City Cinderella

by Catherine George

  ‘I need something stronger than tea!’ protested Mark, and shuddered. ‘It took years off my life when I saw you lying in a heap, Emily. My heart only kicked in again when you smiled at me.’

  ‘Sorry about that.’ She grinned at him, glad to sit down at the table.

  But it was only after reviving hot tea, when the shock of the past couple of hours began to recede, that the full implications of the episode finally dawned on Emily.

  ‘You know you can’t go back to your room like that, Em,’ said Mark, looking worried. ‘I’d change places like a shot, but you’d still have to get up a flight of stairs to mine.’

  ‘I’ll have to go home, I suppose,’ said Emily, shrugging.

  ‘Easier stairs there?’ asked Bryony, refilling her cup.

  ‘Worse than here, if anything.’ Emily thought with misgiving of the steep, open-tread staircase in her parents’ cottage. ‘I suppose I could beg a bed in my brother’s bungalow for a night or two.’ But, much as she loved her boisterous nephews, at the moment Emily felt desperate for peace and quiet. ‘I don’t see what else I can do. I’ll ring Andy when he gets home.’

  ‘You need a rest,’ said Bryony, and exchanged a look with Mark. ‘I think we should put her in Nat’s bed for a bit.’

  Her voluble protests brushed aside by the other two, Emily eventually gave in, on condition that Bryony helped her into Nat’s bathroom first. ‘I meant to shower the minute I arrived back, but Miles got in the way. Sorry to be a nuisance, but could you fetch me a change of clothes, too, please?’

  ‘Of course. Tell me what you want and I’ll pack a bag for you while I’m at it.’

  By the time the shower was over, her hair was reasonably dry, and she was finally propped up under the quilt on Nat’s bed, Emily was so limp with reaction she didn’t care whose bed it was. ‘I’m fine now,’ she told her willing helpers. ‘Take off and have some time to yourselves.’

  Bryony suggested Mark run up to Emily’s room for the book she was reading, and he hurried back to report that there was a message on her machine. ‘Thought I’d better listen in.’

  ‘Who was it?’

  ‘Some bloke ordering you to ring him. Deep voice, no name.’ Mark grinned and handed her his cellphone. ‘Use this.’

  Emily held the phone in her hand for a long time once she was alone, not sure that talking to Lucas was a good idea. He was probably still angry. And she hadn’t changed her mind. She was determined to keep their relationship private so no one would know, this time, when it was over.

  Emily keyed in Lucas’s number, listened, resigned, to his recorded message, then gave a brief account of the fall that made it impossible to work for him for a while. She hesitated, said a forlorn goodbye and disconnected. At which point her body insisted on rest and she drifted into sleep.

  She was jerked awake by an accusing voice and surfaced, dazed, to meet a pair of furious dark eyes glaring at her from a small, all-too-familiar face.

  ‘What are you doing in my husband’s bed?’ demanded Thea Sedley.

  CHAPTER ELEVEN

  EMILY sat up, speechless with horrified dismay, which she saw reflected in Nat’s eyes as he peered over his wife’s shoulder. But before she could gather her wits to explain Bryony and Mark came hurtling downstairs to save her the trouble. Halfway through their story Nat went out to answer a peremptory rapping on the front door, and Lucas Tennent came into the bedroom like a whirlwind, brushed everyone aside and took Emily into his arms.

  She clung to him convulsively, burying her face against his sweater, so giddy with relief she wanted to howl like a baby now there was nothing to cry about. ‘Miles broke into my room, Lucas. He wanted the laptop—’

  ‘To hell with the laptop!’ Ignoring the fascinated onlookers, he turned her face up to his to kiss her, his mouth tightening when he saw the bruise on her cheek. ‘In your message you said the bastard’s in hospital. Pity—I’d like a word with him.’

  Emily chuckled, her wet eyes suddenly dancing. ‘No need to beat Miles up, Lucas. He didn’t cause the bruises; I sort of bounced off him against the wall. I was the one who damaged him—and without a cricket bat this time, too.’

  ‘God, you’re a dangerous woman!’ He kissed her again, then stood up. ‘I’m taking you home.’

  Home. Emily smiled up at him, liking the sound of that. ‘OK. But first let me make some introductions. You know Nat, but this is his wife, Thea. And this is Bryony Talbot and Mark Cooper, my saviours.’

  Lucas shook hands all round while Emily described how Bryony and Mark had come to her rescue.

  ‘Bryony did all the work,’ said Mark proudly.

  ‘What a fright you’ve had!’ To Emily’s surprise, Thea came up to the bed and kissed her cheek. ‘Sorry I yelled. Appearances were deceptive.’ She smiled at Lucas. ‘Nat said you were tall, dark and handsome.’

  Lucas flushed, to Emily’s deep enjoyment, gave Thea a mocking little bow, then thanked Bryony and Mark for their help. ‘I can take over now.’

  ‘You said you were taking her home, but where do you live?’ asked Bryony bluntly. ‘She can’t use that foot for a while.’

  ‘It’s a top-floor apartment overlooking the river, with a nice comfortable lift instead of death-defying stairs. No offence,’ Lucas told Nat with a grin.

  ‘None taken.’ Nat gave Emily a rueful smile. ‘So all the precautions were in vain. Your ex-swain managed to get in after all.’

  ‘He just rang the bell to ask for Emily, and I let him in,’ said Bryony with remorse. ‘He told me he was her brother, the wretch.’

  ‘Talking of Andy,’ said Nat, ‘does your family know about this, Emily?’

  She shook her head. ‘I was going to ring Andy when he gets home from school, and ask for board and lodging for a bit—’

  ‘You don’t need that now,’ cut in Lucas. ‘You can ring your mother from the flat.’

  ‘Where did you two meet?’ asked Thea curiously.

  Emily exchanged a gleaming look with Lucas. ‘Like Nat, he employs me. I’m his cleaner.’

  He shook his head. ‘Not any more. Your cleaning days are over.’

  ‘Only until my foot gets better!’

  ‘We’ll discuss it later,’ he said firmly, and held out his arms. ‘Up you come.’

  ‘I can walk with the aid of my trusty crutch,’ she protested, but Lucas shook his head.

  ‘At the moment, I feel this overwhelming compulsion to hold you in my arms,’ he said, not quite lightly, and won looks of warm approval from Thea and Bryony. ‘Besides, you look a bit fragile.’

  ‘So would you in my place,’ she said, grimacing. ‘Though it was Miles who fell down and broke his crown.’

  ‘Good,’ said Lucas with grim satisfaction. ‘But did he really come here just to make off with the laptop?’

  ‘Apparently.’

  ‘Maybe he’s left something on the hard drive,’ suggested Mark. ‘I checked it, and it seems to be working. You can play with it later to make sure, Em. I’ve put it with your bags in the hall.’

  Nat went out to answer the door, then returned to say the taxi-driver wanted to know how much longer he had to wait. ‘I told him you were ready to go, Lucas. Take good care of her,’ he added.

  ‘Don’t worry; I will,’ Lucas assured him.

  Bryony helped Emily to her feet. ‘All right, Em?’

  ‘Thanks to you, Nurse, yes.’

  ‘OK, Lucas; she’s all yours.’

  ‘That she is.’ Lucas picked Emily up, went the round of the others so they could kiss her goodbye, then carried her outside to the taxi waiting on double yellow lines outside in the cobbled street. Nat handed in the crutch and bags, then stood with the others to wave them off, giving Emily a sense of déjà vu. So much for keeping Lucas a secret. Barring a different cast of extras, the scene was identical to last time with Miles.

  Lucas eyed her face, reading her mind with accuracy. ‘Your plan to keep me a secret backfired big time.’

  ‘I don’
t care. I’m just grateful you arrived when you did.’ She giggled. ‘Thea had just discovered me in Nat’s bed when you came charging in like the cavalry.’

  He shook with laughter. ‘Not your day, one way and another. Never mind,’ he consoled her, taking her hand. ‘I promise to make it better from now on. How do you feel after all your adventures, darling? Shall I put you straight to bed when we get home?’

  ‘Good heavens, no!’ Emily smiled at him cheerfully. ‘Your sofa will do very nicely, thank you. In fact,’ she added, ‘I could even perch on one of the stools in the kitchen and supervise supper, if you like.’

  ‘Unnecessary.’ He gave her a smug look. ‘When you left I was furious—’

  ‘I noticed.’

  ‘Don’t interrupt. So I went for a walk to cool off while I planned my next course of action, which was to storm over to Spitalfields and carry you off over my shoulder if necessary. Being the practical type, I did some shopping on the way back to the flat so I could feed you after the kidnapping.’ His jaw clenched. ‘Imagine my reaction when I heard your message.’

  ‘Thank you for coming to my rescue, Lucas.’ Emily stretched a little, wincing when her ankle protested.

  ‘I wanted to collect you in my new car,’ he said with regret, ‘but I knew there’d be nowhere to park near Nat’s house, so I fell back on a cab.’

  ‘What kind of car?’

  ‘A new model Mini Cooper S,’ he said, trying to sound offhand.

  ‘Really?’ Emily smiled, surprised. ‘I would have thought something like a Porsche was more in your line.’

  ‘Why?’

  ‘It goes with the rest of you—the hip loft apartment, the job, and so on.’

  ‘I do own something speedier for motorway journeys, also bought from new.’ His face set. ‘In my teens I had to wear blazers and shirts from the school second-hand shop. So these days I like my possessions brand-new.’

  Emily was quiet for the rest of the short journey, and Lucas, his eyes concerned, put his arm round her and held her protectively. When they arrived at his building Emily would have given much to get inside under her own steam, but common sense told her that walking with a crutch would be a precarious business on a cobbled street. And there was no point in risking another injury. She’d had quite enough excitement for one day.

  The helpful taxi driver parked as near to the entrance as possible, then brought the bags inside and put them in the lift while Lucas carried Emily in to set her down very carefully, holding her by the waist.

  ‘Lean against me while I pay up. Keep the weight off your foot.’

  Emily did as she was told, shivering a little despite the warmth of the lift.

  ‘You’re cold,’ he said, hugging her close as the lift doors closed on the lavishly-tipped driver.

  ‘Probably reaction. Bryony warned me about that.’

  ‘Quite a girl, isn’t she? Your friend Mark’s a lucky man. Up you come,’ he added as the lift doors opened. ‘I’ll soon have you safe and sound on our sofa.’

  Emily felt a little warmer at the discovery that Lucas shared her views about his sofa. Which, of course, didn’t mean she was the only woman who’d ever sat there with him.

  ‘That’s a strange look on your face,’ commented Lucas, as he carried her into the hall. He was breathing heavily by the time they reached the big, split-level living-room she loved so much. He lowered her carefully to the sofa, stacked cushions behind her, bent to give her a swift kiss, then straightened to heave in a deep breath. ‘I’m out of condition. Now stay put,’ he ordered. ‘I’ll get the bags in from the hall. Don’t move a muscle until I get back.’

  Emily had no desire to move any muscles, particularly those in the ankle stretched out in front of her on the sofa. She lay motionless, glad to be so comfortable after all the hassle, her only mobile feature her eyes as she looked around her at the uncluttered space of Lucas’s living-room. The great advantage of any loft apartment was light. Lucas’s was filled with it, even on a rainy day. And now she was going to live here. At least for a while.

  ‘You look very thoughtful,’ said Lucas, rejoining her. ‘Ankle hurting?’

  ‘Not much, now. But I must give Mother the news before she hears it from Thea.’

  ‘Will she expect you to go home to recuperate?’ he asked, frowning.

  ‘In theory, yes. But their new cottage is actually very old, with open-tread stairs as steep as Nat’s.’

  ‘In that case, you’re much better here with me. Ask your parents to visit you here instead. Your friend Ginny, too.’ His lips twitched as he bent to pat her cheek. ‘Don’t look so stunned. It won’t commit you to anything.’

  ‘That’s very kind of you,’ said Emily, ignoring the last bit, ‘but for the time being I’ll just tell Mother I’ve hurt my ankle. She’s never seen Nat’s stairs.’

  Lucas handed her his cellphone. ‘Give her the number and tell her to ring you on that. Tell her you’ve borrowed it until the ankle’s better.’

  She smiled at him gratefully and reached for the crutch.

  ‘What’s the matter?’ he demanded.

  ‘I’m going to the bathroom, and I’m going to manage on my own with this,’ she said firmly. ‘You’ll put your back out if you keep carrying me everywhere.’

  ‘But I like the feel of you helpless in my arms!’

  Emily made a face at him, and carefully got to her feet. Bryony had advised against trousers with a strapped ankle and, to make life easier, had eased Emily into a skirt and tunic in ribbed topaz wool, normally kept for special occasions. Because the skirt was long, the outfit called for boots or high heels, but with a single flat black loafer on her good foot Emily felt more like Long John Silver than Cinderella. She tucked the crutch under her arm and, with Lucas pacing beside her, flatly refusing to let her go it alone, she made with increasing agility for the bathroom, then closed the door in his face. Afterwards, Emily opened it to find him standing where she’d left him.

  ‘We’re back to the unromantic intimacy again,’ she said, resigned.

  ‘Works for me!’ Lucas picked her up, ignoring her protests. ‘Stop arguing, Emily. It’s a waste of time.’ He gave her a questioning look as he set her down on the sofa again. ‘I’ve been thinking of what Mrs Sedley said to you. Is that really how you see me?’

  She looked blank for a moment, then her eyes lit with unholy glee. ‘Oh, tall, dark and handsome, you mean? That’s Nat’s description, not mine.’

  Lucas looked so appalled she roared with laughter, and reassured him that it was Nat’s way of diverting his wife’s suspicions from his lady lodger. ‘He said it was the first thing that came into his head when Thea asked. Which was before he met you, anyway,’ added Emily, and batted her eyelashes. ‘But if the cap fits…’

  To her surprise, colour rose in the lean, watchful face.

  ‘Do you think it fits?’ he asked casually.

  ‘Like a glove, Mr Tennent. You’re the archetypal answer to a maiden’s prayer—’ She halted abruptly, and he frowned and took her hand.

  ‘What’s the matter? Are you in pain?’

  ‘No.’ She gave him an unhappy look. ‘I keep thinking of something you said. About a school uniform from the second-hand shop.’

  Lucas looked blank for a moment, then gently slid his arms round her as comprehension dawned. ‘Surely you’re not saying that you feel second-hand after Miles?’

  ‘I didn’t until I met you,’ she said honestly, pleased that he understood. ‘I’d had boyfriends before, relationships that ran their course and ended amicably. But after Miles I felt so grubby and humiliated.’ She met his eyes squarely. ‘And you do seem rather fixated on the new and unsullied.’

  ‘Only when it comes to cars and clothes!’ Lucas gave her a swift, punitive kiss. ‘Though, oddly enough, what I feel for you is new. I’ve known quite a few women, obviously. It would be pretty strange if I hadn’t at my age—’

  ‘And with your various impressive assets,’ she put in slyly.r />
  ‘As I was saying,’ he said with severity. ‘I’ve known women in the past, and enjoyed their company both in and out of bed, with no strings and no harm done on either side. But you’re different, Emily.’

  ‘Why?’

  His eyes locked with hers. ‘Because I’m in love with you, of course. And because I can’t think of another soul, barring Alice and my mother, who would have cared for me when I was ill. Admittedly, I’ve never been ill before—’

  ‘I could tell!’ said Emily, flippant to hide the great bubble of joy rising inside her.

  ‘Because I made such a fuss?’

  ‘Exactly.’

  ‘But you still hung in there and got me through it. And in return I was idiot enough to risk getting you pregnant,’ he added bitterly.

  ‘I didn’t think about risks at the time—or anything else,’ Emily assured him. ‘Making love with you put my thought processes out of action. I’d never experienced anything like that before. Especially the last bit.’ Her eyes locked with his. ‘Was that a fluke, do you think? Or will it happen next time, as well?’

  Lucas let out a shout of laughter. ‘Are you by any chance propositioning me, Miss Warner?’

  ‘Purely in the interest of scientific experiment,’ she said primly, then dimpled at him in a way which brought an abrupt end to the conversation.

  ‘This won’t do,’ said Lucas, after an interval of kisses and caresses which quickly threatened to get out of hand. ‘I said you were a dangerous woman. You’re driving me insane.’

  ‘Me, too,’ she said with feeling, then blushed as her stomach gave a loud, unromantic rumble.

  ‘Darling, you’re hungry—and I haven’t even given you a cup of tea!’ He jumped up in remorse. ‘I’ll make up for it right now. Just sit there while I do something about feeding you.’

  ‘I’m coming, too,’ she insisted, reaching for the crutch.

  ‘Why?’ he said, exasperated.

  ‘I just want to be where you are,’ she said simply.

  Lucas scooped her up, holding her high against his chest as he kissed her in a way which made words superfluous. ‘My sentiments exactly,’ he said huskily at last, then carried her off to deposit her on one of his smart retro stools. ‘Now, just sit there and watch while I switch on the oven.’