Her Own Rules/Dangerous to Know by Barbara Taylor Bradford

sofa was as comfortable as the bed.
    Patsy will soon be here, she thought, hurrying into the bedroom, slipping out of her dressing gown, then heading for the shower. She was filled with relief that she had packed the night before.
    An hour later she was standing in the lobby of Claridge’s waiting for her partner, who was going to drive them to the north of England.

C HAPTER E IGHT
    I t was a dull morning, gray and overcast, when Patsy and Meredith drove away from Claridge’s hotel. Leaden skies threatened rain, and by the time Patsy was pulling onto the motorway, pointing the Aston-Martin in the direction of the north, it was already pouring.
    Meredith leaned back against the car seat, only half listening to the radio, her mind preoccupied with business. At one moment she closed her eyes, and then, almost against her own volition, she began to doze, lulled by the warmth in the car and the music on the radio.
    â€œGo to sleep if you feel like it,” Patsy said, glancing at her quickly before focusing on the road ahead again. “I don’t mind, and we don’t have to talk if you’re tired.”
    â€œI’m fine,” Meredith replied, opening her eyes and sitting up straighter. “Even though I spent the night on the sofa I did in fact have a good rest.”
    â€œWhy did you sleep on the sofa?”
    â€œI was still wide awake at one in the morning, too much on my mind, I guess. So I decided to get up, then I must have dozed off a bit later on.”
    â€œI hope you weren’t up in the middle of the night fretting about Reed Jamison.” Patsy frowned, throwing her a concerned look.
    â€œNo, of course not.”
    â€œGood, because he’s certainly not worth worrying about.”
    â€œI agree, and I’m relieved I told him how I felt, Patsy.” Meredith laughed dryly. “It’s probably the only time I’ve had his full attention.”
    â€œWhat do you mean?”
    â€œI always thought Reed wasn’t really listening to anything I had to say. It seemed to me that he was very busy formulating his reply, preoccupied with what he was going to say rather than with the meaning of my words.”
    â€œA lot of people suffer from that particular ailment,” Patsy muttered. “It’s a kind of self-involvement, I suppose. Then again, nobody seems to really listen anymore. Except you. You’re the best listener I’ve ever known.”
    â€œI learned that from Amelia. She taught me how important it is to listen, and she was always saying that you didn’t learn anything if you were the one doing all the talking. How right she was, but she was generally right about most things, and she taught me such a lot.” There was a small pause, and then Meredith added, “She was quite the most remarkable person I’ve ever known.”
    â€œI’m sorry I never knew her,” Patsy said. “And it’s funny you should mention her this morning, because I was thinking about her only last night, thinking what an influence she’s been on both our lives, although indirectly on mine, of course. Just think, if John Raphaelson hadn’t been her lawyer and then yours, you would never have met his brother, who was one of my father’s best friends, and therefore we would never have met, would we?”
    Meredith smiled. “That’s true, and I wish you’d known Amelia. She was so special.” Meredith let out a little sigh. “You know, if she’d lived, she’d be only sixty-two this year. Not that old at all.”
    â€œAnd Jack? How old would he have been?”
    â€œHe was four years younger than Amelia, so he would have been fifty-eight . . . at the end of this month, actually.”
    â€œHow sad for you that they died so young.”
    â€œYes . . . Amelia struggled to keep going after Jack’s death, but the light had gone out for her. She just gave up in the end, and I’ve