City Cinderella

by Catherine George

  His eyes narrowed. ‘Did you speak to him?’

  ‘No. I just listened while he left a message. He tracked the number down somehow. Now I’m afraid he’ll find out where I’m living.’ She shivered at the thought.

  Lucas frowned. ‘Emily, are you afraid of this guy?’

  ‘Certainly not. I just don’t want to see him again.’

  ‘Why did you leave him?’

  Her lips tightened. ‘The usual reason.’

  ‘Another woman?’

  ‘One that I know of personally, but probably a lot more that I don’t.’ She shrugged. ‘A boring little tale.’

  He settled more comfortably against the pillows. ‘Tell me about your family instead.’

  Preparing to lie about some fictitious appointment, Emily hesitated. Lucas Tennent was enjoying her company. And she was enjoying his. But she had no illusions. Without his dose of flu none of this would be happening.

  His heavy eyes narrowed as he watched her face. ‘You’re about to say you can’t stay. Are you due at the Donaldsons’?’

  ‘No, not today. But I should be going home.’

  ‘Don’t tell me we’re back to this “upstairs, downstairs” garbage again?’ he demanded irritably.

  ‘You should be resting.’

  ‘I can do that after you’re gone.’ He gave her a cunning look. ‘I could pay you overtime.’

  ‘Certainly not,’ she snapped, bristling.

  He grinned. ‘Thought that would do it. Right, then. Stay for a while. Talk to me.’

  Disarmed by the grin, Emily gave in, and at his prompting provided Lucas with a brief résumé of her background—father a retired clergyman, mother a leading light in the local history society and devourer of crime novels. ‘A combination with drawbacks,’ she said wryly. ‘Mother wasn’t keen on my move to Spitalfields because it was once a favourite haunt of Jack the Ripper, though she’s interested in the Roman skeletons found there. I also have a brother,’ she went on. ‘Andrew is head of the physical education department in the school he once graced himself in company with my landlord, Nat Sedley. They’ve been close friends ever since, which is why Nat offered me a room in his house when I left Miles.’

  ‘And is your landlord married to the mother of his twins?’ Lucas asked casually.

  ‘Yes. But there’s a rift. Thea lives with the children in their house near Chastlecombe and Nat lives alone up here. But he desperately wants his life with Thea back. He gets the twins on alternate weekends but it cuts him to pieces to part with them every time. He’s a colleague of Liz Donaldson, your neighbour, by the way.’ She smiled a little. ‘He interrogated her pretty thoroughly about you before I was permitted to take the job.’

  Lucas gave her a cynical look. ‘Are you sure this man still loves his wife?’

  ‘Nat was merely acting on Andy’s behalf to make sure you were a suitable employer for the little sister.’ She smiled demurely. ‘Happily, you passed muster.’

  He laughed, then put a hand to his head, wincing. ‘I’m pleased I made the grade.’

  ‘Is your head bad?’ she said with sympathy.

  ‘Only when I laugh.’

  ‘I’ll give you some more pills, then you really should try to sleep.’

  ‘If I do, you’ll disappear.’ He gave her a cajoling look. ‘If I promise to sleep for a while will you stay this afternoon, and have tea with me later? In the meantime, put your feet up, watch television, or read. Take anything you like from my shelves. Another time,’ he added slyly, ‘you can bring your laptop and work here.’

  ‘There won’t be another time. You’ll be better soon.’

  ‘No, I won’t,’ he said promptly. ‘I’m very ill.’

  ‘In that case, you’d better call a doctor.’

  ‘I don’t want a doctor. I just want you to stay for a while. Though God knows I don’t blame you for wanting to run,’ he added with sudden self-disgust.

  Emily eyed him in silence for a moment, then nodded reluctantly. ‘Oh, very well. I’ll stay until six, but then I really must get back, otherwise there’ll be no point in going. I’m due at the Donaldsons’ in the morning. They come back tomorrow.’

  ‘Don’t go back. Stay the night in my spare room. I meant it just now,’ he added quickly. ‘I’ll happily pay the overtime.’

  She gave him a scornful look, took two pills from his bedside drawer, poured bottled water into a glass and handed it to him. ‘Every drop, please.’

  He obeyed, then gave her a smile which unglued her knees. ‘Thank you, Emily. I promise I won’t mention money again.’

  In contrast to the stark, minimalist effect preferred by the Donaldsons, Lucas Tennent’s taste ran to uncluttered comfort. Because the converted loft gave maximum living space but presented a problem with storage, he’d solved it by investing in a collection of chests, some of them modern, others brassbound and antique. In places the old honey-coloured brick of the walls had been left exposed, in others plastered and painted amber, the few pictures hung on them modern, bright slashes of colour. And in the short time she’d been working there Emily had come to love every inch of it.

  Her only time spent in the vast, split-level living area had been to put it in perfect order as part of her cleaning routine. But now, while the washing-machine was on its dry cycle, Emily settled down on one of the deep, tempting sofas and began to read. Before long the words started to run into each other and at last she gave up, tugged off her shoes and curled up, her head on one of the cushions. She set a mental alarm clock to wake up after half an hour, so she could check on the invalid, but woke with a start to find Lucas Tennent looking down at her.

  ‘I’m terribly sorry,’ she said penitently, scrambling to her feet to put her shoes on.

  ‘It was so quiet I thought you’d gone home after all, so I came to investigate.’

  ‘You shouldn’t be out of bed,’ she scolded, and took his arm to shepherd him back, then dropped it again in alarm when she felt the heat of his skin scorch through the clothes.

  ‘Do that again,’ he said, grinning. ‘I like it.’

  Emily gave him an exasperated glare. ‘If you’ll go back to bed, I’ll make tea.’

  ‘Tea for two,’ he said firmly, then turned away to cough.

  ‘You see? Go back to bed—Lucas, please,’ she begged, and flushed at the look he gave her.

  ‘For you, Emily, anything,’ he assured her and, still coughing, went off towards his bedroom.

  She went to the kitchen to make tea and toast the crumpets she’d included in her shopping. When she took the tray into the bedroom Lucas was waiting, bolt upright against neatly stacked pillows in his newly tidied bed. His ashen face sported streaks of hectic colour, which worried Emily very much, but she smiled at him as she put the tray down.

  ‘Feeling better?’

  ‘Not a lot,’ he admitted, and gave a rueful look at the dish of crumpets. ‘I hate to be ungrateful, Emily, but I’m not hungry.’

  ‘OK,’ she said without fuss. ‘Just the tea, then.’

  He downed the tea thirstily, then lay back against the pillows as though the mere exertion of drinking had exhausted him. ‘I feel so bloody feeble. Were you like this?’

  ‘Yes. But my mother called the doctor, who gave me antibiotics for my chest infection. So I soon got better,’ she added significantly. ‘Look, Lucas, your temperature’s up and I can hear you wheezing from here. You need a doctor. Do you have one I can ring?’

  ‘It’s just flu,’ he said testily. ‘I don’t need a doctor—’ He broke off to cough again and Emily handed him a box of tissues, then looked at him in question as the phone rang.

  ‘Answer it, please,’ he gasped.

  Emily picked up the receiver and said a cautious hello.

  ‘Alice Tennent here,’ said an attractive voice. ‘Is Lucas there?’

  Emily gave the receiver to Lucas, who lay with sweat beading his forehead as he battled to control his cough. He croaked a hoarse greeting, then went off into
another paroxysm of coughing and handed the receiver back. ‘My sister—explain,’ he gasped.

  ‘I’m afraid your brother’s feeling very unwell, Miss Tennent,’ said Emily.

  ‘Sounds as though he’s dying! Has he seen a doctor?’

  ‘He refuses to call one,’ she said, defiant as she met the glare in the invalid’s eyes. ‘And I’m pretty sure he’s got a chest infection.’

  ‘Right. Hand him over, please.’

  Emily thrust the phone at Lucas, then watched in some amusement when he disagreed in violent protest with his sister before handing the phone back. ‘She wants to speak to you,’ he growled.

  ‘Who, exactly, am I speaking to?’ asked Alice Tennent pleasantly.

  ‘Emily Warner, your brother’s cleaner,’ she said baldly, ignoring the look of impotent wrath on the invalid’s face. ‘I stayed on this afternoon because I was worried about your brother.’

  ‘That’s extraordinarily kind of you! Look, Mrs Warner—’

  ‘Miss, actually.’

  ‘Right. I’ve just told Lucas that if he won’t behave I’ll send Mother up to look after him. In which case she will certainly catch the bug herself. Naturally Lucas won’t hear of that. I’d come myself but I’m ringing from Italy. Can you contact a doctor and stay with Lucas until he arrives?’

  Emily had no hesitation. ‘Of course, Miss Tennent. If the doctor thinks it necessary I can even stay the night.’

  ‘How very kind. Thank you. That’s a load off my mind. Now, put Lucas back on and I’ll read the riot act.’

  But this time Lucas was surprisingly acquiescent as he listened, eyes fixed on Emily. ‘Did you mean it about staying the night?’ he demanded as he handed the phone back.

  ‘Of course I did.’ She picked up the tray. ‘Where will I find your doctor’s number?’

  ‘In the address book on my desk up in the gallery.’ He mopped at the perspiration standing out on his forehead. ‘I’ve only seen him once. Maybe he doesn’t do house calls.’

  ‘He’d better,’ said Emily darkly.

  She stated Lucas’s problem to a receptionist, gave directions to the flat, then went back to Lucas, who by this time was looking ghastly.

  ‘A doctor’s coming shortly,’ she told him.

  ‘Dr Barnett?’ he croaked.

  ‘They didn’t say. Probably whoever’s on call.’ Emily eyed him with misgiving. ‘How do you feel?’

  ‘Not great. It hurts to breathe,’ he said hoarsely. ‘I don’t get it. I felt so much better earlier.’

  Emily went into his bathroom, collected a towel, dampened a washcloth and went back to the invalid. ‘I’ll just wipe your forehead,’ she said briskly.

  ‘You don’t have to do this,’ he protested.

  ‘No,’ she agreed. ‘But you’ll feel better if I do.’ She mopped him up, dried him off with the towel, poured water into a glass and handed it to him. ‘Down the hatch.’

  ‘I might be sick again,’ he protested wildly.

  ‘You’re sweating so much you’ll get dehydrated if you don’t drink.’

  He gave in and took a few sips of water, then gave her a wry, twisted smile. ‘I bet you’re sorry as hell you stayed behind on Friday.’

  ‘Certainly not. I’m glad to help.’ She looked him in the eye. ‘How would you have managed otherwise?’

  He smiled ruefully. ‘A question I’ve been asking myself all day, Emily Warner.’

  ‘I’m not sure how long the doctor will be,’ she said. ‘Otherwise I’d say another change of bedclothes was a good idea. But maybe it’s best if you stay the way you are.’

  ‘So he can see how poorly I am?’ he mocked.

  ‘Exactly.’ Her tone was casual, but underneath Emily was worried. Lucas’s forehead had been so hot the washcloth had steamed as she mopped him with it, reinforcing her fears about pneumonia. So far she’d functioned on common sense and her own experience, but committed to an overnight stay she felt in urgent need of professional advice.

  ‘Lucas,’ she said apologetically. ‘I’m probably the only person you’ve met who doesn’t own a cellphone. May I make a phone call?’

  ‘Of course. Use this phone, if you like, or one of the others out there if you want privacy,’ he said, his breath rasping in his chest.

  She smiled her thanks, and stayed where she was to contact Nat.

  ‘Hi, Emily here. I’m just letting you know I couldn’t make it this afternoon, and I won’t be back home tonight.’

  ‘No need to clock in and out, Em,’ Nat assured her.

  ‘I know that,’ she said, colouring under the sardonic gaze trained on her face. ‘But I thought I’d better explain.’

  ‘Much appreciated,’ he said warmly. ‘I’ll see you when I see you, then.’

  ‘Right. Apologise to Mark for me.’ Emily put the phone down, her eyes defiant. ‘My landlord,’ she said shortly.

  ‘Are you sure there’s nothing going on between you—?’ Lucas broke off, coughing, and flapped his hand at her in apology. ‘Sorry. None of my business.’

  She glared at him. ‘I’ll have to skip my other cleaning jobs this afternoon, and since living in Nat’s house I’ve never stayed out overnight before. So it seemed like common courtesy to explain. But you’re right—it is none of your business.’

  He lay panting, his feverish eyes bright with amusement. ‘That’s better!’

  ‘What do you mean?’

  ‘You forgot the paid underling bit.’

  ‘Oh.’ Emily thrust her hair behind her ears. ‘Sorry,’ she muttered.

  ‘Don’t be. I like pushy women.’

  ‘In that case, for heaven’s sake listen to this one and just lie there quietly until the doctor comes.’

  But it was almost two o’clock before the doorbell rang, by which time Lucas looked so ill Emily was secretly frantic.

  ‘Dr Hall,’ announced a brisk young woman when Emily opened the door. ‘I came as soon as I could, but we’re busy. How’s Mr Tennent?’

  ‘Not too good. Thank you so much for coming.’ Emily led the way to the bedroom and ushered the attractive young doctor inside. ‘Dr Hall, Lucas,’ she announced, and hid a smile at his open dismay at the sight of a female GP.

  ‘Sorry to bring you out, Doctor,’ he said hoarsely, but the young woman shrugged as she took a stethoscope from her bag.

  ‘Goes with the territory, Mr Tennent. Sit up, please.’

  She hoisted up Lucas’s T-shirt to give his chest and back a thorough examination, checked his pulse and his blood pressure, looked in his ears and down his throat, took his temperature, then sat down on the chair by the bed to write a prescription. She tore it off the pad, took a strip of bubble-packed pills from her bag and handed both to Emily.

  ‘I’ll give you a few antibiotics to start him off. You can get the script filled tomorrow for the rest.’

  ‘Will I live, Doctor?’ wheezed Lucas.

  ‘It’s just a respiratory infection, so if you follow the instructions, yes.’ She turned to Emily. ‘See he gets plenty of fluids, sponge him down if he gets too hot, and he’ll need to take the pills at four-hourly intervals to start with. Right through the night, if possible. Tomorrow he can go on to four times a day.’

  ‘Thank you,’ said Emily. ‘I’ll see you out.’ Once in the hall, out of Lucas’s range, she confronted the doctor. ‘Is there any danger of pneumonia?’

  ‘I doubt it. Normally, Mr Tennent’s obviously very fit, so once the medication kicks in he’ll get better quite quickly.’ Dr Hall eyed her surroundings curiously. ‘What does he do for a living?’

  ‘Works for an investment bank.’

  ‘Ah. Long hours, lots of stress. Rather like my job—only much better paid. Make it clear that he won’t be back at the grind until he’s finished the antibiotics.’

  Emily smiled awkwardly. ‘We’re not really on that kind of footing. I’m just his cleaner.’

  Dr Hall looked taken aback. ‘Oh—sorry. Is there someone else who can look after him?’


  ‘Only me for the time being.’ Emily eyed the doctor questioningly. ‘Or do you think he needs professional nursing?’

  ‘Not at all. If you’re willing to look after him he’ll be fine. I’d better be off; more calls to make.’ She smiled. ‘Good luck, then.’

  ‘I’ll probably need it! Goodbye, Doctor.’

  Emily went back to the bedroom, poured water into a glass and handed Lucas the first of his antibiotics.

  ‘What if I throw it up?’ he gasped after he’d taken the pill.

  ‘You won’t,’ she said firmly. ‘Think positively.’

  ‘Yes, Nurse.’ He managed a smile. ‘Bossy creature. Just like the doctor.’

  ‘She looked very tired,’ said Emily reprovingly.

  ‘I’m very grateful to her,’ he wheezed. ‘To you, too,’ he added. ‘How can I repay you?’

  She smiled awkwardly. ‘I just need the money I spent on your shopping.’

  Lucas looked appalled. ‘Hell, of course you do. Fish in the top drawer of that chest for my wallet. Take what you want.’

  Emily went out quickly, her colour high. But there was no point in false pride. She would look after Lucas Tennent for a while, but she couldn’t pay for his food as well. She took the till receipt for the shopping from her bag and went into the bedroom. ‘This is what I spent,’ she announced, handing it to him.

  ‘I don’t want to see that, woman,’ he rasped, tossing it away. ‘Take whatever bloody money you need.’

  Emily went to the chest, extracted a twenty-pound note from his wallet, took the exact amount of change from her own, and left it on the chest. ‘I’ll leave you to sleep for a while,’ she said colourlessly, and turned to go.

  ‘Emily,’ said Lucas.

  She turned. ‘Yes?’

  He smiled ruefully. ‘Sorry I snapped.’

  She looked at him levelly, noting the high colour and fever-bright eyes. ‘I’ll be charitable and blame your state of health. I’m in the kitchen if you want me.’

  ‘Stay here with me, Emily—’ He began to cough again, this time so violently she rushed across the room to hoist him upright, then gave him more water when the paroxysm was over. ‘Please?’ he gasped.