A Bad Enemy (15 page)

'Well, you're not getting it,' he said roughly. 'You're giving me an answer, one way or another, before you leave here today.'

'You're rushing me,' she said in a stifled voice.

'On the contrary, I'm practising superhuman restraint.' He finished the wine in his glass. 'I should have taken you to bed that first night. That would have settled all arguments.' He put the glass down. The grey eyes glinted at her. 'It isn't too late, of course. I could always phone Harlow Bannerman and tell them to cancel this afternoon's meetings because I have some important negotiations of my own to conclude.' He flung back his head and watched her, his face steely in challenge.

Alarm made her gabble. 'Isn't it a rather drastic way of gaining a hostess?' She tried to smile. 'With my record, aren't you afraid I'll ruin you with my extravagance?'

Jake gave her a sardonic look. 'No.'

'Not to mention my unreliability,' she went on with a kind of desperation.

'There are drawbacks to every relationship,' he said. 'At least we know ours in advance. And there'd be advantages too. You wouldn't find me—ungenerous, but of course I'd expect a fair return for my money. You won't be able to turn me off like a tap when we're married.'

'You bastard,' she whispered bitterly.

'My parents were married, actually,' he said. 'And, from what I recall, remarkably happily married too. No doubt my mother will tell you some time. She lives in the South of France these days because English winters don't suit her, but she's flying into London next week to meet you.'

'Oh, no!' Lisle lifted her hands to her face. It was all going far too fast.

'Why not? We're officially engaged, darling— remember? She might reasonably have expected to be introduced to you at least before the announcement was made.'

'It's all such a mess,' she said wretchedly. 'Oh dear, I should never have let you talk me into this pretence…'

'But you did, Lisle,' he said. 'So it's too late for recriminations now. Too late for any more prevarication too. Are you going to give me an answer, or do I come over there and take it?'

She shuddered, closing her eyes, agonisingly aware of tie deep stir in her body. 'No—please! If you want me to marry you, I will—on one condition.'

'I can't wait to hear what that is,' he said softly. 'A plea to be spared the outrage of my vile and lecherous attentions? If so, forget it. I want you, beauty, and I'm going to have you wherever and whenever and however I please. And don't pretend that isn't what you want too, Lisle, because you aren't fooling anyone. Least of all yourself.'

His words fell on her like hammer blows. She said numbly, 'No, I suppose—not. But not here, Jake, please. Please!' She opened her eyes and looked at him, meeting the question in his eyes. 'This flat—I—I hate it. I don't want to live here.'

He shrugged. 'Then we won't. I thought I'd already made it clear that I wanted a proper home, and not a
pied-à-terre
, but as a temporary measure…'

'No, not even that,' she interrupted violently, her voice shaking. 'And—and you can get rid of that bed too!'

There was a silence. Jake's eyes narrowed in comprehension.

'Well, well,' he said mockingly. 'Afraid of ghosts, Lisle? There's no need.'

'Whether or not,' she said unevenly, 'that's the condition.'

A brief pause, then he said, amusement still quivering in his voice, 'Agreed.' He got up and came over to her, pulling her to her feet. His mouth took hers in a brief, hard kiss.

Like a seal on an agreement, she, thought. Or a brand. Oh God, what have I done?

The questions haunted her through the rest of the day, even though she had plenty of other things to occupy her mind as well.

There was an air of gloom over the department when she arrived back that could have been cut with a knife. In the doorway she passed Jeff looking like death.

'What's happened?' Lisle asked as she sat down at her desk.

Marian's lip curled. 'Exactly what we predicted. One immediate redundancy, and a review in three months.'

'Who is it to be?' Lisle opened a drawer and extracted a tissue from the box she kept there.

Marian shrugged. 'We'll know later this week.' She sighed. 'Jeff's in a hell of a state. He and Cathy had just moved into a new house.'

She sighed again and began to type rapidly. Lisle sat staring down at the top of her desk, examining the grain in the wood as if it had some hypnotic quality. Eventually she reached for the memo pad and wrote out her resignation, and took it in to Carl, who accepted it without surprise, and even, she thought, with a certain relief.

She cleared her desk, aware that the others were watching her covertly, but offering no explanations as she sorted out and discarded. There was nothing left for her here, she had chosen an alternative path in life, so she might as well leave.

She was conscious too of a subtle shift in attitude. When Marian went to the machine for coffee, she brought Lisle one too.

And later Jeff said awkwardly, 'Carl was showing us some of the ideas you had for the Salzburg thing. They were spot on.'

'Thanks,' she said lightly. 'All I ever wanted was to be given a chance.'

When she stood up to go, they all shook hands and wished her well, and she responded courteously.

As she walked along towards the stairs, she heard someone call her name, and glancing round saw Oliver Grayson standing in the doorway of his office.

She said with faint embarrassment, 'Hello, Oliver. I thought you'd be tied up in this meeting all afternoon.'

He grimaced. 'We've been allowed a fifteen-minute break, and boy, do we need it!' His eyes searched her face. 'Lisle, what's going on? That notice in the paper—is it genuine? I got the impression...'

She flushed, knowing exactly what impression he had been given. 'It's all true. Jake Allard and I are engaged.' She bent her head. 'I can't explain. I don't really understand it myself.'

'But you're clearly not happy,' he said in a low voice. 'Even a casual observer can see that, and I don't claim to be that. You don't have to do it, Lisle, no matter what the pressure. Let me help you.

He had possessed himself of her hand, and she tried to withdraw it from his grasp, her eyes full of trouble.

'No one can help me,' she said tiredly. 'I've behaved very badly, Oliver, and I don't know how to apologise. Anything I can think of sounds inadequate.'

'You're being forced into this,' he asserted, his eyes fixed on her intensely. 'I know there are problems, Lisle, but you don't have to go to those lengths to solve them. Don't shut me out, my dear. It's not too late.'

Jake said very drily, 'It's getting later all the time, Grayson. The meeting's ready to start again, if you are.'

Lisle gasped. She hadn't heard him approach, and had no idea what he had heard or the interpretation he might place on it, but the grim expression in his eyes as they rested on her was hardly reassuring.

Oliver released her hand as if it had scorched him, and muttering something barely audible, turned away towards the boardroom.

'Just a moment.' Jake's hand gripped Lisle's shoulder. 'Where do you think you're going?'

'I no longer work here,' she said quietly. 'I resigned.'

'Very wise. While you're in the mood for giving notice, you can tell your flatmate that you're leaving too. Get your things packed, and I'll come round later and drive you down to the Priory.'

'But I can't,' she protested. 'Not just like that. It's unfair to Janie…'

'I'll make sure she doesn't suffer financially,' he said. 'And there'll be no objection from the landlord either.'

'But I could stay at the flat until our notice expires…'

'You could, but you won't.' There was ice in his voice. 'It's time your wings were clipped, beauty. I told you I wouldn't stand for any more games with Grayson, and I meant it. You're going down to the Priory tonight, and starting to learn how to behave yourself.'

'It wasn't as you thought,' she said in a low voice.

'No?' His tone was cynical. 'If you want me to believe that, you shouldn't allow him to fondle you in a public corridor.' His voice roughened. 'Whatever you've done in the past, Lisle, from now on I have exclusive rights in you, and I'm prepared to enforce them if I have to. I presume that's something you'd prefer to avoid?' He paused, taking in her pallor, the sudden rigidity of her feelings, and his fingers relaxed their grip, setting her free. 'Go and pack,' he directed quietly.

Lisle had an insane urge to fling herself into his arms, to tell him that neither Oliver or any other living man meant a thing to her, that she loved him and only him, and she would do anything, be anything he wanted if only—only he would love her in return.

But he was already turning and walking away towards the open door of the boardroom where people were already gathered awaiting his arrival, and the moment, if it had ever existed at all, was lost.

She watched the door close behind him, and then she went down the stairs, alone.

Lisle was already half packed by the time she heard Janie's key in the door. She went into the hall to meet her. 'Surprise!'

'Welcome home.' Janie's eyes ran over her critically. 'You look a little fraught, but that's hardly surprising under the circumstances.' She gave an ecstatic sniff. 'Food—you angel!'

'Only a casserole.' Lisle gave her a strained smile. 'It seemed the least I could do. And I only hope you still think I'm an angel when I tell you the news.'

She pushed open the bedroom door and let Janie see the cases lying open on the bed.

Janie's brows lifted. 'My word, the speed of light must seem like a crawl when Jake Allard's around! When's the wedding? Yesterday?'

'Almost', Lisle said ruefully.

'And why not?' Janie gave an approving nod. 'There's nothing to wait for, after all, now that ice of yours has finally cracked. I'm only thankful-it's been for Jake Allard and not one of Gerard's so-called friends. That brother of yours must be on terms with every rat in London, and not all of them male,' she added.

There was something in her voice suddenly which made lisle look at her curiously, her sensitivity heightened by her own emotional turmoil. But instinct told her that Janie was raw, and would not welcome questions, however caring or well meant.

They ate the meat and vegetable stew she had prepared in the kitchen, then, while Janie washed up and cleared away, lisle went on with her packing. She would miss Janie badly, especially the shrewd caustic streak which her almost doll-like blonde prettiness concealed.

She was sorely tempted to confide in her, but something held her back. A feeling, perhaps, that no advice, however good, would help her to a solution, coupled with a conviction that Janie had problems of her own. She wondered rather bitterly how she could have been so blind and self-centred.

'Perhaps a change all round will be a good thing,' Janie said abruptly, as they had sat over their coffee. 'It's easy when you're comfortable to get into a rut, and I can't keep this place going on my own. I'll start looking for somewhere else—maybe join forces with Anita at the office. Her flatmate's getting married too.' She gave Lisle an uncertain grin. 'But we'll keep in touch.'