thought you were separated.'
'We are,' she assured him. 'I haven't set eyes on him since the day he walked out. I have no idea why he's here now. But if he saw you here it would really complicate things.'
'You've got the moral high ground and you want to keep it that way?'
'Something like that,' she admitted.
He glanced impatiently at his watch. 'I appreciate your position but I really have to go.'
She thought for a moment. 'Okay, just let me get dressed.'
With a sigh of resignation, Ryan nodded and walked to the window.
Dana grabbed trousers and a shirt and fled to the bathroom. She'd sneak him down to her office, she decided, and then very loudly escort him to the door as if they had been in there all along. Of course, the fact that he was wearing a casual jacket over chinos and didn't have a briefcase was a problem. Still, she could give him a couple of files to carry, and that would have to do. Anyway, what business was it of
Gus's who he was or why he was here? After over a month of silence he didn't deserve any explanations.
She dressed quickly, closing all the buttons of her white shirt. She left it loose over the trousers and quickly dabbed some concealer under her eyes and applied gloss to her lips.
'Very proper,' Ryan teased as she hurried out and slipped her feet into a pair of white pumps.
'Okay, here's the plan. I'll take you down to my office and then I'll walk you to the door—'
'At which stage you'd like me to talk loudly and call you Ms De Lacey.'
'Exactly!' Her smile faltered. 'You know who I am.'
'It clicked when you brought me back to this place,' he admitted.
She frowned; still, what difference did it make now? 'Wait here,' she said and crept out on to the landing. All was quiet so she hurried back to Ryan. 'Okay, let's go but, please, be as quiet as you can.'
Dana led the way down the stairs, checked the kitchen door was still closed then quickly led Ryan the opposite way towards her office. At the door she turned and smiled at him. 'Let me just get you a file to carry. Sorry,' she added, seeing the flash of irritation cross his face. 'I'm really sorry about this, and very embarrassed.'
He sighed. 'Forget it, just get me the damn file and let's get this over with.'
As Dana turned away from him there was the sound of a flush from across the hall and the door of the loo opened. 'Gus!'
Her husband stood there, his eyes going from her to the man at her side. 'Hello, Dana. Sorry, I seem to have got you at a bad time.'
'No! No, it's okay. We just finished our meeting, isn't that right?' She flashed a desperate smile at Ryan.
He nodded lazily, his arms hanging loosely at his sides. 'That's right.'
'Why don't you go and have a cup of tea, Gus, while I show Ry— Mr Ryan out?'
Dana held her breath as Gus looked from Ryan back to her. 'No, I'll go.'
'But why did you come?' she blurted out, as he turned to leave.
He looked back at her, and shook his head slightly. 'I really don't know.'
'Fuck, fuck, fuck,' Dana muttered, tears coursing down her cheeks as she stood alone in the doorway. Gus had left abruptly with a screech of brakes and Ryan had made his escape shortly after, mumbling something about picking up a taxi on the main road. Dana hardly even heard him. She felt sick to her stomach and it had nothing to do with alcohol. Gus had come back and she had blown it.
Closing the door she went in search of Iris.
Dana found the housekeeper setting the table with the best cutlery and crockery.
'Breakfast is almost ready and the kettle is on/ she said with a smile.
'I'm sorry you've gone to so much trouble, Iris, but I'm afraid he's gone.'
'Gone?' Iris looked at her, confused.
Dana nodded. 'Did he say anything, Iris? How did he seem to you?'
'Well, I couldn't really say—'
'Please, think — it's important,' Dana begged.
'Well, I told him you were in a meeting, like you asked me to. I asked him would he like some breakfast while he waited. He said yes, that he hadn't had a decent
'We are,' she assured him. 'I haven't set eyes on him since the day he walked out. I have no idea why he's here now. But if he saw you here it would really complicate things.'
'You've got the moral high ground and you want to keep it that way?'
'Something like that,' she admitted.
He glanced impatiently at his watch. 'I appreciate your position but I really have to go.'
She thought for a moment. 'Okay, just let me get dressed.'
With a sigh of resignation, Ryan nodded and walked to the window.
Dana grabbed trousers and a shirt and fled to the bathroom. She'd sneak him down to her office, she decided, and then very loudly escort him to the door as if they had been in there all along. Of course, the fact that he was wearing a casual jacket over chinos and didn't have a briefcase was a problem. Still, she could give him a couple of files to carry, and that would have to do. Anyway, what business was it of
Gus's who he was or why he was here? After over a month of silence he didn't deserve any explanations.
She dressed quickly, closing all the buttons of her white shirt. She left it loose over the trousers and quickly dabbed some concealer under her eyes and applied gloss to her lips.
'Very proper,' Ryan teased as she hurried out and slipped her feet into a pair of white pumps.
'Okay, here's the plan. I'll take you down to my office and then I'll walk you to the door—'
'At which stage you'd like me to talk loudly and call you Ms De Lacey.'
'Exactly!' Her smile faltered. 'You know who I am.'
'It clicked when you brought me back to this place,' he admitted.
She frowned; still, what difference did it make now? 'Wait here,' she said and crept out on to the landing. All was quiet so she hurried back to Ryan. 'Okay, let's go but, please, be as quiet as you can.'
Dana led the way down the stairs, checked the kitchen door was still closed then quickly led Ryan the opposite way towards her office. At the door she turned and smiled at him. 'Let me just get you a file to carry. Sorry,' she added, seeing the flash of irritation cross his face. 'I'm really sorry about this, and very embarrassed.'
He sighed. 'Forget it, just get me the damn file and let's get this over with.'
As Dana turned away from him there was the sound of a flush from across the hall and the door of the loo opened. 'Gus!'
Her husband stood there, his eyes going from her to the man at her side. 'Hello, Dana. Sorry, I seem to have got you at a bad time.'
'No! No, it's okay. We just finished our meeting, isn't that right?' She flashed a desperate smile at Ryan.
He nodded lazily, his arms hanging loosely at his sides. 'That's right.'
'Why don't you go and have a cup of tea, Gus, while I show Ry— Mr Ryan out?'
Dana held her breath as Gus looked from Ryan back to her. 'No, I'll go.'
'But why did you come?' she blurted out, as he turned to leave.
He looked back at her, and shook his head slightly. 'I really don't know.'
'Fuck, fuck, fuck,' Dana muttered, tears coursing down her cheeks as she stood alone in the doorway. Gus had left abruptly with a screech of brakes and Ryan had made his escape shortly after, mumbling something about picking up a taxi on the main road. Dana hardly even heard him. She felt sick to her stomach and it had nothing to do with alcohol. Gus had come back and she had blown it.
Closing the door she went in search of Iris.
Dana found the housekeeper setting the table with the best cutlery and crockery.
'Breakfast is almost ready and the kettle is on/ she said with a smile.
'I'm sorry you've gone to so much trouble, Iris, but I'm afraid he's gone.'
'Gone?' Iris looked at her, confused.
Dana nodded. 'Did he say anything, Iris? How did he seem to you?'
'Well, I couldn't really say—'
'Please, think — it's important,' Dana begged.
'Well, I told him you were in a meeting, like you asked me to. I asked him would he like some breakfast while he waited. He said yes, that he hadn't had a decent
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