Living Together

‘Because—well, I just know. And when he gets here tonight I want you to answer the door and tell him I’ve changed my mind.’

Jenny frowned. ‘Can you see him accepting that?’

‘I suppose not. Well, tell him—tell him I’m out, that I’m ill. I don’t care what you tell him as long as you get rid of him,’ she said desperately.

‘Helen, I think if I told him you’d emigrated he’d follow you.’

‘If you won’t get rid of him I’ll lock myself in the bedroom and refuse to come out.’

Jenny shrugged. ‘Okay, I’ll try. Don’t blame me if he breaks the door down.’

‘He wouldn’t—No, he wouldn’t do that, Jen,’ Helen scorned. ‘Being persistent is one thing, but that would be sheer madness.’

‘We’ll see,’ Jenny said knowingly. ‘You’ll see,’ she amended.

Jenny’s warning frightened Helen. Surely Leon wouldn’t go to that extreme? But why not? He had blackmailed her into going out with him at lunchtime. Her barriers against him didn’t seem to deter him one little bit.

‘Well, try your best anyway,’ she pleaded.

‘Of course I’ll try, but…well, I just don’t hold out much hope.’

Helen had shut herself in the bedroom by five to eight, just counting the seconds until Leon arrived. At exactly eight o’clock the doorbell rang and she knew it had to be him. She could hear the murmur of conversation but couldn’t make out what was being said. Suddenly the conversation stopped and she heard the door close. Leon had gone.

‘Helen?’

She jumped as she heard Leon’s voice on the other side of the bedroom door, checking the lock to make sure he couldn’t get in. She didn’t attempt to answer him.

‘Helen, I know you’re in there,’ he said softly. ‘Now, come on out.’

Still she didn’t speak, but her heart was beating so loud she thought he must be able to hear it even through the thickness of the door.

‘Helen, if you don’t open it I’ll have to break it down,’ he warned.

She could almost see Jenny’s I-told-you-so smile. But he wouldn’t do it really, it was just an idle threat—wasn’t it?

Leon rattled the door handle. ‘Open it!’ he ordered angrily. ‘Or are you such a coward that you can’t even face me?’

She knew it was a trick and yet she couldn’t refuse his challenge, if only to prove to herself that he didn’t frighten her. She slowly unlocked the door and came out of the room to face him. He looked so attractive in the white dinner jacket, snowy white silk shirt and fitted black trousers, that it was hard not to stare at him. Helen moved with an effort to sit down.

‘Would you mind leaving us alone?’ Leon asked Jenny, his charming smile making it a polite request.

She shrugged. ‘I don’t mind at all, not if you can talk some sense into this stubborn girl.’

‘I’m going to give it a good try,’ he promised.

Helen watched silently as her cousin went into the bedroom and closed the door. Traitor, her brain cried out, unfairly. How could she desert her

in her hour of need!

Leon came to sit beside her on the sofa, easily holding her at his side as she went to move away. ‘Now, tell me what the hysterics are about,’ he chided.

She opened her mouth to speak and then shut it again. If she didn’t speak then they couldn’t argue, and that was the way she wanted it. She was perfectly well aware that she couldn’t win in an argument with this man.

He took out a case of slim cheroots, lighting one before speaking again. ‘Do you know I hardly ever used to smoke these things, and yet since meeting you I seem to have done little else. How do you feel about being instrumental in my downfall?’ Still she remained silent. ‘You couldn’t give a damn, hmm?’ He quirked an eyebrow at her. ‘Aren’t you going to talk at all? No, I guess not. Then I’d better do all the talking. You aren’t ready to go out, so I suppose you must have changed your mind. Now why could that be?’ he mused. ‘Too cowardly, I guess.’

Her mouth tightened angrily. ‘I’m not a coward!’ she snapped, forgetting her vow of silence. ‘I’m entitled to change my mind without giving you a reason for it.’

‘You don’t change your mind when someone has taken the trouble to call for you.’