Infatuation

'That's okay, come over.' Judith replaced the phone, her eyes thoughtful. She finished listening to the record and then went into the kitchen and made some coffee. Baba must have a pressing reason for wanting to talk to her; what had gone wrong? Why did she want to confide in Judith, rather than Ruth?

The door bell went and Judith opened the door to find Baba, wrapped in a short blue suede jacket, looking agitated. 'Oh, Judith, I'm so sorry to barge in on you at this time of night...'

'Don't be silly, come in and have some coffee—I've just made it-'

Baba followed her into the kitchen and perched on a stool, her shapely legs curled round the metal legs of the stool. Judith poured her some coffee and pus

hed it over to her. 'Why don't we go into the sitting-room? It would be more comfortable.'

'I won't stop long, it's just that I have to talk to you.'

Baba followed her out of the kitchen, her cup in her hand, and a visible urgency in her face. 'You remember that film I told you about? They want me to do a screen test, they rang tonight and asked me to fly over to California tomorrow and I don't know what to do.'

'Aren't you able to go? A job lined up?'

'It isn't that—it's Luke. He won't be pleased when he hears. He wants me to stop work once we're married, you see; he won't want me to take the part in this film.'

'I wouldn't have thought he was so old-fashioned,' said Judith, rather surprised. 'He didn't give me the impression that he disapproved of women working.' On the contrary, she had been favourably struck by his lack of bias where working women were concerned. Did he have two standards—one for most women and the other for his own wife?

'Oh, I don't think he does in general, but you see he wants to start a family right away.' Baba looked at her and laughed, going pink. 'He's keen to have children, he doesn't want to wait a few years. He asked me if I'd mind having a baby right away.'

Judith's eyes opened wide. 'How forthright of him. What did you say?'

'I thought it was rather sweet. I said I didn't mind, I'd like a baby too. I didn't know about the film possibility then. I'm getting a bit bored with modelling; it can be very tiring and I've done all that. I rather liked the idea of having a baby, but now…'

'Now you think you'd rather make a film,' said Judith with amusement, and Baba looked at her blankly without humour.

'Yes, that's the problem. I daren't tell Luke about the screen test, but I can't pass up this opportunity, it could lead to anything. I don't know what to do.'

'Tell him and go off and have your test—that's what you want to do, so why not do it?'

'It's so easy for you,' Baba sighed. 'Your career matters more to you than anything else anyway; I don't see you hesitating between your job and a man.'

Judith's brows rose, but she didn't dispute the assumption, although she resented it.

Baba looked at her uncertainly. 'Luke told me he'd offered you Caroline's job; are you going to accept?'

'I haven't made up my mind.' Judith knew she wasn't quite telling the truth; she had made up her mind, but she wasn't going to commit herself just yet.

'Oh, do, Judith—then I could go away for a few weeks without worrying; I'm scared of her—you should have heard what she said to me at our engagement party!' Baba's voice was shaking slightly, she bit her lip. 'She said…'

'I can imagine,' Judith said quickly when Baba paused, her voice too unsteady for her to go on. 'Don't worry about her, that's stupid. Remember, she's a woman scorned, whatever she said was meant to hurt you and if you let it get to you then she will have succeeded.'

'They had an affair,' Baba said flatly. 'Luke didn't deny it.'

Judith was taken aback, then she said quickly: 'He's marrying you, not her!'

'Because he wants children and she doesn't want any, she said.'

Judith stared at her, appalled. 'She told you that at the party? My God, what a bitch!' No wonder Luke Doulton had looked so angry, no wonder Caroline had been on her way out of his firm within hours.

'She said he only wants me to get himself some sons. He promised his mother that he'd give her grandchildren, Caroline said. He started looking for a suitable wife and I was just the first girl to come along.' Baba frowned, her mouth unsteady. 'Well, that was what she implied, she didn't actually put it like that. She pretended it was a joke at first, she smiled all the time, but she wasn't being funny. She hinted that Luke had been in love with her and would have married her if she had agreed to have children. Luke didn't say a word, he just stood there. I was so embarrassed. Then Luke said something very quietly; I didn't even catch what he said—and she walked away. Even then he didn't deny what she'd said. Someone else arrived and after that he never mentioned her again until he told me she'd left and he'd offered you the job. So you see, you must take it. While I'm in America he might take her back.'

'I doubt that very much,' Judith said drily. Luke Doulton didn't look to her like the sort of man who gives you a second chance; Caroline had destroyed any hopes she had ever had of him. What a fool she must be—or had he already made it clear that their affair was over and she was out of his life anyway?

'Or take on someone else like her,' Baba added, and Judith eyed her sharply.

'You don't seem too sure of him.'