Sighing, she turned back to her work. She had permitted herself to forget her suspicions, because Justin had been so kind and helpful. Perhaps he had also been kind and helpful to Fay? She must be on her guard more.
*
Justin looked at the caller display, and shut off the phone. This was the fourth time Barbara had called him that day. First had been to ask him to go with her to view some rental apartments, saying she was nervous about meeting an unknown man there.
'For you hear of such dreadful things happening, like that estate agent who vanished years and years ago.'
'I don't think you'll be abducted.'
Barbara, he thought, would be a match for the most determined abductor.
Then it had been to help her choose between two possible apartments, which had differently sized living rooms.
'Barbara, you are only likely to be here for a few weeks, so what can small details like the size of one room matter?'
'It's important if I want to entertain, and I have plans for a very special party.'
He shuddered, suspecting what she meant.
Then it had been to give him the address of the one she had chosen.
'And I'll be having a small party for my London friends,' she had announced on the third call.
'I thought you didn't like crowds.'
She laughed. 'Well, not crowds of relatives, anyway. A few select friends, for a really special celebration, that's a different matter.'
Cynically he suspected that the two other friends she would invite would be unable to come at the last minute. Unless by then she had, as she so clearly hoped, managed to reinstate their engagement.
'I'll come if I can,' he promised, keeping his fingers crossed and hoping that would satisfy her, and making a promise to himself to have something he simply could not get out of that evening. A meeting with a potential new client who was flying to the moon the following day?
Now he was being silly. But what did she want this time? Probably to fix a date when he would be free. Well, he was going to be permanently unobtainable.
He began to appreciate more clearly what Judy must have gone through when Mark was pestering her. At the thought of Judy, working so hard and so hopeful of this craft fair venture, his lips curved into a smile. How very different she was to Barbara. He could not envisage a time when he would leave her and they would go their separate ways. But did that mean he was in love? The thought bothered him. He just did not know.
He shook his head. It was too soon, for both of them, to know. Look what a dreadful mistake he had made falling so rapidly into love with Barbara. And if Judy felt anything for him, it was probably on the rebound, and due to the contrast between his own supportive presence and Mark's domineering commands. He must not, if he hoped to win her eventually, and he was not even sure of that, make her nervous. Already he was finding it difficult not to slip his arm round her waist and kiss her whenever he had the chance. He must draw back, for both their sakes. But it would be hard, very hard.
***
Chapter 7
Justin was out, shopping, when Judy had the phone call. He had taken over all the household chores, apart from the cleaning Fay's once-a-week woman did, saying that he could fit in the work on the catalogue at odd times, but Judy needed to be able to concentrate on her paintings if she were to have enough new ones for framing. Ken had managed to acquire loads of frames on a sale or return basis, and he planned to frame two of each print to start with, and when one sold, he would frame another.
'Then you'll always have two on hand. If the frames are the right sizes and the prints all ready, it's a matter of sliding one into the other, and clipping the back on,' he said. 'I shall set up a table and chair, with all the stock, behind these screens, and keep you supplied.'
'Wouldn't it be easier to do a lot beforehand?' Judy asked.
'I don't want to put a damper on the job, my lass,' he said, 'but if they don't sell we have all the fag of storing them afterwards. Once I've unpacked them they won't take the frames back. You'll be stuck with them and have to pay for them.'
It took a while for the ringing of the telephone to penetrate Judy's concentration, and she was frowning as she picked up the receiver.
'Is Justin there?'
The voice was curt.
'I'm sorry, he's out. Can I take a message?'
'It's a nuisance. His mobile's off. Tell him to ring the office as soon as he gets back, and speak to Greg. He's due back soon, but we're fiendishly busy and there's a project come in that's just up his street. A big fat fee, too. He'd hate to miss it, so if he wants it he ought to forget the rest of his holiday and come back now. He can have days off any other time to make up.'
'I'll tell him.'
'Be sure you do.'
Without a word of thanks he rang off. What a dreadfully rude man, she thought, glaring at the receiver as she replaced it, then began to worry. Would Justin go back to work at once? He had no more to do with the catalogue, which was ready to be sent to Susie for printing, and this project, whatever it was, sounded too good to miss. Rather bleakly she wondered whether he would come back for the actual fair, or whether he would be flying off to some wealthy area of the world chasing this opportunity. After all, she had Ken and Magda to help her. And she would be on her own in the house for just a few days until Fay returned. She'd be perfectly safe. She would have to persuade him to go.
It wasn't an easy task. When she relayed the message he merely shrugged.
'That's Greg, always in a hurry. I'll phone after lunch.'
'But Justin, it sounded as though this was a really prestigious project, one you would hate to lose.'
'Greg always exaggerates, too. There will be other projects. I'm staying here till after the fair.'
'I don't really need your help any more. You've been marvellous, but I can manage now.'
'Perhaps, but do you think I'm going to be done out of the fun of the fair after all the work I've done on the poster and the catalogue? You don't really want to deprive me of that, do you?'
Judy shook her head.
'Of course not, but this is your real work, what you get paid for. You can't afford to let good chances such as Greg thinks this is go by.'
'Somebody else will pick it up. And how do you know what I can and can not afford?'
'I don't,' Judy said crossly, 'but the rent on an apartment in that block where you parked the van must be enormous.'
He grinned at her as he stood up and went towards the phone.
'It is, but not more than I can afford, so don't worry about me.'
As he dialled Judy watched in frustration. Deep down she was grateful to him for his support, but she could not help but be worried about his offending his partners, and losing a potentially valuable commission.
'Greg? Hi, Justin here. Now what's this wonderful opportunity you want me to take?'
He listened for a while. All Judy could hear was a frenzied quacking coming from the receiver.
'So what's so special? Simon could do it. Or Frank. They need to stretch themselves, and I'll be back in a few days to supervise.'
He listened to more quacking, then cut in firmly.
'No, Greg. And that means no. If they'll only be happy with me they can wait a few days. I'll see you as agreed. Meantime, set someone else onto it. Bye.'
He put the receiver down on more indignant quacks.
'Partners! I'm very tempted to set up on my own, then I'd only have hassle from a secretary. On second thoughts, that might be worse. Let's take the dogs out. You're looking pale, you need some fresh air.'
And that was all he would say, he refused to discuss Judy's worries that he would be unpopular with his partners, and his customers if they really wanted him.
'I'm staying to help you, as I promised, and that's all there is to it.'
*
Late that afternoon Justin poked his head round the door of Paul's study, where Judy was hard at work.
'Come on, you need a bre
ak. We're going to take the dogs for a walk.'
Judy protested, but he refused to take no for an answer, and when they were striding across the common Judy admitted she was thankful to get out into the sunshine. She had been working so hard she hadn't realised how much she was missing her daily walks with the dogs. She breathed deeply, and when Justin began to talk about his work, refusing to mention the fair, she managed to listen and make sensible replies.
'You need a clean break, or you'll get stale,' he said. 'I think Fay has photographs of the projects we have worked on together, but I have others on my laptop, too, and tonight after dinner I'm going to show you some of them. And what I took in Oman. You will want to go there when you see them.'
They were on the way home, and were rounding the corner into the Close when Judy hesitated. Justin had been disentangling the dogs' leads, which they had twisted round his legs, and didn't realise she had halted for a couple of steps. He looked round to see what was delaying her, and saw her staring at Sadie's house.
He glanced up, and stiffened. Sadie, wearing brief white shorts and a black top that revealed her midriff, was on her front door step, and talking to her was Barbara. The latter was dressed in a cool linen suit in pale green, but beside Sadie she looked distinctly overdressed. The thought hit him of how much more attractive Judy was in her simple cotton skirt and plain white tee shirt.
'Well, here's the boy himself,' Sadie said. 'Hi there, handsome. Here's another of your adoring women come to check up on you.'
'What are you doing here?' Justin ignored her and spoke to Barbara. 'I thought you had a flat in town now?'
'That doesn't stop me having a day in the country,' Barbara said. 'Thanks, Sadie, for all your information. Maybe I'll be seeing you again sometime.'
She strolled across to meet Justin, and caught hold of his arm, stretching up to kiss his cheek. Handicapped by having to hold the dogs' leads, he could not fend her off, and simply ducked his head so that her kiss landed on his hair.
'I need to talk to you,' Barbara said. 'Is there anywhere quiet we can go? To be private,' she added, glancing briefly at Judy.
'I'll take the dogs in and feed them,' Judy promptly offered. 'Why don't you go and walk on the common? There's plenty of room there, where you won't be overheard.'
She glanced at Barbara's excessively high heels, and Justin, suppressing a grin, decided Judy was being deliberately provocative. Somehow it wasn't like her to be bitchy. Was she jealous? If so it was the first sign she had made that she felt more for him than simple friendship, and he didn't know quite how to take that. He didn't want a serious relationship. The casual friendship and working partnership that had developed between them suited him admirably. Judy was still hurting from Mark's behaviour, and there was a risk she would feel more for him on the rebound, which might in the end hurt her more.
Barbara glared at Judy.
'Don't be silly! I'm not wearing hiking boots like you are!'
Justin looked at Judy's open-toed sandals.
'The ground is perfectly dry,' he said mildly. 'No need for hiking boots. But I do see your point. Or rather the points of your heels. Come into the house. I work in Fay's study, where we can be completely private.'
'Fay? Who's Fay?' asked Barbara, her tone sharp and suspicious.
'My cousin's wife. We often work together, she's an interior designer. This is her house, and Judy and I are looking after the dogs for her.'
As he spoke he ushered Barbara inside. Judy had already vanished into the kitchen and he let go of the dogs who rushed after her. Justin led the way upstairs to where Fay had turned the fourth, smallest bedroom, into a study. He sat behind the desk where his laptop was, and gestured to Barbara to take a small chair at the side. With a pout, she sat down and crossed her legs so that her skirt rode up to give him a view of her thighs. He was interested to note that it moved him not at all, whereas when he had first met her such an action would have increased his heartbeat significantly.
'Well, what is you want to talk about?' he asked.
'Justin, don't be so cold. We can't forget what we once had, it was wonderful. I know I behaved badly, but can't you possibly forgive me?'
'There is nothing to forgive. If it was so wonderful why did you discard it? It soon became clear to me we had little in common apart from a mutual physical attraction. You actually did me a favour when you broke it off.'
'That's being frank!'
'Why prevaricate or pretend? Even if I wanted to, it would be impossible to get back together in the way we were.'
'Because I made a mistake?'
'Because you proved you didn't really love me, but were out to capture a man with money, and your Texan had more than I do.'
'I made a mistake, Justin darling, and I've apologised. We can all mistake our feelings, be swept up by glamour. Now I know it's really you I want.'
'Want? Not love? You gave up your job in Oman to fly to Texas, and you won't find it easy to get a similar one. I don't intend to become your meal ticket, so don't try and convince me you love me. I know it's false.'
Barbara took a deep breath.
'Well, having met your neighbour I begin to see the attraction of Cherry Tree Close,' she said, her voice dripping with scorn. 'I didn't believe it was little Miss Muffet keeping you here, but that other is a different matter. She's a man trap. She told me she was divorced, and has plenty of money. Not that you need that, but you've accused me of wanting it, and it's always an added attraction, isn't it?'
'If this is all you came to say to me, it's time you went.'
Barbara stood up abruptly, dropping her handbag on the floor. She leaned across the desk, almost spitting in Justin's face.
'I can see I was really mistaken in you! It was a total waste of my time coming here.'
'Yes, it was,' he agreed, picking up the handbag and standing up. 'Let me show you out.'
She snatched the handbag from him, dragged open the door and stormed out onto the landing.
'I wish you joy!'
*
On the following day Susie sent a proof of the catalogue for checking. Justin printed out a couple of copies
'They're great!' Judy enthused. 'I must take a copy over for Magda. She offered to help proof them. And I have a couple more prints for Ken to frame.'
'Go on, I'll start supper, so don't be too long, gossiping.'
Judy grinned at him. She had accepted that he was not prepared to go back to the office until after the craft fair, and while the thought of him missing opportunities for profitable commissions worried her, she was so thankful to have his continued support she managed to tell herself he knew his own business best.
She went out of the front door, pushing back the dogs who decided they were entitled to another walk, and was laughing when she turned round to find Mark just getting out of his car on Sadie's drive.
'Ah, my little artist. Are those some of the great works of art?' he asked, stepping across to her drive and taking the papers out of her hands before she realised what he intended.
'Give them back! They are nothing to do with you!'
Judy reached for them, but he laughed and held them high out of her reach.
'Peace, woman. Let me look. What's this? Oh, my, a catalogue, no less. So pretentious. You really hope to sell some of these daubs, do you?'
'They weren't daubs when you were benefiting from what I sold before, in Manchester! You were only too glad I could come to the rescue when you had forgotten your credit card. As you so frequently did.'
'Pull your claws in, my love. I don't wish you any harm, but you have to be realistic. Teaching a bit of drawing and painting to bored adolescents doesn't make you a genius.'
'We'll see, won't we?'
'Ken tells me you've inveigled him and his wife to help you at some petty village craft fair. Having this sort of thing,' he added, waving the catalogue, 'is rather going over the top, isn't it?'
'May I have my property back?' Judy demanded through gritt
ed teeth. 'Or I will think you even more of a skunk than I already do.'
'Temper, temper! You'll have to be more polite when I move in next to you.'
Judy stared at him in consternation.
'What do you mean?'
He laughed and handed back the paintings.
'I don't think the words are too difficult for you to understand. Next door is Sadie's house, isn't it? You may not have noticed, you've been so absorbed in your own lover-boy, but Sadie and I have been getting along like the proverbial house on fire. And isn't she hot! Not like prim little block of ice Judy.'
'You and Sadie?'
Judy didn't know whether to laugh or weep. Sadie was not her favourite person, but she wouldn't wish Mark on her best enemy. Then she told herself Sadie was a big girl, well able to take care of herself.
'Got it in one. Or should I say five and a half? You were a bit slow on the uptake, my love.'
Judy started to cross over to Magda's house.
'I wonder how long it will last?' she murmured. 'You'll have to go back to Manchester when term starts. Do you imagine Sadie will wait for you?'
'Until I move down permanently? You know I'm applying for the headship of Ken's school, and he reckons I've a good chance of getting it.'
By which time she would be well away, Judy thought.
'If you get it.'
*
On the following day there was a postcard of Sydney Harbour bridge from Fay. She sounded as though they were having a good time. Paul had taken hundreds of photographs, she had been to a couple of art exhibitions, and they were enjoying Australia.
Its arrival reminded Judy they were due back soon, just after the craft fair. Would she then discover the truth about that Valentine card, and whether Fay was having an affair with Justin? She had almost forgotten about it, with the pressure of getting ready for the craft fair, but her worries came surging back.
Once Bitten Page 10
