Lifelong Affair

by Carole Mortimer

  She gave an impatient sigh at the way this man had an answer for everything. 'Giving up my guardianship

  of Court is not- '

  'Courtney,' he substituted firmly.

  'Court is short for '

  'He was named Courtney, let's stick to that, shall we?' he said abruptly.

  'I'm sure Glenna meant it to be shortened to Court, like my father,' she insisted stubbornly.

  'But Glenna isn't here '

  'You bastard!' Morgan choked raggedly. 'You cold blooded, unfeeling bastard! You ' she sank slowly to the floor as blackness overcame her.

  She woke up to find herself stretched full length on the corner unit sofa, her head propped up by several cushions, the darkly intent face of Alex Hammond bent over her. She snatched her hand away selfconsciously as she realised it was held between long tapered fingers, the fingers of the other hand lightly tapping against her pale cheek.

  Alex Hammond moved back instantly and sat back on his heels, seeming unexerted from having to carry her to the sofa; and she might be thin, but she wasn't a lightweight. Still, those shoulders and arms looked capable of great strength.

  She sat up awkwardly, moving back and away from him. 'I'm sorry,' she said abruptly.

  He nodded distandy. 'I've been expecting something like it ever since I arrived and found the press harassing you.'

  'How clever of you!' Her voice was brittle.

  Alex stood up, very dark and forbidding in Morgan's openly bright apartment, dwarfing it. 'You were at cracking point. I doubt you've slept all night. I had no idea of the added worry of your father's illness.'

  Morgan swung her legs to the ground and stood up, feeling at less of a disadvantage, her own height being considerable, although Alex Hammond still topped her by a head. She swayed slightly as she stood, not as recovered as she thought she was, although her back was straight, her gaze steady as she faced Alex Hammond across the room. Like adversaries. And she had a feeling that was exactly what they were.

  'It was waiting for your call that stopped me sleeping.' Her words were defensive because of the weakness she had shown by fainting in that way. 'You didn't have to come all the way to Los Angeles, you could have explained everything over the telephone and saved yourself the trouble of flying out here. I could have told you no just as easily that way,' she added hardly.

  His mouth tightened. 'You won't even look at the papers I brought with me?' 'No.'

  'Even though you know Courtney will be better off with us in England?'

  'And who is usT she derided scornfully. 'You and your mother? A bitter and resentful widow and an unfeeling man?'

  Icy grey eyes raked over her with cool disdain. 'Or a fun-loving young actress with no morals?' he rasped.

  'You mean me?' she gasped. "Where did vou get that impression, Mr Hammond?'

  'Glenna was very proud of your first English televised role,' he drawled. "Wc were all made to watch your undoubted talent as Mary-Beth Barker.'

  That was what she had thought. 'Talent is the right word, Mr Hammond,' she taunted. 'I was acting a part—I thought you were intelligent enough to realise that.'

  'Maybe I am,' he nodded. 'But I have no reason to believe Courtney would be happier with you than with us. You must work very hard, very long hours. I doubt you would have a lot of time to bring up a young child.'

  She dismissed the wisdom of his words. Glenna had wanted her to have a part in bringing up Court, and that was what she was going to do. 'I have a plane to catch, Mr Hammond,' she told him briskly. I have to get to the airport.'

  He closed his briefcase with a decisive click. 'I'll come with you.'

  "That won't be necessary.

  'It's very necessary,' he told her grimly. 'I have a seat on that plane too.'

  'Oh.' Her eyes were narrowed. 'You didn't intend staying long. Or were you so sure of what you thought my answer would be that you just expected to come here, have me sign those documents, and then return home?' Her eyes took on a dangerous sheen as she saw by the tightening of his mouth that that was exactly what he had thought. 'Glenna wasn't happy with your family, Mr Hammond,' she told him frostily. 'I'm beginning to understand why.'

  'Indeed?' he bit out grimly.

  'Yes!'

  'And I'm beginning to see that you're as uncompromising as your sister was. Oh yes, we knew of Glenna's unhappiness,' he mocked her gasp of surprise. 'She made no secret of the fact. But I think I should point out once again that Glenna gave her son two guardians; she didn't cut the Hammonds out of Courtney's life as if she hated us.'

  Morgan wondered if this man had a habit of always being right; if he did it was an annoying habit! 'Instead of arguing I suggest we get to the airport—I wouldn't want to miss the plane. I'll just go into my bedroom and call my mother at the hospital. She's been as anxious as I have.'

  If Alex Hammond was affected by her deliberate move to shame him he didn't show it, settling his long length into a chair, sitting back to close his eyes with a weary sigh.

  Guilt instantly washed over her. This man might seem like a cold robot to her, but his brother had just died, and he had just spent all those hours on a plane; he must be exhausted. 'Can I get you some coffee?' she offered huskily. 'Or something to eat?'

  His eyes flickered open, silver-grey, showing no sign of the tiredness she suspected. 'Tea?' he queried hopefully.

  Morgan smiled, and the tension instantly eased between them. 'I have tea,' she nodded. 'It's a habit I picked up when I went to England for the wedding. Milk, sugar?'

  'Thanks,' he nodded.

  Her mother came to the telephone straight away once she had been paged, and it was the hardest thing in the world to tell her that Glenna really was dead; her mother finally broke down now that she knew there was no hope of ever seeing her eider daughter again. Morgan broke down and cried with her, offering no resistance as Alex Hammond came in and took over, too overcome by grief herself now that her shock was passing to talk coherently.

  'Your mother is overjoyed by her grandson's existence,' Alex Hammond rang off to assure her. 'She hopes she and your father can go to England to see him soon. In the meantime, I don't think you're in any condition to fly to England. Maybe it would be better '

  'I'm coming with you,' Morgan told him determinedly. 'I want to sec Court-ney, and also I have to—to attend Glenna's funeral. Someone from the family should be there.' She went to the bathroom and washed her face in cold water. 'I take it the funeral will be in England.'

  'As soon as—Yes,' he substituted abruptly. 'Eventually.'

  Her spine stiffened at the addition of the last word. 'I understand,' she said heavily. 'I'm ready to leave now.'

  'Are you sure- '

  'I'm very sure.' Her expression was stubborn.

  'Your work?'

  'Will just have to wait,' she told him with bravado, not in the least sure how the studio would react to her taking off like this. They surely couldn't object to a couple of days, not in the circumstances. If they did they would just have to sue. She doubted they would want to do that. 'I intend coming with you, Mr Hammond—make no mistake about that.'

  'Then perhaps you'd better call me Alex,' he derided. 'I don't intend calling you Miss McKay for the next twelve hours or so.'

  'Morgan,' she supplied abruptly.

  'I know that,' he nodded. 'Glenna spoke of you often.'

  She would have liked to return the compliment, but Glcnna had been surprisingly reticent about her brother-in-law, talking about him little, and then only m connection with Mark being at work. Apparently Alex Hammond kept to himself, spending little time with the family.

  'Feel up to braving the media again?' he queried distantly. T doubt if they've left yet. Especially if news of survivors has filtered through.

  Completely in control of herself now, Morgan was able to move determinedly at Alex Hammond's side as they made their way downstairs to get into the cab that he had ordered to wait for them ten minutes ago as she cried. Alex ignored the questions
thrown at them; his expression was distant, his hold on Morgan's arm unbreakable, despite the pushing and jostling going on about them.

  'The airport,' he instructed the cab driver arrogantly, pushing Morgan in the car ahead of him.

  She wasn't used to being dominated in this way. She had been brought up to be independent, to stand up for herself; Alex Hammond was obviously used to being dominant with the women in his life.

  Morgan studied him curiously on the drive to the airport. There could be no doubting that he was very attractive, in an austere way, and yet Glenna had never mentioned him having a woman in his life. But he certainly didn't like men! His gaze had been critical of ber, but it had definitely been male in its intent. No doubt there were women from time to time, just nothing serious. She wondered why. Alex was thirty-eight, surely that was quite old for a man not to have been married. He probably thought twenty-six was old for a woman not to have married either! 'Something funny?'

  Her smile faded as she realised he was looking at her. 'Not really, she dismissed. 'Is Courtney at your home?' Alex shook his head. 'He's being kept in hospital for a few days. It's a standard thing for new babies,' he added at her worried frown, 'He really is very well, Morgan. Perfectly healthy, even if he is eight weeks premature.' 'Thank God!' she shuddered. 'Yes,' he agreed curtly.

  All was chaos at the airport; the members of the media who had been outside her home had obviously telephoned ahead to their colleagues, for a dozen or so reporters were continuing the harassment. Morgan wasn't in the least surprised when Alex secured a private lounge for them, and strode off to deal with their seats himself.

  Morgan took this opportunity to call Sam and Jerry, something she hadn't had time to do in the trauma of the last hour. Sam was very understanding, and Jerry had already rearranged the work schedule to allow her to take a week off. A week should be long enough to convince the Hammonds that Glenna's baby belonged with her.

  'Just don't be any longer than that,' Jerry warned in a growl, 'or the wrath of Zorbo will come down around your head!'

  Morgan laughed softly, ringing off. Frank Zorbo was a small Greek man, the head of A.M.X. Broadcasting Company, and quite harmless until something put out his carefully organised programme schedule. Then he was like a roaring tornado.

  'Everything is organised,' Alex came back to assure her. 'We'll be boarding in a few minutes.

  For the moment it just felt good to let him take over the details; her mind was not functioning as fluently as it usually did. Alex looked as if nothing ever deterred or upset him.

  It came as a surprise to her when she was shown into the first class section of the plane, to the seat next to Alex Hammond. She had been booked into a scat much farther down the plane, had been told that there were no other seats available.

  'I already had a scat reserved for you,' Alex told her at her qustioning look.

  Her eyes widened. 'You knew I would be coming with you?'

  'I told you, Glenna talked of you a lot, I was able to assess what your reaction would be.'

  But you flew over here yourself anyway?

  'It was worth a try,' he shrugged.

  'Never,' she shook her head firmly. 'I'll never give Courtney up.'

  Alex sighed. 'I suggest we save any further talk of the baby until a less emotional time.'

  Morgan instantly felt guilty. This man had another long flight in front of him—he was likely to meet himself on the way back!—and what he needed at the moment was to rest. She deliberately stopped talking,

  although her tension began to rise as the engines of the plane roared for take-off. Everything had happened so suddenly, so quickly, that until this moment she hadn't given a thought to the flight itself. Glenna and

  Mark had just died in an aircraft very similar to this one, what if

  'It won't happen, Morgan.' Strong fingers clasped about hers, gently reassuring.

  She had never thought of herself as a weak or dependent woman, and yet at that moment she was petrified, turning into the comfortable width of shoulder at her side, clinging on to Alex Hammond as if they were lovers.

  Only when the plane was safely in the air did she move away from him. 'I'm sorry, her lashes were downcast in her embarrassment at breaking down in that way. 'I'm not usually—well, I don't normally—'

  'Forget it,' he dismissed abrupdy. 'I already have.v

  It wasn't the normal reaction a man had to holding her in his arms, and it irked her somewhat that this man was so immune to the female form. The man was a damned robot!

  It didn't in the least surprise her when he fell asleep shortly after take-off, and she remained quietly at his side, guessing that he needed the rest. And if the truth were known she needed a little time to herself, to think quietly, to realise that she and the man at her side had sole responsibility for a tiny baby who would never know his real parents, who would be denied a mother's love. Morgan vowed on that long flight that she would be the mother to Courtney that Glenna had intended her to be—no matter what the Hammonds said or did!

  Alex had left his Mercedes parked at the airport, and with the ease with which she was coming to expect from him he saw them through Customs and into the car, driving them to the Hammond house in Surrey himself.

  'Courtney-- '

  'I'll drive you to see him tomorrow,' Alex interrupted abruptly. 'I believe we may be able to bring him home then.'

  Morgan couldn't help the sudden rush of colour in her cheeks. It sounded curiously intimate for the two of them to be bringing home a baby. Obviously Alex thought so too.

  'A nanny will be engaged for him,' he added

  harshly.

  'No!'

  'It's the best way '

  'It may be your best way, Alex,' she scorned, ignoring the tiredness still about his eyes, the fact that he must be feeling exhausted, knowing only that if she gave in to him over this then she would be continually doing so, 'but I happen to believe Courtney needs a mother's love, not the impersonality of a transient nanny.'

  'A mother's love is something we can't give him!' Alex rasped.

  'I can,' Morgan told him heatedly, her eyes flashing deeply green. 'I intend adopting him as my own son.'

  Grey eyes snapped with anger. 'That might be a httle difficult,' he ground out.

  She eyed him warily. 'Why?

  'Both guardians have to agree to any plans involving Courtney,' he pointed out grimly.

  She stiffened, turning in the leather seat to look at him, aware that he looked very weary, lines of strain beside his eyes and mouth, the latter a taut line of aggression. 'And you won't agree to my adopting Courtney?' she asked softly.

  TMo.'

  'Why?'

  'I don't believe it would be in his best interests.'

  "Don't talk down to me, Alex Hammond!' she snapped, 'just say what you mean. You don't think a "fun-loving young actress with no morals" a suitable mother for him, that's it, isn't it?'

  He sighed heavily. 'I wish I'd never made that remark. I suppose I'm to have it thrown up at me periodically during our association?'

  'That won't be for long! I'm returning to Los Angeles as soon as possible.

  'Without Courtney.'

  'With him.'

  'No,' he shook his head. 'Not unless I agree. And I don't. Don't you think this is a little soon to start arguing about Courtney's future?'

  •With you I have a feeling it's never too soon to start arguing!'

  To her surprise the austere features broke into a smile, and Alex instantly looked younger, incredibly handsome, the grooves in his cheeks ones of humour this time, unfamiliar grooves, as if he smiled little. Morgan had a feeling that he didn't, and she wondered at the reason for his harshness. A woman in the past, perhaps? That was usually the reason a man with Alex's intelligence retreated into himself. Perhaps he hadn't been able to take rejection. Whatever the reason, his humour now was totally unexpected. She gave him a questioning look.

  His mouth quirked. 'You're the only one who does arg
ue with me,' he drawled. 'Really?' She smiled too now. 'Really,' he nodded. 'That's incredible. •Yes.'

  'And that's arrogant!'

  'No,' he smiled again. 'It's quite exhilarating, actually.'

  Now why on earth should she blush like a schoolgirl at the thought of Alex Hammond finding something about her exhilarating? Maybe it was because he was a challenge, the original ice man.

  But she wasn't here to find him a challenge, she was here to get Courtney and return home. And she mould do it.

  It needed all her self-confidence to enter the Hammond house with him a short time later; she was wary about meeting Rita Hammond again. They hadn't exactly taken to each other when they met two years ago, and she had no reason to think the other woman would be any more kindly disposed towards her. The opposite if she also believed in the part of Mary-Beth being Morgan's own nature!

  If Rita Hammond had been sedated the day before there was no sign of it today. The woman was tall, almost as tall as her son, her iron-grey hair perfectly coffered, her make-up impeccable despite her sixty years, her taste in clothes sophisticated and flattering to her slender figure.

  She looked at Morgan with flinty blue eyes, not surprised to see her, but not welcoming her either. Veil, that suited Morgan, she wasn't glad to be here either! 'Miss McKay,' the other woman greeted regally. 'Mrs Hammond,' Morgan returned as frostily. 'You parents are well?' Morgan's eyes widened. What was wrong with this family? This woman's son and daughter-in-law had been tragically killed and she was asking innocuous questions about Morgan's family! These people were emotionless. She need look no farther than Rita Hammond for her son's lack of emotion; these people obviously didn't know the meaning of the word love. 'Could I please go to my room?' she asked jerkily. 'I'm feeling—tired, after the journey.'

  Rita Hammond instantly rang for Symonds, instructing him to take Morgan up to the 'lemon' room. 'We'll talk later,' Alex told her softly as she walked pan him to follow Symonds upstairs.

  She turned to smile at him, beginning to feel as if he was the only stability in a suddenly shaky world- 'You look tired,' she told him huskily. 'Why don't you rest too?'

  Grey eyes widened—and then narrowed, almost as if he suspected her motives. 'Not yet,' he answered abruptly. 'I have things to do.' "But soon, hum?' she prompted. 'Perhaps,' he nodded distantly. 'Go with Symonds.' She felt suitably dismissed, regretting the politeness of her concern. This man obviously didn't need anyone's sympathy for anything!