Free Part Time Marriage by Jessica Steele Page B

on,' he suggested, `and let'sget down to Sussex.'

    The engagement ring was starting to feel less strange on her engagement finger by the time they reached his parents' large old house.

    Elexa, while not outwardly showing it, felt highly nervous. She also felt extremely guilty when Ruth and Brandon Peverelle warmly welcomed her and said how delighted they had been to hear Noah's news.

    Over dinner Ruth Peverelle spoke of relatives and a few friends who would like to attend the wedding, and Elexa passed on her mother's request to let her have any names and addresses, so she could send them a wedding invitation.

    `Your poor mother,' Ruth Peverelle sympathised. `It wasn't very kind of you, Noah, to drop the wedding on her at such short notice.'

    `Neither Elexa nor I want to wait,' Noah answered his mother, and Elexa felt more guilt. Mrs Peverelle's gentle expression said only too clearly that she thought her son and his future bride were desperately in love with each other.

    Elexa was grateful to Noah that he took the conversationn away from talk of the wedding and conversed with his father on matters concerning his father's seeming hobby of taking engines apart and putting them back together again.

    Though she guessed that Noah must be tuned in to whatever was going on around him. Because when his mother turned to her and stumped her with the question, `I expect you'll be moving into Noah's house once you are married?' it was Noah who broke off from what he was saying to his father, to reply for her. 'Elexa has her own apartment. With me being away so much, and with Elexa's flat so convenient to her place of work, it seems best to float between our two homes. Meantime, I shall be looking for somewhere to buy in the country.'

    Elexa had to admire him, she really did. If he managed his business life as efficiently, it was no wonder he was the international chairman of the Samara Group. For-apart from `floating between their two homes'-he had answered his mother's question without having to lie. Nor perhaps, on reflection, was floating, a fib. Because when the time came, he was either going to have to float over to her place, or she was going to have to float over to his. But-she didn't want to think about that.

    Elexa thought Noah's parents were lovely, but nonetheless it had been a bit of an ordeal sitting there hoping against hope that she wouldn't be called upon to tell a lie. So she was quite glad when. Noah announced that they both had work to do the next day, and they said goodbye, and headed back to London.

    'I'm off to the States in the morning,' Noah thought to tell her when he dropped her off at her apartment building. `I don't know much about these things but, should you have any problems, give my PA a ring. Gillian Owen will be pleased to help and will know where to contact me.' `I can't think there'll be any problem, but you never know,' Elexa answered. `Have a good trip,' she wished him. `Goodnight.'

    `Goodnight,' he said quietly.

    Elexa realised that there was nothing more to say. She looked up at him, his unsmiling expression illuminated in the overhead globe of the porch. Silently he stared down at her and for no reason her heart started to thunder.

    She turned abruptly away and was vaguely aware of him making his way back to his car. Hurriedly she went indoors.

    She climbed the stairs in something of a daze, the feel of his engagement ring on her finger proof-if proof she needed-that she had actually promised to marry Noah. But he had just gone. She had just said goodbye to him and, for all she knew, the next time she might see him would be when they stood before the minister who would make them man and wife.

    She didn't know whatwas the matter with her , but suddenly she was feeling jumpy and illogical, which wasn't at all like her. For crying out loud, Noah Peverelle wanted no emotional entanglements, and neither did she-so why, suddenly, was she feeling so emotionally all over the