The Man Who Broke Hearts

And keep your precious fiancée in a job, she might have added. For his fiancée, the Red Dragon, was the editor of Minanda.

Justin paused for an instant, as though he might deny the accusation. Then a slow, callous smile spread over his face.

‘Well, naturally I would want to keep Miranda afloat. And naturally I’ll take whatever measures are required, no matter how unpalatable they may be to some.’

‘So, you are going to fold Scope?’

‘You’ll find out in good time.’ He paused and fixed her with eyes of granite. ‘So, you’re admitting it at last. All you’re really worried about’s your own job.’

Tina’s cheeks had grown pale. All her worst fears were confirmed. The magazine she loved and had poured her life into was about to be ruthlessly sacrificed.

And it wasn’t fair! All at once, she was trembling with fury.

‘Of course I’m worried about my job. I’d be a liar if I denied it.’ Tina spoke softly—after all, they were in a public place—yet every taut syllable seethed with outrage. ‘But my first concern is Scope. It’s a good magazine. It’s an excellent magazine. A leader in its field. How can you do this?’ Her voice was cracking with emotion as she searched his eyes in vain for some spark of compassion. ‘Can’t you see that Scope is special? It doesn’t deserve to be sacrificed just to please you and your—’

For some reason she faltered, the word sticking in her throat.

She saw Justin smile. ‘Me and my what?’

It was the smile that did it. Something snapped inside her.

‘You and that bitch of a fiancée of yours!’ she spat.

Tina was mortified. All she’d meant to say was fiancée. The bitch bit had somehow come tumbling out on its own.

As she stood there, pale-faced, Justin watched her for a moment as though she were some crawly thing that had just escaped from behind a rock. Then, detaching his eyes, he glanced at his watch.

‘I’m afraid I have to go now. I have an empire to run. But if not a pleasure, at least it’s been most illuminating bumping into you.’

He started to turn away, then he paused and fixed his eyes on her face again.

‘I knew I was going to enjoy working alongside you again, but until this moment I hadn’t realised quite how much.’ He smiled his tiger’s smile again. ‘What was that phrase you used earlier? Having you in my claws, I believe, was how you put it. Yes, I can tell I’m going to enjoy that very much.’

Then, before she could say a word, he was turning on his heel and disappearing swiftly off through the crowd.

Tina watched him go through eyes that could barely focus, feeling seasick with the horror that poured through her in great waves. Though it wasn’t Justin’s warning that filled her with horror. It was her own spiteful outburst against his fiancée.

That had taken her by surprise. It had genuinely shocked her. Usually, she just made jokes about the Red Dragon. But a moment ago she definitely hadn’t been joking. There’d been real anger, real dislike, real resentment in her heart against the woman who, three years ago, had stolen the man she loved. There’d been the kind of pain she’d believed she’d put behind her long ago.

She shivered. To know that pain still lurked inside her, ready to scrape at any moment like a dagger against her heart, filled her with a fear that was far more terrible than the fear of anything that Justin could do to her.

Although as she stared after him she was aware that that scared her too. What terrible, evil revenge was he planning?

CHAPTER TWO

IT WAS only after Justin had gone and Tina had recovered her senses that she realised she was still holding his handkerchief in her hand. She shoved it in her bag, resisting the urge to chuck it in some corner. One thing she definitely wouldn’t do was run after him to return it!

Back home at the end of the day she deposited it in the washing machine, handling it at arm’s length, as though it might bite her. And that was where it still was as she sat at her office desk next morning, struggling to concentrate on the manuscript before her. Though it was hard. Her mind kept skipping back to yesterday’s encounter with Justin.

It had tormented her all night. She’d scarcely slept a wink for the horror she still felt at her shameful outburst against his fiancée.

What on earth had provoked it? Where had these long-dead feelings come from? The pain, the anger, the sense of loss, the resentment? She didn’t care any more that she’d lost Justin to the Red Dragon. Losing Justin, she’d come to realise, had been a lucky escape. So what on earth had caused her to react like that?

Some kind of madness, she’d decided. That mocking smile he’d smiled at her had thrown her back to that moment three years ago when she’d discovered that the man she’d believed was in love with her had just got engaged to another woman.

The Red Dragon, when she’d broken the news to her, had smiled a smile like that.

Tina clenched her teeth now and scowled down at the manuscript before her. But all that was ancient history and she’d long since got over it. As far as she was concerned, the Red Dragon was welcome to him. She and Justin could marry any time they liked.

In fact, the sooner the better. For Tina it would be a relief. It would finally draw a line beneath the entire messy episode.

‘Hi there! How’s my favourite acting editor?’

Tina started and glanced up as a voice broke through her reverie. Then she smiled at the wiry, leather-jacketed figure who was grinning down at her from the other side of her desk.

‘Hi, Mike.’ As always, she was delighted to see him. Mike Laing was one of the top fashion photographers in London and he also happened to be a very good friend.

She leaned back in her seat and pulled a wry face as she gestured at the pile of work on her desk—manuscripts, letters, transparencies, proofs, all urgently waiting to be dealt with.

‘Right now your favourite acting editor’s feeling a bit frazzled,’ she confessed.

‘Well, she doesn’t look it.’ Mike seated himself on the edge of the desk. ‘She’s looking as serenely beautiful as ever.’

Then as Tina smiled and shook her head—her standard response to Mike’s compliments—he enquired sympathetically, ‘Overworking you, are they?’

‘Not really.’

Tina ran a hand through her silky blonde hair. She was doing two jobs these days, but that didn’t bother her. In fact, to tell the truth, she relished the challenge, and she’d been coping perfectly till thoughts of Justin had come to torment her! However, there was one problem, as she explained now to Mike.

‘One of my regular freelances has let me down rather badly. She’s handed in this article that’s a total disaster. I can’t understand it. She’s generally so reliable.’ She cast an irritated glance at the manuscript she’d been working on. ‘It’s going to take me hours to pull this gibberish into shape.’

‘Throw it back at her. Get her to redo it.’

‘I would, only she’s not here. She’s out of the country. She’s gone off to France or somewhere on an assignment for some other magazine. And she was late handing this in. The printers need it by Monday. I’ve got no choice, I’m afraid. I’ve got to do it myself.’

Mike pulled a sympathetic face, then he winked and leaned towards her. ‘I reckon you deserve a treat for working so hard. Let me take you out for a drink after work.’

‘I wish I could, Mike—’

‘I’ve discovered this great new wine bar,’ he cut in quickly before she could say ‘but’. ‘The food’s terrific and they play great jazz.’

But Tina smiled and shook her head. ‘I really can’t, Mike. I’m going to be stuck at my desk till late.’

Mike looked disappointed, but he didn’t push her. He never did. He knew it got him nowhere. Just like all the other men in Tina’s life these days, he knew he would never be more than just a friend.

For Tina had become an expert at keeping men at a distance. Sometimes it surprised her how easily she did it. Maybe I’m turning into a bit of a dragon myself, she’d sometimes thought. For just one cool warning flicker from those china-blue eyes of hers and they got the message loud and clear.

But, dragon or not, that was the way she wanted it. No mess. No entanglements. No more broken hearts. Maybe one day—though only maybe—things would be different, but for now where her heart belonged was in her work.

Mike proceeded to change the subject now, regarding her with interest. ‘Hey, your chief sub-editor’s just been telling me that you collared Justin Marlowe at the reception yesterday. What did he have to say for himself?’

Tina felt a jolt inside her at the mention of Justin’s name. Over the past couple of minutes she’d actually managed not to think of him, but here he was springing out of the shadows to torment her again!

‘So, Vicki told you, did she?’ Tina smiled a small smile. Vicki, Scope’s chief sub, had been with her at the reception yesterday and she’d been telling everyone about Tina’s encounter with Justin Marlowe—even though, Tina reflected, she didn’t know the half of it!

‘Well, she probably also told you that the news isn’t good. If this take-over goes ahead, Scope will go under. He plans to merge us with Miranda.’

Mike looked surprised. ‘Did he actually say that?’

‘More or less.’ Tina pulled a wry face. ‘I’m afraid you were wrong and I was right.’

In the past, Mike had frequently expressed the opinion that it might not be a bad thing if JM Publishing took over Berry’s. He was an enthusiastic admirer of Justin’s thrusting young company—and not just because JM gave him a lot of work! ‘They know how to make money and keep up standards,’ he’d often said.

But his opinion about the take-over was totally misguided, as Tina had constantly argued over the weeks. She told him now, ‘Somehow, Marlowe’s got to be stopped.’

‘If you’re right, yes, he has. That would be a disaster.’ Mike frowned. ‘But I can’t understand why he would do that. It doesn’t make sense. Scope’s a successful magazine.’ Then he shrugged. ‘Maybe business-wise his judgement’s a little impaired these days. I understand he’s got other things on his mind.’

Tina was instantly curious. ‘Like what?’ she demanded.

But at that moment they were interrupted as Sasha, Scope’s fashion editor, stuck her brightly hennaed head round the office door.

‘Excuse me.’ She smiled at Tina. Then she turned to Mike. ‘Ready when you are with those transparencies.’

Mike started to stand up. ‘I’ll be right with you.’ Then he winked down at Tina. ‘I’ll leave you to get on with your work.’

But Tina was no longer thinking of work. She narrowed her blue eyes at him. ‘What did you mean when you said Justin Marlowe had other things on his mind?’

‘Haven’t you heard?’ Mike was heading for the door. ‘He and the Red Dragon are finally about to get spliced. The word is she’s been out scouring Bond Street for a wedding-dress. It looks as though she’s finally bagged him after all these years.’

‘Good luck to her.’

Tina said it as though she really meant it and her gaze was perfectly steady as she watched Mike disappear out through the door. And she did mean it. Surely? Hadn’t she just been thinking that it would be a relief when Justin and the Red Dragon finally married?

But as she sat frozen in her chair she was aware that she’d stopped breathing and that her stomach had suddenly turned to lead.

Tina remained at her desk that night until well after seven, but by then there was no point in staying on any longer. She’d done all the work she could for now on the faulty manuscript, though it definitely still wasn’t up to scratch.

She pushed it aside wearily. She’d have to fix up another interview to fill in the gaps and give it a bit more substance. And that would probably mean a trip to the Cotswolds over the weekend. She tossed down her pen. But for tonight she was through.

But she still didn’t make a move. She sat staring into space and let her mind roam over the subject she had kept shut out for the past few hours. Justin and the Red Dragon. And the long-threatened wedding. So, it was actually about to happen after all.

She’d got over the stupid paralysis that had struck her on first hearing the news. And heaven knew why it had shocked her anyway. She felt composed now and genuinely glad that it was about to happen. This was the final line in the final chapter. At last she’d be able to close the book.

At that thought she felt a wry smile touch her lips. Chapter one had promised a very different ending. Who ever would have guessed then that things would turn out the way they had?

Tina had been twenty-one years old, fresh out of college and as keen as mustard to make a name for herself in journalism when she had joined Miranda as a sub-editor nearly five years ago.

As she’d told her new boss at the interview, ‘It’s always been my dream to work in magazines. There’s nothing else I’ve ever wanted to do.’

Her new boss had been a woman nearly ten years her senior, a tall, stunning redhead with the reed-thin figure of a model and a wardrobe that came straight out of the pages of her own glossy magazine. Her name was Eunice Robinson and though Tina had guessed even then that she probably had a temperament to match her hair she’d had no idea that she’d end up dubbing her the Red Dragon!

On the contrary, she’d been excited at the prospect of joining Eunice’s team. On the phone to her parents when she’d been offered the job, she’d confided, ‘The atmosphere’s so professional and high-powered and sophisticated. I’m going to learn so much. I can’t wait to get started!’

And so she’d dived in, full of enthusiasm.

Her first encounter with Justin Marlowe had come in her second week at JM Publishing.

‘Come in. Sit down. Make yourself comfortable,’ he’d told her as his secretary showed Tina into his office. He’d held out his hand to her. ‘I’m Justin Marlowe. Welcome to JM Publishing. How are you settling in?’

Tina had taken his hand and looked into his face, feeling a shiver of awareness like electric fingers down her spine. The other sub-editors had told her about Justin Marlowe and that he was the dishiest man on the face of the planet. But he was more than just dishy, she’d decided instantly. This man had a special kind of magic.

She’d felt a ripple of innocent pleasure as he’d shaken her hand and smiled at her. Boy, I’m lucky! she’d thought. Not only have I just succeeded in landing my dream job, I’ve also got the handsomest boss!

Smiling back at him, she told him, ‘I’m settling in very well, thanks. I’m sure I’m going to love it here.’ Her eyes glowed keenly as she added, ‘I think Miranda’s a wonderful magazine.’

‘So do we and I’m very glad to hear that you agree.’ The iron-grey eyes, which she would later discover could at times look as cold as the North Sea in winter, twinkled warmly at her enthusiasm. ‘I suspect you’re going to be a most valuable addition to the team.’

‘Oh, I hope so. I really hope so. I’ll do my best.’

Justin Marlowe smiled. “Then you’re halfway there.’ He leaned back a little in his leather buttonback chair. ‘So, tell me about your ambitions, Tina. Where do you see yourself in five years’ time?’

‘Still on Miranda, I hope.’ She blushed a little. How truthful, she wondered, did he really expect her to be? For she really did have high ambitions.

He sensed her ambivalence. ‘Go on,’ he urged her. ‘You can tell me. We encourage ambition in this company.’

Tina took a deep breath and decided to take him at his word. ‘Well, first I want to learn to be a good sub-editor, but I also want to do a bit of writing. I love writing. I want to do articles on anything and everything.’

Then, as he nodded encouragingly, she decided to bare her soul. ‘And one day what I’d really like is to be an editor.’

‘An editor, eh? Aiming for the top.’ Justin nodded his dark head approvingly in response. Then he winked across at her almost conspiratorially. ‘We’d better not tell Eunice. I don’t think she’s quite ready to retire yet.’

Tina felt herself flush crimson. ‘Oh, I didn’t mean that! I didn’t mean editor of Miranda! Some other magazine. Some time in the future. A long time in the future,’ she plunged on in embarrassment.

Oh, lord! she was thinking. Talk about putting your foot in it!

But Justin, if anything, seemed to approve of her revelation.

‘Never apologise for your ambitions,’ he told her straightforwardly. ‘We encourage ambitious people at JM Publishing—as long as you have the talent to match the ambition, of course.’ He smiled at her. ‘And we’ll soon find out if you do.’

Tina left his office feeling the world was hers to conquer. I’ll show him I have talent! I’ll show him how good I am! I’ll show him I have it in me to achieve all my goals! she vowed.

And, over the next few months, that was precisely what she did.

Tina worked like a madwoman, loving every minute. Pretty soon she became a first-class sub-editor, renowned for her precision and witty, attention-grabbing titles. And pretty soon, too, she had a couple of short articles published. And Justin wasn’t slow to acknowledge her progress.

He appeared in the office one day and stopped by her desk. ‘I thought you might like to have a go at this,’ he suggested, dropping an invitation on her desk. ‘Have a word with Eunice. I think it might be worth a full-length interview.’

‘Oh, thank you!’ Tina’s eyes widened as she looked down at the invitation to meet an up-and-coming young actor who’d recently been taking the British film world by storm. She looked up at Justin gratefully. ‘I’ll make a good job of it. I promise.’

And she made an excellent job of it. Even Eunice agreed on that and gave her piece a four-page colour double spread, with a prominent byline as the icing on the cake. Tina was over the moon with delight.

She phoned her parents in Shropshire. ‘I’m sending you a couple of copies. Your daughter’s a proper journalist at last!’

There was just one tiny fly in the ointment, however, as, with Justin’s encouragement and guidance, Tina proceeded to move from success to success. And that fly in the ointment was the red-haired Eunice.

Tina had rapidly realised that she could be a difficult woman to work with, much given to furious outbursts when anyone displeased her. Tina had escaped her wrath at first. She’d just kept her head down and worked hard. But more and more she was finding herself in the firing line.

‘These pages are late, you stupid girl!’ Twice in one week Eunice stormed the accusation at her when the pages, in fact, were not late at all. ‘Instead of trying to be the star of the editorial department, you’d do better to keep your mind on what you’re paid for!’

That was unfair and uncalled for. Tina knew her responsibilities and always put her sub-editing duties first—though, to be truthful, the accusation had not surprised her. She’d been aware for some time that, far from wishing to encourage her, Eunice would rather like to clip her wings.

But she kept that to herself and confined herself to pointing out, ‘I think if you check your diary you’ll find the pages are dead on time.’ Unlike some members of staff, she wasn’t afraid to stand up for herself. ‘Just as they always are,’ she added firmly, but respectfully, simply ignoring the fulminating black look that that provoked.

For Eunice’s increasingly frequent attacks were not anything Tina couldn’t handle. In fact, to be truthful, they barely registered. Because suddenly something much more exciting was occupying her mind.

Justin. For something was happening between them.

It had all started with an unexpected invitation to lunch at London’s Dorchester Hotel on fashionable Park Lane.

‘It’s part treat and part work,’ Justin had told her when he’d invited her. ‘We’re to be the guests of a group of major travel agents and naturally I’ll expect you to write a small piece for Miranda. But only a very small piece, so just relax and enjoy yourself. You’ve been working hard. You deserve a treat.’

Tina’s workmates had been almost as excited as she was. ‘You’re obviously in the good books,’ one of them had observed admiringly. ‘He only issues these special invitations when he’s really pleased with someone.’ Then she’d pulled a mock-scowl and poked Tina in the ribs. ‘I hate you, Tina Gordon, you lucky devil!’

Tina struggled to appear cool in the face of this development. The invitation was purely professional, she told herself. And certainly nothing to get all het up about.

But she was het up. She could barely see straight at the thought of it. Lunch with Justin Marlowe! The very idea made her breathless!

For, though she’d admitted it to no one, the truth of the matter was that over the six months or so she’d been at JM Publishing she’d really rather fallen for her magnetic, handsome boss. Which hardly made her unusual. Every woman he met fell for him. The entire female staff of JM Publishing was hopelessly in love with Justin Marlowe, so why should she be any different?

Yet what she felt for him was different. In her heart Tina was sure of it. Hers was no swooning, giggling admiration. She couldn’t quite define them, but the feelings he let loose in her seemed to reach down to the very roots of her being. And sometimes it scared her. She’d never felt this way before.

Still, she was holding on very tightly to her emotions when they set off together in the company limo. Just don’t make a fool of yourself, she warned herself firmly. You mean nothing to him. He’s just being nice, that’s all.

But nice like Justin could be nice was something Tina had never before encountered. She was only a junior employee, but he treated her like a princess, putting her at ease with that wonderful charm of his, chatting to her and looking after her as though they were on a real date. When they finally left the Dorchester just over three hours later, Tina was feeling as though she must have died and gone to heaven.

‘Did you enjoy yourself?’ he asked her as they climbed back into the Bentley.

‘Oh, yes. It was wonderful. I mean, wonderfully interesting.’

Had he any idea, she wondered helplessly, how her heart was soaring? She’d been on plenty of very pleasant dates in the past with perfectly acceptable young men, but the past three hours with Justin had been a revelation. She’d had no idea she was capable of feeling such ecstasy. She was floating so high, she feared she might never come down again.

Justin was smiling at her. ‘I enjoyed it too. Perhaps we can do it again some time?’

‘Oh, yes. That would be nice.’

‘Perhaps when I get back from Germany? I’m going there on business. I’ll be away till the end of the week.’ He smiled. ‘I presume your home number’s in the office files. I’ll give you a ring and we can fix up something when I get back.’

‘OK. If you like.’

Tina flushed to her hair roots, totally confused now, not knowing what to think. Was this a real date he was proposing? Was he really serious? If she dared to hope, would she be in for a huge disappointment?

she decided she probably would be, but she went ahead and hoped anyway. She was quite incapable of doing anything else.

Waiting for the week to pass was the finest kind of torture. At home, every time the phone rang Tina nearly shot through the ceiling. But she made herself a promise. If he didn’t phone by Saturday lunchtime, she’d call up her friends and make other arrangements for the weekend. It would be masochistic madness to spend it waiting by the phone!

But on Friday evening when she got back to her flat from work the phone was ringing in the hallway.

Breathlessly, Tina grabbed it. ‘Hello?’ she demanded squeakily, not quite managing the cool tone she’d been aiming for. It can’t be him, she was thinking, feeling her heart was about to explode.

But it was him.

‘Hi, Tina. I just got back. How’ve you been?’

At the sound of the deep tones, Tina had to sit down. ‘I’m fine.’ She was burning from her scalp to her toes. ‘H-how was your trip to Germany?’ she stuttered.