'Yes?' she barked irritably. Really, after the hectic day she had had, all she wanted to do was put her feet up and eat a leisurely meal.
'Beth?'
All thoughts of relaxing this evening left her at the sound of Marcus's voice so soon after she had been made to think of him yet again!
How had he got her telephone number? What could he want?
'Yes?' Her voice sounded stilted now in her surprise.
'Have I caught you at a bad moment?' The amusement could be heard in his voice.
Any moment would be a bad moment; she was never quite prepared for him. 'I've just got in from work,' she admitted impatiently.
'Alone?'
'Yes—alone,' she snapped irritably. 'I work alone, I live alone——-'
'Sounds as if you could do with some company, in that case,' he drawled, as usual unaffected by her curt manner. 'Would you like to go out to dinner?'
'Tonight?' she frowned; all she wanted to do tonight was soak in a hot bath for an hour or so and then curl up in bed with a book that didn't take too much concentration.
'Perhaps not,' Marcus derided, easily picking up on her mood. 'How about tomorrow?'
'Tomorrow is my late night at the shop,' she refused, gently easing her shoes off, at once feeling a little less irritable. In just those few days away she had got out of the habit of being on her feet all day; strolling along at her leisure hardly constituted the same thing, especially when there had been numerous outside cafes she could relax in when she felt like a rest!
'Saturday, then?'he persisted.
She had just made alternative arrangements for Saturday, and she had no intention of breaking them, despite the curiosity she felt about whether or not Marcus would seem as attractive now they were back in London, or whether it really had just been a 'holiday romance'.
'I'm going to a party,' she had to refuse.
'I could go with you,' he instantly offered— as she should have realised he might.
'Er—no, I don't think so,' she grimaced. She was dreading the party enough already, without that.
'I see,' Marcus drawled knowingly, obviously completely misunderstanding the situation. 'Perhaps it would be better if I telephoned you on Sunday some time and we could go through the list of your engagements for next week?'
He was annoyed by her evasiveness, she could tell that. But perhaps Sunday would be a better day for them to talk; the unpleasant task ahead of her should be over by then, and maybe she could start to think of herself and the attraction she felt towards Marcus.
'As far as I'm aware, I don't have any engagements for next week,' she replied coolly. ‘So a telephone call on Sunday sounds perfect.'
'But not too early, hmm?' he taunted.
'Sunday /s the traditional day for lying in.' She deliberately didn't rise to the bait of his mockery.
'I'm not going to state the obvious,' he rasped. 'I'll speak to you again on Sunday.' He rang off with his usual curtness.
Beth put the receiver down more slowly this time, still a little stunned that Marcus had attained her telephone number and called her at all. He had meant it about seeing her again soon!
She wanted to see him again; she admitted it, to herself at least.
But she certainly wasn't prepared to see him only seconds after she had entered Barbara and Alec Trent's home on Saturday evening!
CHAPTER SEVEN
As promised, Beth's mother picked her up at nine o'clock on Saturday evening, approving the black cocktail dress Beth had chosen to wear with her hair falling loosely to her shoulders as usual, her make-up attractive, although she had applied more rouge than usual, her cheeks very pale as she dreaded the ordeal ahead of her. Martin could be one of the most unpleasant people she had ever known when thwarted.
'You look wonderful, darling,' her mother assured at her nervousness as they went down to the car, looking very attractive herself in a red sheath of a dress that complemented the tan she had acquired on her travels.
'Ready to take on anything?' Beth derided
'Beth?'
All thoughts of relaxing this evening left her at the sound of Marcus's voice so soon after she had been made to think of him yet again!
How had he got her telephone number? What could he want?
'Yes?' Her voice sounded stilted now in her surprise.
'Have I caught you at a bad moment?' The amusement could be heard in his voice.
Any moment would be a bad moment; she was never quite prepared for him. 'I've just got in from work,' she admitted impatiently.
'Alone?'
'Yes—alone,' she snapped irritably. 'I work alone, I live alone——-'
'Sounds as if you could do with some company, in that case,' he drawled, as usual unaffected by her curt manner. 'Would you like to go out to dinner?'
'Tonight?' she frowned; all she wanted to do tonight was soak in a hot bath for an hour or so and then curl up in bed with a book that didn't take too much concentration.
'Perhaps not,' Marcus derided, easily picking up on her mood. 'How about tomorrow?'
'Tomorrow is my late night at the shop,' she refused, gently easing her shoes off, at once feeling a little less irritable. In just those few days away she had got out of the habit of being on her feet all day; strolling along at her leisure hardly constituted the same thing, especially when there had been numerous outside cafes she could relax in when she felt like a rest!
'Saturday, then?'he persisted.
She had just made alternative arrangements for Saturday, and she had no intention of breaking them, despite the curiosity she felt about whether or not Marcus would seem as attractive now they were back in London, or whether it really had just been a 'holiday romance'.
'I'm going to a party,' she had to refuse.
'I could go with you,' he instantly offered— as she should have realised he might.
'Er—no, I don't think so,' she grimaced. She was dreading the party enough already, without that.
'I see,' Marcus drawled knowingly, obviously completely misunderstanding the situation. 'Perhaps it would be better if I telephoned you on Sunday some time and we could go through the list of your engagements for next week?'
He was annoyed by her evasiveness, she could tell that. But perhaps Sunday would be a better day for them to talk; the unpleasant task ahead of her should be over by then, and maybe she could start to think of herself and the attraction she felt towards Marcus.
'As far as I'm aware, I don't have any engagements for next week,' she replied coolly. ‘So a telephone call on Sunday sounds perfect.'
'But not too early, hmm?' he taunted.
'Sunday /s the traditional day for lying in.' She deliberately didn't rise to the bait of his mockery.
'I'm not going to state the obvious,' he rasped. 'I'll speak to you again on Sunday.' He rang off with his usual curtness.
Beth put the receiver down more slowly this time, still a little stunned that Marcus had attained her telephone number and called her at all. He had meant it about seeing her again soon!
She wanted to see him again; she admitted it, to herself at least.
But she certainly wasn't prepared to see him only seconds after she had entered Barbara and Alec Trent's home on Saturday evening!
CHAPTER SEVEN
As promised, Beth's mother picked her up at nine o'clock on Saturday evening, approving the black cocktail dress Beth had chosen to wear with her hair falling loosely to her shoulders as usual, her make-up attractive, although she had applied more rouge than usual, her cheeks very pale as she dreaded the ordeal ahead of her. Martin could be one of the most unpleasant people she had ever known when thwarted.
'You look wonderful, darling,' her mother assured at her nervousness as they went down to the car, looking very attractive herself in a red sheath of a dress that complemented the tan she had acquired on her travels.
'Ready to take on anything?' Beth derided
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