Out of Control

Maddie followed, pad in hand, and burst out as soon as they were in Liza's office, it wasn't me! I didn't tell them!'

'So who did?'

'Joan ran into Pam and Gabi in the coffee shop across the street.'

Liza closed her eyes, i see. I hope Pam hasn't told too many people.' She opened her eyes and groaned impatiently, i told her not to tell a living soul!'

Maddie giggled suddenly. 'Perhaps Pam didn't think Joan counted?'

Liza stared blankly. 'What?'

'As a living soul!' said Maddie, then gently pointed out, 'This is a publicity campaign we're involved in, remember? I don't see why anyone should mind if word gets out that you're filming at Hartwell.'

'Not filming—planning the locations for the first advertisement,' Liza said, but sighed. 'And you're right, of course. I'm being a little hysterical about this. I'm just nervous.'

'About going to Hartwell?' Maddie looked at her with disbelief, 'I wouldn't have expected you to be nervous about anything. You're so cool, you always seem to have got it all together.'

'Thanks,' Liza said, smiling at her. She couldn't explain to Maddie why she was so uptight about this visit to Hartwell. The palatial scale of the house didn't bother her; it wasn't Hartwell she found overpowering, it was the house's owner, the master of the whole estate. Whenever she remembered him as he'd seemed when they had first met she felt a surge of rage. He had looked so shabby, untidy, down to earth—that man she had felt at ease with; she had argued with him and been infuriated by him, but she hadn't been painfully on edge every time he came near her. Had he really cooked in the kitchen in her cottage? Liza found that hard to believe now.

Keir Gifford was a bewildering man, though, and he was a very influential one. He could do her agency a lot of damage if he decided to! He could raise her rent for the office, or refuse to renew her lease at the end of the three-year term for which she had signed. He had a lot of friends, and even more acquaintances, who would be anxious to please him by being hostile to her once the word was out that he wanted her out of business. It would be so easy for a man with his pull. She would suddenly be ignored by advertising agencies, fashion houses, maga­zines—her models wouldn't get work, she could be ruined in a few months.

What on earth's the matter with you? You're going mad, she thought impatiently. Why on earth should he do that? Pull yourself together.

'Let's get some work done, shall we?' she said to Maddie, who was watching her with a worried little frown, as if Liza's face had been as ferocious as her thoughts.

Liza dictated some letters and read through the report cards filed by the various people who had employed her girls the previous day. Any complaints were always dealt with at once, but this morning it was nothing but compliments, and Liza smiled more cheerfully as she gave the cards to Maddie to file. An agency depended on its reputation, and that was the basic reason why it alarmed her to have an enemy like Keir Gifford. He was powerful, he could do her a lot of harm.

Why should he, though? she thought after Maddie had gone. Bruno was out of the picture, safely away from her in the States—why should Keir Gifford hound her now?

A shiver ran down her spine. She knew why, he had said it bluntly. He wanted her, and a man like that was accustomed to getting what he wanted. He didn't like being told 'No'. He hadn't accepted it—or else why was he insisting that she visit Hartwell? Why had he turned up at that lunch with Nicky and Terry Lexington?

He hadn't given up, nor would he go away. He was still in close pursuit, at her heels, and Liza's nerves were fraying at the edges, especially whenever she thought about spending a whole weekend at his country house. There would be others there, she comforted herself; she could stay close to Pam and Nicky, but even if she did she had the strong suspicion that Keir would find an opportunity of getting her alone, and she was afraid of what might happen if he did.

Since she had come to London she had been armoured against men. Now and then she had met a man she found pleasant, a man she thought of as a friend, like Bruno. As long as a man didn't attract her strongly, as long as she wasn't tempted, she felt safe, but once her own sensual instincts were aroused she was terrified of losing control, and it was disturbing now to find herself spending so much time just sitting around thinking about Keir Gifford.

She knew he attracted her; when he touched her she felt every pulse in her body going crazy, but he was light years out of her world, he was dangerous to her, she must forget him, keep him at bay.

She ran her hands through her hair, groaning aloud. How could she forget him when he wouldn't leave her alone?

He rang her on the Friday morning. When Maddie said reverently, it's Mr Gifford on the line!' Liza sat at her desk pulling faces for a second and Maddie said, 'Hello? Did you hear me?'

Liza said that she had, her voice grating. 'Put him through,' she added, because what else was she to do? It would be childish to pretend she wasn't here, and anyway Maddie would start to wonder, to be curious; Liza didn't want that.

His voice was deeper than she remembered; she felt a strange weakness inside her as she heard it, as if her insides had just turned to water.

'How are you getting down to Hartwell?' he asked without preliminaries, and she was flustered, stammering.

i—suppose by train.'

'Is your model coming with you?'

'Yes.' Maddie had made all the travel arrangements, as usual; Liza wasn't sure exactly what time the train was, but she knew it would be smoothly organised, Maddie would make sure of that. She would have a folder ready containing the tickets and anything else she might decide Liza needed—information about the destination, the name of the station and perhaps the telephone number of the hire-car firm who would meet the train and drive them to Hartwell. Liza didn't know all that; she didn't need to when she could rely so much on Maddie.

'I'm taking my plane,' he said coolly. 'Why don't the two of you come with me instead? Much quicker.'

Liza opened her mouth to refuse, but for some reason the words didn't come out the way she had intended.

'Thank you,' was what she said, stupidly.