then?' she demanded.
`Let's say that, ponder on the problem though I have-and I have to confess I'm not too enamoured of the idea of you working night and day nannying to-um-clear accounts-I have been unable, as yet, to come up with anything.'
`You think my going away with you this weekend might give you some ideas?' As soon as the words were out she blushed.
`Oh, yes,' he answered, his mouth picking up at the corners, his eyes on her crimson face. `You could say that.'
He was teasing her, tormenting her-and he held all the high cards, and she didn't like it. But she had had his money, and her father was one very worried man.
`Why?' she challenged. `Why do I have to come with you?"
'Why not?' he answered. `As of now you no longer have a boyfriend-presumably your ex boyfriend knows none of your financial business...?"
'Of course not!' she butted in. `As if I'd tell anyone of the fix my father was in!'
`So what else would you do with your weekend?"
'Begin looking for a job for a start!'
`Don't do that. Not just yet. Let's get all this settled first. You'll feel much better about everything once we've had chance to fully probe into the whys, wherefores and all the possibilities of all this.'
`You're trying to tell me that to investigate possible areas, ways of my repaying you, is what this coming weekend is all about? And don't forget we have a "complete honesty" clause,' she reminded him.
`Would I lie to you, Lydie?' he asked smoothly. And she knew that was as far as she was going to get, particularly when he said, 'I'll finish work early on Friday, and call for you around six.'
`That won't be necessary, I have the address!' she exclaimed quickly, and saw him hide a smirk that, from what she had just said, she had agreed to spend the weekend with him.
'I'll drive you...' he began, but she was shaking her head.
`Sorry to be blunt, Jonah,' she butted in, while wondering why on earth she was apologising, `but I would much prefer that you kept far away from my home.'
She had thought he might be offended, but he was more understanding than offended when he quietly replied, `I saw for myself how drawn your father is, how he's suffering in all of this, Lydie, but I shall have to see him, talk to him some time.'
She felt awkward. She did not like Jonah's suggestion for the weekend any more now than she had ten minutes ago, but the great respect Jonah had for her father was there for her to see, and mentally anyway-she had to thank him for it.
`I know,' she agreed. `But not just yet. Not until we've got something worked out.'
He accepted that, or appeared to. `Until Friday,' he said. She moved to the door, their meeting over. He walked with her. She looked at him as he opened the door for her to go through. Wonderful blue eyes met hers full on, and her heart seemed to go into overdrive. Then he grinned, a grin full of devilment. `Try not to fret, Lydie,' he bade her. `Who knows? You might have a fun weekend.' `Did I tell you the one about flying pigs?' she snapped, and went quickly from him.
Her thoughts were intensely agitated on her drive home. She remembered thinking on the outward drive about how her father was hurting inside, and how she knew that, whatever it cost, she could not regret any of what she had done. That thought haunted her all the way back to Beamhurst Court-she'd had no idea then just how much it was going to cost. She was spending the weekend with Jonah at his home in Hertfordshire-he was not expecting her to cook.
Lydie was still in mental torment when she awakened on Monday morning. She swung first one way and then the other. Perhaps Jonah did not have in mind what she thought he had in mind. Wishful thinking? He had never made a pass at her, had he? And apart from shaking hands and giving her that kiss on the cheek in church on Saturday-and she rather thought she had asked for that, telling him he was her boyfriend he had never touched her. Certainly he
`Let's say that, ponder on the problem though I have-and I have to confess I'm not too enamoured of the idea of you working night and day nannying to-um-clear accounts-I have been unable, as yet, to come up with anything.'
`You think my going away with you this weekend might give you some ideas?' As soon as the words were out she blushed.
`Oh, yes,' he answered, his mouth picking up at the corners, his eyes on her crimson face. `You could say that.'
He was teasing her, tormenting her-and he held all the high cards, and she didn't like it. But she had had his money, and her father was one very worried man.
`Why?' she challenged. `Why do I have to come with you?"
'Why not?' he answered. `As of now you no longer have a boyfriend-presumably your ex boyfriend knows none of your financial business...?"
'Of course not!' she butted in. `As if I'd tell anyone of the fix my father was in!'
`So what else would you do with your weekend?"
'Begin looking for a job for a start!'
`Don't do that. Not just yet. Let's get all this settled first. You'll feel much better about everything once we've had chance to fully probe into the whys, wherefores and all the possibilities of all this.'
`You're trying to tell me that to investigate possible areas, ways of my repaying you, is what this coming weekend is all about? And don't forget we have a "complete honesty" clause,' she reminded him.
`Would I lie to you, Lydie?' he asked smoothly. And she knew that was as far as she was going to get, particularly when he said, 'I'll finish work early on Friday, and call for you around six.'
`That won't be necessary, I have the address!' she exclaimed quickly, and saw him hide a smirk that, from what she had just said, she had agreed to spend the weekend with him.
'I'll drive you...' he began, but she was shaking her head.
`Sorry to be blunt, Jonah,' she butted in, while wondering why on earth she was apologising, `but I would much prefer that you kept far away from my home.'
She had thought he might be offended, but he was more understanding than offended when he quietly replied, `I saw for myself how drawn your father is, how he's suffering in all of this, Lydie, but I shall have to see him, talk to him some time.'
She felt awkward. She did not like Jonah's suggestion for the weekend any more now than she had ten minutes ago, but the great respect Jonah had for her father was there for her to see, and mentally anyway-she had to thank him for it.
`I know,' she agreed. `But not just yet. Not until we've got something worked out.'
He accepted that, or appeared to. `Until Friday,' he said. She moved to the door, their meeting over. He walked with her. She looked at him as he opened the door for her to go through. Wonderful blue eyes met hers full on, and her heart seemed to go into overdrive. Then he grinned, a grin full of devilment. `Try not to fret, Lydie,' he bade her. `Who knows? You might have a fun weekend.' `Did I tell you the one about flying pigs?' she snapped, and went quickly from him.
Her thoughts were intensely agitated on her drive home. She remembered thinking on the outward drive about how her father was hurting inside, and how she knew that, whatever it cost, she could not regret any of what she had done. That thought haunted her all the way back to Beamhurst Court-she'd had no idea then just how much it was going to cost. She was spending the weekend with Jonah at his home in Hertfordshire-he was not expecting her to cook.
Lydie was still in mental torment when she awakened on Monday morning. She swung first one way and then the other. Perhaps Jonah did not have in mind what she thought he had in mind. Wishful thinking? He had never made a pass at her, had he? And apart from shaking hands and giving her that kiss on the cheek in church on Saturday-and she rather thought she had asked for that, telling him he was her boyfriend he had never touched her. Certainly he
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