Free Unknown by Unknown

he agreed smoothly, amused rather than offended by her bluntness. 'But when I do care for someone it lasts, Gillian. Flash-in-the-pan affairs have never been my style.'
    'You strike me as a very cold-blooded man,' she said bluntly, with dislike.
    'But you don't know me very well, do you?' He was carelessly indifferent to her opinion. They had reached Greenvale, gracious and attractive in the morning sunshine. He drove the car through the wide gates with a wave of his hand for the lodgekeeper.
    'And I don't particularly want to know you any better!' Gillian flashed, goaded by the lazy drawl into outright rudeness.
    'Is that temper or truth, I wonder?' He brought the car to a halt in the car park and switched off the engine. He turned to her, smiling. 'Shall I put that claim to the test?'
    'Try me!' she invited hotly, annoyed that he obviously doubted her dislike, her indifference. Did he think he had only to turn on the charm, to smile in a certain way, for her to change her mind about him? He was wrong!
    He was silent, studying her.
    Her chin tilted. She didn't like the cool confidence, the faint gleam of mockery in the grey eyes that commanded her own gaze so imperiously. He was much too sure of himself.
    She didn't like his closeness in the confines of the car. She was much too conscious of his maleness, his sexual challenge to her senses. Her heart began to thud. But she looked back at him steadily, defiant, prickly with pride.
    For a moment, the atmosphere was electric.
    Then he shook his head.
    'I don't like militant women,' he declared coolly, reaching to the back seat for her bag and handing it to her.
    Keyed up to the point of being ready to slap him again if he made any attempt to kiss her, suspecting it was in his mind, Gillian was abruptly deflated by his dismissive tone and manner.
    'Naturally you'd prefer the downtrodden door-mat type who gazes adoringly at you and says yes to everything and wouldn't dream of criticising you,' she said scornfully, getting out of the car.
    She didn't wait for him. She set off towards the big house, head high. With a few of his long strides, he caught up with her.
    'Any man would prefer a gentle, sweet-natured girl who wouldn't dream of walking away without so much as a thank you for a lift,' he agreed dryly.
    The colour swept into Gillian's face. She looked up at him quickly, defensively. 'Yes, that was rude of me,' she admitted readily, unable to be anything but honest. 'I'm sorry. Thank you for the lift.'
    ' "I'm very grateful ",' he prompted.
    She shot him a baleful glance. 'I'm very grateful,' she echoed stiffly. 'But it wasn't necessary, you know. I could have taken a taxi or caught a bus.'
    He sighed, irritated. 'I didn't have to call for you, Gillian. No one twisted my arm. Believe it or not, I was concerned about you. I wanted to check for myself that you were fit enough for work.'
    'Perhaps you hoped to catch me in the throes of morning sickness,' she said dryly, unfairly. 'You just aren't convinced that I'm not pregnant, are you?'
    He stopped and looked down at her, suddenly angry. 'I don't give a damn if you're about to go into labour. What an aggressive, unpleasant girl you are! Heaven knows what Steve finds to like in you! I should think everyone at Kit's must have breathed a sigh of relief when you left!'
    Gillian felt as though he had struck her, so forceful were the words and the contempt behind them. Suddenly, foolishly, she wanted to cry. But being proud, she glowered at him instead.
    A fair, stocky young man had driven through the gates of Greenvale behind the Mercedes and left his own car in the visitors' parking area. He had walked behind them as they approached the building in obvious argument and now he glanced curiously at the couple as he drew level, knowing the surgeon well and wondering about his fair companion who seemed vaguely familiar.
    He looked more closely, paused.
    'Gillian?' he exclaimed doubtfully, quite sure of her identity, but not at all sure