One Night Only (60 page)

“
W
ell
,
basicall
y
,
Jeffre
y
wa
s
goin
g
o
n
on
e
o
f
his
busines
s
trip
s
t
o
Dubai,
”
sai
d
Ruth
.
“Th
e
Duba
i
Grand Nationa
l
wa
s
growin
g
t
o
b
e
th
e
riches
t
hors
e
rac
e
i
n
the worl
d
an
d
it
’
s
a
hug
e
even
t
ever
y
yea
r
.
Normall
y
I
travelle
d
wit
h
hi
m
t
o
tha
t
even
t
i
f
i
t
suite
d
m
e
bu
t
this particula
r
yea
r
I
wa
s
to
o
bus
y
i
n
wor
k
t
o
leave.
”

“I’
d
lov
e
t
o
g
o
t
o
Dubai,
”
sai
d
Gina.
“Shh!
”
sai
d
T
ess
.
“G
o
on
,
Ruth.
”

“Anyho
w
,
Ben
,
m
y
eldes
t
–
well
,
obviousl
y
h
e
wasn
’
t
Jeffrey
’
s
so
n
a
s
I
ha
d
hi
m
whe
n
I
live
d
her
e
–
bu
t
h
e
had
develope
d
a
rea
l
flai
r
fo
r
horses
.
H
e
looke
d
lik
e
h
e
had
reall
y
caugh
t
th
e
bu
g
fro
m
hi
s
stepfathe
r
an
d
h
e
wanted t
o
g
o
wit
h
Jef
f
bu
t
Jef
f
wouldn
’
t
hav
e
it
.
H
e
sai
d
h
e
would b
e
to
o
bus
y
t
o
hav
e
a
teenage
r
ta
g
alon
g
s
o
h
e
wen
t
o
n
his
own
.
I
shoul
d
hav
e
smelle
d
somethin
g
fish
y
ther
e
and then
.
Jeffre
y
woul
d
hav
e
take
n
Be
n
anywher
e
normall
y
.
”

Rut
h
pause
d
fo
r
effect
.

“Th
e
rat!
”
sai
d
T
ess
.
“Wh
o
wa
s
she?” “Wha
t
d
o
yo
u
mean?
”

“O
h
sorr
y
,
”
sai
d
T
ess
,
rathe
r
sheepishl
y
.
“
I
thought yo
u
wer
e
insinuatin
g
tha
t
Jeffre
y
ha
d
anothe
r
woma
n
in Dubai
.
Whic
h
i
s
wh
y
h
e
wouldn
’
t
tak
e
Ben
?
Sorr
y
,
Ruth. D
o
continue
.
M
e
an
d
m
y
cynica
l
ol
d
mind!
”

Again
,
Rut
h
pause
d
an
d
the
n
sh
e
too
k a
dee
p
breat
h
as
i
f
sh
e
wa
s
deliberatel
y
holdin
g
bac
k
o
n
th
e
punc
h
line.
An
d
a
dam
n
goo
d
punc
h
lin
e
i
t
wa
s
goin
g
t
o
b
e
too
.
She
couldn
’
t
wai
t
t
o
se
e
thei
r
face
s
whe
n
sh
e
tol
d
them
.

“Oh
,
ther
e
wa
s
someon
e
else
,
T
ess,
”
sh
e
said
.
“
Y
o
u
got tha
t
bi
t
right.
”

“Who?
”
aske
d
Poll
y
.
“
A
youn
g
sho
w
jumper
?
His
sec
r
e
t
a
ry
?
A
wealth
y
wido
w
i
n
Dubai
?
Wh
o
wa
s
she?
”

“Wh
o
wa
s
he
,
yo
u
mean?
”
sai
d
Ruth
,
awaitin
g
their obviou
s
reaction
.

“N
o
way!
”
sai
d
Gina. “
W
a
y
,
”
Rut
h
continued
.

Poll
y
an
d
T
es
s
wer
e
to
o
stunne
d
t
o
speak. “He?
”
muttere
d
T
es
s
eventuall
y
.

“I
t
was
,
ironicall
y
,
a
jocke
y
,
”
sai
d
Ruth
.
“Spence
r
Baker
i
s
hi
s
name
.
I’v
e
know
n
hi
m
sinc
e
h
e
wa
s
a
teenage
r
.
He
w
as
alway
s
a
t
ou
r
hous
e
an
d
hi
s
fathe
r
wa
s
Jeffrey
’
s
biggest
fan
.
Ho
w
humiliate
d
wa
s
I
whe
n
I
foun
d
ou
t
that
,
al
l
the time
,
youn
g
Spence
r
an
d
m
y
husban
d
wer
e
ridin
g
a
whole lo
t
mor
e
tha
n
horse
s
aroun
d
ou
r
paddoc
k
whil
e
I
was tucke
d
awa
y
i
n
London
?
N
o
wonde
r
m
y
busines
s
was
f
lying
.
I
t
suite
d
hi
m
t
o
hav
e
m
e
ou
t
o
f
th
e
wa
y
.
H
e
probably pai
d
m
y
client
s
t
o
kee
p
m
e
bus
y
,
an
d
I
a
m
no
t
joking.
”