Millionaire's Women Part 24

'I can't get into the formal stuff. My waistline's expanding by the day. Lord knows what I'll be like by the time Junior actually arrives.'

In the end Kate agreed to an hour's shopping before the afternoon painting session. 'But one hour only,' she warned.

The hour expanded into an entire afternoon with a tea break incorporated into it, rather than afterwards in Park Crescent, due to Anna's aversion to paint smells.

'Can't cope in my condition,' said Anna, eyeing her reflection in a changing room. 'What do you think? The silk tunic and skirt, or the dress I tried on first.'

'That shade of blue looks great on you,' said Kate, and grinned. 'But so does the black dress. Buy both. Ben won't mind.'

Anna took the advice she wanted to hear, but no amount of coaxing persuaded Kate to buy something.

'I've got enough from my former life to last me for ages. No point in wasting money on something new.' Kate patted Anna's hand. 'I promise I won't let you down again. No jeans this time.'

'You didn't let me down,' protested her friend. 'You made all the other women green with envy. Did you wear jeans when you had dinner with Jack?'

Kate shook her head. 'I thought we were eating out, so I honoured him with the dress intended for your party-the one I wore at your place at Christmas.'

'The drop-dead job with the cleavage?' Anna grinned. 'That must have got his juices flowing.'

'Is pregnancy to blame for this sudden earthiness of yours, Mrs Maitland?'

'No, just for my appet.i.te. I need tea and cream cakes right now!'

By the time Anna dropped her off at home Kate had lost all enthusiasm for more painting. There was only one wall left to do and that, she decided, could wait. Now she had a sitting room worthy of the name she would spoil herself and stretch out on her new chaise to read instead of doing any one of a long list of things she should be doing instead. She enjoyed a whole hour deep in the intricacies of a courtroom thriller before the telephone rang to spoil her fun.

'Richard here, Kate. How are you?'

'I'm well. How are things with you?'

'Busy. Did you enjoy your weekend?'

'I did, very much. Nasty journey back, but it was worth it.'

'I'm sure it was. Look, Kate, I know this is short notice, but are you free tomorrow? A film, meal, anything you like.'

'Sorry, Richard. I'm already booked for dinner tomorrow.'

Kate could feel her face growing pink during a pause which lasted too long for comfort.

'Is that the truth?' he asked at last, 'or is it your way of letting me down lightly?'

'Richard,' said Kate on impulse. 'Are you going home about now?'

'Yes. I'm just locking up.'

'Would you like to call here for a drink first?'

'Of course I would. See you soon.'

Kate checked on the contents of the fridge and went back to the sitting room to her book. When she heard a car stop outside she put a marker in her page and got up to answer the door, then stared in dismay.

'You were expecting someone else?' Jack inquired sardonically.

'Yes, I am.' She shrugged. 'It's a bit awkward, but come in, if you like.'

'But you'd rather I made myself scarce.'

'Yes, please. I'll explain later.'

He threw her a flinty look, strode to the Jensen at the kerb and drove off with a growl of engine just as Richard Forster's car turned into the Crescent.

'Was that Logan?' he asked as he got out.

'Yes. Do come in.'

Kate showed him into the sitting room. 'I can offer you beer or a gla.s.s of wine. Or medicinal brandy,' she added as an afterthought, feeling rather in need of one herself.

'Beer would be good. Attractive house,' he added, looking round.

'Thank you. I won't be a moment.' Kate took a can of beer and a tonic from the fridge, filled two gla.s.ses and went back to the sitting room.

Richard took the beer and stood in front of the fireplace with the air of a man not expecting to stay long. 'You've asked me here for a reason, Kate,' he said without preamble. 'Will you tell me what it is?'

'It seemed better to talk to you face to face.' She drank some of her tonic. 'Firstly, I really am going out on Sat.u.r.day night.' At least she hoped so.

'Firstly means a secondly coming up,' he said dryly.

She nodded. 'I have a question to ask. You don't have to answer it, of course.'

He looked at her with steady blue eyes. 'Ask away.'

'Are you still in love with your wife?'

Richard blinked, startled, as though this was the last thing he'd expected. He was silent for a long time, his face like a mask, then shrugged, his eyes hard. 'Yes,' he said bitterly. 'I am.'

Kate nodded. 'I thought so.'

'Because you're still in love with Logan?' he said, startling her in turn.

'I used to be, once,' she admitted.

'Is he taking you out on Sat.u.r.day?'

'Not exactly. He's asked me to a dinner party at his house-with other guests,' she added.

Richard drank some of his beer, eyeing her over the rim of his gla.s.s. 'I've heard that entertaining at home isn't the Logan style.'

'So have I.'

Richard put the gla.s.s down on the table, and looked Kate in the eye. 'It's now established that you have a prior engagement on Sat.u.r.day, but why, exactly, did you ask about my wife?'

'Look, Richard,' said Kate, taking the bull by the horns, 'I don't think casual dating is your kind of thing. If I've got a colossal nerve to think you'd want something less casual with me, I apologise, humbly. But I thought it best to say, face to face-'

'That a relations.h.i.+p of any kind between us is out of the question?'

'Yes, Richard. And not because I don't like you, because I do, very much. But my gut feeling tells me that the only relations.h.i.+p you really want is with your wife.'

For a moment Kate thought he would make a furious denial, but after a fraught silence Richard nodded grimly. 'Your instinct is right. I do want her back, for all the good it will do me.'

'Is she involved with someone else?'

'Not as far as I know. Caroline's a journalist and her sole pa.s.sion is her job.'

'She might be finding it isn't enough by now. Have you asked her?'

'No.' His eyes hardened again. 'I refuse to go crawling. It's up to her to make the first move.'

Kate shook her head impatiently. 'Oh, come on! Forget all that macho nonsense. If you want her, make the first move yourself.'

Richard's jaw clenched, and for a moment Kate was afraid he was going to tell her to shut up and mind her own business. But even tually a wry smile dawned in his eyes and she breathed a sigh of relief. 'Maybe you're right, Kate, 'he said at last. 'I'll go down to the flat on Sunday.'

'Why leave it until then? Go tomorrow.'

'She works on Sat.u.r.days.' His mouth twisted. 'The sky would fall in if Caroline knocked off before her beloved newspaper's ready for Sunday breakfast tables.'

'Insist that she does.'

'Carry her out over my shoulder?' he said, laughing, suddenly a different man from the wary lawyer of minutes earlier.

'Why not?'

'Why not, indeed!' Richard drained his gla.s.s and got up. 'OK, I'll give it a whirl. Have you ever considered a career in Relate?' he added.

She grimaced. 'Absolutely not. This is my first-and last-venture into marriage counselling!'

He shook her hand formally as she saw him to the door. 'Shall I let you know what happens?'

'Yes, please. Good luck!'

Kate waved him off, then rang Jack.

'What the blazes was all that about?' he demanded.

'Where are you?'

'I'm with Dad.'

'Can you come round for a minute?'

'You just threw me out.'

'If you want to know why, come back. Or not,' she added crossly. 'Up to you, Jack.'

'It had better be good,' he said ominously.

This time when Kate threw open the door Jack just stood there, waiting, tall and formidable and very much the head of Logan Development in a dark suit and long dark overcoat. 'Don't just stand there,' she said irritably. 'Come in.'

'If you're quite sure I'm not interrupting something,' he said with sarcasm.

'Oh, don't be difficult, Jack. Do you want a drink?' Kate turned her back on him and went along the hall to the kitchen.

Jack closed the door behind him and followed her. 'Have you got a beer?'

'Yes.' She handed him a can and fetched a gla.s.s. 'I've also got half a tonic waiting in the sitting room, so let's go in there.'

'You mean I'd better be sitting comfortably when you tell me what's up? I saw Forster arrive as I took off just now,' he added.

Kate threw him an exasperated look as they went back to the other room. She drew the curtains and switched on lamps and resumed her chair. Jack slung his coat on the end of the chaise and leaned back against the curved support, looking far more at ease than her previous visitor.

'Richard asked me out on Sat.u.r.day night, Jack.'

'No surprise there.' He shot her a look. 'I hope you told him you were otherwise engaged.'

'Of course I did,' she said impatiently, and drank some tonic. 'But I suggested he came round on his way home so I could talk to him face to face.'

Jack leaned forward, his eyes suddenly intent. 'Why?'

'Richard had to be told that a relations.h.i.+p with me was never going to happen.'

The eyes narrowed. 'Anything to do with me?'

She shook her head. 'No, Jack, nothing at all. There's just no place in my life for any relations.h.i.+p of that kind right now, with you, Richard or anyone else. But that's irrelevant any way, because he's still in love with his wife.'

Jack sat back, eyebrows raised, and drank some of his beer. 'Did he admit that?'

'Eventually, yes. At first he went all tight-lipped and said it was up to her to make the first move. But in the end he changed his mind and he's off to London tomorrow to make the move himself.'

'Because you told him to?'

'Because I advised him,' she corrected. 'He's a lawyer, remember.'

Jack raised an eyebrow. 'What happens if she shuts the door in his face? Will he come rus.h.i.+ng back to cry on your shoulder?'

'If he does, all he'll get is sympathy. The situation remains unchanged.'

'The situation being?'

'That Joanna takes precedence over everything else in my life right now.'