by Lucy Gordon;Sarah Morgan;Robyn Donald;Lucy Monroe;Lee Wilkinson;Kate Walker
‘Certainly.’ Glancing around him, he grimaced at the mess, then, sounding slightly more human, said, ‘I’m afraid Melinda isn’t the tidiest of women. It’s one of the reasons I agreed to separate rooms. Less aggro…And to be honest this is partly my fault. I omitted to ask one of the maids to come up. If you would prefer to use my bathroom…?’
‘No, no, I wouldn’t.’ The bath was getting over-full, and, clutching the towel to her, she stooped to turn off the taps, adding jerkily, ‘This will do fine, thank you.’
He grinned wryly at her determined politeness. ‘Then I’ll go and take a shower…’ At the door he turned and cocked an eyebrow at her. ‘Unless you want me to stay and wash your back?’
Losing her cool, she cried, ‘No, I don’t want you to stay and wash my back. I want you to get out of here and stay out.’
As he closed the door behind him and walked away she heard his soft, mocking laugh.
There had been anger rather than amusement beneath the mockery, and she was well aware that this attempt to harass and demean her had been quite intentional. He had wanted to pay her back.
Though for what? she wondered bleakly. For attempting to leave, when for some unknown reason he wanted her to stay?
Determined to take no more chances, she crossed to the door and turned the key in the lock before discarding the towel and stepping into the steaming tub.
Some twenty minutes later, dressed in a coffee-coloured two-piece—the least crumpled thing in her case—she made her way back to the sitting room.
Though outside the storm was still raging, inside it was comfortably warm and cosy.
Blaze, wearing casual trousers and an olive-green cotton-knit shirt, was lounging in one of the armchairs in front of a cheerful log fire.
His legs stretched out, his dark head resting against the back of the chair, he appeared to be half asleep, and she paused.
Noting her hesitation, he invited coolly, ‘Do come and join me.’
Determined to appear calm and self-possessed, she sat down in the chair opposite while, lids drooping, he studied her through long, thick lashes.
Her newly washed ash-brown hair, still a little damp and curling slightly, was loose around her shoulders, and her nose was undeniably shiny.
She knew she must look a fright.
He thought she looked fresh and lovely and oddly vulnerable.
A tray with a selection of dainty sandwiches, home-made fruit cake and a pot of tea was waiting on the low table.
Drawing back his feet, he sat up and reached to pass her a napkin and a plate. ‘Would you like—’
‘I’d like to know why you insisted on me coming back to the Hall.’
His voice smooth and hard as polished granite, he said, ‘Neither of us have had any lunch, and, according to Hannah, you didn’t have any breakfast either, so I think we should eat first and talk later. Now, would you like to start with ham or cucumber?’
Realising it was useless to argue, Fran gave in with what grace she could muster. ‘Cucumber, please.’
The sandwiches were delicious, and, all at once finding herself ravenous, she began to tuck in with a will.
They ate without speaking until the plates were empty and they had finished their second cups of tea. Then it was Blaze who broke the silence to ask, ‘What made you decide to leave so suddenly?’
‘I couldn’t see any point in staying.’
The dark eyes pinned her. ‘So you’re not still expecting Varley to turn up?’
‘No,’ she admitted.
‘Does that mean you’ve heard from him?’
She shook her head. ‘I thought you might have done, until Mortimer told me you’d gone out.’
Blaze raised a dark brow.
A shade awkwardly, she explained, ‘You knew how anxious I’d been; I didn’t think you would have left without first putting my mind at rest…’
‘I’m not noted for being kind to my adversaries.’
Startled, she asked, ‘Is that how you regard me?’
‘How else?’
‘B-but I don’t see why,’ she stammered helplessly. ‘I’ve tried to keep to the arrangements that were made.’
‘I’m sure you have,’ he said sardonically. ‘I bet Varley’s proud of you!’
When she just looked at him, Blaze said, ice in his voice, ‘Don’t tell me he didn’t congratulate you on a job well done?’
‘I told you, I haven’t spoken to him…If you have—’
‘I haven’t,’ Blaze denied shortly. ‘Nor did I expect to. But when I found you were so anxious to get away I knew that he must have been in touch. So why not tell me the truth? Where were you planning to meet him?’
‘You’re quite wrong. He hasn’t been in touch, and I wasn’t planning to meet him.’
‘You lie quite convincingly.’
‘I’m not lying. Why should I lie?’
His voice like a whiplash, he asked, ‘Then what made you decide to leave?’
‘When Hannah told me Kirk still hadn’t come and there were no messages, I tried ringing his apartment. All I got was the answer-machine…’
Seeing Blaze’s lips twist, she shook her head. ‘I hadn’t expected him to be there; I just wanted to try every avenue possible.’
‘Which did you try next?’
‘I rang William Bailey on the offchance that he might have heard something. He lives over Varley’s business premises, so I thought if there had been an accident of some kind…’
‘What did Bailey have to say?’
‘That he’d talked to Kirk first thing this morning, but he didn’t know—’
His grey eyes narrowed on her face, Blaze broke in tersely, ‘Perhaps you can tell me verbatim?’
Taking a deep breath, she repeated the telephone conversation word for word, as far as she could remember, ending, ‘From what William said, I knew that something totally unexpected must have cropped up. Something that had been important enough to divert Kirk and—’
‘And make him keep the whole thing a secret—not only from his right hand man but from his own fiancée?’
‘That’s what I can’t understand,’ she admitted.
‘You used the word divert…’
‘Well, I—’
‘Without knowing any more, what made you decide there and then that he wasn’t going to turn up at all?’
‘I just felt instinctively that he—’
‘My dear Francesca, you’ll have to do a great deal better than that.’
Sighing, she insisted, ‘It happens to be the truth…In any case, I was sick of all the waiting, and I’d started to feel angry and resentful that he hadn’t been in touch.’
There was a moment’s silence, then Blaze pursued, ‘So you made up your mind to go?’
‘Yes.’
‘To run while my back was turned?’
Hearing the censure, she said defensively, ‘Why not? I’d done my part.’
Just for an instant he looked so furious that she flinched. Then the anger was wiped away, and he asked evenly, ‘Had you forgotten you’d been invited for the weekend?’
She licked her dry lips. ‘As the whole thing had fallen through, I didn’t want to stay on my own.’
‘And I get the feeling that you hadn’t wanted to come in the first place?’
‘No, I hadn’t.’ She refused to lie.
‘Why not? It couldn’t have been because you knew I was Edward Balantyne.’
When she remained silent, he asked, ‘Had Melinda said something to put you off?’
‘No.’ This time she was forced to lie, and judging by his expression he knew it.
Letting it go, however, he asked, ‘When you did make up your mind to leave, what were your plans? If you weren’t meeting Varley—’
‘I’ve told you I wasn’t.’
‘Then what did you intend to do?’
‘My first thought was to get to London and book into a hotel for the night, but—’
‘You couldn
’t raise the taxi fare?’
‘As well you know.’
‘So you did ask Mortimer.’ Blaze sounded wryly amused. ‘I can just picture his face.’
‘Go ahead and laugh, why don’t you?’
Ignoring the bitterness, Blaze pursued, ‘But you still went ahead and walked out. I take it you weren’t planning to walk all the way to London?’
‘No. There’s a county hotel a few miles down the road. I was hoping to stay there.’
‘Then what?’
‘William Bailey would have helped me.’
‘If you hadn’t heard from Varley, why were you so desperate to go just at that minute?’
Watching the betraying colour rise in her cheeks, he said softly, ‘I see. So this sudden urge to run was brought on by what happened last night.’
He was too close to the truth.
Forced into a corner, Fran lifted her chin and lied, ‘I’m sorry about that. I was missing Kirk and wishing he was there…’
She had the satisfaction of seeing Blaze’s jaw tighten with fury.
Pressing home her unexpected advantage, she added with studied nonchalance, ‘It’s just as well you didn’t get…too involved. I suppose you were missing your fiancée too, and if we’d both lost our heads it could have caused problems.’
‘It could indeed,’ he agreed trenchantly. ‘Though Melinda is easygoing, I don’t think she would have been too happy. Especially in view of our past association…’
‘That’s why I thought it would be better if I left before she got here.’
‘I fail to see what difference it makes,’ Blaze said, showing an apparent insensitivity quite foreign to his nature. ‘That is unless you were intending to tell her everything.’
‘I wasn’t intending to tell her anything,’ Fran denied sharply. ‘But in the circumstances I didn’t feel comfortable about staying, and I still think it would be best if I left before she gets here.’
‘Tell me,’ he asked silkily, ‘is the imminent arrival of my fiancée the only reason you want to leave?’
‘Is it imminent?’
He shrugged. ‘As I haven’t spoken to her, I can’t say for certain, though I’m beginning to doubt it.’
‘But when Mortimer said you’d gone to London, I thought you’d be sure to see her.’
‘I called at her hotel, but she’d checked out and her car was no longer there.’
‘Then she’s probably on her way here now.’
‘If she’s still on her way she must have gone via Scotland.’ At Fran’s startled glance, he explained, ‘She checked out last night. About an hour after I rang.’
‘I suppose…’ Fran stopped and bit her lip.
He read the unspoken thought with ease, and told her calmly, ‘I considered that possibility, so I contacted the police and gave them all the necessary details. There’d been no reported accident involving a car and driver of that description.’
Leaning forward, he threw another log on the fire before remarking, ‘So it’s anyone’s guess where she’s got to.’
‘There may be a message.’
‘There’s no message. I checked with Mortimer before getting into the shower.’ Frowning, he added, ‘And with only an hour or so to go before the party I would have expected her to be here, if she’s going to come.’
Blaze’s mention of the party roused Fran to action. There was no point in her sitting here discussing his fiancée’s absence. In all probability Melinda would turn up any minute, and everything would proceed as planned.
But hopefully without her.
Striving to sound matter-of-fact, Fran said, ‘I’m quite sure Miss Ross won’t miss her own party…But in any event I don’t intend to stay.’
When Blaze said nothing, she announced with more assurance than she felt, ‘In fact I insist on leaving.’
Something in his face, his continued silence, scared her stiff. ‘You can’t keep me here against my will,’ she cried.
‘How melodramatic,’ he mocked.
‘But you can’t.’
His lean cheeks creased in a smile. ‘Don’t bet on it.’ Then, calmly, ‘A moment ago I asked if the arrival of my fiancée was the only reason you wanted to leave, and you haven’t yet answered.’
‘It’s the main one,’ she replied, with some truth.
‘What other reasons are there? Or perhaps you can’t think of any offhand?’
In desperation, she stammered, ‘Kirk w-wouldn’t want me to be here if he knew that…’
‘That we’d once been lovers? And almost were again?’
‘He’d be furious.’
‘If he could abandon you here, as he appears to have done, I doubt if he’d care a damn,’ Blaze disagreed coolly.
Giving up all pretence, she pleaded, ‘Surely the fact that I want to go is enough?’
‘I’m afraid not. It’s what I want that counts.’
‘I don’t understand why you want me to stay,’ she told him helplessly.
Heavy lids drooping, he glanced at her through his lashes. ‘Perhaps I regret last night…Regret not having taken advantage of your…shall we say susceptibility?’
Her heart lurched, but, knowing he was just taunting her, she said hardily, ‘I can assure you I’ve no intention of behaving so stupidly a second time. And as your fiancée will be here…’
‘I’m beginning to seriously doubt it.’
‘Well, whether she comes or not—’
But he was shaking his head, his face adamant. ‘I’m afraid there are far too many unanswered questions for me to allow you to leave just yet…’
Shocking in its suddenness, the phone shrilled, making Fran jump.
‘Ah!’ Blaze murmured softly. ‘With a bit of luck this may help to answer some of them.’
Chapter Six
‘IF YOU’LL excuse me?’ He rose to his feet and reached for the receiver. ‘Balantyne. Good…Yes…I see…When…?’
Listening intently to what Blaze was saying, and watching his dark, intent face, Fran held her breath, but neither his words nor his expression gave anything away.
‘Yes…Yes, do that…Thanks for letting me know.’
Replacing the receiver, he stood, his well-shaped head a little bent, gazing into space.
Her eyes fixed on him, she waited.
When after perhaps a minute he was still silent, unable to bear the tension a moment longer, she asked, ‘It wasn’t…?’
He lifted his head to look at her. His face was cool and shuttered. ‘No, it wasn’t Melinda. However, the call did provide a clue as to her whereabouts.’
Resuming his seat, he went on, his voice dispassionate, ‘With the pair of them being missing, I’d begun to wonder if she and Varley might have run off together—’
‘I would doubt it,’ Fran broke in drily.
Blaze gave her a wry glance. ‘Either you’re very sure of him, or you don’t think Melinda is the type to sacrifice a wealthy husband for a fling with a man—however handsome and charming—on the verge of bankruptcy…Which is it?
‘No, don’t bother to tell me; I can see by your face. You’re not at all sure of Varley—’
‘Whereas you’re quite sure of Miss Ross.’
It wasn’t in Fran’s nature to be catty, and as soon as the words were out she regretted them. ‘I’m sorry. I had no right to say that.’ Then, awkwardly, ‘Please go on.’
‘The call was from the detective agency…’ Seeing the expression on Fran’s face, he shook his head. ‘There’s no need to look so horrified. You can’t seriously believe I was having Melinda watched?’
‘I wouldn’t put anything past you.’
Caught on the raw, a white line appeared round his mouth, and, watching him fight for control, Fran wished the words unsaid.
After a moment, the battle won, he visibly relaxed, and she gave a sigh of relief.
‘Perhaps I asked for that,’ he said levelly. ‘But the other precautions I took have proved to be necessary.’
&
nbsp; ‘I can’t see that they have,’ she disagreed boldly. Then, her resentment obvious, ‘It wasn’t necessary to have either myself or Kirk watched. I know things haven’t gone quite according to plan, but in the main everything has worked out—’
‘Before you go any further,’ Blaze broke in coldly, ‘perhaps you’d better wait and hear what I have to say.’
With a sudden feeling of apprehension, she closed her mouth and waited.
‘After shaking off his shadow, Varley did a neat disappearing trick. Though a couple of the men from the agency cast around they were unable to pick up his trail. But it seems he got a bit too confident, and he made the mistake of going back to his apartment, which was still being watched.
‘Perhaps his plans had changed, or maybe he’d gone to pick up something important he’d forgotten…But, whatever, he only stayed a short time. The really intriguing thing is this: he wasn’t alone…’
As the implications sank in, Fran’s eyes widened.
‘The woman who was with him was described as a good-looking blonde, about five foot six and slimly built, driving a white Porsche.’
‘It doesn’t make sense,’ Fran whispered dazedly.
‘That’s what I thought at first,’ Blaze agreed grimly. ‘But I’m rapidly changing my mind. If one thing I already suspect is true, it makes a great deal of sense. But until I have confirmation…’
A knock at the door cut through his words.
‘Come in.’
The door opened to admit the butler, who, having cleared his throat, said verbosely, ‘I’m sorry to disturb you, sir, but you gave instructions that you were to be told as soon as Mr Henderson arrived.’
‘He’s here?’
‘Yes, sir. Hannah has just shown him into the main living room.’
‘Thank you, Mortimer. Please tell Mr Henderson I’ll be down directly.’
As the door closed behind the stately black-clad figure Blaze turned to Fran, and, a glint in his eye she was unable to decipher, suggested, ‘Perhaps you’d like to come with me? You may find it interesting.’
Something about the invitation and the way he was watching her made all her nerves start to jangle.
‘Very well.’ Taking a deep breath, and doing her best to appear calm and composed, though her legs were oddly shaky, she accompanied him down the stairs, one hand on the banister.
