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CHAPTER ONE THE latch clicked, and Dave Benson came into the dark, cramped cloakroom that adjoined the office, closing the door behind him with care. After that lunchtime’s unexpected phone call, it had been agreed that he, with his technical know-how, should tackle their possibly important visitor. Eleanor glanced up from making the tea he’d requested, her clear grey eyes hopeful. Dave answered her unspoken question. ‘Yes, it is Robert Carrington the financier, and the job on offer is just the kind of thing we were hoping for…’ Though his words were encouraging, it struck her that he was looking far from pleased. ‘Apparently Carrington’s fed up with living and working in London, and he’d like to start running his business from home. He owns some manor house or other near Little Meldon, and he wants to set up an office and a communications network with state-of-the-art equipment.’ ‘That sounds wonderful!’ she exclaimed. ‘It would be if I could clinch the deal, but he’s an awkward man…’
CHAPTER ONE
CHAPTER TWO OVER the next few months, with both of them working all hours, they hardly saw each other. Once a week they snatched a late-evening coffee together, and on very odd occasions a takeaway pizza. Instead of living in student accommodation, Dave shared a small self-contained flat with a college friend. Though Eleanor paid his share of the rent for it, she had never been there, and wasn’t even sure where it was. ‘Off Station Road,’ Dave had answered casually, when she’d asked. More than a dozen streets ran off Station Road, but knowing by now that he hated to be what he called “crowded” she let the matter drop. As the festive season approached, learning that she had Christmas Day off, they began to make plans to spend it together. At the last minute, however, Dave rang up, sounding hoarse and snuffly, to say he had developed a stinking cold and all he wanted to do was stay in bed. He rejected her offer of nursing and, when she looked like persisting, pointed out irritably, ‘At t
CHAPTER TWO
CHAPTER THREE BY THE time they had left the outskirts of London behind them the traffic had lessened, the sky had cleared, and as they ran into Little Meldon the sun was shining. The main street was wide, with cobbled areas on either side that sloped gently up to rows of picturesque cottages. In the centre it widened even more to straddle an old stone butter market. There was a mere handful of shops: an old-fashioned grocers, a bow-fronted butchers, a greengrocers, and a post-office-cum-newsagents. At the far end was a black and white half-timbered coaching inn, with overhanging eaves and barley-sugar chimneys. There was hardly any sign of life, and the whole thing could have been lifted straight from Dickens. ‘What a dump!’ Dave said disgustedly. Eleanor, who had thought the village delightful and been about to say so, held her tongue. If he was in a bad mood there was no point in antagonising him. About half a mile further on, as Robert Carrington had said, they came to Grave Lane, a
CHAPTER THREE
CHAPTER FOUR THE “lived-in bit”, with its black oak floors and white walls, was serenely beautiful, and Eleanor basked in the feeling that the old house welcomed her with open arms, like a mother. But all the time she was aware that, as though trying to gauge her reactions, Robert Carrington had scarcely taken his eyes off her face. The knowledge made her tongue-tied and awkward with him. When she said nothing, as though determined to make her voice her feelings, he remarked, ‘I get the impression you like Greyladies?’ ‘I love it.’ Then wondering if her response had sounded too fulsome, she wished she had been more restrained. But he smiled at her, as though her enthusiasm had pleased him. They had almost completed their tour of that part of the manor, when Robert Carrington opened a door into a long, bare room quite unlike the rest of the house. ‘This was my grandfather’s studio,’ he explained. Clearly a much later addition, it was a single storey, with skylights. The north-facing wal
CHAPTER FOUR
CHAPTER FIVE SHE had failed to draw the curtains the previous night, and sunshine slanting in through the leaded panes and lying warm on her closed lids, awoke her. A glance at her watch showed it had turned eight-thirty. Robert Carrington would be safely in London by now, and having breakfast. Far from cheering her, the realisation brought a strange feeling of emptiness that she did her best to ignore. One of the latticed windows had been left partly open and, jumping out of bed, she pushed it wider and leaned out. The morning air was full of sunshine and birdsong. Dew sparkled like diamonds on the grass, and in one of the shallow stone troughs a thrush was taking his morning bath. Normally her heart would have rejoiced at such a lovely scene, but today gladness was mingled with another more poignant emotion, a sense of loss that she didn’t want to either identify or admit to. When she had showered and dressed, finding no sign of Dave in their living-room or his bedroom, she made her
CHAPTER FIVE
CHAPTER SIX HER legs refusing to support her, she melted against him, while the muscular warmth of his body, and his lips moving against hers, drove every sane thought from her mind. She was opening her mouth helplessly in response to his urging, when a sharp whack on her ankle brought her to her senses. Pulling herself free, she looked dazedly at Paddington who was prancing around them, a long stick clenched in his jaws. If Robert Carrington was annoyed by the interruption, he gave no sign of it, merely saying ruefully, ‘Saved by the bell. Or in this case, the dog. I can see where he caught you. Does it hurt?’ ‘No, not really.’ And in any case it was worth it, to be saved from her own weakness. If it hadn’t been for Paddington she would have been lost, only too ready to let Robert Carrington keep on kissing her until— Snapping off the thought, she turned and began to retrace her steps, unconsciously hurrying, angry that she had made a fool of herself yet again. Catching her up, he wal
CHAPTER SIX
CHAPTER SEVEN THE instant the latch had clicked quietly behind him, anxious to get out of his suite, she showered with all speed. Even after the shared intimacy of the previous night, it seemed strange to be using his shower gel, seeing his toilet things and his shaving kit on the shelf, borrowing his comb. As soon as she had dried herself, she dressed in the undies he’d selected for her, pulled on the simple cotton dress, and slid the sandals onto her bare feet. Then she listened carefully for any sounds of movement either in the library or the corridor outside. The last thing she wanted to do was run straight into Mrs Tompkins. But having heard nothing, and recalling that it was lunchtime so the housekeeper would doubtless be busy, she ventured out. Finding the coast was clear, she hurried along to the rooms she and Dave had been given. If he did happen to be back… But if he was, though she needed to unburden herself, to get it off her conscience, she could hardly just blurt out her
CHAPTER SEVEN
CHAPTER EIGHT ‘IT WAS the old, old story. She married him for his money—apparently while she’s toeing his line he’s generous enough—a position in top society, and a title. ‘He may have loved her, but it seems more likely that he married her for her youth and beauty, and for the son and heir he desperately wanted, and his first wife hadn’t managed to provide…’ Robert broke off as the waiter appeared with a tray of coffee and, setting it down as though it soiled his hands, walked away. ‘We’ll probably be blacklisted after this,’ he remarked with a grin. His cheerful unconcern made her feel a lot easier. Reaching for the cafetière, he pressed the plunger and poured the steaming liquid. ‘Thank you.’ Accepting a cup, Eleanor sipped gratefully, before asking, ‘So they have children?’ ‘No. After sixteen years of marriage they’re still childless, so it seems very unlikely that he’ll get his heart’s desire now.’ His expression suddenly wintry, he added, ‘I wonder if they both still think it was
CHAPTER EIGHT
CHAPTER NINE AS THEY reached the hall, the butler appeared. If he noticed their disordered state, he gave no sign, merely said, ‘Your nightcap, sir, would you like it served indoors or on the terrace?’ Turning to Eleanor, Robert queried, ‘Do you have any preference?’ She shook her head. ‘I won’t have a nightcap if you don’t mind…. Dave’s sure to be back by now and he’ll expect me to—’ ‘If you’ll pardon me, miss,’ Tompkins broke in respectfully, ‘Mr Benson hasn’t yet returned.’ ‘He hasn’t?’ She heard the dismay in her own voice. ‘No, miss.’ ‘You’re quite sure about that?’ ‘Quite sure, miss.’ As she bit her lip, Robert said briskly, ‘Thank you, Tompkins. Don’t bother with a nightcap. I’ll get anything we may need.’ ‘Very good, sir.’ The manservant moved away on silent feet. Together, Eleanor and Robert crossed the hall and climbed the stairs. When they reached her door, he paused to say, ‘As soon as you’re ready we’ll have coffee and brandy in my sitting-room.’ She had opened her mouth t
CHAPTER NINE
CHAPTER TEN SHE had turned to run, when a hand on her arm he swung her round and said almost savagely, ‘Of course I want you!’ ‘But I felt you draw away.’ He sighed. ‘You said you didn’t want me to make love to you, and I promised I wouldn’t even try. But I’m only human.’ Seeing her uncertainty, he unfastened the belt of his towelling robe and, pulling it off, tossed it aside. ‘Do you still think I don’t want you?’ When she lifted her eyes to his face she was blushing rosily. ‘What I don’t want, is for you to wake up in the morning and regret it, like you did last time.’ ‘I won’t and I didn’t before. I only said I regretted it then because I felt I’d let Dave down.’ ‘And I’d like to make it quite clear that if we, as two consenting adults, do go to bed together it isn’t, certainly on my part, intended as either sympathy or therapy. It will be purely for pleasure… The joy we can bring one another.’ ‘I’m happy with that,’ she said softly. ‘In that case, come to bed.’ He smiled at her, le
CHAPTER TEN
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