Master of Comus

'Yes,' she said coldly. 'I'll tell him we have a visitor. Who shall I say it is?'

'I'll go straight in, thanks,' the man replied, turning to the door of Paul's room.

Feeling like stamping her foot, Leonie returned to the kitchen and got on with her breakfast. She had finished it and was washing up at the sink when the kitchen door opened to admit the visitor. He looked gravely at her.

'Paul has told me what a fool I made of myself. I beg your pardon, Mrs Caprel. I leapt to unwarrantable conclusions. I hope you can forgive me?'

'You said nothing out of place,'

she said coolly, picking up a dish cloth.

'My manner was over-familiar,' he returned. 'Permit me to do penance by drying up for you. He moved over and took the cloth from her hand, smiling down at her with warm charm. 'I must have given you a shock, materialising like that. While Paul was away I had the key to this flat. I sometimes borrow it for a day or two while I'm in Paris. I run the London end of Paul's business, you see, but I am often over here in France and it saves on hotel bills if I stay here.'

'I can see it would,' she said drily.

The grey eyes flicked to her thoughtfully. 'My name, by the way, is Jake Tennyson. I've known Paul for ten years. We are old friends as well as business partners.'

She nodded. 'So I gathered.'

He made a wry face. 'I hope I let no cats out of any bags?'

The phrase made her laugh. 'I don't think you told me anything I didn't know.'

'I'm fond of Paul,' he said casually. 'I would hate to make waves for him.'

'Don't worry,' she assured him. 'There will be no waves.'

He smiled suddenly, his lean dark face lightening. I'm very relieved to hear that. Paul is a lucky fellow.'

The kitchen door opened at that moment, and Paul shot into the room. He looked as if he had thrown his clothes on in a hurry. The blue eyes moved from one to the other of them, taking in the dishcloth in Jake's hand and Leonie's flushed face.

His brows jerked together.

'I gather you've introduced yourself.'

Jake nodded. 'Paul, you always did have the devil's own luck. This girl is one in a million.'

Paul hardly looked flattered. He nodded without replying, then said, 'Come through into the sitting- room, Jake. We'll talk business in there. No doubt Leonie has a dozen things she wants to do.' His blue eyes shot coldly at her. 'Including getting dressed.' And he glanced meaningly at the flimsy cotton dressing-gown she wore.

She flushed, clutching the open neck of the dressing-gown with one hand, only now realising that it revealed rather a lot of her throat and shoulders, and that the brief nightie she wore was even more revealing.

'Leonie,' Jake murmured softly. 'What a delightful and unusual name. It suits you.' The grey eyes touched on her hand, holding the neckline of her dressing-gown together. A shrewd glint came into them as he glanced back at Paul.

Paul indicated the door, his face openly grim. Jake followed him out of the room. As the door swung closed, Leonie heard his voice.

'So you finally got caught in the trap, Paul.'

Paul's reply was inaudible, but the tone in which it was uttered was curt and angry. Did Paul resent their marriage? she wondered unhappily. Did he feel trapped?

She went back to her bedroom and hunted out a dress to wear. Her ankle was still sore, but she was able to hobble about quite deftly now. So long as she did not put any Weight on the swollen ankle, she could move about quite freely.

Dressed and made up, she returned to the kitchen to make herself a cup of coffee. She needed to think.

She had returned here with Paul, but since their marriage was to be purely platonic, she saw no real reason why she should stay with him. Her job was waiting for her in London. She had written to her boss to tell him that she was getting married, and he had replied that he hoped she would be happy, but that if ever she needed a job she was to write to him. There was no reason why she should not take up her life where she had left off—no reason she was prepared to admit, anyway.

Paul joined her a few moments later. He was alone, and Leonie looked at him in surprise. 'Where's Jake?' she asked.

'You got on first name terms pretty quickly,' Paul said with cold displeasure.