Free Sweet Surrender by Catherine George Page A

time at Cambridge perfectly well without you—even achieved a reasonable degree,’ she added with sarcasm.
    ‘I know your work wasn’t affected,’ he agreed. ‘And your degree was brilliant, not just reasonable. Which is why I can never understand—’
    ‘If you mention one word about my job again, Alasdair, I shall get out and walk home. Now.’
    ‘All right, all right!’ He took her hand. ‘But Adam started much racking of brains on my part. I kept trying to figure out how I could have unknowingly done something to hurt you, Kate. So when he invited me to the christening I just had to see you first, to find out if I’d been responsible for—’
    ‘Oh, I see! You came to Foychurch to seek absolution for a sin you weren’t even sure you’d committed.’ She removed her hand to pat his. ‘Don’t worry, Alasdair. You didn’t ruin my life. In fact I like it very much just the way it is.’
    ‘If you say so,’ he said, with such obvious doubt Kate was amused.
    ‘Not all of us are cut out for high-flying careers like yours, Alasdair Drummond. Jack Spencer, for instance,is obviously perfectly comfortable with his job in the building trade. He doesn’t have to be part of a global empire to feel he’s doing something worthwhile. Nor,’ she added significantly, ‘do I.’
    ‘So Adam’s imagining things where you’re concerned.’ commented Alasdair, pointedly ignoring the reference to Jack Spencer.
    ‘Yes. But not so much these days, thank heavens, since he’s been married to Gabriel. Now, can we change the subject, please?’
    ‘Whatever you say.’ He put out a hand to touch hers. ‘Kate, it’s been good just to be with you again tonight, but I want more of your time than this. How about taking the train to Pennington on Saturday to have lunch with me? Please,’ he added deliberately.
    Kate thought about it, quite gratified by Alasdair in the role of supplicant. And, because she had nothing planned for Saturday, decided there was no harm in seeing him again before she went back to her quiet life in Foychurch. ‘All right,’ she said at last. ‘But no train. I’ll drive.’
    ‘And what if it snows?’ he demanded.
    ‘I can sleep on the couch in Dad’s office. Or,’ she added, giving him a cheeky little grin, ‘you can take me home to Gloucester and put me up in your spare room.’
    Alasdair gave a crack of laughter. ‘You trust me enough for that?’
    ‘Of course. Otherwise,’ she added, ‘the deal’s off.’
    ‘In other words I’m to keep my hands to myself.’ He sighed theatrically. ‘A tall order, Kate.’
    ‘Oh, for heaven’s sake,’ she said irritably. ‘If you’re referring to what happened between us just now, that was just a kiss between old friends—’ The rest of her sentence was smothered by a kiss which had so little todo with friendship it silenced them both very effectively. It was a long time before Alasdair released her. And when he did it was with a reluctance which did more for Kate’s ego than she cared to let him see.
    ‘I suppose now,’ he said huskily, ‘you’re going to change your mind about seeing me again.’
    If she were sensible, yes. But knowing that Alasdair wanted her added an element of risk Kate was far too human not to enjoy. She pretended to think it over, then shrugged carelessly. ‘I haven’t anything planned for Saturday, so I might as well come. But I’ll have to get back early.’
     
    Saturday dawned fine, with no sign of snow. Well aware that she had the blessing of the entire Dysart family behind her, Kate drove off to Pennington during the morning, knowing that even if the worst happened, and she were obliged to stay the night in Alasdair’s house, none of them would worry in the slightest—Adam least of all. Kate grinned to herself as she sped along the A48. Little did they know that Alasdair was as prone to basic urges as the next man where she was concerned. It had done her morale no end of good to know that only the