‘In the morning some time. I thought she could stay to lunch—’
‘I’ll be out,’ Giles told her curtly. ‘And so will Leonie. And she’d better be gone before we get back.’
‘Oh, Giles!’
‘I mean it, Aunt. I will not see her.’
‘Very well.’ Emily stood up. ‘I think I’ll go to my room. I—I don’t feel well.’
Leonie watched her go, wishing she could do something to take that bewildered hurt out of the older woman’s eyes. ‘What on earth is the matter with you?’ she demanded of Giles once they were alone. ‘Why did you talk to her like that?’
‘Because I will not tolerate interference in my life, not even from my aunt.’
‘Is it that important that you don’t see this Dawn?’ She frowned her puzzlement.
His eyes were like chips of ice. ‘It isn’t a question of importance,’ he said furiously. ‘I just won’t see her.’
‘But what’s she done?’
‘She’s the ultimate betrayer,’ he snapped. ‘She walked out of my life once and I’ve made it a point never to readmit her. I don’t want to see her, I don’t want to have anything to do with her.’
‘You love her,’ Leonie said dully. He could only feel such vehemence towards the other woman if he loved her. She had hurt him, and even though she obviously regretted it Giles still refused to forgive her. While Leonie had believed him never to have loved anyone she had held out some hope of maybe having him fall in love with her in time. But now that she knew about Dawn that didn’t even seem a remote possibility.
‘I do not love her,’ he denied savagely—too savagely.
‘You must do. How else could you talk to Emily that way? You’ve hurt her dreadfully.’
He sighed. ‘That can’t be helped. She knew better than to interfere in this matter.’
‘You’re a despot!’ Leonie’s eyes blazed. ‘You rule everyone’s life like some feudal overlord.’ She pulled the ring off her finger. ‘Well, I won’t be ruled any more.’ She put the ring down on the table. ‘Go and find someone else to bully!’ and she marched over to the door.
‘Where are you going?’ Giles questioned softly.
She turned to see the ring held in the palm of his hand. She blinked back the tears. ‘I’m going to be with the people who love me.’
‘No!’ his cry was pained. ‘You can’t leave me now.’
‘Why can’t I?’ Her chin was held high.
‘Because you’re going to marry me!’
‘You need my agreement for that. And I no longer agree! It was quite fun while it lasted.’ She made her tone sound light. ‘I’m sure Phil and I will have a good laugh over it.’
‘Phil?’ His eyes narrowed. ‘You’re going to Trent?’
She shrugged. ‘Or Jeremy. Oh yes,’ she insisted at his cry of protest, ‘he still wants me. You didn’t really believe that story about an old aunt, did you, Giles?’ she scorned. ‘Jeremy still has the flat, you know. Of course—’ she broke off as his hand struck her cheeks.
‘You little bitch!’ he snarled. ‘You promiscuous little bitch! All right, go to him. Go on, get out!’
‘I intend to.’ She held her throbbing cheek, knowing that things were finally over between Giles and herself. Being with Jeremy four years ago was one thing, going to him now was something else. But knowing Giles loved this Dawn… She couldn’t hold out hope for something that would never happen when he loved another woman. ‘I never intended marrying you anyway,’ she told him harshly. ‘When you made that announcement I toyed with the idea of turning you down in front of your friends. But then I decided that this way it would get much more publicity—after all, the whole country knows of our engagement now. It was even worth putting up with your insulting behaviour just to have the pleasure of giving you back your ring now.’
‘So you got your revenge after all.’ His fingers clamped about the ring. ‘My God, how you must be enjoying this!’
She wasn’t enjoying anything, she was numb. She was saying all the right things to alienate him for ever, and yet she didn’t know how she was doing it when her heart was breaking.
‘It’s been quite fun,’ she said lightly. ‘Of course the cheque will be returned to you. Phil didn’t cash it because he isn’t stupid enough to give you leverage to charge him with anything, but it was interesting to see how far you would go.’
‘Get out of here!’ He turned his back on her. ‘I don’t ever want to see you again.’
‘Don’t worry, you won’t,’ she told him with conviction.
CHAPTER NINE
LEONIE didn’t go straight to Phil that night, she went to a hotel instead. She needed time to think, to sort out her thoughts. The only trouble was the time at the hotel didn’t do that, she was more confused than ever. She had blown any chance of ever being able to marry Giles now, and yet knowing he loved Dawn she had known she couldn’t be his wife.
Phil opened her knock on the door, his anxious expression giving way to relief when he saw who it was. ‘Leonie! Thank God,’ he sighed, running a weary hand over his eyes.
‘What’s wrong?’ she frowned. ‘Nothing’s happened to Wanda, has it?’ She couldn’t think of any other reason for him to be in this state. His clothes looked as if he had slept in them, although on closer inspection he didn’t look as if he had slept at all; his eyes were bloodshot.
‘No, of course it hasn’t.’ He pulled her roughly inside and closed the door. ‘Where the hell have you been?’
‘Where have I—? What do you mean?’
‘I mean where were you all last night? I’ve been worried out of my mind.’
‘But why? I mean, how did you know about—about—’
‘About your broken engagement? About your leaving Rose Cottage?’ he derided. ‘How do you think I know?’
‘Giles…?’ she said disbelievingly.
‘Who else?’ Phil grimaced. ‘And his mood wasn’t pretty, Leonie.’
‘But why did he get in touch with you? He told me to get out.’
‘Maybe he did, but he wants to see you now. And he didn’t just get in touch with me, Leonie,’ he sighed. ‘He turned up here at two o’clock in the morning. Thank God last night was one of the times Wanda decided to go back to her own flat.’
‘Giles came here?’ She couldn’t understand it, not when he had told her to go.
Phil shrugged. ‘He seemed to think this was where you would be. When I said you weren’t he muttered something about Jeremy Lindsay. What does he have to do with this? Noble made it sound as if you were seeing him again.’
‘Yes, well, I—We’ve met.’
‘Noble made it sound more than that.’
‘Then he was wrong. Look, Phil, I’m sorry he disturbed you, I didn’t want you involved in this any more, but I don’t want any more to do with Giles. We’re finished—if we ever got started.’
‘Finally came to your senses, did you?’
‘Something like that,’ she nodded.
‘Well, Noble hasn’t come to his. This bed-sitter may not be very big, but he searched every square inch of it. He said something about going to Lindsay’s flat. What’s going on, Leonie?’
She sank down on to the sofa. ‘It’s too complicated to explain. All right,’ she sighed at his protest. ‘I’ll tell you.’
‘At least you’re off Lindsay’s hook,’ said Phil when she had finished.
‘Mm. But I wonder why Giles decided to come after me,’ she said thoughtfully.
‘I have no idea. But—’ he broke off as a knock sounded on the door. ‘I think you may be going to find out.’
Leonie’s expression was one of horror. ‘You don’t think that’s him?’
‘What do you think?’ he asked dryly, moving to the door.
‘Don’t answer it, Phil,’ she pleaded. ‘I—I’m not up to another session of his insults.’
‘I won’t let him insult you, Leonie. Don’t worry.’
But when he opened the door it was
to reveal Wanda. ‘Hi,’ she kissed him soundly on the lips. ‘I left my key here yesterday. Leonie!’ She smiled her pleasure and moved to kiss her on the cheek. ‘How lovely to see you!’ She turned to Phil. ‘My God, darling you look a wash-out!’
‘I feel it,’ he grimaced.
Wanda put her shoulder-bag on the floor. ‘Well, here’s something to cheer you both up.’ She giggled delightedly. ‘Someone gave my dear Daddy a black eye last night.’ She chuckled. ‘You should see him—it’s come up all purple and black, with a lovely shade of constrasting yellow.’
Leonie swallowed hard. ‘Somebody hit him?’
‘Mm,’ Wanda nodded, smiling happily. ‘I think some jealous husband has finally caught him out. I went round this morning, on my usual monthly visit, and Daddy was sitting there with this beauty of a black eye,’ she burst out laughing. ‘Oh, he was furious!’
Leonie was very pale. ‘Did he say who hit him?’
‘No. By the time I had finished laughing at him he’d walked out of the room in a huff. Mummy isn’t speaking to him, but I don’t think she did it. She’s probably just annoyed that he got found out.’
‘But she didn’t say who’d hit him either?’ Phil probed softly.
‘No,’ Wanda was beginning to frown, noticing their serious expressions.
Leonie looked at her brother. ‘Phil, you don’t think…?’
‘It has to be,’ he confirmed her unvoiced thoughts. ‘He said he was going round there.’
‘Yes, but…’ She shook her head. ‘Surely he wouldn’t—’
‘You didn’t see the mood he was in. If Jeremy Lindsay got away with a black eye then he was lucky.’
Comprehension seemed to dawn on Glenda, and she gasped. ‘You don’t mean—? Not Giles? Are you saying that Giles beat Daddy up?’ She was incredulous.
‘I think so,’ Phil nodded.
‘Wow!’ she breathed softly.
‘But why?’ Leonie cried. ‘Why is he doing this?’
‘I think you would have to ask him that,’ Phil told her. ‘He’s too complex a man for me to even begin to work out.’
She stood up. ‘Well, I’m not staying here, not when he could come back here at any moment. And if he does come looking for me you aren’t to tell him where I am.’
‘Leonie—’
‘I mean it, Phil. Now that I’ve made the break I don’t want to see him again. He exerts a magnetism over me that I just can’t resist,’ she admitted reluctantly. ‘So I want you to keep quiet about where I am.’
‘What I was trying to say,’ Phil smiled, ‘is that I don’t know where you are.’
She looked startled, then she returned his smile. ‘No, you don’t, do you? Then I won’t tell you, then you won’t have to lie if Giles does happen to ask.’
‘Happen to ask!’ her brother repeated scornfully. ‘He’s likely to beat me up if I don’t tell him.’
‘But you don’t know,’ she told him happily. ‘So you’ll be okay.’
‘Leonie!’ He stopped her exit. ‘I think I should know where you are. I promise I won’t tell Noble, no matter what pressure he exerts, but I don’t like to think of you just disappearing like this. Besides, we need to contact you for the wedding. You’ll come now, won’t you?’
‘Oh, please do, Leonie,’ Wanda cut in pleadingly. ‘You’ll be the only family we have.’
Leonie bit her lip. ‘When is it?’
‘Wednesday. Well, we didn’t see any point in waiting,’ Phil explained at her surprised glance. ‘At least this way we’ll be able to save on one rent.’
‘I just love that romantic streak in him,’ Wanda teased.
‘By the way, Leonie,’ Phil spoke again, ‘I gave Noble his cheque back. I didn’t want the damned thing in the first place.’
‘No,’ she accepted, ‘I didn’t think you would. You see, Giles makes me do things, say things I wouldn’t normally dream of doing. He seems to expect the worst of me and so that’s what I give him. But I’m not really like that, and last night I realised I could no longer play the part he’d given me. But I played the bitch to the end,’ she recalled bitterly. ‘That’s what he called me, a promiscuous little bitch.’
‘And you still as innocent as a baby!’ Phil snorted.
She sighed. ‘Giles would never believe that. Okay, I’ll meet you here on Wednesday. What time?’
‘The wedding is at twelve, so I should get here about eleven-thirty, Phil advised.
She had to get in touch with Simon Watts next, Emily’s publisher, and let him know she had broken her contract. He seemed to be expecting her, as his secretary ushered her straight into his office.
Simon’s office had to be seen to be believed. There were books everywhere, on the floor, on the chairs, but most of all on the desk. Simon looked the part of the typical absentminded professor, his suit creased, his tie slightly askew, his rimless glasses perched on the end of his nose, something they insisted on doing even though he was constantly pushing them back into place.
‘Leonie, my dear,’ he quickly moved to clear a chair for her, ‘how lovely to see you!’
‘Emily and I were here only last week, Simon,’ she reminded him. They had called to discuss the progress of the book with him, and Emily had persuaded him to take them out to lunch. It took a lot to drag Simon away from his books, he lived, ate, and breathed them, and it was perhaps as well that he had remained a bachelor. No woman would ever put up with his total absorption in books.
‘Were you?’ he blinked. ‘Oh yes, so you were.’ He peered at her over the top of a huge pile of books. ‘Well, what can I do for you?’ he beamed at her.
‘I’ve broken my contract,’ she came straight to the point. ‘I’m no longer living at Rose Cottage.’
He nodded. ‘So Emily told me. Some lovers’ tiff with her nephew, wasn’t it?’
Leonie gasped. She would hardly call a broken engagement a lovers’ tiff. Besides, they weren’t lovers, if they had been they may not have argued. ‘Has Emily been in touch with you today?’ she frowned.
Simon nodded. ‘First thing this morning. I was hardly in the office when her call came in. Her nephew has been here too.’
‘Giles has been here?’ Her eyes were wide.
‘Mm. He seems a nice young man, very worried about you.’
‘About me?’ Her frown deepened. What on earth was wrong with Giles? Why was he looking for her like this?
‘Well, of course, my dear. The poor man has been up all night searching for you. Don’t you think you should call him and let him know you’re all right?’
‘Simon—’
‘I know, I know, it’s none of my business. But he did look so worried.’
‘For Emily’s sake,’ she said firmly, determined not to get into a discussion about Giles and herself, ‘what did she have to say about the illustrations? Does she want to get someone else to do it?’
‘No, no, my dear,’ he smiled his vague smile. ‘She doesn’t want to do that. The illustrations are going so well, and the book’s nearly finished. No, Emily is quite prepared for you to carry on.’
‘But—but how?’ Her relief was immense, her enjoyment in her work the one thing that didn’t seem to have changed the last few weeks. ‘I mean—’
‘Through me,’ Simon supplied. ‘Emily will send her requirements through me to you—until such time as you patch up this argument with Mr Noble and move back to the cottage.’
‘It isn’t just an argument, Simon. Giles and I aren’t getting married now. But I’m more than willing to finish this book with Emily.’
‘Right.’ Somehow Simon managed to find a blank piece of paper and a pen. ‘If I could have your address…?’
Leonie flushed, sensing a trap. For some reason only he knew Giles wanted to see her, and he wasn’t above tricking her into giving her whereabouts. She stood up. ‘As you said, Simon, we’ll keep in touch through you. I’ll call again in a couple of days. I have enough to keep me going until then. I’ll be in on Thurs
day, Simon. See you.’
What was Giles up to? She had started to wonder if perhaps there was something wrong with Emily, and that was why he was trying to contact her, but that was now ruled out. She couldn’t even begin to think what he wanted to see her for, just as she couldn’t imagine why he had hit Jeremy.
Wednesday dawned bright and sunny, an ideal day for a wedding. Leonie donned a deep blue silky dress and, attached a white rose to her breast.
Phil was in a terrible flap when she arrived at his bed-sitter. ‘Thank God you’re here!’ he groaned. ‘I just don’t know what to do.’
‘What is it?’ Leonie sat down. ‘Does your shirt need ironing or something?’ she teased, eyeing his bathrobe-clad body questioningly.
‘Much worse than that—Wanda’s father has insisted on coming to the wedding!’
Leonie stiffened. ‘Jeremy has?’ she asked tightly.
‘Yes.’ Phil ran a hand through his already tousled hair. ‘Wanda told him she was getting married. Now somehow he’s found out where and says he’s going to be there.’
She turned away. ‘Will Wanda’s mother be there too?’
‘No,’ he sighed. ‘Apparently she’s annoyed because Wanda made the arrangements secretly. God, what a bloody mess! Do they still have that bit at a register office wedding where they ask if there’s anyone objecting to the marriage taking place? You know the bit I mean, “Is there any just cause why this man and woman should not be joined together”—that bit,’ he grimaced.
‘I don’t know, I suppose so.’ She shook her head. ‘You don’t think he would—? Oh, surely not!’
‘Oh, surely yes. I’m not a very good risk as a son-in-law, now am I? He’ll stop the wedding, and by the time it’s been sorted out that he has no right to stop it everything will be ruined.’
‘Not necessarily.’ She thought quickly. ‘I think I may have a way of stopping him.’
‘Leonie…’ he looked uncertain, ‘I don’t want you doing anything you’ll regret later. It isn’t worth that.’
She gave a light laugh. ‘I promise not to do anything stupid. I’ll just divert him a little. Does he know you’re the bridegroom?’
‘Wanda refused to tell him who she was marrying.’
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