Free Her Own Rules/Dangerous to Know by Barbara Taylor Bradford Page A

importance, Reed. I feel the weight of your expectations, and I just can’t handle that. I began to realize in November that you believe you come first in my life. I’m afraid you don’t. The reason I wanted to see you tonight was to explain this, to tell you about my feelings and to bring our relationship to an end.”
    Reed Jamison was speechless. In all of his forty-one years he had never been discarded by a woman. He had always been the one to end affairs or start them, controlling, manipulating, pulling the puppet’s strings and getting his own way.
    He continued to stare at Meredith. She was the only woman who had ever bested him, and a terrible rage began to fulminate in him. He leapt to his feet, glaring at her. “I’m glad I found out what kind of woman you really are! Before I made the terrible mistake of marrying you!” he shouted.
    Without another word Reed strode across the room, picked up his coat, and left, banging the door behind him with such ferocity the chandelier rattled and swayed on its chain.
    Meredith ran to the door and locked it; she leaned against it for a few seconds. She was shaking. Calming herself, she walked over to the desk, sat down, and dialed Patsy’s number. It rang and rang. She was just about to hang up, when she heard Patsy saying, “Hello?”
    â€œPatsy, it’s me. Reed was here, and I told him it was over between us. He’s gone . . . he marched out in a fury.”
    â€œWell, that’s a relief. That you told him, I mean. And naturally he left in a high dudgeon. He’s not used to getting dumped unceremoniously. That’s part of his problem, you know. He’s always been spoilt by women, and he thinks he’s God’s gift to everything that walks in skirts.”
    â€œYes, I know what you mean. He’s also a male chauvinist pig, to use a very outdated phrase. However, it is appropriate. That’s something I guess I detected when he was last in New York. He doesn’t take my business seriously, or my life. He’s self-involved, and he just can’t imagine why I’m not rushing over here to set up house with him. He said he wanted me to marry him.”
    â€œHe proposed! Good God! Well, I must say, you must’ve really gotten to him, Meredith my girl. Ever since his divorce from Tina Longdon, he’s been a hit-and-run man.”
    â€œI’m not sure what that means.”
    â€œYou know, the kind of chap who has an attitude . . . love me on my terms, darling. Thanks for everything. Farewell. Hit-and-run chaps, that’s what we call them over here. I know several women who have suffered at Reed’s hands.”
    â€œWhy didn’t you tell me?”
    â€œI did, Meredith, at least I tried to warn you as best I could. I did say he was a difficult man.”
    â€œActually, you said he was a brooding Byronic hero, or words to that effect, and I never did really understand what you meant by that.”
    â€œOh that’s only the role he’s adopted for years. In essence, it’s a pose. But I suppose it has been rather effective, got him a long way with women. Not that he needs a pose, actually His looks aside, he’s charming most of the time, despite that smoldering manner of his.”
    â€œAll too true. But do you think women fall for that . . . for that brooding stance?”
    â€œOh yes, I think so. Let’s face it, many do. The smoldering eyes, the soulful expression, the moody demeanor, can be appealing. There are a lot of women who go for the suffering, anguished Heathcliffs of this world. They want to change them, make them happy.” Patsy paused, then said, “Wasn’t that one of the things about him that attracted you?”
    â€œNo,” Meredith answered quickly. “To tell you the truth, it was only this past November, in New York, that he turned morose and moody. It irritated me more than anything