A Kiss by Candlelight

by Joanna Mansell

  Nicholas merely shrugged. ‘I’m not denying it.’ He shifted a little restlessly in his chair. ‘We seem to have wandered off the subject. I asked you how you were going to spend the next couple of weeks.’

  ‘Not holding your hand and mopping your brow whenever it gets a little fevered,’ Cathryn shot back at once.

  To her astonishment, Nicholas actually grinned. ‘You’re not a very conventional sort of nursemaid, are you?’ he remarked. ‘But if you’re not going to offer any of the traditional comforts, what are you doing here?’

  ‘I suppose I’m the one who runs for the doctor if you have a sudden relapse. And Sir Charles said you were still taking quite a lot of medication. I’m meant to make sure that you take the right pills at the right time.’

  Nicholas’s dark eyebrows gently rose. ‘And not too many at once?’ he suggested.

  Cathryn’s head shot up. ‘Have you ever tried that?’ she demanded bluntly. ‘An overdose?’

  ‘No, I haven’t,’ he said, to her intense relief. ‘I did take a couple of sleeping pills too many once, but that was entirely an accident. Charles got in rather a flap over it, though. I don’t think he was entirely convinced that it wasn’t intentional.’

  ‘Are you sure that it wasn’t?’ Cathryn said suspiciously.

  He gave her an unexpectedly relaxed smile. ‘I’ve no desire to leave this world until I absolutely have to. And now we’ve got that straightened out, why not accept that you’re not needed here? I’m quite capable of feeding and caring for myself, and taking the occasional pill—strictly according to prescription, of course,’ he added a little mockingly. ‘I’m sure that my brother’s intentions were very laudable, dragging you over here to look after me, but I don’t need you. Go back home and get on with your own life, Miss Harrison.’

  It was a very tempting suggestion. More than anything, Cathryn would have loved to have taken him up on it. She had given Sir Charles her word, though. When he returned from America, how could she tell him that she had walked out on his brother after less than an hour?

  ‘I’m sorry,’ she said with genuine regret, ‘but I can’t do that. I’m here for the whole two weeks, so you’d better get used to the idea.’

  The relaxation disappeared from Nicholas’s features, and instead his green eyes registered intense irritation.

  ‘But I don’t want you here,’ he said in a very different tone of voice.

  ‘I know you don’t,’ replied Cathryn, a trifle alarmed by his abrupt change of attitude. ‘And I don’t want to be here. But there’s nothing either of us can do about it, so we’ll have to muddle through as best we can.’

  It was very obvious that Nicholas Ellis wasn’t in the least pleased by her reply. He got to his feet with some difficulty, and then glared down at her.

  ‘I’m beginning to find you very irritating, Miss Harrison.’

  Cathryn merely lifted her shoulders in a brief shrug. ‘I don’t think that your brother expected us to like each other. I suppose the best we can hope for is to tolerate each other’s company over the next couple of weeks.’

  Nicholas muttered something under his breath and then limped out of the room. Once he had gone, Cathryn let out a deep breath and realised how very tense she had been. Not that she had really expected this first meeting with Sir Charles’s brother to be easy. It would have been a minor miracle if they had got on well together from the word go.

  She glanced at her watch and then grimaced. It was only mid-morning, and she already felt as if she had been here for hours! And how was she meant to pass the time? She knew some women could have quite happily spent their days cleaning and polishing this elegant flat, and keeping it in pristine condition. Cathryn wasn’t in the least domesticated, though. Her own small flat was full of gadgets that were designed to keep housework down to an absolute minimum. And, although she was a reasonable cook when she wanted to be, she didn’t want to spend hours in the kitchen. Which left what? Television? Videos? Music? There were plenty of tapes stacked on the shelf in the drawing-room, and she supposed she might have to raid them if she became too bored.

  In the end, she decided to make a quick trip to the office after lunch and bring back some work. There was always a backlog waiting to be dealt with, and this would be a perfect opportunity to try and get up to date.

  She didn’t see any sign of Nicholas for the rest of the morning—which suited her very well. By lunchtime, he still hadn’t emerged from his room, and Cathryn wondered if she ought to knock on his door and enquire if he was all right.

  In the end, she decided against it. He was probably fine, but just avoiding her. He certainly wouldn’t be very pleased if she began poking her nose into his private sanctum so early on during her stay.

  She cooked herself an omelette for lunch, ate it, and then cleared away the dishes. Nicholas still hadn’t put in an appearance, and Cathryn tapped her fingers together a little worriedly. Didn’t the man eat? Surely regular meals were an essential part of any convalescence? There wasn’t much flesh on him as it was. Sir Charles wouldn’t be very pleased if he came back and found his brother looking positively anorexic!

  Cathryn wandered indecisively around the flat for another few minutes. Then she straightened her shoulders and headed directly towards Nicholas’s room.

  Even as she knocked on his door, she had the feeling that this wasn’t a very good idea. And when Nicholas opened it, his green eyes looking totally hostile, she was convinced of that fact.

  ‘What do you want?’ he said curtly.

  ‘You haven’t had any lunch,’ she reminded him.

  His features remained extremely cold. ‘I’m well aware of that fact. What the hell has it got to do with you?’

  Cathryn stared back at him with open dislike. ‘I just thought you should have something to eat.’

  ‘Don’t start mothering me! It drives me crazy. And don’t come knocking on my door every time I’m a few minutes late for a meal. I’ll eat when I’m hungry.’

  He positively snarled his response at her and Cathryn decided that, from now on, she would let him starve to death, if that was what he wanted.

  ‘Don’t worry,’ she said in a freezing tone, ‘I won’t bother you again. And in case you’re under any misapprehension, I wasn’t offering to cook a meal for you. Since you’re so keen to be independent, you can definitely look after yourself.’

  ‘That’s very little hardship, since I always do,’ Nicholas informed her, in a slightly more reasonable tone of voice.

  Cathryn’s delicate eyebrows gently rose. ‘Really?’ she said, her tone still very cool. ‘You surprise me. With all this ultra-macho front you put on, I’d have thought that that sort of thing would have ruined your image.’

  Nicholas stared at her in disbelief for a moment. Then his features altered dramatically, and he threw back his head and laughed. It was so unexpected that Cathryn took a couple of steps back. Really, this man was very disconcerting! He switched moods so quickly, and seemed to delight in doing the opposite to what she had been expecting.

  ‘Ultra-macho?’ repeated Nicholas, his eyes quite brilliant now with amusement. ‘Where on earth did you get that idea from?’

  ‘Maybe from your own publicity,’ Cathryn said pointedly. ‘I did a little background research on you after Sir Charles asked me to come here. When you’re not hopping in and out of trouble-spots all round the world, wearing rather trendy combat gear, you like to hit the social pages with a blonde on your arm—or, sometimes, both arms,’ she added, her voice radiating complete disapproval.

  Nicholas didn’t seem troubled by her accusations. ‘When you spend your working life in grim places and even grimmer situations, you need a little light relief when you get home.’

  ‘And nightclubs and blondes fit that bill?’ said Cathryn with a sniff.

  ‘Not that it’s any of your business, but yes, they do.’ She thought he wasn’t going to say any more, but to her surprise he went on, ‘When I’m working, I’m often aw
ay for weeks or even months at a time. I’m never sure how long I’ll be gone, or even if I’ll be able to keep in touch. That’s a pretty poor basis for any serious relationship. I tried it a couple of times, but each time the girl involved couldn’t handle it—and I don’t blame her. Now I stick to short-term relationships. That way no one gets hurt.’

  ‘Including you,’ Cathryn observed.

  ‘Including me,’ he agreed. His smile wasn’t quite so pleasant by now. ‘Is there any more of my private life I have to explain to you, or are you going to leave me in peace for the rest of the afternoon?’

  ‘Since I’m going out for a while, you’ll have all the peace you need,’ Cathryn told him. ‘I’m going to the office to collect some work. I can’t sit around here for two weeks doing nothing.’

  ‘How very conscientious of you,’ remarked Nicholas, and there was no trace of laughter left in his eyes. ‘But my brother did tell me that you were the perfect secretary.’ His gaze slid over her. ‘It made me almost curious to meet you. I’ve never met anyone before who’s totally perfect.’

  ‘I do my job, that’s all!’ she found herself snapping defensively. Then she shut up. This man wasn’t going to amuse himself over the next couple of weeks by finding ways of getting under her skin!

  ‘And I’m sure you do it very well.’ His green eyes took on a thoughtful expression. ‘But then, you’re playing for high stakes, aren’t you, Cathryn?’

  Cathryn stared at him with blank incomprehension. What was the man on about? She didn’t know, and she decided that she didn’t care. She didn’t have to understand him, or even make more than a cursory effort to be pleasant to him. She just had to make sure that he stayed in reasonably good health over the next couple of weeks.

  ‘I’ll be leaving for the office in about half an hour. I won’t be gone for long,’ she informed him. ‘You will be all right on your own, won’t you?’

  ‘I’ll try to survive,’ he said caustically. Then he closed the door in her face.

  With an effort, Cathryn controlled her own heated reaction. ‘You have to make allowances for him,’ she muttered under her breath. ‘He’s been through a traumatic time. His nerves are still on edge.’

  Yet her own usually steady nerves weren’t feeling any too healthy, and she was glad to get out of Sir Charles’s flat. She took a taxi to the office, and spent far longer than was necessary sorting out work that could be done at home. When she couldn’t spin it out any longer, she gathered together the files, collected a portable electric typewriter from one of the other offices, and then very reluctantly headed back to the flat.

  She had to ring the bell several times before Nicholas finally opened it. ‘I know you’ve got a limp, but I think you could have opened the door a bit quicker,’ she said crossly, dumping the typewriter in the hall and letting the heavy files drop on to a nearby table.

  ‘I was working,’ he said briefly. ‘You interrupted me.’

  Cathryn glanced up. ‘Working? On what?’ Then she flushed slightly. ‘All right, I know. It’s none of my business.’

  ‘No, it isn’t,’ he agreed. ‘But it isn’t any great secret. I’ve had an offer from a publisher to write a book about the events leading up to the moment when I ran my Jeep over a land-mine,’ He said it so matter-of-factly that it was hard to figure out if he was finding it an effort to keep his tone so light. ‘I’ve got to get it finished by the end of the month, though. The public have notoriously bad memories. At the moment, they’re still interested because the whole thing is relatively fresh in their minds. Leave it too long, and they won’t want to know about it.’

  Cathryn wrinkled her nose. ‘You’re going to write about getting blown up? I think that’s pretty ghoulish!’

  ‘Perhaps it is,’ he said in an unconcerned voice. ‘But it should make me some money.’

  Cathryn recalled something Sir Charles had said about Nicholas not being able to afford a private nurse.

  ‘You’re short of cash?’ she said curiously. ‘But surely you earn a good salary?’

  ‘Reasonably good. But by the time I’ve paid for a flat in central London, a car, and various other expenses, there isn’t a great deal left.’

  ‘But don’t you have a private income?’

  The words popped out before she could stop them. Too late, she realised she was straying on to dangerously personal ground again, and nervously waited for Nicholas to tell her that in no uncertain terms.

  Instead, though, he looked at her thoughtfully. ‘What exactly do you mean by that?’

  ‘Just that—well, you come from a wealthy family, don’t you?’ she said rather uncomfortably.

  ‘You mean, my brother has money coming out of his ears, so why don’t I?’ said Nicholas softly. ‘To begin with, I didn’t start out with as much as Charles. Being the elder son, he took the title, the family home, and a sizeable chunk of the estate. The assets that were left were then split equally between us. Charles used his share to set himself up in business, and he’s been flourishing ever since. My part of the inheritance disappeared in a rather different direction, though. If Charles were here, he’d probably tell you that I squandered it.’

  ‘Squandered it on what?’ Cathryn couldn’t stop herself from asking.

  A rather strange look came over Nicholas’s face. ‘How about gambling debts?’ he suggested.

  Her eyes opened much wider. ‘You gambled away your inheritance? All of it?’

  ‘Every single penny.’ His mouth curled into a self-mocking smile. ‘I can see from the look on your face that you don’t approve.’

  ‘Of course I don’t!’

  ‘One more thing on which you and my brother see eye to eye,’ Nicholas remarked. ‘He didn’t approve, either.’ His green eyes glinted at her. ‘You and Charles really do seem to be very compatible. Two minds that think alike on so many things. Including your opinion of me, no doubt.’

  ‘You’re certainly right about that!’ Cathryn gathered together her files. ‘I’m going to get on with some work,’ she informed him sharply. ‘I’ll use the drawing-room, if that won’t inconvenience you.’

  ‘As long as you keep out of my way as much as possible, you shouldn’t be too much of a nuisance. Although I don’t somehow think you’ll be staying the full two weeks, Miss Harrison,’ he added pointedly.

  ‘You might have a reputation for being difficult, Mr. Ellis,’ Cathryn replied in a haughty tone, ‘but believe me, I simply find you tiresome. And I’m more than capable of coping with whatever tantrums you might choose to throw.’

  With that, she swept through the nearest doorway, and was pleased at being able to make such an impressive exit. It helped to compensate for the fact that her heart was thumping and her knees felt distinctly weak.

  She set the portable typewriter up on the table near the window, and worked through what was left of the afternoon. Around half-past five, she could hear Nicholas moving around in the kitchen, and she waited until he had gone back to his own room before going to get herself something to eat.

  She watched television for a couple of hours during the evening, but she couldn’t seem to concentrate on any of the programmes. Around ten, she decided to have an early night. The day had proved even more exhausting than she had expected and she certainly wasn’t looking forward to tomorrow.

  The bed was warm and comfortable, and Cathryn fell asleep just a couple of minutes after crawling between the sheets. She woke up some time later with a start, though, and stared into the darkness, wondering what had woken her. Then she heard someone shouting. With pulses beating far faster than usual, she sat up.

  ‘It must be someone outside,’ she told herself rather shakily. In an exclusive residential area like this, though, it was highly unlikely that someone would be causing a disturbance in the street.

  Cathryn switched on the lamp beside the bed. Her watch told her it was half-past two in the morning, and she felt very wide awake. Her pulses were slowing down again now and, with a small sigh, sh
e swung herself out of bed and wriggled into a dressing-gown. She supposed she ought to have a look around, to check that everything was all right.

  The carpet under her bare feet was so thick that she didn’t make a single sound as she made her way through the flat. It was very quiet everywhere now. She still didn’t know what had caused that disturbance, but it seemed to be over.

  She decided she might as well have a hot drink now she was up, and headed towards the kitchen. As she opened the door, she found the light was already on, and she paused in the doorway.

  Inside, Nicholas was sitting at the table with his back to her. His head and shoulders were slumped, and he obviously hadn’t heard her approach.

  Rather nervously, Cathryn cleared her throat. The small sound made him jump violently; then he swung round to face her, eyes blazing.

  ‘What the hell are you doing, creeping up on me like that?’ he demanded furiously.

  Cathryn shrugged apologetically. ‘The carpets in this flat are so thick that it’s difficult not to creep. Sorry if I startled you.’

  ‘What are you doing up?’ he asked curtly.

  ‘I heard someone shouting. I wondered what was going on.’

  ‘It was me,’ Nicholas replied, after a short pause. ‘I had a bad dream. I didn’t mean to disturb you.’

  She came a little further into the kitchen. ‘Do you get dreams like that often?’

  ‘Less often than I did at first.’ He lifted his shoulders briefly. ‘According to the doctors, it’s the delayed shock still working its way out of my system. Eventually, they should stop altogether.’

  As Cathryn moved closer, she noticed a bottle of spirits in front of him.

  ‘I don’t think you should drink,’ she said disapprovingly. ‘Not when you’re taking all those pills.’

  ‘Sometimes a few drinks are all that get me through the night,’ he growled. ‘And I don’t take that many pills.’

  Cathryn looked at him sceptically. ‘There seem to be enough bottles of them lined up in the bathroom. I don’t know what half of them are for, but I’m pretty certain most of them don’t mix well with alcohol.’