First Love, Last Love (9 page)

She didn’t take offence at the question, it was a normal conclusion to come to. ‘She says no,’ she shrugged. ‘But I’m not sure. Anyway, that could be changed in the near future. She has a steady boy-friend—sorry,
man
friend,’ she amended.

Alex’s blue eyes narrowed. ‘And you think she might be going to marry him?’

She gave him a taunting look. ‘Worried you might lose your secretary?’

‘Not at all,’ he returned smoothly. ‘I was just marvelling at the secrets Jane keeps behind that cool façade. I’ve learnt more about her the last three days than I did in the previous three years. Besides, if she left you could always take her place.’

Lauri shook her head. ‘My shorthand is lousy.’

His smile was mocking. ‘I don’t think I would care about that.’

‘And I don’t think I would care for sitting on the boss’s knee half the day,’ she retorted sharply. ‘That isn’t the way I care to earn my money. Besides, I’m sure you’d soon tire of my—inadequacies. You didn’t get to be a successful businessman by having an idiot for a secretary.’

‘I think I could manage for a while,’ he said throatily, his gaze caressing.

‘As I said, until you tire of me.’ She looked about her with a frown. ‘Where are we going, Alex? We’ve been driving for miles.’

‘Still worried about the boy-friend?’

She had forgotten all about poor Daryl! She would certainly have some explaining to do the next time she saw him. ‘Leave Daryl out of this,’ she told Alex tightly.

‘I’d gladly forget about him altogether—if you would do the same thing.’

‘Well, I’m not going to. Now where are we going? I can’t be late back twice in two days,’ she groaned.

‘I’m afraid you are going to be late. In fact, you aren’t going back at all today.’

Lauri gasped. ‘Alex! I thought you were just taking me out to lunch!’ she accused.

‘I am taking you to lunch. I hope you don’t mind eating at the airport.’

Her mouth dropped open. ‘The airport? You mean Heathrow?’

‘That’s right. I’d take you somewhere else to eat, only we’re a little late already.’

Lauri turned right round in her seat to look at him. ‘We’re going to
Heathrow?
’

‘Mm.’ He laughed as he looked at her. ‘Don’t worry, Lauren, I don’t intend whisking you off to some secret hideaway. We’re going to meet someone.’

‘Who?’ she asked dazedly.

‘My brother-in-law,’ he told her calmly.

‘You mean you’re married?’ she gasped. She had never heard of any marriage, but then that didn’t mean there wasn’t one. Jane didn’t like talking about her employer’s personal life, and she hadn’t been with the company long enough herself to have heard all the gossip about him. Oh God, she hadn’t committed the unforgivable sin of going out with a married man, had she?

A
LEX
grinned. ‘I would have thought by my views on marriage that you would know I’m not.’

Her face was pale. ‘You could have those views because you
are
married.’

He shook his head. ‘Laurence was married to my eldest sister, Beth.’

She heaved an inward sigh of relief. ‘Surely you don’t want me there when you meet a member of your family?’

‘Actually you’ll be doing me a favour. Laurence and I haven’t had a lot to do with each other for some time. We met for the first time in years six months ago, at my sister’s funeral.’

‘Oh, I’m sorry. I didn’t realise she was dead.’

‘How could you, you didn’t even know she existed.’ He was very serious now, his expression grim. ‘Beth had been an invalid for the last twenty years, confined to a wheelchair. I think she was glad to go,’ he added tautly.

‘Oh, surely not! Alex, you can’t mean that?’ she said gently.

‘But I do.’

‘But surely her husband—’

‘Has not always been the paragon he should have been,’ Alex snapped. ‘But you don’t want to hear my family history,’ he said briskly. ‘Laurence is returning to England to live after sixteen years of living in Switzerland. I may not agree with the way he conducted his marriage, but he is my brother-in-law, and I know Beth wouldn’t like me to ignore him. He was a good father to their son.’

Her eyes widened. ‘They have a child?’

‘He was killed in the accident that left Beth crippled. There was no possibility of another child after the accident, not that I think their relationship was all that intimate before then. James was already five, and looking like being an only child. But Laurence was driving the car when James was killed and Beth was injured, so he stayed with her.’

The picture he painted wasn’t a pleasant one, a man staying married to a woman he no longer loved because she was tied to a wheelchair and their child was dead through a mistake on his part. No, it wasn’t pleasant at all, and it had obviously had an adverse affect on Alex, was probably part of the reason he was so bitter about marriage.

‘I’m sorry,’ she said quietly.

‘Don’t be, I’m well over it now.’ He swung the Rolls into the car park. ‘But you can see why I’d be grateful for the presence of an unbiased third party.’

‘Yes,’ she nodded. Although she wasn’t really sure she was unbiased, she couldn’t help but see this from Alex’s point of view. And she hadn’t liked the implication that his brother-in-law had carried on affairs while his wife was confined to a wheelchair; it was somehow distasteful.

‘Not that Laurence hasn’t been the perfect husband for the past sixteen years,’ Alex instantly disabused her of that, almost as if he had read her thoughts. ‘But the damage had already been done. Nothing he could do could make up for the fact that he was once unfaithful to Beth.’

‘It’s a long time to bear a grudge of that kind.’

Alex turned to look at her after switching off the ignition. ‘Would you forgive and forget if your husband had an affair?’

‘I—I don’t know. I thought we’d just established
that I don’t ever want to get married,’ she reminded him lightly.

He put out a hand to smooth one of her creamy cheeks. ‘We’re two of a kind, then,’ he murmured. ‘We should be good together, Lauren.’

She moved away from that caressing hand. ‘I don’t believe in affairs either.’

He raised a mocking eyebrow. ‘Do you intend remaining a virgin all your life?’

‘No,’ she answered tautly. ‘I’m not a prude, when I find a man I can love I’ll give myself freely to him. I’ve just got to meet a man I can love.’

‘And respect,’ he put in quietly.

‘And respect.’

‘That means I’m already half way there. We’ve already proved that you respect me,’ he drawled.

‘I doubt I could love you,’ Lauri said distantly. ‘Shouldn’t we be getting inside? Your brother-in-law’s flight will be arriving shortly.’

‘I suppose so,’ he sighed. ‘Although I’m sure Laurence would wait.’

As it happened the plane they were meeting had been delayed, so they had time for lunch after all. Alex seemed preoccupied and Lauri left him to his dark thoughts, warned by the deep scowl on his face not to intrude.

At the time of the breakdown of his sister’s marriage and accident he would have been about her age, very impressionable and very vulnerable. He had carried that disillusionment into adulthood, and she was sure it was the reason for his cynicism.

‘Alex,’ she put her hand on his, ‘the flight arrival has just been called.’

‘Yes,’ he acknowledged tautly, a pulse beating erratically in his clenched jaw. He stood up. ‘Let’s go.’

He walked so fast Lauri almost had to run to keep
up with him, her legs a lot shorter than his. A steady stream of people were leaving the arrival section, and Lauri knew straight away which man was Laurence Daniels. Alex reached out to grasp her hand painfully in his own as a tall, loose-limbed man in his late forties or early fifties came towards them, thick reddish-brown hair with faint touches of grey, his face strong and lined, his eyes hidden beneath the tinted lenses of his glasses. He wore a casual linen suit and white silk shirt, a distinguished air about him.

‘My God!’ Alex groaned beside her, his face white, his mouth bloodless.

‘What is it?’ she demanded worriedly. ‘Alex, tell me what’s wrong?’

‘Nothing!’ He looked at her coldly. ‘Nothing at all,’ he drew a ragged breath, dropping her hand to go forward and greet the other man.

Lauri stood in the background as the two men talked together for several minutes. Somehow this man didn’t fit in with the description of a selfish man intent only on his own pleasure, and she found it hard to relate the cold facts that Alex had related to her with this man conversing so easily with the younger man. It didn’t seem possible that this man was an adulterer, he just didn’t seem the type. But was there a type? She didn’t know.

Alex was bringing him over to meet her now, that cold look still in his eyes. ‘This is a friend of mine, Laurence,’ he said tauntingly. ‘Her name is Lauren,’ he told the other man slowly. ‘Lauren Prescott.’

‘Prescott …?’ Laurence Daniels echoed sharply, his face almost grey beneath his tan.

‘Yes,’ Alex savagely bit the word out.

‘Alex?’ Lauri frowned. ‘Alex, what’s wrong?’

‘Nothing, my dear Lauren,’ his smile had a cruel edge to it. ‘Forgive me, I forgot to introduce my
brother-in-law. Lauren, this is Laurence Daniels.’

She put her hand out, smiling shyly. ‘Most people call me Lauri.’

He returned her smile, taking her hand. ‘But not Alex,’ he said huskily.

‘No, not Alex.’ Was it her imagination or was Laurence Daniels holding on to her hand just a little too tightly—and for too long? Could Alex be right about him after all?

‘I once knew some people called Prescott,’ Laurence Daniels’ eyes never left her face, their expression shielded by the tinted glasses. ‘Your mother—?’

‘Is dead,’ she told him regretfully.

‘Dead?’ he repeated in a strangulated voice.

She nodded, surprised at the show of emotion he made no effort to hide. Even if he had known her family she could see no reason for her mother’s death to have upset him so much—after all, they couldn’t have been that friendly. ‘I’m afraid so,’ she confirmed.

‘I see,’ he said heavily.

‘Shouldn’t you release her hand now, Laurence?’ Alex put in coldly. ‘I’m sure she’d like it back.’

‘Of course.’ Some of the colour seemed to be ebbing back into the thin cheeks, although he was still very pale. And he would keep staring at her! It was very unnerving. ‘I’m sorry—Lauri,’ he gave a jerky smile.

‘I—That’s perfectly all right.’ But it wasn’t! The intensity of his gaze was making her feel very uncomfortable.

‘I’ll just get my cases.’ He turned back to the trolley containing his luggage.

‘Why does he keep staring like that?’ Lauri whispered to Alex.

‘Perhaps he finds you beautiful,’ he rasped, his face rigid.

‘Don’t be silly. We both know I’m not.’

‘Fishing for compliments, my dear?’ he taunted with a sneer.

She frowned. ‘I know you’re tense about this meeting, Alex, but that’s no reason for you to talk to me like this.’

‘Isn’t it?’ he scorned harshly. ‘My God, isn’t it?’

‘No. I—’

‘Here we are,’ Laurence Daniels rejoined them. ‘Shall we go?’

‘By all means, let’s go.’ Alex led the way, striding off and leaving them to follow.

‘I’m sorry about this,’ Lauri said awkwardly, falling into step beside Laurence Daniels, not really sure why she should have to apologise for Alex’s disgraceful behaviour. He was like a Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde, and at the moment Mr Hyde had definitely taken over.

Laurence shrugged. ‘I’m used to it.’ He watched her keenly. ‘Tell me, Lauri, have you known Alex long?’

She blushed. ‘Not very long, no.’

‘I wondered … You’re very young to be one of his girl-friends.’

‘Seventeen isn’t all that young nowadays,’ she told him defensively.

‘Seventeen …’ he echoed huskily. ‘Yes, I suppose you would be. And you have no father to help advise you.’

It was a statement, not a question, and Lauri frowned. This was the strangest conversation! But then Laurence Daniels seemed to be a strange man. He seemed quite nice, and yet there was still the way he kept staring at her, and if he were a younger man she would suspect that look. But surely a man of his age couldn’t be interested in the girl she still was? No, she was sure he wasn’t. Maybe he was trying to see Alex’s interest in her. She was curious as to the conclusion he
came to, especially as she didn’t have one herself.

‘No, I have no father,’ she confirmed.

‘I’m sure if you had that he would advise you that Alex is a very dangerous man.’

‘Dangerous?’ she repeated disbelievingly. ‘Surely that’s too strong a word, Mr Daniels?’ Although the savage cruelty in his face minutes earlier had given her some hint of the side of his character he usually held in check.

‘Call me Laurence,’ the man at her side invited. ‘And I think dangerous is quite a mild word to describe Alex.’ He looked at his brother-in-law’s rigid back as he walked ten or fifteen yards in front of them. ‘Much too mild,’ he murmured almost to himself.

Lauri automatically got in the back of the Rolls, leaving the seat next to Alex for Laurence Daniels, feeling slightly piqued when Alex didn’t even seem to notice she was there, let alone where she sat. She could excuse his behaviour if it was just directed at his brother-in-law, but she didn’t understand why she was being included in the cold-shoulder treatment.

‘Lauri has just been telling me that you haven’t known each other long.’ Laurence spoke to Alex.

Alex’s attention remained rigidly fixed on the road in front of them as he drove the car with his usual skill. ‘No, not very long,’ he agreed tautly.

‘Where did you find her?’ Laurence probed.

He was given a cold angry stare. ‘Find her?’ Alex snapped. ‘Isn’t that a strange way of putting it?’ he scorned.

‘Is it?’ Laurence appeared unmoved by the other man’s terse manner.

‘I work for your brother-in-law, Mr Daniels,’ Lauri put in to ease the tension. ‘In the typing pool.’

‘I see,’ he nodded.

‘Do you, Laurence?’ Alex rasped, shaking his head.
‘I doubt it, I doubt it very much.’

‘Oh, I think I do,’ Laurence disagreed. ‘I’m just wondering if you’re ever going to forget the past, Alex,’ he said almost wearily.

Alex gave him a glacial look. ‘I think today has made that impossible, don’t you?’

‘This isn’t the past, Alex,’ he was told. ‘This is the future.’

‘Do you think there is a future there? Isn’t it just a little too late?’

‘I’m hoping not.’

‘I wish you luck,’ Alex said bitterly.

‘I wish you meant that,’ Laurence sighed. ‘Maybe I’m too old to be thinking of starting again.’

‘Maybe you won’t get the chance,’ Alex told him tautly.

‘I’m not expecting it to be easy.’ The first show of impatience entered the other man’s voice.

‘It won’t be,’ Alex said with satisfaction. ‘And at least you won’t be getting all that you wanted.’

‘No,’ Laurence Daniels seemed to go grey again. ‘No, I won’t, will I?’

‘You weren’t expecting that, were you? It wasn’t the way you had things planned at all.’

‘I didn’t plan anything, Alex. And I certainly didn’t expect to be able to come back here as if I’d never been away. But now I have a bonus I didn’t even know about. I don’t mean to let that pass me by.’

‘You can’t honestly tell me that you didn’t know?’ Alex’s disbelief bordered on sarcasm.

‘Do you think if I had that things would have been as they were?’ Laurence demanded fiercely. ‘I may be a fool, but I’m not a masochist.’

Lauri sat on the back seat trying to ignore their heated conversation—or argument, to give it its proper definition. That Alex was to blame for it she had no
doubt, and it was really too bad of him to act like this in front of her.

When the Rolls drew up outside her house she got out with unconcealed haste, taking her leave of a smiling Laurence Daniels and a rigid-faced Alex. He was like a stranger, a cold silent stranger who suddenly seemed to hate her.

‘I’ll okay things with Carly,’ he bit out. ‘About this afternoon,’ he explained.

She frowned her puzzlement over his behaviour to her. ‘It doesn’t matter, I’ll talk to her myself. Goodbye, Mr Daniels, it was nice meeting you.’

‘I’m sure we’ll meet again, my dear.’ He got out of the car to stand on the pavement beside her, looking up at the house she had called home all of her life.

‘Not with me you won’t,’ Alex put in grimly.

‘Nevertheless, I’m sure Lauri and I will meet again,’ Laurence Daniels said firmly. He looked back at the house. ‘Did your mother live here too?’

Lauri frowned. ‘Yes. Did you—did you know my mother?’

He gave a rather sad smile. ‘I believe I did, yes.’

‘My father too?’

‘I—er—I may have done.’

‘Can we go now, Laurence?’ Alex interrupted tersely. ‘I do have other commitments. I’m meeting Connie in half an hour, and she isn’t a lady who likes to be kept waiting.’