_blank mask settled again.
"The waiter's just left. Did he wake you?"
"No... Yes... I don't know..." She stared at him as she struggled to compose her racing thoughts.
"I didn't know you were here, it's so late..." She glanced desperately towards the phone.
"I was going to ring you at the office."
"And now there's no need." The dark voice was quite expressionless, his whole manner one of cool, reserved control and careful politeness, but she sensed somehow that below the surface it was a different story. The black eyebrows rose a fraction as his blue eyes wandered over her ruffled hair and sleep-flushed face.
"I had a mental picture of what you would look like in the morning and I'm not disappointed." She stared at him helplessly, quite unable to move, let alone reply, and after a long moment the newspaper was raised again.
"Why don't you si
t down and have some coffee now you're out here?" It was obvious and reasonable and she couldn't think of a reason not to, so she walked gingerly across to the table, pulling the belt of the dressing-gown still tighter round her slim waist as she slipped into a vacant chair.
"There's toast and preserves and a variety of cooked dishes under the covers," the cool voice behind the newspaper said.
"I ordered enough for two in case you joined me."
"I'm sorry I'm so late," she said stiffly to the black and white print.
"I forgot to set my alarm--' " No problem. “The newspaper crackled a bit but still remained in place.
"Relax and enjoy a leisurely break- fast--you earned it yesterday."
Yesterday? For a moment she thought he was being sarcastic about the dreadful, ill-fated evening, and then reason asserted itself. He was referring to the long day's _work. Of course he was. She brushed a silky strand of hair off her face. Somehow yesterday had narrowed down to several catastrophic hours as far as she was concerned.
She must look awful. She touched her hair tentatively. No make-up, and she hadn't even brushed her hair before she had raced out here.
She shut her eyes for an instant in exasperation at her impulsiveness and then opened them to pour herself a cup of black coffee. She usually had it white but she needed all the undiluted caffeine she could get this morning--that stimulating alkaloid had better work, and fast. To sit here and eat breakfast with him was bad enough, but with him fully dressed and looking as delicious as ever, and her barely decent. She sighed deeply.
"Now what?" As the newspaper lowered her heartbeat increased tenfold.
Freshly shaven and with his still-damp hair slicked back he way just too--too much.
"Sorry?" she gazed at him warily, noting the absence of a jacket. The pale grey shirt sat on the big broad shoulders like an advertisement for its brand name, and the carelessly knotted silk tie matched perfectly. It wasn't fair that one man should have so much going for him.
"The big sigh?" He eyed her sardonically.
"I would have thought you'd be starving this morning. Sue's food may be gourmet style but she serves the sort of portions that she and the rest of her model-friends eat. Hardly satisfying or even remotely adequate. Now, stop contemplating the food and eat it instead." The newspaper was raised again, leaving her staring at it open mouthed
She hadn't dreamt that disastrous finish to the evening, had she? It had actually happened? She remembered the black rage on his face and the icy fury that _had turned the silver-blue eyes into pinpoints of steel, and shivered suddenly. But this morning he was so. reasonable. What was going on?
"You'll be seeing Hannah later," the disembodied voice said after a moment or two.
"We're catching the two-thirty plane to London."
"Oh, right," she responded weakly.
"We could have stayed another day but Doug can see to the odds and ends now, and there's a previous appointment at five I'd like to keep if I can. Perhaps you'd take most of the papers back to the office for me?" he asked quietly.
"Of course." A previous appointment? There was some inflexion in his voice, just something, that told her it wasn't a business appointment. Elda? The beautiful brunette's name flashed into her mind and she felt the piece of toast in her mouth turn to cotton wool. Of course it would be Elda and why shouldn't it be? He was a free agent, unattached and fancy-free. He could see exactly who he liked.
The pain in her chest deepened. The corrosive scene last night, her awful accusations he could dismiss as unimportant this morning, because she was unimportant. When would she learn? When would she ever learn?
She finished the slice of toast quickly and stood up, her voice cool and flat even as she trembled inside.