When the Devil Drives (4 page)

Read When the Devil Drives Online

Authors: Sara Craven

Tags: #Fiction, #Romance, #General

conned Si into thinking he's Mister Nice Guy, he's got a fight on his

hands with me.

'Why, Miss Jo, you look really fierce. Whatever are you thinking

about?' queried Nanny.

'Getting up.' Joanna swallowed the rest of her tea, and threw back the

duvet. 'I think I'll have breakfast with my father.' She paused. 'How is

he today?'

'He's taking an interest in the cricket, according to Gresham.' Nanny's

face was expressionless. 'Reckonsthey should bring back Len Hutton

as England captain.'

Joanna sighed. 'Maybe they should at that.' She shot a glance at the

older woman. 'Nanny, we're having a—visitor this afternoon, and I'd

prefer if Dad knew nothing about it. I don't want him to be upset,

especially if he's not—thinking too clearly.' She put on her robe and

knotted the sash.

Nanny nodded. 'Gresham won't say owt, and I can stop Mrs

Thursgood nattering. But am I to know who's expected?'

Joanna hesitated. 'It's Callum Blackstone.'

'A Blackstone crossing this doorstep?' Nanny gasped. 'I never thought

I'd live to see the day!'

'Neither did I.' Joanna bit her lip. 'Believe me, Nanny, if I had a

choice, I wouldn't let him within a mile of the place. But it's out of my

hands.'

Nanny shook her head. 'Then you'll have to make the best of it, lass.

Like the old saying, "Needs must when the devil drives."'

And that, Joanna thought wryly, as she made her way to the

bathroom, seemed to sum the situation up with total accuracy.

Shrouded by the curtains at the long upstairs landing window, she

watched him arrive. He was punctual, She noted without surprise.

The Jaguar car he parked in front of the house—staking his claim at

once, she thought bitterly—was the latest model. Nothing else had.

changed. He looked no older, no greyer, no heavier as he stood on the

gravel below her, his gaze raking the blank windows as though he

sensed her presence, and sought her.

Although she knew she couldn't be seen, Joanna felt herself shrink.

Oh, come on, she castigated herself. This is no way to start. After all,

I know what he's planning, so there must be some way I can stop him.

But, for the life of her, she couldn't think of one.

As she heard the doorbell peal, she went on swift and silent feet back

to her room, and waited for Mrs Thursgood to admit him.

She gave herself a long, critical 190k in the mirror. Her slim navy

linen skirt, and the pure silk cream shirt she wore with it, looked neat

and uncompromisingly businesslike. She'd drawn her hair severely

back from her face and confined it at the nape of her neck with a wide

navy ribbon.

She'd had plenty of time to prepare for this confrontation. Simon had

phoned mid-morning to tell her that Fiona was being kept in for

observation, at her own insistence.

'She's a bit fraught, Jo.' He'd sounded thoroughly miserable. 'Hit the

roof when I suggested pushing off.' He'd paused. 'I feel an absolute

worm about this. Do you think you can cope with Blackstone—feed

him some story or other to keep him off for a while?'

'I can try,' she'd said wearily. 'Cheer up, Si. I hope Fiona feels better

soon.'

Now Mrs Thursgood was tapping at her door. 'Your visitor's come,

madam. I've put him in't drawing- room.'

Joanna counted to ten, breathing deeply, then walked sedately along

the broad landing and down the stairs. She didn't hesitate at the

drawing-room door, but went straight in, closing it behind her.

He was standing on the rug in front of the empty fireplace, studying

her grandfather's portrait. At the sound of her entry, he turned, the

grey eyes skimming over her, missing nothing.

'Good afternoon, Mrs Bentham.' The cool laconic voice grated on her.

'A historic moment, wouldn't you say?'

'Hardly a giant step for mankind, Mr Blackstone,' she returned with

equal insouciance. 'Perhaps you'd like to state your business.'

'I'm sure your brother's informed you of the changes that have taken

place during your—period of mourning.'

Joanna shrugged. 'I understand you now have a financial interest in

the Craft Company.'

'It's more than that. As far as money's concerned, I am the Craft

Company.' He glanced round. 'May I sit down?'

'If you wish.' She pretended faintly surprised amusement. 'Is this

going to be a long interview? I do have other plans...'

'Then cancel them,' he said pleasantly, seating himself on the sofa. 'I'd

prefer your undivided attention.' He leaned back, crossing his long

legs. 'I gather Simon will not be joining us.' - She hesitated. 'His wife

isn't very well.'

'I'm sorry to hear it.' He didn't sound even slightly regretful. 'She must

take after her mother. She's thoroughly enjoyed very poor health for

years. Apparently medical science is baffled.'

He'd captured the lady's martyred tones with wicked accuracy. To her

annoyance, Joanna discovered an unwilling giggle welling up inside

her, and hastily turned it into a cough.

'Can we get back to the business in hand, please?' She took the

armchair opposite to him. 'I suppose you want to know when you'll

see some tangible return on your investment.'

'No,' he said. 'I'm prepared to bide my time on that. There are other far

more pressing matters between Simon and myself.' He reached into

the inside pocket of his jacket and extracted a small sheaf of papers,

held together by an elastic band. He tossed them on to the low oak

coffee-table between them. 'Do you know what these are?'

Her brows snapped together. 'How could I?'

'Then I suggest you take a look.'

Reluctantly she reached for the papers, and removed the band. As she

studied them, her frown deepened.

'I don't understand.'

'You're not a fool, Joanna,' he said quietly. 'You know as well as I do

that those are IOUs, and that the signature on them is Simon's.

They're gambling debts that he ran up at the country club.'

Her mouth was dry suddenly. She'd been doing addition sums in her

head as she riffled through them, and the total she'd reached was

horrifying, and still incomplete.

She said, 'Gambling? But Si doesn't gamble.'

'He certainly doesn't gamble well. He's lost consistently at poker,

blackjack and roulette. He's exceeded the house limit for credit more

than once as well, and used my name to get more. I've had to bar him

from the gaming-rooms.' He saw the colour drainfrom her face, and

smiled sardonically. 'I presume this is news to you.'

She said thickly, 'You know it is.'

'Then I may as well add that he's in hock to a bookie in Leeds for

several thousand.'

She dropped the papers back on the table with an expression of

distaste. 'You're very well informed.'

'I find it pays to be.'

'Yet it's hardly ethical. Neither is your presence here this afternoon.

These—debts should be a private, matter between Simon and

yourself, surely. You have no right to involve me.'

'Sometimes private matters have a tiresome habit of becoming

incredibly public.' He seemed impervious to the ice in her tone. 'And

then you'd find yourself involved right up to the hilt, my dear Mrs

Bentham. For instance, I could insist on having a spot audit made at

the Craft Company.'

The words hung in the air between them, challenging her.

She swallowed. 'And what would that prove, pray?'

'Perhaps nothing. But I'm afraid—I'm very much afraid that there

would be certain sums unaccounted for. Simon had to find his stake

money from somewhere, after all.'

'I don't believe you. In fact, I don't believe any of this.' She flicked the

IOUs with a contemptuous finger. 'If Simon had known you were

going to raise any of these matters this afternoon, he would have been

here in person. He thought you were coming to discuss the Craft

Company, and only that. Therefore he obviously has no guilty

conscience...'

'A true Chalfont! Your grandfather had no conscience either. It's a

pity Simon hasn't inherited his strength as well.'

Joanna got to her feet. 'I think you'd better leave.'

'When I'm good and ready,' he retorted, making no attempt to move.

'Sit down, Joanna, and hear me out. Simon had good reason for

failing to realise I was about to call in his markers.'

She didn't want to hear any more. Her mind was reeling, blanking out

with sheer incredulity. Simon gambling, she thought with horror.

Losing thousands he didn't possess and couldn't repay. What in the

world could possibly have started him on such a course to disaster?

As if, she thought, I didn't know.

She lifted her head and stared at their enemy. Steadying her voice, she

asked, 'What good reason?'

'I promised I'd give him time, so he assumed he was safe.'

'And what made you change your mind?'

'You did,' he said softly. 'You came home again, Joanna. And that

altered everything.'

'I fail to see why.' Her tone was defiant, but alarm bells were sounding

all over her nervous system.

He smiled at her. 'Oh, no, beauty, you haven't that poor a memory.

You put yourself temporarily out of reach when you married Martin

Bentham, but that's all. And that's over. Yoti knew it the day of the

poor bastard's funeral. Was that why you fled to the States?'

She drew a sharp, painful breath. 'How dare you?'

'I dare quite easily,' he said. 'After all, I've waited longer for you than

for anything else in my life, Joanna, and, frankly, I'm beginning to run

out of patience.'

'How unfortunate for you.' She invested her voice with all the scorn

she could muster. 'But I'm afraid you're destined to go on waiting for

a very long time. For eternity, in fact.'

Cal shook his head. 'No, sweetheart. You're not thinking clearly.' He

pointed to the IOUs on the table between them. 'As you so rightly

said, these should have remained a private matter between Simon and

myself. But in a war you use whatever weapons are available, if you

want to win. And I intend nothing less than total victory.'

Joanna's hands clenched into fists. 'I'll see you in hell --'

'And we'll both see your brother in the bankruptcy court,' he

interrupted harshly. 'I'll do it if I have to, Joanna, and there isn't a soul

in the world who would blame me. He's behaved like a incompetent

in his business life, and a reckless fool privately. He should be

stopped sharply and permanently before he drags himself, and

everyone involved with him, any deeper into the mire.'

He paused. 'On the other hand, the threat of it may be enough to shock

him to his senses, and impending fatherhood may keep him there.'

'What do you care?' she asked bitterly. 'You helped push him into this

mess. You've used him and manipulated him all along the line for

your own disgusting purposes...'

His mouth twisted. 'Have I? Then the more fool Simon for letting me,

wouldn't you say?'

'He's no match for you—he never was. He didn't realise what he was

getting into.'

Cal tutted. 'You mean you didn't try to warn him? How very remiss of

you!'

'Of course I tried,' she said with angry weariness. 'But he wouldn't

listen, and it was too late anyway. He'd already handed the Craft

Company to you on a platter, the naive, trusting idiot. He thought

your offer of help meant that the feud between us was over.'

'And so it will be soon,' he said softly. 'Every wrong righted, every

debt paid in full. The wheel come full circle. A very satisfying state of

affairs.'

'You're unbelievable!' Her voice shook. 'How can these old quarrels

still matter after all this time?'

He smiled. 'My grandfather always said revenge was a dish best eaten

cold.'

'I find that a nauseating idea.'

'Is that going to be your new refuge—self- righteousness?' He

sounded amused. 'It won't cut any ice with me.'

'I'm sure it won't.' She put up a hand in a revealingly nervous gesture,

and smoothed her hair back over her ear. 'I suppose you're here to

discuss your terms. I can't say when Simon will be available --'

'He doesn't need to be.' The grey eyes glinted up at her. 'As you're

already well aware, the settlement I have in mind involves just the

two of us—you and me. And I suggest, once again, that you sit down.'

She said thickly, 'I prefer to stand. Say what you have to say, and go.'

He shrugged, and rose to his feet in one lithe, controlled movement.

Like some jungle animal, she thought, flinching inwardly, flexing

itself before the kill.

'I told you my terms two years ago, Joanna. They haven't changed. I

want you.' He looked at her levelly. 'Come to me and I'll write off

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