stated.
`Fine,' she said, `I agree.'
`So, for a start, you'd better dump Charlie.'
`Dump Charlie?' she exclaimed incredulously. `Charlie's my friend!' she protested.
`Dump him!' Jonah instructed, his manner totally unyielding.
`Why?'
Jonah did not look as if he would answer, but after some cold seconds replied, `All this is about money paid into your father's bank account with no conditions on my part. You have created conditions in order to save your father more embarrassment. And I understand that. But, since you have claimed me to your family as your boyfriend and-not to be too impolite-your overnight lover-' as if he cared about being impolite, she fumed `-what you must understand is that I can't have you running around town staying overnight with some other man.' And, having succinctly explained that, he ended heavily, `So, dump him.'
She could have told him that Charlie was not her friend in the boyfriend sense-but, hang it all, a girl had to have some pride. `Do I go around telling you to dump your women-friends?' she protested instead.
`You're in no position to tell me to do anything,' Jonah replied bluntly, and, as the truth of that hit home, the fire went out of her. That was until, his tone more giving, he added, `But, since I must be fair over this, I have to tell you I don't have any women-friends.'
'Much!' Lydie erupted. `That was a mirage I saw you with at the theatre the other Saturday, was it?"
'I don't usually go around explaining myself, but with our total honesty clause established I don't mind telling you that my theatre date with Freya was one made before you claimed me.'
Lydie gave him a hostile look, but, as she recalled the stunning blonde, she found her curiosity needed to be satisfied. `You won't be seeing her again?' she asked, then realised that sounded much too personal and as if she was interested, and added hurriedly, `Not that it's any of my business.'
`True,' Jonah agreed, `it isn't.' But went on to confide, 'I'm a bit jaded with the hunt, if you'd like more truth.'
Her eyes widened. `You've given up women?'
His lip twitched. `That wasn't what I said,' he corrected her. Then proceeded to send her rigid with shock, by continuing, `From what you've said, it doesn't sound as if your parents will be too upset should you spend next weekend with me.' First Lydie went scarlet, and then pale. Then realised that he could not possibly be suggesting what she thought he was suggesting. 'Er...' she mumbled, but found she was stumped to say more.
Jonah smiled-that insincere smile that she hated. 'I'm going to Yourk House, my home in Hertfordshire, next Friday evening. You can come with me,' he decided.
Lydie stared at him, a drumming in her ears. `W-what for?' she found the breath to ask.
That insincere smile became a twisted grin. `Use your imagination, Lydie,' he suggested charmingly.
This wasn't happening to her! It couldn't be happening to her! This sort of thing didn't happen to her! She strove valiantly to block her imagination. 'I'm not much of a cook,' she managed.
`You won't be spending much time in the kitchen,' Jonah assured her pleasantly. And when, dying a thousand deaths, she just stared at him, `Oh, by the way,' he said, getting up and going over to an antique desk where he collected up a piece of paper, `your copy of the agreement we made,' he informed her nicely, and, coming back, handed it to her.
Lydie took it from him and with a thundering heart read the part written in his hand-"The fifty-five thousand pounds to be repaid at the direction and discretion of Jonah Marriott'. She swallowed hard, and could remain seated no longer. `This is how I'm to repay you?' she charged, looking him straight in the eye. `By being your pl... ?' She faltered. `By becoming your plaything?'
`Plaything?' His innocent expression did not fool her for one minute. `For fifty- five thousand you'd be a pretty expensive plaything, wouldn't you agree?" 'What,
`Fine,' she said, `I agree.'
`So, for a start, you'd better dump Charlie.'
`Dump Charlie?' she exclaimed incredulously. `Charlie's my friend!' she protested.
`Dump him!' Jonah instructed, his manner totally unyielding.
`Why?'
Jonah did not look as if he would answer, but after some cold seconds replied, `All this is about money paid into your father's bank account with no conditions on my part. You have created conditions in order to save your father more embarrassment. And I understand that. But, since you have claimed me to your family as your boyfriend and-not to be too impolite-your overnight lover-' as if he cared about being impolite, she fumed `-what you must understand is that I can't have you running around town staying overnight with some other man.' And, having succinctly explained that, he ended heavily, `So, dump him.'
She could have told him that Charlie was not her friend in the boyfriend sense-but, hang it all, a girl had to have some pride. `Do I go around telling you to dump your women-friends?' she protested instead.
`You're in no position to tell me to do anything,' Jonah replied bluntly, and, as the truth of that hit home, the fire went out of her. That was until, his tone more giving, he added, `But, since I must be fair over this, I have to tell you I don't have any women-friends.'
'Much!' Lydie erupted. `That was a mirage I saw you with at the theatre the other Saturday, was it?"
'I don't usually go around explaining myself, but with our total honesty clause established I don't mind telling you that my theatre date with Freya was one made before you claimed me.'
Lydie gave him a hostile look, but, as she recalled the stunning blonde, she found her curiosity needed to be satisfied. `You won't be seeing her again?' she asked, then realised that sounded much too personal and as if she was interested, and added hurriedly, `Not that it's any of my business.'
`True,' Jonah agreed, `it isn't.' But went on to confide, 'I'm a bit jaded with the hunt, if you'd like more truth.'
Her eyes widened. `You've given up women?'
His lip twitched. `That wasn't what I said,' he corrected her. Then proceeded to send her rigid with shock, by continuing, `From what you've said, it doesn't sound as if your parents will be too upset should you spend next weekend with me.' First Lydie went scarlet, and then pale. Then realised that he could not possibly be suggesting what she thought he was suggesting. 'Er...' she mumbled, but found she was stumped to say more.
Jonah smiled-that insincere smile that she hated. 'I'm going to Yourk House, my home in Hertfordshire, next Friday evening. You can come with me,' he decided.
Lydie stared at him, a drumming in her ears. `W-what for?' she found the breath to ask.
That insincere smile became a twisted grin. `Use your imagination, Lydie,' he suggested charmingly.
This wasn't happening to her! It couldn't be happening to her! This sort of thing didn't happen to her! She strove valiantly to block her imagination. 'I'm not much of a cook,' she managed.
`You won't be spending much time in the kitchen,' Jonah assured her pleasantly. And when, dying a thousand deaths, she just stared at him, `Oh, by the way,' he said, getting up and going over to an antique desk where he collected up a piece of paper, `your copy of the agreement we made,' he informed her nicely, and, coming back, handed it to her.
Lydie took it from him and with a thundering heart read the part written in his hand-"The fifty-five thousand pounds to be repaid at the direction and discretion of Jonah Marriott'. She swallowed hard, and could remain seated no longer. `This is how I'm to repay you?' she charged, looking him straight in the eye. `By being your pl... ?' She faltered. `By becoming your plaything?'
`Plaything?' His innocent expression did not fool her for one minute. `For fifty- five thousand you'd be a pretty expensive plaything, wouldn't you agree?" 'What,
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