But as things were now, did Nick want her in either a business or a personal capacity? If the leak had ruined the Allure promotion she wouldn’t hold him to the terms of the contract. At the moment she was just drifting along with events and pushing aside the thought that she might find herself asking Jim Bourne to rehire her.
Being guest of honor warranted the purchase of a new outfit to wear. This time she wouldn’t let any well-meaning salesgirl steer her into an unwise buy. But why go to the trouble and expense of searching, she had to wonder, when the perfect dress for the occasion was hanging in her wardrobe? When Nick had stormed out it had been a long time before she could bring herself to even look at the dress. She’d scrunched it up in her hands and thrown it into a corner. It had lain there in mocking accusation until she’d picked it up, sighing at her foolishness. The only magical quality it contained was the way it so readily shed its creases. If the dress was responsible for what had happened between her and Nick, it was so only indirectly. You could never count on being in a happy mood simply because you wore yellow, or filled with melancholy when you wore gray. Neither was it true that you were virtuous in white, or wild and wanton in black. It had all been frivolous nonsense about the black dress. And yet the white dress, the one Luisa was wearing when she received her marriage proposal, had put superstition in Lindsay’s mind. If Nick hadn’t reached out to detain her, if he’d let her go and she’d changed into the black dress, the outcome might have been very different.
A final glance in the full-length mirror before she left her apartment satisfied Lindsay that she had made the right choice. The fitted bodice showed off her curves and small waist, while the lace at her throat and arms made her look both fragile and graceful. She had accented this look by pinning up her hair; the silky pale-gold tendrils that escaped around her face and at the nape of her neck served to heighten the effect.
When he opened the door to her and took her coat, Jim Bourne’s eyes widened in appreciation. His smile washed over her, elevating enough in itself without the added, ‘Wow! You’re a knock-out in that dress.’
Her employer—it was strange to think that at the close of this working day he had become her ex-employer—had done her proud. The long buffet table contained an amazing range of delicacies, including caviar, and must have set him back a small fortune. Likewise the bar, also a serve-yourself affair, was stocked with every drink ingredient imaginable.
The guests all seemed to pile in at once. Lindsay was pleased to see that Cathy had come—she had been half afraid that her sister-in-law would make some last-minute excuse not to be there. In the midst of the crush Lindsay thought that everyone who had been invited must have accepted, and more besides! She noticed that Jim Bourne had successfully annexed Cathy, and that they seemed to be involved in an intimate conversation, his hand resting lightly on Cathy’s arm in a protective kind of way.
Lindsay had already spoken to Greg Hammond twice, but other guests had been present at the time, and she hadn’t been able to ask him about her brother. Now she spotted him again at the other side of the room and wondered if this time she would be lucky enough to speak with him alone. She was within a few yards of him when she saw that he was talking to Nick Farraday. She stopped walking automatically, but both men had seen her. So, although her instinct was to change direction, pride made her continue straight ahead. She ought to have guessed that Jim Bourne would invite him. Unless he’d come uninvited.
Having previously said hello to Greg, she merely smiled in their direction before lifting her eyes. ‘Good evening, Mr. Farraday.’
The formal greeting sounded odd even to her own ears, and caused one dark brow to rise aloofly. ‘Good evening, Lindsay. You look particularly charming. What is the old-fashioned appeal of lace, I wonder?’ The sarcastic slur, the gentle but noticeable emphasis on the word old-fashioned, made it clear what he thought of her after their last meeting.
‘I don’t know about that; I do know that perhaps I shouldn’t have gone for a high neck and long sleeves in this crush. It’s like a Turkish bath,’ she said, hoping that would be adequate explanation for the tinge of pink she felt flowing into her cheeks.
‘Is that what it is? And here I was thinking it was seeing you that had sent my blood pressure shooting up,’ Nick came back smoothly, drawing out his handkerchief to pat a nonperspiring brow.
How could he be so cool and self-possessed, and she an emotional mess? His attitude to her in no way softened the impact he had on her. She was too wretchedly aware of the man. The physical aura that surrounded him was overpowering; her foolish body responded of its own volition. Last time they had met she had credited her body with knowing best, but her head had known best after all; she shouldn’t have allowed herself to be ruled by her emotions. Knowing all this, she felt that she now ought to be able to summon up the strength of mind to overcome the weakness of the flesh, to still the trembling of her limbs and the pounding of the heart that he had rejected. He hadn’t wanted her heart and all that went with it, just her body. It was soul-destroying to know that that knowledge didn’t make one scrap of difference to her; he still had the same crazy effect on her. She clenched her hands into fists, willing herself to be back in control.
Her attempts at conversation weren’t as successful as she would have wished, and she was infinitely relieved when Jim Bourne butted in. Relieved, that is, until she knew his reason for doing so.
‘Excuse me. May I borrow Lindsay for a moment? Little matter of the presentation.’
‘You didn’t tell me anything about a presentation,’ Lindsay said as he led her away.
‘You didn’t think you wouldn’t get a goodbye gift, did you?’
‘It never entered my head. The party was enough. I hope you haven’t been too extravagant.’
‘Even if I had been, it wouldn’t be more than you’re worth. But actually it’s a collective effort.’
‘I hope I won’t be expected to make a speech,’ she said, filled with alarm as the horror of that struck her.
‘I have an idea that it will be expected of you. But you’ll do it beautifully.’
It wasn’t as bad as Lindsay had anticipated. Her present was a bracelet watch. As he fastened it on her wrist, Jim Bourne quipped that it wasn’t a reflection on her timekeeping. Although he kept his speech short, his praise of Lindsay was high. She responded by saying that he had been a pleasure to work for and said some equally nice things about her colleagues, then stepped down to applause, after which everyone crowded round to admire her gift.
It was quite some time before she managed to get Greg Hammond on his own. Some of the guests had left by then, and the tempo of the party had slowed. Several couples, among them Cathy, partnered by Jim Bourne, were dancing to the dreamy beat of the record on the stereo.
‘Greg?’ Lindsay queried, tugging his arm. ‘Can I get you in a quiet corner for a moment?’
His mouth curled up in a typical male reaction. ‘Anytime.’
She didn’t really believe that he’d put that sort of implication on her request. He was just fooling, but she went along with him and playfully slapped his hand. ‘I want to talk to you. There’s something I must ask you. Perhaps it would be best if we went into Jim’s study. In the circumstances, I don’t think he’d mind.’
‘This sounds intriguing,’ Greg said as he allowed himself to be led out.
Lindsay wondered if anyone had observed their departure, anyone named Nick Farraday.
Greg waited until they were both seated, then said, ‘Okay.’ The soberness of his tone told her that he’d tuned into something in her expression and wasn’t looking forward to this. ‘What do you want to know?’
‘Before I ask you anything, there’s something I must tell you. I’ve already told Nick. Phil Cooper was my brother.’
A look of resigned forbearance came to his face. ‘I thought he might have been, or at least have been related to you in some way. You had a deep grievance against Nick. I recalled that Phil’s la
st name had also been Cooper. It was reasonable to deduce that there might be a connection.’
His deductions made it easier for Lindsay, even though she still gleaned something a bit scary in his manner. But having made it this far she had to go on. ‘I want to know why Phil was fired.’
‘Are you sure?’
‘I wouldn’t ask if I wasn’t.’
‘No. Silly question.’
‘Please, Greg,’ she urged.
‘How do I start? Believe me, Lindsay, the last thing I want to do is hurt you. And Phil was my buddy.’
‘I’m glad about that. It means I won’t get a one-sided version.’
‘That’s the point I wanted to make. You know how much he admired Nick?’
‘Yes, his letters were full of him. And because he thought so highly of his hero I thought it was cruel of Nick to let Phil down.’
‘Nick never let anyone down in his life. Hero worship does no harm; unfortunately, it didn’t stop there. Phil was jealous of Nick. He found it hard to reconcile himself to the thought of one man having so much. He couldn’t see that Nick had worked damned hard for his luck.’
‘I know that Phil tried to pattern himself on Nick. Cathy told me that.’
‘I’d love to hear Cathy’s version. Or perhaps I wouldn’t. She’s a stupid, embittered woman who won’t admit to the truth.’
Suspicious of his vehemence, wondering if he’d allowed personal feelings to creep in, she said, ‘At one time I thought that you and Cathy might make a go of it. She told me you had a row. Is that why you’re angry?’
‘I’m not angry, just frustrated. And there was never anything like that between us. Neither of us had those sorts of feelings. I tried to befriend her because . . . if you must know, Nick thought she needed someone. I was following instructions.’
‘Why didn’t Nick befriend her himself?’
‘He asked me to do it because I was Phil’s friend, and he thought I would be able to get closer to Cathy and offer help better than he could.’
‘Umph! Some friend.’
‘This isn’t easy for me, Lindsay.’
‘I know,’ she admitted grudgingly. ‘Go on.’
‘Phil didn’t just aim to be like Nick.’ Greg’s eyes never left her face, and a curious feeling pinched Lindsay’s stomach. ‘Your brother passed himself off as Nick . . . to make it.’
‘Make it?’
‘Come on, Lindsay, you can’t be that naive! How does a guy make it? With women, of course! Phil had access to Nick’s cars, his private plane, his homes. Besides his apartment here in London, he has one in New York, a house in Paris, and a villa in the South of France. Phil knew Nick’s travel schedule so it was easy for him to make use of them.’
‘You’re saying that Phil took advantage of his position and used Nick’s establishments as love nests?’
‘I’m sorry, Lindsay, truly I am, but that’s the truth of it.’
‘I don’t believe you. Phil and Cathy were the perfect couple. He wouldn’t have looked at another woman. And another thing, this isn’t fair, because my brother isn’t here to defend himself. If he were he’d tear down this pack of lies.’
‘Every word I’ve spoken is the truth.’
‘You might think so, Greg. I don’t doubt your sincerity, but if things had been that way I would have had a whiff of something.’
‘There was no cover-up, if that’s what you’re getting at, except to protect Phil’s family, particularly the kid. Nick went to a lot of trouble to save her from unnecessary suffering later on in life. He didn’t want anything that wasn’t her fault to catch up with her. You know how people like digging things up, the way their minds work. Like father, like son, or in this case, daughter.’
‘What do you mean by cover-up?’
‘I’ve said too much already. Nick will kill me if he finds out.’
‘If you don’t tell me, Nick won’t get the chance, because I’ll have done it.’
‘I guess you’re right. I can’t stop now. So . . . Phil was getting away with it nicely. It all blew up in his face when one of his girlfriends slapped a paternity suit on Nick. At first Nick didn’t take a lot of notice. He knew two things, that he was innocent, and that a man in his position is prey to that sort of thing, along with kidnap bids and the like. There’s always someone on the look-out for a way to make a fast buck. The suit was handed to his lawyer to be dealt with in the usual way. Routine, inquiries turned up the fact that the man in question wasn’t Nick, but Phil.’
‘No! This is preposterous. Stephanie is the only child Phil has fathered.’
‘I don’t know about that. Nick fought this particular case, and it was proved that Phil couldn’t possibly be the father, so the suit was dropped. As I said just now, hush money was paid to keep it under cover, because that sort of information sticks. But it was curtains for Phil. Nick stood by him until he got him absolved, but then he kicked him out. You can’t blame him for that, because he wouldn’t have been able to put his trust in Phil again.’
‘I wouldn’t blame him if I thought there was a shred of truth in any of this. I suppose this is a sample of the lies you told Cathy.’
‘I didn’t have to tell Cathy a thing. She already knew. It couldn’t be kept from her. I merely tried to point out to her that until she admitted the facts and found it in her heart to forgive, she was never going to rid herself of her bitterness, and that it would go on eating her up and ruining her life.’
‘No, Greg. You’re the one who’s wrong. Your loyalty to Nick and the admiration you feel for him for what he’s made of himself have blinded you to the truth. Phil couldn’t have done what you say,’ she sobbed, almost beside herself.
‘No! It’s exactly as I told you. I didn’t want to tell you, remember; you made me.’
She turned her head, unmoved by the entreaty in his eyes. He grabbed her by the shoulders, as if he felt the need to shake her to make her see reason. She pulled away, and he dragged her back.
‘Let me go!’
‘Not in the state you’re in. You’re distraught, Lindsay. I know it’s been a shock to you, but you’ve got to pull yourself together. Calm down and then I’ll let—’
‘Take your hands off me,’ she screamed. She heard the click of the door opening before she spoke, but not soon enough for her brain to signal her mouth to close. Her startled eyes saw Nick bearing down on them.
‘You heard what she said!’ Nick bellowed, eyes blazing as he reached out to hoist Greg to his feet.
Greg didn’t have the physique to fight back even if he’d wanted to. He submitted, pleading plaintively, ‘You’ve got it wrong, Nick. I swear it. We were talking, and things got a bit overheated, but it’s not what you think. I wasn’t making a pass.’
Letting him go with a force that sent Greg reeling across the room, Nick commanded, ‘Get out while you can. I want to hear what Lindsay has to say, and if it isn’t to my liking it will be in your best interest not to be around for a while. Don’t think you’re getting away with anything. I intend to deal with you later when I feel more rational.’
‘Yes, Nick, just as you say.’ Casting a look at Lindsay, the faintest gleam of apology in his eyes for leaving her to deal with Nick’s anger, Greg left the room.
Nick moved; two long strides brought him directly in front of her. Even when she was standing he towered over her, and now that she was sitting on the sofa his height seemed especially intimidating. She wanted to cover her eyes and cry. She couldn’t take any more; she felt as if she were sinking under the weight of her own tumultuous emotions. Whichever way she went, a man dear to her was going to be discredited. She couldn’t believe those dreadful things of Phil. But it was equally inconceivable to imagine that Nick had used her brother as a scapegoat, which was the only alternative. Logic told her that this wasn’t possible, yet she wasn’t ready to admit to herself that Phil had been disloyal to the man who had elevated him to a position of importance in his organization, paying him a more than ge
nerous salary. Furthermore, she couldn’t believe that Phil had been unfaithful to the wife he’d professed to love. It was a mire of horror.
To add to her confusion and chilling dismay was the cool violence in Nick’s restrained voice as he said, ‘I sent Greg packing because I didn’t want him to hear what I have to say to you. I saw what was going on between you two before you lured him out. What the devil do you think you’re doing?’
As cowardly as it had seemed, Greg’s getting out while the going was good was understandable. She couldn’t imagine anyone attempting to stand up to this implacable stranger who was a million times removed from the passionate lover who had held her in his arms.
Her teeth almost chattered as she said, ‘What are you talking about? I didn’t lure him out.’
‘You mean it was Greg’s idea for you to sneak in here together?’
‘No, it wasn’t. I asked him to come in here with me. But there was nothing sneaky about it. I had something to ask him.’
‘What?’
‘Stop trying to browbeat me! Give me one good reason why I should tell you!’
Lindsay wanted to tell him to go to the devil, that she didn’t have to explain a thing to him and that she wasn’t going to. She wanted to be cool and aloof and sweep out of the room in disdain, but didn’t for two reasons. She didn’t think her legs would carry her, and if somehow she could manage to conjure up the strength, she didn’t think she’d be allowed to get very far.
‘I am not trying to beat you down.’
‘I should think I’m the best judge of that.’
‘Lindsay, I’m a patient man. Where you’re concerned I surprise myself at the amount of forbearance I can command, but don’t press your luck too far. You can’t stall indefinitely. I’ll get it out of you no matter what means I have to resort to.’
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