Free A Pretend Engagement by Jessica Steele Page A

was no way that she could leave. Which in turn left her inwardly at war with herself, and outwardly at war with Leon Beaumont.

    Her innate sense of fairness came and gave her a nudge. The poor man, he worked like a Trojan-he was supposed to be on holiday, for goodness' sake. Couldn't she be just a little bit nicer to him? She had to smile at that thought. As if he'd care! He would probably think she'd gone soft in the head if a day passed without her rearing up about something. It had been like that from the beginning, she mused as, the casserole in the oven, the kitchen all clean and tidy, she went up to her room to shower. The thing was, though, that she way normally most even-tempered, and only ever reared up in anger in the direst of circumstances. She hadn't even gone for Martin Walker's jugular when she'd learned how he had taken her up the garden path. So what was so special about Leon Beaumont that she should react to him the way she did?

    She had no idea, but as she showered and changed into smart trousers and a pale yellow silk shirt that particularly suited her she determined that she would try her hardest to be more her usual self with him in future. She would try to be nicer.

    Going downstairs to check on the casserole, she saw that it was cooking nicely and should prove quite tasty. From the kitchen she went and laid the table in the dining room, and did a few more chores prior to returning to the kitchen. She hated unpunctuality, and planned to leave at seven so as to be in good time to meet Russell at seven-thirty.

    At six-forty-five she went up to her room to check on her appearance and to pick up a jacket and her shoulder bag. She had previously heard the motor to the shower in the master bedroom. It had now stopped, and she felt she had given its occupant sufficient time to be respectably dressed. She went along and tapped on his door.

    Leon opened it after a very short while. His dark hair was damp and he was buttoning up the front of his shirt, a smattering of dark hair showing through the opening. Her heart did such a ridiculous flip that for a moment she quite forgot exactly why she had come and knocked on his door in the first place.

    What she did remember, most oddly, was the way he had warned her on Saturday morning to stay out of his bedroom. `Don't worry, I don't want to come in,' she said, her voice strangely husky. She saw his lips twitch, her heart went soppy again- and she determinedly pulled herself together. `Your dinner will be ready at seven- thirty. But it won't spoil if you want to eat a little later.'

    `Thank you,' he answered politely, for all the world as if he had been giving himself the same `be nicer' lecture she had not so long ago given herself.

    `There's some cheesecake left from yesterday for afters. Or cheese and biscuits if you prefer.'

    `I'm sure I won't go hungry,' he answered mildly.

    She felt awkward, and she never felt awkward. `I'll leave you to it, then,' she said, turning away.

    `Have a pleasant evening,' he bade her.

    A few minutes later she got into her car, telling herself that it would be good to have a night off. And she would enjoy spending some time with Russell Adams. Yet, most peculiarly, it was not thoughts of Russell that filled her head as she drove along. Nor did she think of Russell again until she drove into the hotel car park and she saw him there waiting for her. Her head had been much too fully occupied with thoughts of the man she had left behind at Aldwyn House. In fact, thoughts of Leon Beaumont seemed to have filled her mind constantly. Now, wasn't that the oddest thing?

CHAPTER FOUR
     

    FOR once Varnie did not feel like getting up the next morning. She awoke at her normal time, but instead of leaving her bed to shower, prior to starting her day, she lay there and reviewed the events of the previous evening.

    Her dinner with Russell had been an uncomplicated affair. He was easy to talk to and she had found, when he'd again asked