Her eyes flashed. ‘They had no right—’
‘They had every right, damn you!’ He stubbed out the half-smoked cheroot with savage movements. ‘I have the right to know about the health of my wife!’
Kelly sat stiffly at him side. ‘How did you know about the accident?’
‘I was in the States on business, and a friend of mine wired me the news.’
‘A friend?’ she probed.
Jordan gave a humourless smile. ‘I do have one or two, you know.’
‘Yes, I do know,’ she said tightly ‘I just wondered if I knew them too.’
‘Ian Smythe,’ he supplied tersely.
‘Ian!’ Her face lit up with pleasure. ‘Does he still work for you?’ Ian had been Jordan’s personal assistant five years ago, and Kelly had always liked him.
Jordan scowled. ‘No. He works for himself.’
‘He does?’ she asked interestedly.
‘Mm.’ Jordan’s mouth twisted with derision. ‘He very sensibly married Anthony Miles’ only daughter.’
Anthony Miles had been a big industrialist, very rich, who had died suddenly of a heart attack just over a year ago. ‘Ian is married to Laura Miles?’ Kelly asked dazedly.
He nodded. ‘He has been for a few years now.’
‘Then I’m sure it wasn’t “sensibly” done at all,’ she defended indignantly. ‘Ian wouldn’t marry for any other reason than that he was in love.’
‘Love!’ Jordan scorned. ‘Laura is attractive enough, in a sweet way, but I wouldn’t want her for my wife.’
‘But then she isn’t, is she?’
‘Thank God!’
‘Are they happy together?’
He shrugged. ‘They seem to be.’
‘Then that’s all that matters.’
‘Not really,’ he drawled. ‘We seemed to be happy, but you still walked out on me.’
‘And you know why,’ Kelly said tightly.
‘It was my child too! But you didn’t see me walking out on my responsibilities—’
‘Responsibilities!’ she cut in shrilly. ‘You call our child a responsibility?’ she demanded angrily.
‘In a way—’
‘What way?’ Kelly was furiously angry. ‘Because you didn’t want it? Because it was a nuisance to you? Because—’
‘Shut up!’ he ordered through gritted teeth. ‘Shut up if you value your life.’
There was such a dangerous glitter in his eyes that Kelly instantly went quiet. Dry sobs racked her body. Jordan had just told her more than adequately his true opinion of the baby she had loved so much, and she hated him anew for his cruelty.
‘I’m sorry,’ he finally said in a calmer voice. ‘We never were able to converse reasonably about the subject. They found nothing wrong with you after the accident?’ he returned to their conversation of a few minutes ago.