Fear Of Love

‘Yes,’ she smiled. She liked Roger’s parents immensely, although they tended to be a little possessive about their only child. Both in their mid-fifties, they had had Roger after ten years of marriage, and he was destined to be the only child they would have. After his initial training he was expected to join his father’s law firm.

The Youngs were the nearest thing the village had to the local people of the manor, the large house they owned set in vast woodlands. With Mrs Young’s twin-sets and tweed skirts and Mr Young riding to hounds and arranging shooting parties, they were everything that could be expected of real gentry.

‘Would you like a game of tennis?’ Roger asked her softly, the gleam in his deep brown eyes showing that he had more than tennis in mind.

‘Let the girl finish her coffee,’ his father said sternly.

‘But I have.’ Alexandra put her empty cup down in the tray.

‘You can’t go running about a tennis court now, Roger,’ his mother reprimanded. ‘You’ve only just eaten.’

‘We’ll be fine,’ he pulled Alexandra to her feet. ‘See you later.’

Alexandra giggled once they were outside. ‘Don’t you ever listen to your parents?’

He grinned. ‘Not usually. They tend to fuss too much.’

‘They love you, that’s why.’

He took her hand in his own, leading her round to the garden at the back of the house, the green lawns stretching down to the tennis courts just out of sight of the house. ‘They still fuss too much.’ He pulled her close against him, his lips lingering on hers. ‘I’ve missed you,’ he said throatily.

She blushed. ‘We only parted two hours ago.’

‘Much too long.’ He kissed her again. ‘Now tell me why you haven’t eaten lunch?’

She stood back. ‘How did you know that?’

‘You haven’t had time. Did something happen?’

‘Let’s go down to the tennis court, we can talk better there.’

‘Something did happen,’ he said.

She laughed. ‘Come on, it’s nothing we can’t sort out.’

They walked down to the comparative privacy of the tennis courts, sitting down on the seats provided, tennis the last thing on their minds at the moment. Their kiss lasted for a long time, and both of them were breathless at the end of it.

‘Mm,’ Roger’s face was buried in her throat. ‘I wish we were married.’

It reminded her too much of her scene with Dominic Tempest earlier and she moved out of Roger’s arms, an angry glitter to her big blue eyes. ‘It’s funny you should mention that. I found out the reason for Gail and Trevor’s refusal today. Trevor’s bossy brother put his spoke in.’

Roger frowned. ‘Dominic Tempest did?’

She grimaced. ‘The same.’

‘But I don’t see what it has to do with him.’

‘Neither did I, and I told him so. I think he’s got the message now.’

‘Mm, well as long as he has.’

‘He has,’ she said with certainty.

‘And he’s the reason you haven’t eaten?’

‘I could hardly sit down to lunch with him after the things I’d just said,’ she smiled at the memory. ‘I wasn’t very polite.’

‘You never are when you speak to him. I’ve only ever met him twice, at your sister’s house, and each time you argued with him.’

‘Only because he has such strong views on everything. He always thinks he’s right.’

Roger chuckled. ‘So do you.’

‘Maybe, but I’m certainly not going to agree with everything he says like Gail and Trevor do. It makes me sick the way they always do what he says. Just because he appears on the television it doesn’t make him anything special.’

‘His programmes are very interesting,’ Roger pointed out.

‘So they ought to be, the risks he takes. I’m surprised he hasn’t killed himself by now.’

‘Someone has to take those risks or we would never know what was going on in the world,’ he pointed out reasonably.

‘I know that, but does he have to enjoy it so much?’

‘A man should enjoy his work, he’s going to be doing it for years.’

‘Not that sort of job he isn’t. He’ll be too old for it soon. He’s thirty-four, you know.’

Roger chuckled. ‘That isn’t old. Will you think me old and past it when I get to that age?’

‘Oh, he isn’t past it, far from it. He had some woman staying with him this weekend, and he openly admitted to sleeping with her.’

‘Goodness, your conversation did get personal, didn’t it?’ grinned Roger.

‘Very. Oh, let’s forget about him, he only angers me.’

‘I’m all for that,’ he said throatily. ‘Kiss me some more.’

She did, her arms about his neck, her body pressed against him. They were so engrossed in each other they didn’t hear the approaching footsteps on the gravel pathway.

‘I hate to interrupt the two of you,’ drawled a familiar taunting voice, ‘but I have to take you home, Alexandra.’

She looked up at Dominic Tempest, her hair wild, her eyes slightly glazed and her mouth bare of lipstick. She moved hurriedly out of Roger’s arms, smoothing her hair down self-consciously.

She licked her lips. ‘What did you say? And what are you doing here anyway?’ she asked resentfully, some of her composure returning. Why should she feel embarassed? He hadn’t this morning.

‘I’ve come to take you home,’ he repeated. ‘Roger’s parents told me you were down here.’

Alexandra stood up, challenge in every line of her body. ‘What do you mean, you’ve come to take me home? Just who do you think you are? I don’t have—–’

‘Gail’s been taken to hospital, Alex,’ Dominic told her quietly.

Her face paled. ‘To hospital? But why? I don’t understand.’

‘It’s quite simple. She collapsed shortly after you walked out of there this morning,’ he told her calmly.

‘Oh, darling!’ Roger held her in his arms, kissing her forehead gently. ‘She’ll be all right, Alexandra, I’m sure of it.’

‘Oh yes, she’ll be all right,’ Dominic Tempest agreed coldly. ‘Now that she’s safely in hospital away from Alexandra’s childish displays of temper.’

CHAPTER TWO

ROGER flushed furiously. ‘Now look here, you can’t go around saying things like that! Alexandra can’t be held responsible for—–’

‘I think Alex knows she can be held entirely responsible,’ the elder man interrupted. ‘She knew the delicacy of Gail’s condition, but she went ahead with her stupid personal grudge against me, walking out of the house swearing vengeance for some wrong she believes me to have done her.’

‘But you—–’

‘He’s right, Roger,’ Alexandra said dully. ‘I did walk out of the house with the intention of going to see him, and I did tell Gail. She’s eight months pregnant, I should have realised it would upset her.’

‘Yes, you should have,’ Dominic agreed abruptly. ‘Like I told you earlier, you’re utterly selfish. Now, if you’re ready, I’ll take you to the hospital. Gail will want to see you.’

‘Is she going to be all right?’ Her eyes pleaded for him to say yes.

‘With rest and being kept under observation they think she’s going to be fine, no thanks to you.’

‘That’s enough, Tempest,’ Roger said angrily. ‘Can’t you see how upset she is? There’s no need to keep saying things like that to her.’

‘There’s every need, damn you!’ Dominic snapped forcefully. ‘Alexandra has to be made to see how her thoughtlessness can hurt other people. We’re lucky the baby isn’t being born right now.’

Alexandra raised distressed eyes. ‘It isn’t, is it?’

‘No,’ he gave her an impatient look. ‘Are you ready to leave, because I’m going back to the hospital now whether you come or not. Trevor needs a little moral support at the moment.’ He turned sharply on his heel and began walking back towards the house.

‘Dominic!’ she cried out his name, beginning to run after him. ‘Wait for me!’

He didn’t look at her as she ran to keep up with him. ‘I don’t have the time.’

She clutched at his arm. ‘Please, Dominic,’ she pleaded. ‘Tell me how Gail is.’

At last he looked at her, his eyes cold. ‘I’ll tell you in the car if you really want to know, but I’ve wasted enough time on you for one day. I’ve been looking for you for over an hour now. Why the hell didn’t you stop when I waved you down?’

‘I—–’

‘You thought you were being clever, getting one up on me,’ he guessed correctly.

‘Well, I—– Was that what the telephone call was about?’

‘Yes.’ They had reached his car by now. He wrenched open his car door and got in behind the wheel. ‘If you want to know any more get in.’

‘But—– My car,’ she said desperately.

Dominic started the engine. ‘Leave it.’

‘I can’t do that. It—–’

‘Then don’t.’ He started to reverse the car out of the driveway.

‘Dominic, wait!’ She turned desperately to Roger. ‘I want to go with him, he can tell me more about Gail on the way. My car—would you drive it over later for me?’

‘Of course, darling,’ he kissed her lightly on the lips: ‘Call me and let me know how your sister is.’

‘I will.’

Dominic hardly gave her time to get in the car before accelerating down the road. ‘That kid’s like a lapdog,’ he remarked grimly. ‘He does exactly as you say.’

She flushed angrily. ‘He was only trying to be helpful.’

‘I hope I didn’t interrupt anything just now,’ he taunted. ‘You looked like you were just getting started.’

‘We weren’t,’ she answered tautly.

He shrugged. ‘You looked as if you were. His parents said you were playing tennis, but you looked as if you were playing something else to me.’

‘We were just going to play tennis,’ she said resentfully.

‘It looked like it. And you said my display this morning was disgusting!’

Her eyes flashed her dislike of him. ‘I didn’t come with you to be insulted. You said you’d tell me about Gail.’

‘So far there isn’t a lot to tell you, except that she has to stay in hospital.’

She nodded. ‘Just for a few days. I can spend the time getting the house spring-cleaned for her return,’ she continued eagerly.

Dominic shook his head. ‘She isn’t staying in for a couple of days, Alex. The doctors have decided it will be better for both her and the baby if she spends the last few weeks before the baby is born resting in a hospital bed.’

‘But that—that’s four weeks away,’ she gasped in dismay. ‘She has to stay in all that time?’

‘At the moment they think it best.’

‘How awful for her! I would hate to be in hospital all that time.’

‘So will she, so you can damn well behave yourself when you see her. Gail is to have no worries whatsoever.’

‘I wouldn’t dream of worrying her,’ she said indignantly.

He drove into the car park of the hospital. ‘Then make sure you don’t.’

‘Now look, I don’t have to take this from you. You aren’t—–’

Dominic turned with barely concealed violence to face her. ‘You’ll take from me exactly what I care to give out! At the moment I could quite easily beat the hell out of you and not feel a moment’s remorse.’

Alexandra flung open the door, quickly scrambling out. ‘I don’t have to stay here and suffer your insults!’ She slammed the door.

He was beside her in seconds, swinging her round to face him. ‘You’ll listen to me for as long as I want you to,’ his grey eyes glittered down at her. ‘No matter what Gail says to you when you see her you’re to agree to it, do you understand?’

She frowned, shaking off his restraining hand. ‘No, I don’t understand at all. What could Gail possibly say to me that I’m not going to agree with?’

‘You’ll see. And I want you to know that I’m no happier about the arrangement than you will be.’

‘What is it?’ she asked suspiciously.

‘Wait and see. Come on, let’s find Trevor.’

They found him in Gail’s hospital room, sitting on the side of the bed holding his wife’s hand. Alexandra rushed straight to her sister, the ready tears falling unheeded down her cheeks.

‘Oh, Gail,’ she sobbed, ‘I’m sorry, so sorry.’

Gail cradled her in her arms, laughing softly. ‘What on earth are you saying sorry for? It’s my own fault I’m here.’

‘I—–It is?’ she looked uncertain.

Gail pushed her young sister’s hair away from her tear-wet face. ‘Of course, silly. I knew my blood pressure was a little high, I should have slowed down.’

‘You mean I should have helped you more. I didn’t realise you were ill.’

‘I’m not ill, pet,’ Gail insisted. ‘And you do far too much at home already. Besides, I enjoy looking after the two of you.’

‘Well, now you have to pay for your obstinacy,’ Trevor put in lightly.

‘And you’ll have to sleep alone,’ his wife teased. ‘You’ll have no one to warm your cold feet on now.’

He grimaced. ‘The bachelor quarters here aren’t very glamorous. But at least I’ll be able to visit you when I’m off duty.’

Alexandra frowned. Somewhere along the line she had lost the meaning of this conversation.

‘Is it all right for you to move in?’ Gail asked Trevor worriedly. ‘Have they got a room?’

Her husband squeezed her hand. ‘Everything is arranged. I just have to go home and collect a few things.’

Gail looked at her sister. ‘You’ll be all right at Dominic’s, won’t you, Alexandra?’

So that was it! She turned to look accusingly at Dominic Tempest and met only his icy disdain. He had known all along that it had been arranged for her to stay at his home with him. How on earth was she going to stand it? One look at Gail’s pale face told her that somehow she would have to, Gail simply wasn’t up to any more worries.

‘Of course I will,’ she assured her sister hurriedly. ‘I’m sure he’ll—he’ll take good care of me.’

Dominic moved forward, the mockery in his eyes taunting her. ‘You know I will,’ he drawled. ‘You saw how I like to keep my guests entertained this morning.’

Alexandra raised startled eyes. Yes, she had seen all too clearly how he had entertained his guest over the weekend, and she had no intention of being entertained in the same way. Arrogant devil!

Gail looked interested. ‘You had someone staying with you this weekend?’

‘Just overnight.’ He met Alexandra’s scathing look with an unflinching stare.

Trevor stood up. ‘I think it’s time we left you to get this rest you’re supposed to be having.’

His wife pouted. ‘I’m sure it isn’t necessary. I shall be very lonely in here all on my own.’

‘Of course you won’t,’ Alexandra chided. ‘I shall visit you every day, and I’m sure you’ll have plenty of other visitors.’

‘Not least of all me.’ Trevor bent down and kissed his wife lingeringly on the lips. ‘I’ll be in to see you later.’

Dominic kissed Gail’s cheek. ‘I’ll bring Alexandra in tomorrow,’ he promised.

So already he had started to arrange her life for her! She buried her resentment for when they got outside, for the moment intent only on making sure Gail had nothing at all to worry about.

‘Look after yourself,’ she told her. ‘And as Dominic says, I’ll be in tomorrow.’ Not that he would be bringing her, she wanted as little to do with him as possible.

They parted from Trevor once they were outside the room, he having to go back on duty for a few hours before going home to collect his things.

Alexandra waited until they were in Dominic Tempest’s car before she exploded. ‘You knew about this,’ she accused angrily. ‘You knew I had to stay with you!’

He raised his eyebrows. ‘Your remorse didn’t last long.’

She blushed. ‘Gail doesn’t seem to blame me’.

He shrugged. ‘She wouldn’t.’

‘But you do.’

‘It’s not up to me to blame you.’

‘Then mind your own business! I’m not going to stay at your house, you know,’ she told him stubbornly.

‘Oh yes, you are,’ he said calmly.

‘I’m not. I can look after myself. I’m not afraid to stay at the house on my own.’

‘It isn’t because we thought you would be afraid that we made these arrangements.’

‘Then why? Why does Trevor have to move into the hospital? I’m perfectly capable of looking after him.’

‘I don’t doubt it,’ he said dryly.

‘So why all these elaborate plans?’

Dominic sighed. ‘They aren’t elaborate. They’re the most reasonable course of action.’

‘Not to me they aren’t,’ she declared stubbornly.

‘No, they wouldn’t be. It wouldn’t occur to you to think of the damage you could do to Trevor’s career and his marriage to Gail by staying at the house with him.’

‘What on earth are you talking about?’ she scorned. ‘Trevor is my brother-in-law.’

‘You little fool, do you think that would matter to the people around here? Don’t be stupid. All that would matter to them would be that Gail, eight months pregnant, has been taken to hospital, and her husband and young sister are living alone together. This is a village community, Alex, things get around.’

‘But surely they wouldn’t—–’ But she knew they would! ‘How disgusting!’

‘Yes, isn’t it?’

‘But I don’t see how I can be thought any safer living with you. We all know your reputation,’ she added bitchily.

Dominic smiled, a cruel mocking smile. ‘But I have servants to chaperone us. And for what it’s worth, I’ve never found rebellious adolescents in the least attractive.’

‘I hate you!’ she said with feeling.

‘I couldn’t give a damn what you feel for me, I’m not that keen on you either. But I do intend to try and put up with you for the next few weeks, and I hope you will make a similar effort.’

‘Why should I? I can live at the house on my own, Gail doesn’t need to know.’

‘But she would.’

‘Why?’ she asked sharply. ‘Would you tell her? I’m sure you can’t be any more anxious to have me at your house than I am to stay there.’

‘I’m not,’ he agreed coldly. ‘But other people in the village are sure to visit Gail and it would only take one thoughtless person to mention where you’re living to put her in a state of nerves.’

‘But I could—–’

‘For God’s sake grow up, Alexandra!’ he snapped. ‘Stop thinking of yourself so much. Gail can’t take any more, don’t you understand?’

She looked down at her hands folded in her lap. ‘I suppose so.’

‘I’m not at home a lot of the time anyway,’ he added by way of consolation. ‘I’m away all day Wednesday and Thursday recording the programme.’

‘Overnight too?’

His mouth tightened. ‘Yes.’

‘So that’s when you intend seeing Miss Gilbert.’

‘Yes.’

‘I bet you’ve got a harem going,’ she taunted.

‘One woman at a time is enough for me. Besides, I don’t have the time for all these women. Each programme I do involves a lot of research, research that has to be done in a matter of hours, not days, if a political situation arises.’

‘You haven’t been away for some time,’ she remarked softly.

He grinned. ‘Then you’ll just have to hope something comes up during the next four weeks to take me away. I’m sure nothing would please you more.’

‘It wouldn’t.’

He was openly laughing at her now. ‘Sometimes you’re an enigma, but in your dislike of me I can see right through you.’

‘Good,’ she said childishly.

‘Oh, by the way,’ he remarked casually, ‘I don’t mind you having Young round occasionally, but I don’t want to keep tripping over him.’

Alexandra glared at him. ‘Am I allowed to make the same comment about Miss Gilbert?’

‘No.’

‘I didn’t think I would be.’

Dominic gave her an impatient look. ‘You aren’t a welcome guest, Alexandra, so I don’t intend letting your friends take over my house.’

‘I take it Miss Gilbert is a welcome guest?’

‘You take it right.’

‘Don’t worry, Dominic,’ she said sharply. ‘If I want to see any of my friends I’ll arrange to meet them elsewhere than your house.’

‘There’s no need to go to that extreme,’ he taunted.

Alexandra looked out of the car window as they approached the mansion that was to be her home for the next month. How on earth could she stand to share a house with this arrogant mocking man, see him every day for four weeks, when she found it difficult to be polite to him just during Sunday lunch? It appeared she had little choice but to try.

Charles met them in the reception area. ‘I have prepared Miss Paige’s room, sir.’

His employer nodded, and threw his car keys down on the side-table. ‘Thank you, Charles. Perhaps you would like to freshen up before tea, Alexandra?’

She didn’t think this was going to be the normal cup of tea and a biscuit she and Gail usually shared in the afternoon, and her denims and tee shirt suddenly seemed out of place in these elegant surroundings.

‘Thank you,’ she accepted softly, ‘I’d like that.’

‘I’ll take you upstairs now,’ Charles said gravely.

It was a lovely room he showed her into, all lemon and white decor. It had its own adjoining bathroom, a luxury she had never had before. She and Trevor usually fought over who would get into the bathroom first in the morning.

The adjoining bathroom was in lemon and brown, but she didn’t stay to admire it, quickly rinsing her face and hands before brushing her hair and applying a lip-gloss. The rumblings of her stomach were far too strong for her to waste any more time. She hadn’t eaten anything since breakfast this morning and she was starving hungry.

Dominic was sitting in the lounge when she came hesitantly into the room, stubbing his cheroot out in the ashtray at her entrance. His elegant light grey trousers and black fitted shirt only seemed to emphasise her own scruffiness. Well, how was she supposed to know she would be taking tea with the famous Dominic Tempest!

‘Sit down, Alexandra,’ he said impatiently. ‘You might as well play hostess.’

She blushed at his scathing mockery. ‘I’d rather not.’

‘Oh, come on, Alex,’ he encouraged shortly. ‘I’m as hungry as you are. I missed out on lunch too, remember?’

She picked up the china teapot. ‘I didn’t know you admitted to such human feelings as hunger.’

His grey eyes taunted. ‘I admit to much more human feelings than that.’

She should have known her effort to hit out at him would only rebound on her. ‘Lemon, milk and sugar?’ she asked tightly.

‘Just lemon, please. I’m sweet enough already.’

‘That’s a matter of opinion!’

He laughed, showing even white teeth in his tanned face. ‘Somehow I knew you would say that.’

‘Then I’m glad you weren’t disappointed.’

He took the proffered cup of tea. ‘You never disappoint me, Alex. You’re very entertaining.’

She poured her own tea. ‘I’m glad I’m of some use!’

He raised his eyebrows. ‘Oh dear, is it feel sorry for Alex day?’

Her blue eyes showed her anger. ‘No, it isn’t! And my name is Alexandra.’

‘So it is,’ he appeared unconcerned. ‘But I prefer Alex. Much more friendly.’

‘As I have no intention of becoming a friend of yours I would prefer you to use my full name.’

‘And I would prefer not to. Oh, shut up, Alex,’ he ordered abruptly as she went to speak again. ‘And pass me a sandwich.’

Her cup landed with a clatter on the table. ‘I may have to stay here with you, but I’m certainly not going to be reduced to the level of another servant for you to order about!’

‘If you were a servant we might get on better,’ he retorted. ‘I happen to like all my employees. But I would certainly never take from them what I’ve taken from you today.’

‘Don’t expect the next month to be any different.’ She bit hungrily into a ham sandwich. ‘Staying here won’t make me like you any the more.’

Dominic raised his eyes heavenwards, pushing the blond hair back off his forehead. ‘Thank God you’ll be out of the house most of the time.’

‘I will?’

‘I hope so. College should—oh no!’ he groaned. ‘College has finished for the summer, hasn’t it?’

She smiled sweetly. ‘It has.’

‘Oh hell!’

‘Temper, temper,’ she taunted. ‘Anyone would think you weren’t going to enjoy having me about.’

‘Anyone would be right,’ he said dryly.