that. He just couldn’t!

  He tried to take her in his arms, only to have his chest pummelled with clenched fists as she fought against him.

  ‘Let-me-go-Max,’ she told him through gritted teeth, pushing against his chest now in an effort to dislodge the steel of his arms.

  ‘I can’t,’ he told her gruffly.

  ‘Let me go, Max, or I’ll—I’ll—’

  ‘You’ll what?’ He frowned.

  She became suddenly still in his arms, her eyes filled with tears now as she looked up at him. ‘I don’t want this, Max,’ she told him huskily. ‘Don’t you understand?’ she choked, shaking her head.

  Only too well! She couldn’t wait to be out of his arms, to get away from him!

  Max felt pain unlike any he had ever known before, knew that at that moment he would do or say anything to erase that look of loathing—for him!—from her face.

  He drew in a harsh breath. ‘It’s you that doesn’t understand,’ he rasped. ‘I did those things, told the police about your lone drives home late at night, for one reason and one reason only—’

  ‘And we both know what that is, don’t we?’ she flashed with some of her earlier spirit.

  ‘I did it because I care, January!’ he bit out tautly, his hands moving to grasp her upper arms as he shook her slightly. ‘Because I care!’ he repeated harshly.

  She shook her head disbelievingly. ‘There’s only one thing you care about, Max—and that’s yourself!’ she returned scornfully.

  Maybe that had been true once. Maybe it still was, in some ways. But not in the way she meant.

  He shook her again. ‘You stubborn, pigheaded—’

  ‘Yes, I’m stubborn and pigheaded,’ she confirmed self-derisively. ‘But I would much rather be that way than cold and heartless—like you!’

  Max became suddenly still, his hands falling back to his sides as he stepped away from her, his gaze guarded now as he held his inner emotions firmly in check. ‘Is that really what you think of me?’ he finally murmured evenly.

  January’s mouth twisted humourlessly. ‘What else?’ she sneered. ‘But isn’t that what you wanted?’ she challenged scornfully. ‘Of course it is! After all, you’re Max Golding, legal henchman of Jude Marshall—and neither of you makes any secret of the fact that you take no prisoners!’

  Was that what he had become? Not as far as he was aware. It certainly wasn’t what he had set out to be fifteen years ago…

  But was that really what he had become? Somehow that wasn’t a palatable thought.

  ‘I’ve said all I came here to say,’ January told him dismissively as he made no further comment, picking up her bag from where she had thrown it down on the table earlier. ‘But I meant it about staying away from me and my family in the future,’ she added warningly.

  Max could see that she did, could see the cold anger in her eyes, the scorn for him that she made no effort to hide.

  The pain deepened inside him, so much so that it held him immobile as he watched January walk away from him, the door closing softly behind her as she left.

  Max knew she hadn’t just walked out of the hotel suite, but out of his life.

  For ever.

  Never before, not once in all of his thirty-seven years, had he told anyone that he cared about them. And he cared more about January than he ever had anyone before.

  More than cared, if he was honest. With himself, at least.

  And, after the things she had just said, he knew she felt nothing but loathing for him in return…!

  CHAPTER TWELVE

  SOMEONE was following her!
/>   January wasn’t quite sure when she first became aware of the car following some distance behind hers, but she had been sure of it for at least the last three miles, every turn she took down increasingly country roads—deserted roads!—the car behind making the same turn seconds later.

  Suddenly Max’s scathing comments about the safety of her driving home alone late at night no longer seemed quite so ridiculous!

  Unless it was Max himself who was following her…?

  Surely not; she knew he was a determined man, but surely not a vindictive one? And it was more than vindictive to scare her in this way!

  Then who was it?

  She gave another glance in the driving mirror, those two headlights still there, if some distance away, too far back for her to even begin to identify the make of the car, let alone identify the driver. But she certainly didn’t intend stopping the car in order to confront the other driver, either!

  But she didn’t like this, didn’t like it one little bit.

  Of course, she could be wrong about the other car deliberately following her, it could just be someone else returning home late at night who also happened to live in her area. She could just be overreacting to this because of Max’s dire warnings!

  There was one way of testing that theory, January realized as she took note of where she had got to in the journey; in about half a mile or so there was a narrow lane that led onto the track that eventually reached the farm. And only their farm. If the person behind her took that same short cut then she was definitely being followed.

  January’s hands tightened on the steering wheel as the car followed on behind her as she turned down the lane, feeling hot and cold at the same time as she accepted she was definitely being followed.

  To say she was alarmed now would be an understatement; she had never been so scared in her life!

  The mobile telephone!

  They had one mobile telephone between the three of them, May keeping it with her during the day as she worked about the farm, but insisting that January take it with her on the evenings she worked. She had always dismissed the necessity of it in the past, but at this particular moment she was glad of May’s over-protectiveness!

  But who did she call?

  Her sisters at the farm?

  Both May and March were heavy sleepers, and with the mobile here with her, the only other telephone was downstairs in the hallway.

  Max?

  Absolutely not!

  The police, to tell them she thought she was being followed?

  If she turned out to be wrong about that, she was going to end up looking extremely foolish.

  But what if she wasn’t wrong…?

  The police, then, she decided hurriedly as the car behind followed her doggedly down the narrow lane—

  No—wait a minute! The car had stopped, the headlights starting to fade away now as January took the turning up the track that led directly to the farm, able to heave a deep sigh of relief seconds later as she saw the vehicle was being turned around before driving back in the direction they had just come.

  How strange. How very, very odd.

  Strange and odd it might be, but January was shaking badly with reaction by the time she parked the car in the farmyard ten minutes later and climbed out onto the cobbles!

  Perhaps it was as well, after all, that after tomorrow she would no longer have that long drive back from the hotel at night; she had the evening off anyway on Saturday, to attend Sara and Josh’s wedding.

  Although she had no intention of ever giving Max the satisfaction of knowing he might have been right about these late-night drives, still maintained that he had no right to interfere in her life in the high-handed way that he had.

  She had no intention of telling her sisters about the car following her home tonight, either; they had enough worries already. With only one evening left to work, it wasn’t worth mentioning.

  ‘I don’t understand.’ May frowned the following morning as the two of them sat drinking coffee together, March having already left for work. ‘What reason did Peter Meridew give for letting you go?’

  ‘Sacking me,’ January corrected dryly. ‘My own safety, apparently.’ She grimaced. ‘A likely story!’ she added disgustedly, knowing exactly who was responsible for her jobless state after this evening. And why! ‘But don’t worry, I’ll get another job,’ she assured optimistically.

  Quite where, she wasn’t sure. She could always wait for the health and country club to open and apply for a job there—she didn’t think!

  May still frowned. ‘Perhaps, in the circumstances, we really should consider Jude Marshall’s offer to buy the farm…’

  ‘What?’ January sat up stiffly, staring at her sister incredulously. May couldn’t be serious, not after all they had already gone through! ‘I will get another job, May,’ she assured her determinedly. ‘Besides, if we sold the farm, where would we all live?’ She frowned.

  May shrugged. ‘March could get a flat in town, which would save her all the travelling to and fro to work. The two of you could probably get a flat together,’ she reasoned.

  January couldn’t believe she was hearing this! ‘And what about you?’

  ‘Me?’ Her sister looked a little uncomfortable now. ‘Well, the thing is, January— Well, you see— I—’

  ‘What is it?’ January prompted warily; May was the least tongue-tied person she had ever known.

  May’s cheeks coloured. ‘I’ve had this offer, you see—Well, not exactly an offer—more like—’

  ‘May!’ January protested impatiently. ‘Just spit it out, will you?’

  If her sister had a boyfriend, someone May was serious about, then it was the first January had heard of it. But if that were the case… The three of them had always known that they could only continue to run the farm if all three of them were in agreement, if it was what they all three wanted to go on doing. One of them wanting to marry would certainly change that. Even if the man agreed to live on the farm, there was no way he would want the other two sisters living with them, too. As she had learnt only too well from her brief relationship with Ben!

  May gave an embarrassed sigh. ‘Someone approached me, after I did the pantomime at Christmas, suggested that I go for a screen test, that—well, that—’

  ‘May…!’ January said excitedly. ‘Really?’

  May flushed uncomfortably. ‘I wasn’t completely honest about going to the dentist the other day, I actually had lunch with this director. He—’ She moistened dry lips. ‘Apparently he spent Christmas with his sister’s family nearby, came to the pantomime with them all, and saw me—January, if I go for the test, and it’s successful, he wants me to appear in a film he’s going to begin making this summer!’ she finished incredulously.

  January had known her sister was good, very good in fact, but this—!

  It was beyond any of their wildest dreams. Beyond May’s, she was sure.

  ‘But don’t you see?’ May wailed. ‘If I have the screen test, and if this director offers me the part, I would no longer be here to work on the farm,’ she pointed out emotionally. ‘You and March simply wouldn’t be able to cope here on your own, job or no job.’

  January could see only too well. But, at the same time, this was too good an opportunity for May to turn down.

  ‘But of course you must do it,’ she told May decisively. ‘May, you didn’t say no?’ She groaned as her sister still looked unconvinced.

  ‘I said—maybe.’ May grimaced. ‘I needed time to think about it,’ she defended at January’s reproachful look. ‘After all, it’s a big step.’

  ‘But if you’re successful—!’

  ‘I’m not sure I want to be successful. Not in that way,’ May added hardly.

  ‘But you have been thinking about it?’ January persisted.

  ‘Yes,’ her sister sighed. ‘And now that you’ve lost your job, and we have an offer on the farm, anyway… It all seems to be leading to one thing. Maybe this is what we’re supposed to do
. I don’t know, January. I just don’t know.’ She gave a weary shake of her head.

  January knew that she would personally hate having to tell Max that they had changed their mind about accepting Jude Marshall’s offer, would hate even more the look of triumph that would be on his face once he had been told. But, at the same time, May deserved her chance at success, didn’t she…?

  ‘Let’s see what March thinks about it all, hmm?’ January prompted, although she was pretty sure March would be of the same mind as herself.

  As sisters they had always looked out for each other, but May had always been the mainstay of the family, the one who took the most responsibility; it was only fair that she be given the chance to do something totally for herself.

  Having Max arrive at the farm later that afternoon, to inform them that he was returning to America in the morning, along with a recommendation to Jude Marshall that he work his plans for the health and country club around the Calendar farm, was not something either she or May could have envisaged!

  But he was intelligent enough to realize that neither January nor May was exactly thrilled by the news, looking at them both with narrowed eyes as the three of them stood in the warm kitchen. ‘That was what you wanted, wasn’t it?’ he rasped.

  ‘It was, yes,’ May was the one to answer guardedly.

  ‘January?’ Max bit out tautly, blue gaze compelling.

  She met that gaze reluctantly, very aware of how disturbingly attractive he looked in the dark business suit and white shirt he was wearing today. Even more aware of the things she had said to him the previous evening—and the huge backdown they were probably about to make.

  But it was for May, wasn’t it…?

  ‘It was what we wanted, yes,’ she confirmed slowly.

  His gaze narrowed. ‘But you have since changed your mind?’ he guessed shrewdly.

  January looked pleadingly at May, knowing she couldn’t do this. She just couldn’t!

  ‘We’re—thinking about it, yes,’ her sister told Max dismissively.

  Max looked at the two of them disbelievingly, shaking his head, obviously completely baffled by this seeming about-face on their part.