The Threat of Love

'I was in love once,' she said lightly. 'Years ago— Damian Shaw, his name was. He was a swine and I was broken-hearted, but it always passes, you know. You just have to let time be the doctor.'

He laughed. 'A better one than I am, I'm sure. So you're fancy free again? Nobody else has come along since the swine?'

She shook her head and to change the subject poured him a drink. 'Come on, cheer yourself up and enjoy the fun!'

He shook his head, smiling. 'I'd better not. I'm in charge of this party, and if I get drunk heaven only knows what will happen.'

There was a sudden rush of people wanting drinks and for ten minutes they hardly exchanged a word. When they did start talking again, Caro took care to keep the conversation light. She asked about his work, about the new flat, about his family, about his hobbies—anything, in fact, except what was on both their minds. Amy and Gil were dancing now, very close together because the room was small and there were too many others dancing in it. They all shuffled around, arms around each other, bodies touching. Caro wouldn't look. Couldn't bear to look. But she knew exactly how they danced, how they gazed at each other, how they smiled. And she hated it.

'Like to dance?' somebody asked and Caro looked round, startled. The young man was a complete stranger, but Antony knew him and pushed her towards him, smiling.

'Caro, meet Peter. He's the world's worst physician, but he can dance, so go on, enjoy yourself!'

'Well, thank you.' The young man grinned, sliding an arm round Caro before she could think of an excuse not to dance. They moved into the throng and shuffled with everybody else. Caro was very flushed and overheated and wished she could go home; she wished she hadn't come, in fact. She wished she could see Gil, but although she spotted Amy nearby, she was dancing with somebody else and there was no sign of Gil. Had he gone home? Caro's stomach plunged and she felt miserable, until she caught sight of him at the bar, getting a drink.

A moment later Amy announced that food was being served in the kitchen and everyone began pushing that way. Caro excused herself to her partner and went back to the bar. Gil was still leaning on it, sipping a large glass of iced lime and soda.

'Isn't it hot in here?' Caro said, thirstily staring at his drink. 'I could do with one of those.'

He offered her his glass. 'Oh, I couldn't take yours!' she said, but he insisted, so she sipped from it gratefully.

'Thank you, that was delicious...' she said, giving it back to him. 'My throat was parched.'

'Do you want some supper?' he asked, finishing the drink and putting down the glass. 'Amy showed it to me, and I must say it looks fabulous. She has quite a gift for organisation, doesn't she? A very shrewd girl, too.'

Caro wondered what he meant by that. It was true, Amy was shrewd, but in what way had Gil meant it? She wasn't g

oing to ask, of course. Instead, she said, 'Please, do go and get some food, if you want to eat...'

He shook his head. 'I'm not hungry, but I'll get you a plateful...'

'No, I'm not hungry, either,' she said.

There was a silence, then Gil asked quietly, 'Do you want to stay here? Are you enjoying it?'

She took a deep breath and told the truth. It was quite a relief. 'Not really; I don't know many people and it's rather overcrowded and much too hot. What about you?' She looked up into his dark eyes and Gil smiled wryly.

'I'm bored out of my skull. Let's get out of here, and we'd better not find Amy to tell her we're going. Hang on...' He went over to where Antony was lining up clean glasses, freshly brought from the dishwasher in the kitchen. Gil told him they were going and Antony waved to her, grinned broadly. 'Have fun, you two!'

Caro flushed and that made Antony laugh aloud. As they left, she asked Gil crossly, 'What did you say to him?*

'I said we were going off to a private party of our own!' Gil drawled, putting her into the front seat of the Rolls. Caro's face was burning. She had a feeling her ears were, too.

'Oh, how could you?' she muttered, sinking down into the deeply upholstered leather seat. 'He'll probably repeat that to Amy and then she'll spread it around half London!'

'Who are you afraid will hear about it?' Gil got into the seat beside her and started the engine. 'Damian Shaw?'

She did a double-take. 'What?' 'I heard all about it from Amy,' said Gil and Caro's teeth met.

'Amy had no right to talk about my private life!' she muttered. Why had Amy talked about Damian to him? How dared Amy discuss something so intimate about a friend with a man she had only just met? But Caro knew why, of course; her grey eyes glittered. She had always known that Amy could be ruthless, but she hadn't thought Amy would ever betray her! But then they had never been in possible competition for the same man before! She saw with bitter clarity that Amy had sensed her interest in Gil; Amy had known her a long time and knew her very well. If Amy had told Gil about Damian it was so that Gil would think she was in love with someone else and wouldn't take any interest in her himself.

'But everyone seems to know about him,' Gil retorted as they purred through St John's Wood. 'He's hardly a deeply buried secret. First Amy, then the guy you were helping at the bar—was he the one giving the party? Well, he mentioned Damian Shaw to me, too.' He gave her a sideways glance, his mouth twisting. 'They both seemed to think you were still in love with him. Still carrying a torch for him, as Amy put it—are you?'

'That's my business!' she muttered, staring past the amber street lights to the darker pools of shadow where the park lay. They were almost home, she would soon get away from him and be alone to cope with this tearing pain inside her breast.

'Partly mine, actually,' Gil coolly said. 'Didn't you know he's one of my lawyers? He's taking part in the discussions with your father—surely he told you?'

Caro's head swung; she stared at him, grey eyes wide, mouth parted in shock and disbelief.