A Paper Marriage (8 page)

He nodded understandingly. 'I'll come to your car with you when you're ready.'

Lydie supposed the drive of Alcombe Hall was as good a place as any on which to have their discussion. But it took them some while in which to say their courtesy farewells.

By then all Lydie could think of was that her great-aunt seemed to sorely be in need of rest and quiet. `Take my arm, Miss Gough,' Jonah suggested when at last they were out on the drive.

`This gravel path is very uneven in places.'

'I'll go and bring the car up, you stay there,' Lydie attempted, but Alice Gough would not hear of it. They went very slowly to Lydie's car, and Lydie could not help but notice how heavily Aunt Alice leaned on Jonah. `You'll stay and enjoy the rest of the-er-festivities?' Lydie asked him, for something to say as they progressed to her car. 'You-um-said you liked weddings,' she reminded him.

She looked across at him. His answer was to grin-and something happened in her heart region. Lydie did not speak to him again until they had safely assisted her great-aunt into the front passenger seat and, on their way to the driver's door, had walked to the rear of the car. And there Lydie halted. Jonah halted with her.

'I'm-sorry about you having to pretend to be my boyfriend today. 'Having got started, she apologized in a rush.

`What was all that about?' he asked solemnly, and she was glad he was taking her seriously.

`Even now I'm not sure quite how it came about,' she confessed. `When I got home, after seeing you on Monday, I had to own up to my father that I'd seen you and that you'd said he wasn't to worry about the money. That you'd said he was to forget about it. I know, I know-I lied again,' she inserted hurriedly. `But my father's a very worried man, and he's hurting badly over this.'

`Hurting?' Jonah repeated. 'I'm sorry to hear that.'

`Anyhow,' she rushed on, `he was adamant he would not forget about it, and, I don't quite know how, but he was insisting on seeing you-he still is-and I was saying something about it being difficult, that... Well, you know and I know that the debt is mine-' She broke off to take a look inside the car and with relief saw that here great-aunt was not fidgeting to go home but had nodded off to sleep. `Anyhow, I said something to the effect that I didn't want him to see you.'

`And he, naturally, wanted to know why?'

She nodded. `He insisted on knowing why. I again said it was difficult.'

`You were floundering.'

`I'm new to this telling lies business.' `You seem to be doing exceedingly well at it.'

She did not thank him for that comment, and said in a rush, `I was getting very hot under the collar by this time. Dad-um-noticed my warm colour and was certain I was blushing because... Well, he seemed to think I ...' she faltered '...that I had fallen for you.' She was feeling very hot under the collar again by this time. `Well, to be honest, I rather led him to think that,' she felt she had to confess. She had no intention of telling this sophisticated man of her father's comments about the crush she'd used to have on him. `Well, what with one thing and another,' she rushed on, `and I wasn't thinking, just working on instinct, I kind of gave my father the impression that I was seeing you-backed up by the fact you wanted to come to Oliver's wedding. He-um-seemed to think that made you-um-a bit keen on me,' she ended, her voice tailing off lamely.

`You do appreciate that I'm not in the running to be anyone's "steady"?' Jonah asked gravely.

`Don't flatter yourself ! ' she snapped pithily, up in arms in a second.

He smiled that insincere smile, and her right hand itched. `Having established that fact,' he commented, `there seems little more to say.'

`Just a minute!' She halted him when she thought he might be thinking of walking away. `We were going to discuss what you'd been able to think of in terms of me paying you that money back.'

`You want me to tell you now, how-?"

'Please,' she interrupted; she had waited nearly a week to hear. `My own idea is to get a couple of jobs and make regular payments...' `What sort of work were you thinking of?"

'Anything I can find. Nannying during the day, night-time too if I can find something. But, generally, I'm prepared to do anything.'

He eyed her steadily. `Anything?' he questioned. `You said anything?'

Of course, anything. He had saved her parents from having to move out from Beamhurst Court. `Anything,' she agreed. But added quickly, `Anything legal, that is.'

His mouth picked up at the corners-involuntarily, she rather thought. But he sobered, and asked, `How old are you?'

She was sure he knew how old she was, but answered, `Twenty-three. Why?'

He shrugged. `Just making sure that anything I propose is quite legal-amongst consenting adults.'

She stared at him. 'I'm not too sure I like the sound of this,' she told him cuttingly.

He seemed amused, and she added awaking shin-kicking tendencies to her head- thumping tendency list. He looked from her to bend and look into the car, where her great-aunt, Lydie saw as she followed suit, was starting to stir from her doze. `You know where I live,' Jonah began as he straightened up.

`I don't, actually,' Lydie told him.

Jonah took out his wallet and extracted his card, and handed it to her. 'You'd better come and see me tomorrow-at my London apartment.' `Tomorrow? Sunday? At your home?"

'Yes to all three,' he replied, and she knew he was playing with her again.

`But I thought we were going to get something settled today.'

`Don't you think it would be kinder if you took your great-aunt home?'

He was right, of course, but it annoyed Lydie that he was presuming to tell her how to look after her great-aunt, even if he was right. Lydie looked at his card and saw that he had an address in London and he also had a house-Yourk House, to be precise-in Hertfordshire.

But she wanted this settled and done now. `I can come and see you tonight?' she offered.

'Hmm, that might interfere with my plans for this evening,' Jonah answered pleasantly.

`Tomorrow will be fine,' Lydie said quickly, a funny sensation hitting her stomach that he was obviously seeing some elegant blonde at any time now. `What time?' she asked. `I can be with you just after breakfast.'

`I like to have a lie in on Sundays,' Jonah replied nicely. She'd like to bet he did ! 'Let's see,' he contemplated. `Come early evening.'

She was having dinner with Charlie tomorrow. `I have a date tomorrow,' she was pleased to let him know.

`Really, Lydie ! Two-timing me so soon?' he mocked.

She supposed she had earned that-he hadn't asked to be designated her boyfriend that day. But she waited. Though, when he did not suggest another time, she realised that he clearly expected her to cancel her date. `What time early evening?' she capitulated.

`Shall we say-seven?"

'Seven,' she agreed, and turned from him.

He was there at the driver's door before her to-sardonically, she thought-open her car door for her. He wished her now awake great-aunt a pleasant journey home, and took a step back.

He had not closed the door, however, when Alice Gough's voice floated clearly on the air. `What a very nice man, Lydie. He'll make some girl a wonderful husband.'

Suddenly speechless, Lydie looked from her great-aunt to where Jonah was standing with a look of mock horror on his face. Looking straight up at him, Lydie was glad to find her voice. `Thank heaven it won't be me!' she tossed at him, and, slamming the door shut, she put her foot down and got out of there.

WITH her great-aunt cat-napping for most of the way to Penleigh Corbett Lydie had plenty of space in which to reflect on the day. Though it was not thoughts of her brother and his lovely bride which occupied the major part of Lydie' s mind, but Jonah Marriott.

Why he had wanted to come to the wedding was as much a mystery to her as ever. But come he had and, she had to admit, he had done nothing to let her down. Though that didn't alter the fact that she still had that sword of fifty-five thousand pounds dangling over her head. Heaven alone knew what Jonah would come up with- and would he be prepared to wait while she earned enough to pay him back?

Lydie drove at a sedate pace and it was a little after seven when they reached her great-aunt's home. Lydie went indoors with her, and was concerned enough about her great-aunt's lack of colour to suggest she wouldn't mind keeping her company overnight.

`That would be nice!' Alice Gough exclaimed. `I don't see nearly enough of you, Lydie.'

Feeling a touch guilty that, for all she wrote regularly to her great-aunt, she could have visited her more often than she had, Lydie made a mental note that, no matter in which part of the country she would end up working, she would make all efforts to visit her more frequently.

They discussed the day's events, with Alice Gough asking, `When are you seeing Jonah again?"

'Tomorrow,' Lydie answered truthfully, and her aunt smiled serenely. `I think you'll do very well together,' she commented.

Lydie opened her mouth to state that there was nothing serious between her and Jonah Marriott, but her great-aunt was looking ready to doze again, and Lydie thought it might be a better idea to talk in terms of going to bed.

Aunt Alice decided she had eaten enough that day to last her a week and required nothing more than a warm drink. She insisted on making it herself, but did allow Lydie to make up her own bed. Eventually Lydie said goodnight to her but, not ready for sleep, she stayed downstairs.

Lydie pottered about, tidying up the kitchen and idly thinking of how her parents had decided to stay an extra night at their hotel. Out of consideration for their housekeeper, who was expecting her to return, Lydie got out her mobile phone and rang Mrs. Ross to say she would not be home until tomorrow.

Next Lydie sat down to think about her meeting with Jonah the next evening. She was seeing him at seven, but owned she was feeling more than a shade uneasy about that meeting. Nor was she too thrilled either that, when he full well knew she had a date tomorrow night, the arrogant devil, without thinking about it, expected her to cancel it!

Well, she jolly well wouldn't cancel it, she thought mutinously. Surely the business they were to discuss-her repaying that colossal sum of money he had given her- would not take all evening? To her way of thinking, their meeting should be all over and done with by seven-thirty.

Then Lydie remembered the effortless way Jonah had of sparking her to annoyance, and of generally upsetting her. If the same thing happened in their half- hour discussion tomorrow, would she feel at all like leaving his apartment and going on to Charlie's? Charlie wanted dinner and sympathy over his problem with the forward Rowena Fox. Lydie understood his excruciating shyness. She had suffered similarly-still did hit a wall of shyness occasionally-but in the main had outgrown the affliction. So, while she had every sympathy with Charlie, and the shyness he unluckily had never outgrown, she could not help but ponder if, after a half-hour business session with Jonah-whom she suspected was a tough business negotiator- she would feel up to the task of boosting up Charlie's basement-level confidence.

Another five minutes of tugging at it and she picked up her phone. `I can't make tomorrow after all, Charlie,' she told him straight away.

`Ooh, Lydie!' he wailed. `What am I going to tell Rowena on Monday?"

'Do you want to go out with her?"

'Well, yes, I suppose I do. But-'

`But nothing, Charlie. Has she, Rowena, been out with any of your colleagues?"

'Not that I know of. Several have asked her, but so far as I know she turned them down.'

`So what does that tell you?'

Charlie thought for some seconds. `I don't know,' he said at last.

Lydie had to smile. Charlie was older than her, but she felt like some agony aunt. `It tells you she likes you.'

`But I'm tongue-tied when she's around-awkward; especially with women.'

`Which is precisely why she wants to go out with you and none of the others.'

`Why?' He didn't get it. `Well, I'm only guessing here, but I'd say she has probably had enough of over- confidentum-perhaps pushy types. Maybe she feels more comfortable with someone who isn't wisecracking all the time.'

`Do you think so?' Charlie asked in wonder.

Lydie had no real idea, but now wasn't the time, in this exercise of building up his self-esteem, to admit it. `You've known Rowena for three weeks now. Rowena has known you for those same three weeks. Do you think she would have asked you out, in preference to any of the others, if she was not a little taken by your non-pushy manner?'

He thought about it for a little while. `Shall I go, then, do you think?' he asked.

Dear Charlie. He had already agreed that he wanted to go out with Rowena. `I think you should,' she assured him.

There was a pause while Charlie thought about it. `Do you-do you think I shall have to kiss her?'

Oh, Charlie! `You're twenty-eight, Charlie Hillier,' Lydie told him severely. `And I am not your mother.'

He laughed, and they said goodbye the best of friends. To Lydie's way of thinking, with Rowena in charge of this date, she would let him know if she was expecting to be kissed. All he had to do was just be his loveable shy self.

Lydie was pleased to see on Sunday morning that after a good night's rest her great-aunt was looking so much better. With nothing pressing to get home for, Lydie stayed with her until after lunch, and then made her way back to Beamhurst Court. With the time coming ever nearer when she must get ready to go to Jonah Marriott's apartment, a familiar churned-up feeling started to make its presence known. Lydie went upstairs to shower and to think what to wear. She had spent a little time last night in trying to build up Charlie's confidence-she wished someone would come and build up hers.

She was under the shower, so did not know that her parents had returned home until, dressed in a pale green trouser suit, her raven hair loose about her shoulders, Lydie went downstairs and heard sound coming from the drawing room.

With her shoulder bag in one arm, car keys in hand, she opened the door to find her parents relaxing there. `Just off out?' her father asked with a smile for her.

`I'm going to see Jonah,' she answered.

`I wonder you bothered to come home,' her mother chipped in slightly acidly, and, as Lydie looked questioningly, `Mrs. Ross said you didn't come home last night.'

`I didn't think Aunt Alice looked too well,' Lydie explained.

`She looked all right from what I could see!'

`She seems to tire very easily,' Lydie explained.

`What do you expect?' Hilary Pearson demanded. `She's eighty-one!'

Eighty-four, Mother! `You didn't think she looked a little pale?"

'We're all a little pale. And likely to remain so,' her mother went on sniffily, with a baleful look to her husband, `until this whole sorry mess is resolved.' Lydie glanced over to her father, who was looking pained and tight-lipped. She felt that her mother could be kinder to him, but knew she could not interfere. Now seemed as good a time as any to be on her way. 'I'll see you later,' she said, adopting a cheerful tone.

`Would that be tonight or tomorrow morning?' her mother asked sourly.

And, while Lydie thought her mother meant that by the time she got in that night her parents would be in bed, her father was saying, `Hilary!' in his newly found cross manner, causing Lydie to realise her mother was assuming that her daughter might spend the whole night with Jonah Marriott. Without another word Lydie left them and went out to her car.

She was driving out through the gates of Beamhurst Court before it all at once struck her what had brought on her mother's rancid comment. Her mother had not associated her non-return home last night with Aunt Alice, but had associated it with Lydie first dropping off Aunt Alice and then going to stay overnight at Jonah's apartment! Mrs. Ross must obviously have commented to her that, with all of them being away, she'd had the house to herself last night. Her mother had, Lydie could see now, put two and two together-and had got her sums wrong. Lydie thought she had as good as told her mother that she hadn't come home last night because, concerned for Aunt Alice, she had stayed the night with her. Jonah, Lydie realised, had probably not gone back inside Alcombe Hall after seeing her and her great-aunt to her car.

Lydie groaned, the words `tangled web' and `deceive' floating about in her head. She began to wonder what she had started. Though, in fairness toherself , knew that she would never have gone to see Jonah in the first place if her mother hadn't misled her the way she so dreadfully had. But as her thoughts drifted on to her father, and how he was hurting inside, Lydie knew that, whatever it cost, she could not regret any of what she had done. Her insides were in turmoil when she arrived at the smart building where Jonah had his apartment. She approached the security desk-and was expected. In no time, tummy butterflies turning into vampire bats, Lydie found herself at his door.

Almost as soon as she had rung the bell, Jonah opened the door. `Come in, Lydie,' he greeted her, his glance flicking over her long-legged shape in her trouser suit, her long dark hair and green eyes. `I should have known you wouldn't be bridesmaid.'

His comment took her totally out of her stride. `W-why?' she asked, to her own ears sounding as witless as she suddenly felt. He was casually dressed-and dynamite with it!

`You're much too beautiful,' he replied as they ambled into his drawing room. `No bride would want such competition.'

`It strikes me you know too much about women,' Lydie replied, some of her wits returning. Did he really think her beautiful?

`Alas, true,' he sighed. `Can I get you a drink?'

`No, thank you,' Lydie replied primly. She wanted to keep a clear sharp head here. There would be figures to discuss and, she owned, she was not much of a business woman.

'You'll take a seat, I hope?' he invited urbanely.

Lydie glanced around the gracious room with its sofas, its luxurious carpeting, its pictures. She walked over to a high-backed chair and sat down. `This probably won't take long,' she began. It was as far as she got.

`You're anxious to keep your date?' Jonah asked, not sounding too pleased about it-as though he would be the one to decide how long it would take.

`Actually, no,' she replied coolly-outwardly cool, at any rate. Already she could feel herself starting to boil. `I cancelled-in your honour,' she added sarcastically.

Water off a duck's... `You enjoyed the wedding?'

Lydie stared at him, almost asked what that had to do with why she was there-but abruptly realised that Marriott was in charge here, and there wasn't a thing she could do about it.

`Very much,' she replied with what control she could find. `You?' she asked sweetly. `You have a penchant for other people's weddings, I believe.'

She thought the corners of his mouth tweaked a little-as though she had amused him. But he did not smile and she knew herself mistaken. `Have you been in touch with your aunt this morning?' he asked solemnly.

`Aunt Alice was a little tired yesterday, but she looked more her old self this morning,' Lydie informed him.

`You've seen her?' The man missed nothing. `You went over to see her? She told me she lives in Oxfordshire.'

`It's not so far away. Though I didn't have to travel; I stayed overnight with her.'

Jonah stared at her, but she had no idea what she expected him to say, and experienced familiar thumping tendencies when he remarked, `You've gone a fetching shade of pink, Lydie.' And accused, `Now, what guilty secret are you hiding?'

'I'm not guilty about anything!' she denied thank you, Mother! But when he just sat there waiting, she somehow-and she blamed him for it-found she was blurting out, `My m-mother got hold of the wrong end, and instead of her two and two adding up to her believing I stayed the night at Aunt Alice's, as I intended, she seems to think I-er-spent it with you some...' Her voice tailed off. But, feeling extremely warm suddenly, she knew her hopes that having had his explanation he would leave it there were doomed to failure.

`And why would your mother think that?' he determined to know.

`I hate men with enquiring minds!' she erupted. `Which probably means you're in the cart here, little Lydie,' he commented pleasantly. But insisted, `Why?'

Lydie gave him a huffy look. 'I'm not here to discuss that!' she told him-a touch arrogantly, she had to admit.

Little good did it do her! He just waited. And she saw that if she wanted to get down to talking facts and figures, which she did, then the sooner she told him, the sooner they would get down to the nitty-gritty of how much per month he would expect from her salary.

She sighed heavily, but realised there was nothing for it but to make a full confession. `If you must know,' she started, gone from merely feeling warm to roasting, `I stayed over with Charlie the previous Saturday...'

`Charlie?' he interrupted. `Charlotte?'

Lydie gave him a peeved look. 'Charlie Charles.'

`You're saying you-slept over-at his place?' Jonah asked, his expression grim suddenly. `He was the man you were at the theatre with?'

Lydie nodded. `I do sometimes stay when-' `Spare me the gory details!' Jonah cut in harshly. And reminded her, `You were telling me why your mother should think I-entertained you here last night.'

Entertained! That was a new name for it. He was not smiling. `Well...' she began, and did not want to go on, but knew, blast him, that she had to. `Well, you know most of it,' she suddenly exploded. `It was after ... when I got home last Monday, after seeing you in your office. Dad seemed to get the impression that you and I were an item...'