move to open it.
Emily knew he was waiting for more, and she fought the temptation to ask him to stay. Jonathon had left her feeling shaken, and she longed for reassurance. But she also knew that it would be dangerous to ask him to stay; she was feeling far too vulnerable. God knows what she'd say or do. She looked away, waiting for him to leave.
“We still on for dinner tonight?” he asked quietly at last. He knew he wasn’t going to get anything more out of her on the subject of her guest.
"Of course," she said lightly but without looking at him.
"See you at six then," he said, matching his tone to hers.
"Goodbye," she said, wondering what they would say to each other all evening.
Rain stepped out into the downpour and closed the door behind him. He put the unneeded fuse in his pocket – it had only been an excuse to get into the house and see the owner of the black Jaguar. It had to be her boyfriend. Not only had Emily protested too strongly when asked directly, the atmosphere was too emotionally charged for any other kind of relationship. And the way the guy had glared at him when he came in the kitchen! If looks could kill, he’d be dead by now.
He told himself it wasn’t just jealousy that made him take an instant dislike to Emily’s guest. There was something disturbing about him. Odd that someone like Emily who was so intent on protecting herself could end up with someone like that. He promised himself to see what he could find out about the visitor the very next day. Little did he know that by the next day, it would already be too late.
* * *
Emily tried to recapture the contented feeling she’d had before Jonathon’s arrival but found it impossible. She thought of calling the lawyer and telling him that Jonathon had indeed threatened to sue but eventually decided against it. She suspected that once back in Toronto, she could smooth things over. Yes, he had been threatening, but then Jonathon didn’t like to be thwarted. She knew that; she had just never been the one to come between him and what he wanted before. But he also knew she was valuable to him, and he wouldn’t burn his bridges quite yet. She hoped.
The thought of seeing Jonathon again left her feeling even more depressed, and she decided she had to get out of the house for awhile. She would go for brunch, maybe take in a movie matinee at the village’s small single-screen cinema. But first she’d buy a new outfit for dinner that night. She put her long coat on over her jeans and sweatshirt and plunged into the deluge.
She was forced to drive extra slowly. The windshield wipers barely kept up with the driving rain, and overflowing ditches on either side threatened to flood the road. The visibility was near zero. She found herself hoping that dinner wouldn’t be cancelled on account of the weather.
She parked her car outside Lady MacGregor's , one of the two clothing stores in the village. It was an odd store for a small town, specializing in expensive British imports. Emily went through the rack of dresses and tried on a short, sleeveless black dress in pure cashmere. It was simple in design but did all the right things to show off her figure to its full advantage. She bought black stockings, drew the line at a sheer black silk camisole on the grounds that it wasn’t that kind of date, then bought it anyway on the grounds that it felt heavenly under the dress.
"Aren't you…?" the clerk began when Emily took the dress to the cash. Emily held her breath and prayed the woman wouldn’t recognize her. She did look vaguely familiar to Emily – perhaps someone she’d gone to school with? The last thing she wanted was to make conversation. She imagined the questions: "What have you been doing?" "Are you married?" "Do you have a boyfriend?" "Where are you staying?" "What, with Ray Storm?!"
The clerk stared at her intently for a few moments longer and at last shook her head. "For a minute I thought you were someone I knew in high
Emily knew he was waiting for more, and she fought the temptation to ask him to stay. Jonathon had left her feeling shaken, and she longed for reassurance. But she also knew that it would be dangerous to ask him to stay; she was feeling far too vulnerable. God knows what she'd say or do. She looked away, waiting for him to leave.
“We still on for dinner tonight?” he asked quietly at last. He knew he wasn’t going to get anything more out of her on the subject of her guest.
"Of course," she said lightly but without looking at him.
"See you at six then," he said, matching his tone to hers.
"Goodbye," she said, wondering what they would say to each other all evening.
Rain stepped out into the downpour and closed the door behind him. He put the unneeded fuse in his pocket – it had only been an excuse to get into the house and see the owner of the black Jaguar. It had to be her boyfriend. Not only had Emily protested too strongly when asked directly, the atmosphere was too emotionally charged for any other kind of relationship. And the way the guy had glared at him when he came in the kitchen! If looks could kill, he’d be dead by now.
He told himself it wasn’t just jealousy that made him take an instant dislike to Emily’s guest. There was something disturbing about him. Odd that someone like Emily who was so intent on protecting herself could end up with someone like that. He promised himself to see what he could find out about the visitor the very next day. Little did he know that by the next day, it would already be too late.
* * *
Emily tried to recapture the contented feeling she’d had before Jonathon’s arrival but found it impossible. She thought of calling the lawyer and telling him that Jonathon had indeed threatened to sue but eventually decided against it. She suspected that once back in Toronto, she could smooth things over. Yes, he had been threatening, but then Jonathon didn’t like to be thwarted. She knew that; she had just never been the one to come between him and what he wanted before. But he also knew she was valuable to him, and he wouldn’t burn his bridges quite yet. She hoped.
The thought of seeing Jonathon again left her feeling even more depressed, and she decided she had to get out of the house for awhile. She would go for brunch, maybe take in a movie matinee at the village’s small single-screen cinema. But first she’d buy a new outfit for dinner that night. She put her long coat on over her jeans and sweatshirt and plunged into the deluge.
She was forced to drive extra slowly. The windshield wipers barely kept up with the driving rain, and overflowing ditches on either side threatened to flood the road. The visibility was near zero. She found herself hoping that dinner wouldn’t be cancelled on account of the weather.
She parked her car outside Lady MacGregor's , one of the two clothing stores in the village. It was an odd store for a small town, specializing in expensive British imports. Emily went through the rack of dresses and tried on a short, sleeveless black dress in pure cashmere. It was simple in design but did all the right things to show off her figure to its full advantage. She bought black stockings, drew the line at a sheer black silk camisole on the grounds that it wasn’t that kind of date, then bought it anyway on the grounds that it felt heavenly under the dress.
"Aren't you…?" the clerk began when Emily took the dress to the cash. Emily held her breath and prayed the woman wouldn’t recognize her. She did look vaguely familiar to Emily – perhaps someone she’d gone to school with? The last thing she wanted was to make conversation. She imagined the questions: "What have you been doing?" "Are you married?" "Do you have a boyfriend?" "Where are you staying?" "What, with Ray Storm?!"
The clerk stared at her intently for a few moments longer and at last shook her head. "For a minute I thought you were someone I knew in high
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