Stormy Relationship

by Margaret Mayo

  She frowned. ‘Yes, but what is your name?’ Did he always play games like this?

  ‘Mr Quest,’ he repeated.

  She frowned. ‘Quest? Then you’re—’

  ‘That’s right, I’m Jordan’s brother. Drew’s the name―the fun-loving member of the family. Irresponsible, according to Jordan, but I’d dispute that. Why should I devote my life to trying to make money when it’s much more fun spending it?’ He strode towards her desk and held out his hand.

  Hannah frowned, then laughed as well. ‘Hannah Carpenter. And I didn’t know Jordan had a brother.’

  ‘If he hasn’t told you about me it means you have a strictly business relationship,’ he deduced. ‘Which is good, even if it’s unusual where my dear brother’s concerned, because I’ve decided I want to ask you out. You’re extraordinarily attractive, has anyone ever told you that?’

  Hannah shook her head, trying to hide her laughter. There was no doubt about it, both these Quest brothers were endowed with smooth tongues, and Drew had just confirmed Riva’s statement. So much for Jordan’s saying it was all hearsay!

  Drew was definitely the younger of the two, though his shoulders were as broad as Jordan’s. His hair was dark, straight and short, but he was not so tall, and it was not easy to guess they were brothers. Drew’s eyes were an unusual shade of green, somewhere between emerald and topaz, and they roved over her body like a caress. ‘So how about it―can I take you out for dinner tonight?’ he asked.

  She gasped at his audacity, but could not help liking him for it. ‘Thanks for the offer, but no.’

  ‘Is there some other man in your life?’ He pretended to look disappointed.

  ‘You could say that. His name’s Daniel and he’s eight years old.’

  ‘Oh!’ For a second he looked taken aback. ‘Is there a Mr Carpenter on the scene?’

  ‘Actually, no, I’m a widow,’ Hannah told him.

  He smiled with relief. ‘Some other time, then, when you can fix a baby-sitter?’

  Still Hannah shook her head. ‘I don’t think so.’

  ‘That’s a pity, you look a fun sort of girl who’d like a good time.’

  ‘I do?’ No one had ever said anything like that to her before, especially since Roger died. Admittedly in the past she’d had her crazy moments―what young girl hadn’t? ―but all that seemed so long ago. She’d grown up a lot in the last few years.

  ‘You most certainly do. Have you ever been to a casino? You can have the wildest time there. You must let me take you.’

  Hannah laughed. ‘What an impossible suggestion! I haven’t money to throwaway.’

  ‘You might win,’ Drew pointed out.

  ‘Do you ever win?’

  ‘Well, not exactly,’ he confessed. ‘But it’s great fun trying. And I’m sure I’d be lucky with you at my side.’

  ‘And I think Hannah would be luckier still if you kept out of her life.’

  They both turned at the sound of Jordan’s stern voice.

  Neither had heard him come into the room. Drew lifted his shoulders and smiled easily. Hannah felt uncomfortable, and the relaxed atmosphere Drew had engendered disappeared.

  ‘What are you doing here at this time of day?’ Jordan asked his brother brusquely.

  Drew shrugged and avoided his eyes. ‘I came to see you.’

  ‘Then you’d better come into my office and let my secretary get on with her work.’

  Drew followed Jordan, turning at the door to wink at Hannah. He had such a boyish, happy face that she could not help grinning in return. What a difference there was between them!

  Soon their voices were raised in argument, although she could not hear what they were saying, nor did she want to. If it was some family dispute then it was best she shut her ears and got on with her work.

  Shortly afterwards Drew came out. He did no more than give her a quick smile and another wink, but she could see that he was upset, and she wondered what Jordan had said to him.

  He was followed by Jordan, who came up to Hannah’s desk and frowned ferociously. ‘You’d be well advised to steer clear of my brother. All he’s interested in is a good time; he has absolutely no sense of responsibility.’

  ‘He seems nice enough,’ she defended. ‘A lot of fun.’

  Jordan frowned. ‘He’s the type you like, is that it?’ His tone was harsh, his eyes condemning.

  ‘I wouldn’t say that, not exactly, but—’

  ‘But you feel more attracted to him than you do to me? I couldn’t help noticing how relaxed you were with him.’ His nostrils were dilated, his eyes dark and narrowed, as though the whole idea of her liking Drew was abhorrent.

  ‘He seems a very easy person to get on with. But as for suggesting that I feel anything for him when we’ve only just met, that’s absurd.’

  His expression turned sceptical. ‘I hope, for your sake, that you’re speaking the truth. Bring your notebook in, will you, I want to dictate some letters.’

  He was always confident about what he wanted to say, but today he raced through his dictation even more quickly than usual, and Hannah had great difficulty in keeping up with him. It was as though he wanted to get them out of the way as quickly as possible because he had other things on his mind. Was it something to do with Drew? she wondered.

  When he had finished he leaned back in his chair and closed his eyes, his legs stretched out, taking deep regulating breaths. Hannah sat and watched him for a moment. He never usually showed physical or mental tiredness; he seemed to have an inexhaustible supply of energy. But when she got up to leave his eyes snapped open. ‘Wait a moment, Hannah, I want to discuss your son’s party.’

  And so she sat, watching him, a rare occasion when he was not observing her. He had taken off the jacket to his grey suit and loosened the knot in his tie. His hair was ruffled and fell untidily over his forehead, and she had an insane urge to smooth it back. She had not realised exactly how muscular he was. His jacket had never disguised the breadth of him, but now for the first time she saw his powerfully muscled shoulders and forearms and felt a shiver of excitement. Black springy chest-hairs thrust against the white silk of his shirt, and she had another demented urge to feel them beneath her fingertips.

  With a start she realised Jordan was watching her. ‘What is it, a comparison of the two of us?’ he sneered, pushing himself straight in his seat. ‘I can assure you Drew’s a non-starter where women are concerned. He’ll splash out his money―oh, yes, he likes spending money―but it doesn’t go far when you spend it the way he does. He’s just told me that he’s lost yet another job.’

  Hannah frowned. ‘Why’s that?’

  ‘Because he’s careless in his work, because he’s a bad timekeeper, because he’s totally irresponsible. All he cares about is having a good time. He’s never liked work; that’s why I would never have him with me.’

  ‘What does he do? Or should I say what did he do?’ she asked.

  Jordan snorted his derision. ‘He likes to think of himself as an artist, although he had an excellent education and can apply himself to most things if he puts his mind to it. He’s actually quite clever. His last job was with an advertising company.’

  ‘And now they’ve sacked him?’

  ‘That’s right.’

  ‘Why did he come to see you?’ asked Hannah.

  ‘For the same reason as he always does when he’s down on his luck―he wants a loan. But I’ve helped him for the last time. He’s on his own. If he doesn’t work he gets no money. And that won’t suit him, because it means he won’t be able to impress the fairer sex. And that could include you, Hannah.’

  ‘Me?’ she frowned. ‘What’s your brother got to do with me? I only met him for a few seconds.’

  ‘A few seconds was enough to make an impression as far as he was concerned,’ Jordan returned grimly, and there was a new hardness to his tone, a warning almost. ‘He’s had plenty to say about you.’

  ‘Such as what?’ she demanded.

&nb
sp; ‘He wanted to know how long you’ve been working for me, what sort of a relationship we have―if any―whether there’s any chance for him, what days you have off et cetera et cetera. He seems to have fallen for you quite heavily: though I wouldn’t feel flattered by it if. I were you―Drew changes his girlfriends as often as his shirts.’

  ‘I hope you told him that I’m not interested in a relationship with you, him, or anyone else, and that I’m perfectly happy as I am?’ she returned quietly but firmly.

  ‘Let’s say I convinced him that he would be wrong to pursue you.’ Jordan’s eyes glittered with an anger she could not understand.

  ‘You told him I belonged to you?’ she asked incredulously.

  ‘I hinted at it.’

  ‘You have a nerve! It’s untrue and you know it! You’re the last man I want as a permanent part of my life.’

  ‘Who’s talking about permanency?’

  Hannah tossed her head with a flush of indignation. ‘So it’s an affair you’re after? It’s no more than I suspected, but not what you’re going to get. Really, Mr Quest, I don’t see the point in this conversation.’

  ‘You’re right, let’s forget it,’ he said, much to her surprise. ‘All I wanted to do was put you straight about my brother. Now, about young Daniel’s party.’ He went on to tell her that all the arrangements had been made, it was due to begin at three. A clown was booked to entertain them and, weather permitting, there would be swimming in the pool. Mrs Braden, his housekeeper, was cooking the hot dogs and beef-burgers, as well as lots of other fancy food she thought the children might like.

  ‘You’ve gone to a lot of trouble,’ Hannah said, feeling both embarrassed and grateful. ‘How can I thank you enough?’

  ‘There is a way.’ Jordan’s eyes warmed with a smile as he spoke.

  Hannah looked at him warily. ‘And that is?’ She ought to have known there’d be a condition, that he hadn’t offered Danny this party entirely out of the kindness of his heart.

  ‘You could let me take you out to dinner. From what I understand, you never go anywhere. You deserve to be wined and dined and treated like a lady―at least once in a while.’

  Hannah shook her head. ‘Danny gets upset if I leave him―he thinks something might happen to me, the same as it did his father. He’s getting better, admittedly, but I still don’t like to ask anyone else to look after him.’

  ‘You’re each totally dependent on the other?’

  ‘I suppose you could say that,’ she agreed.

  ‘It’s wrong, Hannah; you should get the boy used to being left. You can’t go on like this for the rest of your life. I’m sure Yvonne Howard would be delighted to look after him―she seemed to me a very willing sort of person. I’ll ask her myself if you’re reluctant. I don’t think she’ll refuse.’

  Of course Yvonne wouldn’t, not if Jordan asked her. He only had to turn on his famous charm and no one refused him anything. And certainly Danny wouldn’t mind if she was going out with Jordan. He was his favourite person at the moment.

  ‘In fact,’ he went on, ‘tomorrow night after the party would be perfect. Shall we call it a date?’

  ‘How about Riva?’ Hannah asked sharply. ‘Won’t you be seeing her?’

  ‘Nothing’s arranged,’ he told her easily, though his tone suggested that he did normally see Riva on a Saturday night. ‘And it’s you I’m asking.’

  Hannah fought an inner battle with herself and lost. He was being so kind to Daniel, it would be wrong to refuse. ‘I’ll come,’ she said, ‘just this once.’

  ‘Good. You won’t regret it, I promise.’ His eyes were steady on hers, and Hannah felt a stirring of her senses, but also warning bells rang in her head telling her not to get too involved. It would be easy to do so. His attraction combined with his persistence were a lethal combination.

  CHAPTER FOUR

  DANIEL was beside himself with excitement when Hannah told him about the clown, and unable to sleep when she put him to bed. She had to read to him for almost an hour before his lids finally drooped and he gave way to his very real tiredness.

  Hannah’s biggest dilemma was what to wear when she went out with Jordan. She certainly could not afford a new dress, but which of her old ones would look best? None of them was very sophisticated. With Roger working late hours on the farm they had rarely gone out, and besides, money had been too short for fancy clothes. In fact she had bought very little for herself since Daniel was born. She’d virtually lived in jeans, T-shirts and sweaters. After Roger’s accident when she had been forced to go out to work she had bought a few serviceable clothes, but certainly nothing that could be deemed suitable for an evening out with Jordan.

  Her problem was solved when she thought of her friend Maggie. They had been at secretarial school together before either of them were married and still kept in touch. Maggie had married a bank manager and led a life far removed from Hannah’s. Since Roger’s death Maggie had done her best to fix Hannah up with someone else―all to no avail.

  Now Hannah phoned her and explained her dilemma. ‘My dear Hannah,’ said Maggie at once, ‘come over in the morning and take your pick. Who is this man? And am I glad to hear you’re ready to start dating again! You’ve been a hermit for far too long.’

  Danny was awake at six. Normally he sat in bed reading or writing until Hannah’s alarm went off, but today he came into her room and touched her gently until she stirred.

  ‘Happy birthday, darling,’ she smiled, hugging and kissing him and struggling to sit up. ‘Your present’s on the chair.’

  He had already spotted the parcel, and now he happily fetched it, sitting on the bed with her, tugging impatiently at the string. Inside were two other parcels, in the smallest a wristwatch. His face beamed when he saw it and he could not wait to put it on. In the second parcel was another railway engine to ‘add to his collection. ‘Wow! Wait till I tell Mr Quest!’ he beamed. ‘I bet he doesn’t know what this one’s called. I’m going to take it with me to show him.’

  Three o’clock could not come soon enough for Daniel. He accompanied her reluctantly to Maggie’s, kicking his heels impatiently while they caught up on the latest gossip and Hannah decided which dress to borrow. They did their normal weekly shopping and she bought him a new purple shirt to go with his best pair of trousers. Even so he was ready and dressed by one.

  She was thankful the weather had remained fine so they would not get wet on their walk to the house. Jordan lived on Hunter’s Hill, an exclusive residential area of this Staffordshire town where only the most affluent people lived, most of them millionaires. Hannah was taken completely by surprise when a car turned up at the door to fetch them. Even Daniel was stunned into silence at the sight of the uniformed chauffeur.

  The car was a spacious maroon Mercedes 280with the rich smell of new leather inside. Daniel scrambled in and whispered to his mother, ‘Is this Mr Quest’s as well? Why has he got two cars?’ All the way to the house his tone was kept reverently low.

  The whole afternoon was a little boy’s dream. It could not have been more perfect. They were entertained, they swam, they played, they ate, Jordan joining in everything. He gave Daniel two tickets for Twycross Zoo as his birthday present, and he was ecstatic. Hannah was happy about it as well. She had been so afraid he might buy the boy something terribly expensive, something she could not possibly hope to compete with.

  At the end of the day Daniel went to bed a happy and tired little boy, not at all disturbed that he was going to be left in the care of Mrs Howard because his mother was going out with Jordan Quest. In fact he was more than pleased about it. Hannah wished she felt the same. Now the time was drawing near she grew more and more nervous, and wished she had never agreed.

  The dress she had borrowed was in lemon silk, the neckline scooped low, the skirt swirling in a myriad tiny pleats. With a white sash tied at the waist and white strappy sandals on her feet, her face made up and her hair arranged in a frame of soft curls, she looked beautiful an
d elegant-nothing at all like Daniel’s mother!

  It was like going out on a first date all over again, not knowing what to expect, afraid, shy, her heart practising hammer-beats within her breast, everyone of her pulses racing.

  Jordan arrived promptly, looking stunned when she opened the door. ‘Reality is better than the dream,’ he said softly. ‘I’ve always thought you were beautiful, but tonight you’re ravishing. You should dress up more often.’

  Hannah did not state the obvious―that there was no point in dressing up when she had nowhere to go; she merely smiled and thought he looked pretty devastating himself. She was used to seeing him in dark business suits, but tonight, although he still wore a suit, he looked very different. It was so pale as to be almost white, a rich ivory, probably hand-made, and she guessed it had cost the equivalent of about six months of her salary. The silk shirt he wore to go with it was in ivory also, and his tie held the merest hint of beige, as did his shoes. He was spectacularly elegant, and Hannah thanked her lucky stars that she hadn’t worn one of her simple cotton dresses. She would have felt like a country bumpkin.