good at all.’
‘Oh?’
‘In fact, she sounded dreadful.’
Marcus kept his face expressionless, and ignored the stab of concern that struck him squarely in the gut. Celia would be fine. A headache was nothing to someone like her. She had the constitution of an ox, a backbone of steel and ice running through her veins. ‘I’m sorry to hear that,’ he said evenly.
‘I saw her ten days ago, you know.’
‘Did you?’
‘She wasn’t looking well then.’
‘What’s the matter with her?’ he asked, purely for the sake of conversation and not out of any interest whatsoever.
‘I’m not sure. It sounds like she’s working hard.’
‘She does that.’
‘Too hard maybe.’
‘She does that too.’ Especially on Sundays.
‘Maybe you should go and check on her.’
He went still, his hand tightening around his glass. ‘Why would I want to go and check on her?’ he said, the need to do just that now suddenly—and perversely—thundering through him.
‘You’re itching to,’ said Lily, and he stamped it down because he wasn’t interested in how she was, and in any case he was pretty sure that the last thing she’d want was him pitching up on her doorstep, even if she hadn’t been unwell.
‘No, I’m not,’ he said coolly. ‘How hard Celia works is entirely up to her. I couldn’t care less how she is or what she’s up to.’
Lily looked at him shrewdly. ‘Funny, she said that about you too.’
‘Did she?’
‘Strikes me that there’s a lot of protesting going on here.’ She pretended to consider for a moment then said, ‘Maybe a bit too much.’
Just about resisting the temptation to grind his teeth, Marcus had had enough of beating around this particular bush. If it went on any longer she’d crush him to dust. ‘If you have a point, Lily,’ he said tightly, ‘would you mind getting to it?’
‘My point is that you get to each other.’
‘And?’
‘You should do something about it.’
He’d tried. He’d failed. He wouldn’t be going there again. Or even thinking about it. ‘She knows where I am.’
Lily let out a huff of exasperation. ‘Oh, for heaven’s sake, will you just go and see if she’s all right? As a favour to me? Please.’
At the genuine worry now filling Lily’s eyes, Marcus felt his resolve begin to waver and silently cursed. Oh, bloody hell. What choice did he have? He might not be keen to see her but if Celia was in real trouble, as Lily clearly thought she was, would he ever be able to forgive himself if he’d had the chance to help her and had done nothing, simply out of dented pride? Would Dan? And if she wasn’t in trouble, well, surely he could deal with the tongue-lashing he’d undoubtedly get.
Sighing deeply, he ran a hand across the back of his neck. ‘OK, fine,’ he said, and then, because he’d never be able to sit through supper, chatting and laughing while the visit to Celia’s loomed, added, ‘Want me to go now?’
Lily beamed. ‘I think it would be best, don’t you? And actually, as it would even up my table plan you’d be doing me a favour. Another one,’ she added, ushering him back down the hall and opening the door he’d stepped through only ten minutes before.
‘Text me her address and apologise to Kit for me.’
She nodded. ‘I will. Give her my love and tell her I said to get well soon. And thank you, Marcus.’
‘No problem,’ he said, and with the vague suspicion that, for all his reputation, when it came to powers of persuasion he had nothing on Lily, he left.
SEVEN
Half an hour later Marcus had crossed London and was at the top of the steps that led up to Celia’s building, thinking that here he was unexpectedly standing on yet another doorstep he’d had no intention of gracing a week ago.
As the taxi had pulled up at her address he’d noticed that her lights were off and for a split second he’d contemplated leaving her be. But then Lily and Dan had shot into his thoughts, and his
‘Oh?’
‘In fact, she sounded dreadful.’
Marcus kept his face expressionless, and ignored the stab of concern that struck him squarely in the gut. Celia would be fine. A headache was nothing to someone like her. She had the constitution of an ox, a backbone of steel and ice running through her veins. ‘I’m sorry to hear that,’ he said evenly.
‘I saw her ten days ago, you know.’
‘Did you?’
‘She wasn’t looking well then.’
‘What’s the matter with her?’ he asked, purely for the sake of conversation and not out of any interest whatsoever.
‘I’m not sure. It sounds like she’s working hard.’
‘She does that.’
‘Too hard maybe.’
‘She does that too.’ Especially on Sundays.
‘Maybe you should go and check on her.’
He went still, his hand tightening around his glass. ‘Why would I want to go and check on her?’ he said, the need to do just that now suddenly—and perversely—thundering through him.
‘You’re itching to,’ said Lily, and he stamped it down because he wasn’t interested in how she was, and in any case he was pretty sure that the last thing she’d want was him pitching up on her doorstep, even if she hadn’t been unwell.
‘No, I’m not,’ he said coolly. ‘How hard Celia works is entirely up to her. I couldn’t care less how she is or what she’s up to.’
Lily looked at him shrewdly. ‘Funny, she said that about you too.’
‘Did she?’
‘Strikes me that there’s a lot of protesting going on here.’ She pretended to consider for a moment then said, ‘Maybe a bit too much.’
Just about resisting the temptation to grind his teeth, Marcus had had enough of beating around this particular bush. If it went on any longer she’d crush him to dust. ‘If you have a point, Lily,’ he said tightly, ‘would you mind getting to it?’
‘My point is that you get to each other.’
‘And?’
‘You should do something about it.’
He’d tried. He’d failed. He wouldn’t be going there again. Or even thinking about it. ‘She knows where I am.’
Lily let out a huff of exasperation. ‘Oh, for heaven’s sake, will you just go and see if she’s all right? As a favour to me? Please.’
At the genuine worry now filling Lily’s eyes, Marcus felt his resolve begin to waver and silently cursed. Oh, bloody hell. What choice did he have? He might not be keen to see her but if Celia was in real trouble, as Lily clearly thought she was, would he ever be able to forgive himself if he’d had the chance to help her and had done nothing, simply out of dented pride? Would Dan? And if she wasn’t in trouble, well, surely he could deal with the tongue-lashing he’d undoubtedly get.
Sighing deeply, he ran a hand across the back of his neck. ‘OK, fine,’ he said, and then, because he’d never be able to sit through supper, chatting and laughing while the visit to Celia’s loomed, added, ‘Want me to go now?’
Lily beamed. ‘I think it would be best, don’t you? And actually, as it would even up my table plan you’d be doing me a favour. Another one,’ she added, ushering him back down the hall and opening the door he’d stepped through only ten minutes before.
‘Text me her address and apologise to Kit for me.’
She nodded. ‘I will. Give her my love and tell her I said to get well soon. And thank you, Marcus.’
‘No problem,’ he said, and with the vague suspicion that, for all his reputation, when it came to powers of persuasion he had nothing on Lily, he left.
SEVEN
Half an hour later Marcus had crossed London and was at the top of the steps that led up to Celia’s building, thinking that here he was unexpectedly standing on yet another doorstep he’d had no intention of gracing a week ago.
As the taxi had pulled up at her address he’d noticed that her lights were off and for a split second he’d contemplated leaving her be. But then Lily and Dan had shot into his thoughts, and his
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