Living Together

‘Or in love,’ Helen suggested with a smile.

He sighed. ‘That too. I gather Jenny told you what a bear I’ve been? It’s crazy to suddenly discover you’re in love with your own secretary.’

‘No more crazy than discovering you’re in love with your boss,’ Jenny told him cheekily.

‘Except that neither of us just discovered it,’ he said dryly.

‘So when are you going to get married?’ Helen asked excitedly.

‘I’m not—’

‘As soon as possible,’ Brent interrupted. ‘I’m not a boy to sit about waiting for my bride.’

’No one said you had to,’ his fiancée contradicted.

He frowned at her. ‘I’m not having any of that either. We’ll get married first.’

‘I never knew you were so old-fashioned,’ Jenny teased.

‘There’s a lot you don’t know about me, but you will,’ he promised.

‘He’s given me the afternoon off,’ Jenny grinned at her cousin. ‘Isn’t that kind of him?’

‘Only so that you can buy a new dress for tonight when we go out to celebrate our engagement.’

‘Oh, I can’t go now,’ Jenny protested. ‘I have to stay here with Helen.’

‘You do not,’ Helen at once refused. ‘Just because of those stupid newspapers?’ she scoffed. ‘Don’t be silly!’

‘But—’

‘I agree with Brent, you’ve become very argumentative, Jenny. She’ll need a firm hand when you’re married,’ Helen advised him.

He gave a throaty chuckle. ‘I’m looking forward to it!’

Helen finally managed to persuade them that she would be all right here on her own and they went off to buy the dress and ring before going on to Brent’s flat. Helen refused their invitation to join them for dinner.

She really meant it when she said the newspapers didn’t bother her; she was past caring about what, they had to say. She was older now, more hardened to anything they might have to say about her, and so when the doorbell rang just after nine and she presumed it to be a reporter who wouldn’t be put off by the telephone always being engaged, she felt no apprehension about talking to him. She would get rid of him, she wouldn’t be intimidated by anyone.

She wrenched the door open, her mouth dropping open as she saw her visitor. ‘Leon…’ she trailed off lamely.

He brushed past her into the flat. ‘In the flesh,’ he drawled.

CHAPTER TEN

SHE closed the door, running after him to find him already seated in the lounge. ‘What are you doing here?’ she demanded.

‘I did try to call you first but your phone—Ah,’ he picked up the receiver as it lay on the coffee-table, ‘no wonder I couldn’t get through!’

‘I didn’t mean here, Leon,’ Helen said impatiently. ‘I meant what are you doing in England? You’re supposed to be in America.’

‘Welcome home,’ he mocked. ‘I came home, my dear Helen, because I found out all hell had let loose over here. And by the look of that telephone they haven’t left you alone all day.’

‘No,’ she confirmed. ‘I thought you were one of them who had actually had the nerve to come here.’

‘You aren’t pleased to see me.’ It was a statement, not a question. ‘And I thought you’d need me. It felt good to think you needed me,’ he added bitterly.

‘I do need you. I just—’