‘I’m sorry about this,’ Lauri said awkwardly, falling into step beside Laurence Daniels, not really sure why she should have to apologise for Alex’s disgraceful behaviour. He was like a Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde, and at the moment Mr Hyde had definitely taken over.
Laurence shrugged. ‘I’m used to it.’ He watched her keenly. ‘Tell me, Lauri, have you known Alex long?’
She blushed. ‘Not very long, no.’
‘I wondered … You’re very young to be one of his girl-friends.’
‘Seventeen isn’t all that young nowadays,’ she told him defensively.
‘Seventeen …’ he echoed huskily. ‘Yes, I suppose you would be. And you have no father to help advise you.’
It was a statement, not a question, and Lauri frowned. This was the strangest conversation! But then Laurence Daniels seemed to be a strange man. He seemed quite nice, and yet there was still the way he kept staring at her, and if he were a younger man she would suspect that look. But surely a man of his age couldn’t be interested in the girl she still was? No, she was sure he wasn’t. Maybe he was trying to see Alex’s interest in her. She was curious as to the conclusion he came to, especially as she didn’t have one herself.
‘No, I have no father,’ she confirmed.
‘I’m sure if you had that he would advise you that Alex is a very dangerous man.’
‘Dangerous?’ she repeated disbelievingly. ‘Surely that’s too strong a word, Mr Daniels?’ Although the savage cruelty in his face minutes earlier had given her some hint of the side of his character he usually held in check.
‘Call me Laurence,’ the man at her side invited. ‘And I think dangerous is quite a mild word to describe Alex.’ He looked at his brother-in-law’s rigid back as he walked ten or fifteen yards in front of them. ‘Much too mild,’ he murmured almost to himself.
Lauri automatically got in the back of the Rolls, leaving the seat next to Alex for Laurence Daniels, feeling slightly piqued when Alex didn’t even seem to notice she was there, let alone where she sat. She could excuse his behaviour if it was just directed at his brother-in-law, but she didn’t understand why she was being included in the cold-shoulder treatment.
‘Lauri has just been telling me that you haven’t known each other long.’ Laurence spoke to Alex.
Alex’s attention remained rigidly fixed on the road in front of them as he drove the car with his usual skill. ‘No, not very long,’ he agreed tautly.
‘Where did you find her?’ Laurence probed.
He was given a cold angry stare. ‘Find her?’ Alex snapped. ‘Isn’t that a strange way of putting it?’ he scorned.
‘Is it?’ Laurence appeared unmoved by the other man’s terse manner.
‘I work for your brother-in-law, Mr Daniels,’ Lauri put in to ease the tension. ‘In the typing pool.’
‘I see,’ he nodded.
‘Do you, Laurence?’ Alex rasped, shaking his head. ‘I doubt it, I doubt it very much.’
‘Oh, I think I do,’ Laurence disagreed. ‘I’m just wondering if you’re ever going to forget the past, Alex,’ he said almost wearily.
Alex gave him a glacial look. ‘I think today has made that impossible, don’t you?’
‘This isn’t the past, Alex,’ he was told. ‘This is the future.’
‘Do you think there is a future there? Isn’t it just a little too late?’
‘I’m hoping not.’
‘I wish you luck,’ Alex said bitterly.
‘I wish you meant that,’ Laurence sighed. ‘Maybe I’m too old to be thinking of starting again.’
‘Maybe you won’t get the chance,’ Alex told him tautly.
‘I’m not expecting it to be easy.’ The first show of impatience entered the other man’s voice.
‘It won’t be,’ Alex said with satisfaction. ‘And at least you won’t be getting all that you wanted.’