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‘You don’t mind?’ Laura's voice held concern. Her hand touched the pendant—she knew she should not have accepted it.

For a second Helen seemed puzzled, and then realised that Laura referred to the necklace. ‘Oh, that! Of course not. You’ll appreciate it far more than me. I like modem jewellery.’

‘Then why were you looking at me so strangely?’ asked Laura, sensing something different about Brad’s sister.

Helen suddenly laughed. ‘You’ll find out, soon. It’s very true that love is blind.’

‘I don’t know what you’re talking about,' said Laura huffily. Looking at Philip she noticed that he too was smiling, a secret smile. What was the matter with them both? she thought crossly. What was going on? 'I'm going up to my room,' she said stiffly. ‘My arm’s bothering me this morning. I’ll see you at lunch.'

Brad had his back to her as she left. ‘I don’t suppose he’s even noticed that I’ve gone,' she grumbled as she climbed the stairs. ‘Why did I ever agree to stay on? I should have stuck to my decision and left.'

In her room she studied her reflection in the dressing-table mirror: green eyes looked pensively back. She touched the necklace, as if by so doing she could bring Brad nearer. Her vision misted as tears gathered and for a while she allowed them to fall. Time and time again her heart called out, ‘Why, oh, why did I have to fall in love with you?'

She did not realise that she had spoken the words out loud. Nor did she hear the door gently open and soft footsteps cross the carpet. She jumped violently as a hand touched her shoulder. ‘Don’t cry. I can’t bear to see you upset.'

Laura's heart seemed to stop beating. She dabbed ineffectively at her tears with her knuckles. A large handkerchief was pressed into her hands. Carefully she wiped her wet face, before raising swollen eyes to counter Brad's penetrating gaze through the mirror.

What on earth was he doing here? She felt suddenly breathless. Why had he followed her? She was unable to turn away from the magnetism of his eyes, and felt as though she were watching a scene from a play as he caught her shoulders and turned her round to face him, dropping to his knees beside her.

‘Laura, my love. Forget him. You’d never have been happy.'

Her lips trembled as she saw the concern on his face, and her carefully built defences crumbled. With one swift movement he gathered her into his arms. ‘Oh, Brad,' she cried as his lips sought hers. He kissed her and it was as though time stood still. As though no one else existed in the whole universe.

Afterwards they drew apart and Brad spoke softly, as if afraid to spoil the magic of the moment. ‘Let me take care of you, Laura. Let me teach you to forget Philip.'

Her heartbeats quickened. 'I don't know what you mean.'

‘I’m asking you to marry me, silly, he said, running a finger gently down her cheek.

'B-but you don’t love me.' Her voice was a mere whisper.

‘That’s where you’re wrong. I do love you. I’ve loved you ever since the day you arrived—mud-stained, cross and tired.'

Laura looked at him in wonder. Had she heard correctly? Was the culmination of all her dreams about to come true? 'I don’t believe it,' she breathed. ‘
Y-you
love
me?'

‘Very much, my sweet Laura. I wanted to tell you then, but decided to wait—to try and win your love. I was vain enough to think I was succeeding until the day I came to the flat and found you with Philip. I felt like kicking him in the teeth.’

'But I explained that,’ said Laura anxiously. ‘In fact I never wanted him there at all, and as soon as you’d gone I turned him out.’

Brad raised his eyebrows. ‘I wish I’d known, but I’m afraid I didn’t believe you. It looked such an intimate little scene I couldn’t believe it was the first time he’d been there. And when you went off with him in the restaurant I decided there was no chance for me at all.'

'I'm sorry,' she whispered, 'but you annoyed me, and I did it more out of spite than anything else.’

He shook his head sadly, as if bewildered by the whole affair, moving to go and sit on the bed. ‘I spent a miserable week at home trying to get you out of my mind, and in the end I decided to take a trip to Africa. New faces, new surroundings. Even then I rang you at the last minute to see if you’d say anything to make me change my mind. Remember? You left me in little doubt as to how you felt.' He stared down at his hands. 'It didn’t work, Africa. You were like a drug to my mind. I wanted you desperately and came back determined to ask you to marry me—only to find that you had become engaged to Philip during my absence.'

Brad's hurt was mirrored in his eyes and Laura strove hard to stop herself from hurtling across the few feet of carpet into his arms, declaring that she too loved him. There was so much that was not yet clear, and Brad obviously wanted to make a clean breast of everything.

'I think I knew, even then, that there was something wrong,' he continued, ‘for I couldn't let you leave. I used your contract to keep you in the hope that something would happen to make you turn to me.'

‘Poor Brad,' she said softly, but he appeared not to notice her interruption.

‘Gradually I realised I was right. You didn’t look or act like a woman in love, and when Philip paid attention to Helen you didn't mind. I tried to find out why, but you’d erected a prickly fence round yourself and I couldn’t get near.’

‘Brad,' Laura’s voice quivered, Td no idea how you felt. If only you'd given me some intimation.’

‘How could I, when we were always arguing? Anyway I knew you had no feelings for me, I proved that the day Helen returned home. I was convinced I could make you respond. It hurt terribly when you didn’t.’

'I m sorry. I wanted you to kiss me—but—’

‘I know. You are a very loyal person and I hated him for the way he was treating you. When Helen rang from London to say she was staying for the week I went down to find out for myself exactly what was going on.’

‘She never said,' gasped Laura.

'She didn’t know,' grimly.

'You—-you mean you spied on them?’ Astonished that he could behave in such an underhand manner, Laura stared, wide-eyed.

'Precisely. But even though I had proof I still couldn’t bring myself to tell you. I spent hours trying to think of the best way to save your pride. Then when they returned the matter was taken out of my hands—and you admitted you knew. Was that why you were so miserable?’

'N-not really,’ confessed Laura. 'I-I'd got other things on my mind.’ Everything had become startlingly clear. All the time Brad had loved her! His bad tempers, his sharp words, had all been a result of jealousy. If only her hasty temper had not led her into a fictitious engagement, there would have been no need for the heartache she had suffered, She could have been sheltered in the warmth of his love—might even now have been his wife. She shivered deliciously at the thought, but all was not yet over. So far he had not given her much chance to speak, but she would have to confess to her deception before she felt free to accept the love he was offering.

'I'm not an ogre, Laura.' He spoke pleadingly. ‘I know you don’t love me—but given time I’m sure you’ll learn.'

She could see the love in his eyes. The pain in her heart was almost unbearable. She crossed to his side and gently touched his face. ‘I’ve no need to learn, Brad, my darling. I—I love you already.'

He caught her roughly to him. ‘By all the gods, I can't believe it.' Then just as suddenly he pushed her away. ‘But I don’t understand. Surely you’re not so fickle that you can fall in and out of love at the drop of a hat?'

Laura bit her lip anxiously. 'I'm sorry, Brad, I deceived you. Philip and I were never in love.'

‘But you were going to marry him?'

'No—I told you he had asked me—which was perfectly true. You assumed the rest, and like a fool I let you go on believing it.'

‘What made you say it in the first place?' Brad frowned.

'A desire to hurt you when you thought I was crying over Philip.'

‘You certainly did that. My world was shattered.' He still looked puzzled. ‘Then why. were you crying?'

Laura smiled weakly. ‘I was crying for a love I thought Pd never know. I was crying for you, my darling. Pd loved you so long—ever since the night you scolded me for getting my feet wet. Yes—' as he raised surprised eyebrows. ‘But I thought you hated me. I thought you’d laugh if you found out I’d joined the ranks—so I was determined to hide my feelings.'

‘Which you did admirably. If only Pd known.' He rose, pulling her close. ‘I shudder when I think how very nearly I let you go. I hated to play the part of the hard-hearted boss, but I was determined to make one last effort to win your love.' His hands slid round her back and with a moan Laura cradled her head against his chest.

‘What fools we've been,’ he breathed hoarsely, ‘how much time we’ve wasted. There’s still so much I don’t understand, but at the moment I don’t care.’

She raised her lips to his, and a deep silence filled the room as in their united love they found true happiness.