A Pretend Engagement (11 page)

`He'll need to be.'

They had coffee, but when Leon called for the bill Varnie remembered that she had initially said that she would take him out to dinner. `I'll settle it,' she told him.

" I'll deduct it from your bonus,' he replied, straight-faced. She looked into his eyes-his eyes were smiling.

The magic had returned as they walked from the castle to where Leon had parked his car, and Varnie knew, without analysing the why or how of it, that the evening had been a `bonus' kind of an evening. She hadn't expected it to be when she had thrown that `I can take you for a meal' option at him. Or expected it when he had turned the tables on her and said, 'I'd better take you out to dinner.' Seated beside him as Leon drove them back to Aldwyn House, she was silent as she reflected that the evening had been a one-off. Tomorrow there was every possibility that he would go back to being grumpy though just then she did not want to remember Leon as being bad-tempered with her and she in all probability would go back to being impudent; though she sincerely hoped she wouldn't be called upon to tell any more lies, either directly or by omission.

With Leon busy with his own thoughts, as well as concentrating on his driving, Varnie relived the pleasantness they had shared. Unbelievable, really, when she thought of how instantly they could be at each other's throats. She recalled his charm, the numerous topics they had chatted over, his easy way when she'd occasionally had an opinion that was at odds with his own. Though they had not differed too often, she all at once realised. In fact, they seemed to think alike about a lot of matters.

He had trusted her with his confidences too, and she really felt good about that. She remembered how she had-unforgivably, in her view, and so carelessly-well, okay, she had been cross at the time-reminded him of that episode in her bedroom. She had not really needed to remind him. He'd already been giving himself a hard enough time over that, without her sourly reminding him.

They arrived at Aldwyn House, and as Leon got out of the car to go back and close the gates they had just driven in through, so Varnie was overwhelmed with remorse, and a feeling that, as Leon had trusted her, she wanted to let him know that she trusted him. She had no idea at all how that could be achieved. It was not until they were standing in the hall, the house locked up for the night, when Leon said, `Thank you for a very pleasant evening, Varnie,' and she looked up into his eyes, that the answer came to her.

She moved that yard or so closer. `Thank you, Leon, I really enjoyed it,' she said with a smile, and, so natural did it feel just then, she moved another step nearer, placed her hands on his shoulders, and stretched up and kissed him.

It was a warm, trusting, not passionate, but unhurried kiss. She felt his mouth move against hers, and for a moment she thought he was going to respond. But the only response he made was not to take her in his arms but to take hold of her arms- as though to hold her off, as though to push her away!

She stepped back, felt a rush of colour flare to her face. 'You'd-um-better deduct that from my bonus too,' she said chokily-and turned smartly about and, trying not to run, went swiftly up the stairs.

NEVER, ever could Varnie recall feeling so embarrassed. That kiss, that unwanted kiss she had bestowed on Leon, haunted her through her waking hours that night. And, because she slept only fitfully, her waking hours were many.

She just did not know how on earth she was going to face him again, and was up out of her bed early, beating down the instinct to leave right now and thereby obviate any need to see him again at all.

Against that were thoughts of her brother. But so discomforted did she feel that she was strongly torn to let Johnny go hang.

She sighed as she recalled how, apart from his initial reaction, Leon had frozen when she had kissed him. Oh, heavens!

Varnie looked at her suitcase, but thoughts of Johnny, for all her inclination to let him go hang, would not let her take what seemed the only answer. How could she go now that her capricious brother had found and wanted to keep the job he said he had always been searching for? She sighed again as she realised she would have to stay and would have to keep up the pretence that she was an ex-girlfriend of Johnny's. Having got to know Leon a little, she had an idea he would hit the roof if he knew the truth and that, since the house belonged to her, he was beholden to her.

Yet, maybe from her innate honesty, she felt she wanted to be open with Leon-only Johnny's job, she knew, would be well and truly on the line were she to tell Leon. Add to that the fact that Leon did not like favours, and took them from no one, and it was plain to her that any confession from her would ensure that there would be nothing for her changeable brother to return from Australia for.

All of which, Varnie knew as she dithered about leaving her room, was doing absolutely nothing to get her through the awkwardness of seeing Leon again. It was not as if she went around forwardly kissing, without sign of invitation, every man she had dinner with.

She left her room and went down the stairs, realising that in her attempt to let Leon see that she fully trusted him she had only made a bad situation worse. Should she try to explain that her action had only been to let him know that she trusted him?

Perhaps he had seen that anyway, she pondered as she crossed the hall into the kitchen. With relief she saw that she was first down again. Her relief was short lived when just then the most awful thought struck her. She all at once recalled how Leon had said that Antonia King was more interested in his wallet than him. And last night he had intimated that that woman he had taken out a few times had been after a huge divorce settlement from her husband.

Oh, my heavens. Varnie blanched. Was Leon now revising his opinion abouther. Did he now think that she was another female on the make? Oh, she could not bear it if he did.

Such thoughts occupied her for the next worrisome ten minutes as she prepared his breakfast. At the end of those ten minutes, though, her pride appeared and was on the march, so that the embarrassment that had kept her sleepless through the night was in hiding when a sound behind her alerted her to the fact that she had company. She spun about.

'I'm not after your money!' she erupted.

Leon stood and surveyed her mutinous expression before drawling easily, `That's still the last time I'm taking you out to dinner.'

She coloured up, could feel herself going scarlet. `I meant me k-kissing you last night,' she said shortly. `And I meant if you're this bad tempered after a night out, it might be better if you stayed in.'

`Mmp !'She sniffed. `That kiss...' she tried.

`If you're thinking of kissing me again don't!'

`I wouldn't kiss you again if.." she began hotly.

`Good,' he cut in, adding-though not to make her feel any better, she felt sure, `So now we're quits.'

`Quits? You kissed me more than once,' she reminded him, stormily. `And-'She broke off. Even her ears felt on fire as she just then recalled his hands on her breasts, his hands on her skin. `Quits,' she snapped. `Good.' And, putting his breakfast to keep warm until he was ready for it, she went speedily from the kitchen. He could see to his own coffee. Never had she known such a man for so upsetting her equilibrium. Varnie collected the vacuum cleaner and other cleaning equipment and set to work. She did not particularly want to consider the hrute, but if he hadwork to do that called for any degree of concentration it would be better if the vacuuming was done before he got started.

She later took the cleaner upstairs and recalled how previously she would have dearly liked to go to Leon's room and give it the once over. But she managed to keep her housekeeping instincts in check, and apart from leaving fresh bed-linen and towels outside his door she left him to fend for himself.

That morning he could wallow in dust and fluff until it was up around his ears before she would dream of flicking a duster over his room.

She was still in a mutinous frame of mind who did he think he was, telling her not to kiss him again?-when she decided that she needed to get out, be it only as far as the nearest supermarket.

Varnie was undecided how long she would be away, and knew that but for Johnny she would not be coming back. She made a sandwich for Beaumont, and, most definitely out of sorts where he was concerned, would have liked to substitute something toxic instead of mustard. She wrapped his sandwich in a napkin and put it where he would find it, then took herself off to the shops. Varnie began to feel better for being away from Aldwyn House. And yet, bizarrely, she had the extraordinary feeling of a kind of homesickness, a sort of feeling as if she wanted to be back there. As if she wanted to beback there with Leon, as if her home was there-with him.

Bizarre wasn't the word for it! She decided that the strain of living incarcerated with the brute must be getting to her. She deliberately made herself have lunch out.Though when the compulsion to be back at Aldwyn House became too much for her to ignore she opted to have neither pudding nor coffee. Had she known what awaited her when she got back, she later thought, she would have stayed out to tea as well.

She found she was singing softly to herself on the journey back. Proof, if proof she needed, that her outing had done her good. When moodiness was not a part of her nature, she had felt in a very dark mood on her way out.

She was surprised to see a car standing in the drive when she reached the house. It was a car she did not recognise and belonged to neither of their recent visitors.

Since she was not expecting anyone to make a call, Varnie could only suppose it must be some friend or business acquaintance Leon had invited. Feel free! She felt her equilibrium start to tilt once more, and decided that, whoever it

was, she did not want to know. She would put her bits of shopping away and either stay in the kitchen until they had gone or go up to her room.

So much for that idea! Barely had she got in through the rear door than Leon was coming from the drawing room and along the hall. She flicked a glance to him, and was undecided if some brief nod of her head would do by way of saying, Hello, I'm back, when, to her absolute and utter astonishment, `Darling,' he greeted her-for all the world as if he had truly missed her. `Let me take that shopping for you.'

Varnie blinked, and was thinking of having her hearing checked the next time she saw a doctor. `What?' she queried faintly. But as Leon came forward and took the plastic carriers from her, so she spotted the man and woman who had followed him from the drawing room.

`I'll just drop these in the kitchen,' Leon commented generally, but was so quickly back that Varnie had no time to do more than look at the other two. He straight away introduced the three of them, if briefly,then stated pleasantly, 'Pauline and Eddie were just leaving.' And, with a warm smile to Varnie, he proceeded to explain, `Our secret's out, I'm afraid.' Varnie had not the smallest idea what he was talking about. `Oh?' she queried, every antenna on the alert to tell her it was not only in the woodshed that there was something nasty.

`Leon tells us that the two of you met when he stayed overnight in the hotel where you were employed,' Pauline remarked.

That was how she had told him she had met Johnny! Varnie could only thank her years of hotel training that she managed to keep her face straight. Presumably there was a point to what Leon had told his two friends.

`Is it any wonder I decided to stay an extra night at that hotel?' Leon went on, shaking Varnie rigid by placing an arm familiarly about her shoulders.

`No wonder at all,' Eddie said appreciatively.

`I'm sorry about your loss,' Pauline addressed Varnie as the four of them edged to the front door.

Had thieves broken in while she had been out? `I explained about your close relative,' Leon informed Varnie. It explained nothing as far she was concerned.

`It-was-er...' she began to mumble. `Forgive us,' Leon butted in. `It's still very painful for Varnie.'

`Of course,' Eddie said sympathetically.

Leon opened the front door and, with his arm still about Varnie, he ushered Pauline and Eddie out to their car.

Varnie was very inclined to shake Leon's arm away. She owned that being tucked into his side like that was making her feel all funny inside. But for some odd reason, feeling a loyalty to him that she was sure he did not deserve, she let his arm stay.

The moment the car Eddie and Pauline had come in was driven out of sight, however, and Varnie pulled vigorously away. More vigorously than she'd needed to, it seemed, because Leon was quite as keen to immediately let go of her, and she almost lost her balance.

There was no `almost' about her temper, though; that was well and truly lost. `What the Dickens was that all about?' she exploded.

Leon looked down at her from his lofty height and, not a bit abashed, quite casually drawled, `You wanna be my fiancee, you'll have to put up with it when thepress come to call.'

'W... B ... P...' Witlessly, her sea-green eyes wide, Varnie stared at him. `They- Eddie and Pauline-they aren't your friends?' she gasped. And, as more brain power managed to surface over shock, `You told them we were engaged!' she squeaked.

He shook his head. `You did that yourself!' he reminded her bluntly.

`No, I di... When did I?' she demanded.

`Shall we go in?' Leonenquired, a quiet kind of phoney pleasantness in his voice.

She did not want to go in. She was good and mad, and wanted to sort this out right here and now. But Leon was leaving her standing there with no one to argue with- and only then did she notice that it had started to rain. She followed him into the drawing room. `When did I?' She kept up the attack. 'I'd never even met them before, so how could I possibly have told them that I was engaged to you?"

'You made news of our engagement press copy on Sunday, when you announced to Neville King that we were very definitely engaged. That I had done the "bended knee" bit,' Leon retorted.

Varnie looked at him open-mouthed. `You called the press in?"

'Would I?' he questioned toughly.'Neville King?'

`Either him or his wife. Whatever-my office will have that little titbit by now.'

Oh, my hat! He had suspected it would be all over the top floor by yesterday. She felt faint. 'Eddie and Pauline-they're press reporters?' she rallied to question that which she now saw was pretty obvious. 'Pauline's the reporter. Eddie's a photographer.'

`Photographer!You didn't let himtake ?"

'Eddie was keen to have a photograph of the two of us together,' Leon cut in shortly. `I borrowed your "close family bereavement" tale and told him I would not sanction any photograph of you being used.'

Varnie was touchy about that `close family bereavement', even if it had been she who had started it. `Why didn't you deny it?' she charged crossly.

'What-and make you a liar?' he mocked.

She felt a terrible urge to hit him. She managed to hold it down. 'It's not funny!' she exploded.

`You should have thought of that on Sunday!' Leon rapped. `You were the one who started the rumour.' `But you needn't have gone along with it!' she returned hotly.

He smiled. It was a smile too silky to be trustworthy. `True,' he replied nicely. `But, on thinking about it, to be engaged to you for a short while seems a small price to pay for a spot of relief from women who won't take no for an answer.'

Varnie threw him a disgusted look. She had got herself into this, and she knew it. `I hope your ferrets drown!' she hurled at him, and marched out of there along the hall and to the stairs.

She was halfway up the stairs when Leon came out into the hall. She was at the top of the stairs when his voice floated up to her. `Do I take it I'm making my own dinner?'

She did not answer, but carried on to her room, her lips twitching. Hate him she might, but he still had the power to make her laugh. It was too late to wish she had not purchased his choice of newspaper for him while she was out.

Varnie went down the stairs a short while later to put the shopping away. She supposed she would make dinner for him, and supposed too that one crisis cancelled out another. First thing that morning she had been embarrassed to death to face Leon after kissing him so last night-while not a passionate kiss, it had been no mere peck either. But since coming back from shopping she had not given it another thought. Other priorities had taken over.