No More Lonely Nights

As soon as she began to open it a body thrust it wider and she fell back, staring at the man who confronted her.

She had had no real idea what William Cassidy looked like, but she knew at once that it was him. It couldn't be anyone else. This was a very angry man and a very tall one, with a face full of violence, in odd juxtaposition to the sort of sleek tailoring associated with society weddings: morning suit, white carnation in the buttonhole, dove-grey silk tie, smooth shirt.

'Where is she?' he asked in a voice hoarse with rage, and Sian nerved herself to defy him.

CHAPTER TWO

'I can't tell you that!' Sian began. William Cassidy kicked the front door shut without taking his eyes off her. The slam made her jump, her wide eyes wary.

'Oh, yes, you will,' he assured her, and she felt the hairs on the back of her neck bristling.

'Don't you threaten me! I gave Annette my word not to tell anyone where she is, and I'm going to keep my word.'

The force of her voice made his eyes narrow; for the first time he really looked at her. She saw a glitter of curiosity in those cold grey eyes. He coolly looked her up and down, and she seethed with resentment over the expression on his hard face.

'How admirable,' he drawled. 'You must be a very unusual reporter—the others of your trade I've met haven't had the same scruples.'

She wished she could deny the slur on her profession, but, she thought with a grimace, she knew some of her colleagues a little too well.

'Yes, well, sorry about that, Mr Cassidy, but we aren't all out of the same box.'

His brows arched. 'No? But it seems your so-called scruples didn't stop you taking advantage of Annette's confidences. Your paper will be printing the story tomorrow. Your editor wouldn't let me see the copy, but he admitted enough to make it clear that you used Annette ruthlessly.'

Sian went red. 'I can understand why you're angry.'

'Oh, can you?' he broke in bitingly, and she bit her lip.

'How did you find out about

me?' she asked suddenly, and he leaned on her front door to consider her drily.

'The local journalist told me your paper had rung his office, who rang him at the church. When I tried to talk to your editor on the phone I got nowhere, so I drove up to London myself to shake your address out of him.'

'I'm sorry you've gone to all this trouble, but I'm not telling you where Annette is. You've wasted your time,' Sian said uneasily, hoping he was going to admit defeat and go. She wasn't too optimistic, though; he didn't have the face of a man who easily admitted defeat, and she could well understand why Annette had fled him. This was very disturbing material for any woman to work with; Sian was not easily daunted by men, but for him she made an exception. She found him quite unnerving.

'You don't understand yet—' he began, but she interrupted, shaking her head.

'I do, I assure you! I know men find it hard to forgive a blow to their ego.'

'Oh, you know that, do you?' He eyed her drily. 'And although I've only known you a short time, Miss Christian, I get the feeling you have given quite a few men a blow to the ego.' He watched the surprise and then the resentment show in her green eyes, but before she could say anything else he shrugged his powerful shoulders and said crisply, 'This is just wasting time. Look, Miss Christian, it's essential that I find Annette. Her father had a heart attack when he discovered she had run away.'

Sian gave a sharp gasp, and stared at him. Was he telling the truth?

He read her expression and smiled coldly. 'If you want to check that statement, I can give you the name of the hospital and the ward he's in!'

'Poor Annette,' Sian murmured, frowning, believing him then. 'Is it serious?'

William Cassidy hesitated, his brows drawn. 'I'm no doctor,' he said at last, and Sian watched him, guessing that he knew more than he was saying. 'Now, can I have Annette's address?' he demanded.

She thought quickly. 'I promised not to tell you.'

'Circumstances have changed, surely?' he snapped, and she nodded.

'I know, but I can still keep my word if I take you there rather than tell you, and anyway, I think it would make it easier for Annette if I was there when she heard the news. This is going to be a real blow for her.'

His face was sombre. 'I'm afraid it is, they were very close. There are no other relatives, and Lewis, her father, has aggravated his condition by fretting over Annette being left alone when he's gone.'

Sian's intuition leapt, and she looked hard at him. 'You mean, this heart condition hasn't suddenly shown itself? He's been ill for a long time?'