Trail Of Love

‘Good morning,’ Kay greeted politely, despite her heart’s alarming tendency to gallop out of control. She then found herself the object of a long leisurely perusal from her head to her feet, the result of which clearly found her wanting, and made her blood boil.

‘My, my, you do turn up in the most unexpected places,’ he drawled, amusement dancing in his eyes as he witnessed her reaction. Slipping his hands into his trouser pockets, he paced towards her.

Still angered by the way he had looked her over so scathingly, it was an effort for her to remain polite, as the twitch of his lips showed he knew only too well. ‘It’s not unexpected at all. I happen to work here. I came to tell you that Mr Winterbourne has been delayed. An effort was made to contact you, but you couldn’t be found.’ Her chilly ghost of a smile suggested that any waiting he had to do was therefore his own fault.

His response to that was to step unnervingly closer to her, so that she was made vitally aware of the height and breadth of him, and the pure male scent that mingled with his cologne and so appealed to her senses that they went into overdrive.

‘Meanwhile, you were sent to keep me...entertained?’ he queried in a sexily husky voice.

Although she knew it was deliberate, on one level his voice did amazing things to her insides, and in pure self-defence she summoned anger. ‘No, I damn well was not!’ she responded, eyes spitting sparks.

His eyebrow quirked. ‘Tsk, tsk, now is that any way to talk to a client?’

It was a timely reminder, and Kay fought an inner battle for control, because he was right, damn him. It was not company policy to actively antagonise clients, especially ones designated VIPs. Yet there was clearly a double standard at work here, for, while he had leave to say what he liked, she must keep her place. ‘I’ll have you know it wasn’t my idea to come here.’

Ben Radford laughed. ‘No, I can well believe that! So, you work here, do you? That’s very interesting.’

She couldn’t see why. ‘Is it?’

He sent her a broad smile and wandered over to the desk, turning to prop himself against it, arms crossed. He was the epitome of male power, leashed for now, but ready to spring into action. ‘I hope you’ve taken my advice to heart, Miss Napier, otherwise things could become a little awkward. For you, that is.’

Kay stiffened at the renewed threat. ‘I had absolutely no intention of seeing anyone involved with the Endacotts ever again, and quite frankly I could have done without this meeting too.’ Because there was a deplorable part of her that found him so devastatingly attractive that it shattered her mind!

‘Rest assured, there are plenty of women whose company I would seek before yours, Miss Napier,’ he retorted scathingly, making her gasp in equal degrees of shock and hurt.

But she’d rather die than let him know that he could affect her in any way, and her lips curled. ‘Oh, I’m sure there are, and I can imagine the sort, too! Big flashy blondes with more chest than brains!’ she sniped sarcastically, losing control of her tongue yet again.

Blue eyes became frosty. ‘Perhaps. They certainly wouldn’t be avaricious little gold-diggers, who dress with as much sex appeal as cold rice pudding!’ Ben Radford shot back swiftly.

Kay didn’t know which description hurt the most, and while she struggled to find a response she was saved the need by the door being thrust open. Matthew Winterbourne rushed in, totally oblivious to the atmosphere, tossing aside his briefcase and holding out a hand to the other man.

‘Sorry to keep you waiting, Ben. Traffic was at a standstill!’ he apologised.

Ben Radford shook hands. ‘No problem. Miss Napier here has been keeping me amused,’ he said smoothly, no trace of animosity in his tone, which warned Kay she should never take this man at face value.

Matthew Winterbourne smiled vaguely in her direction. ‘Has she? Thanks for holding the fort, Kay.’

From somewhere Kay dredged up a smile. ‘You’re welcome,’ she responded before making good her escape, but not before she heard Ben Radford’s parting sally,

‘See you around.’ Well, not if she saw him first! Cold rice pudding! How dared he? He was a hateful, hateful man, and if she never saw him again it would be much too soon.

Unkind fate, however, saw to it that, while out of sight, he was lamentably not out of mind. It was during her dates with Lance that Ben Radford’s ghost kept rearing its ugly head. Try as she might—and she did try very hard—she couldn’t help but compare the two men. She hated herself for it, because Lance always seemed to come second—and a very poor second at that. How desperately she tried to feel something when he kissed her goodnight, but she just couldn’t. And to make it worse, in the middle of a kiss, she’d find herself thinking he was too short, too flabby—too unlike Bed Radford! Yet the more she tried to think better of Lance, the more she failed, and her nights were spent in restless self-condemnation.

Lack of sleep made her mind dull, too, and she found, by the end of the following week, that it was a struggle to concentrate. Never before had her beloved mathematics failed to absorb her whole attention, and it felt like the worst kind of betrayal. Never before had she looked forward to the weekend with quite such eagerness. She’d give her flat a good spring-clean and wash that man out of her thoughts at the same time!

Such was her plan. She should have known better. The telephone call she received on Friday morning came as a complete surprise, and a welcome distraction from the hours of wasted work the crumpled papers on her desk represented. Expecting her secretary to answer the ring, when it continued she realised Donna was out of the office and lifted her own receiver quickly.

‘Kay Napier,’ she stated briskly.

‘Charles Endacott here.’

Kay very nearly dropped the phone. Indeed, she replaced the papers she was juggling back on her desk with almost extreme care. ‘Sir Charles?’ she greeted him awkwardly after a pause of several seconds, during which her brain had gone into frantic convolutions wondering what he could possibly want, and at the same time dragging up an inimical picture of Ben Radford’s stony face. ‘This is a surprise.’

‘I’ve been doing some thinking, Miss Napier. Your visit was something of a shock, but it also intrigued me. I’d very much like to talk to you again, and I was wondering if you might be free for lunch today?’ The mellow tones of the old gentleman were warm in her ear.

But it was another voice that made her fingers tighten on the plastic. A cold voice which had warned her off in no uncertain terms, when advising her that just such an occasion as this might arise. Finding herself in the midst of a minefield, it behoved her to step very cautiously indeed.

‘Do you think that would be wise?’ she murmured diplomatically, and could almost hear his surprise.

‘I can see no harm in it.’

Kay sighed. ‘No,’ she admitted, ‘but others do. Mr Radford was quite emphatic, and I think I have to agree with him. My visit was a mistake, and perhaps it wouldn’t be wise to compound it in any way.’

Sir Charles sounded amused. ‘Warned you off, did he? If that isn’t like him! Ben is a very good businessman. Frankly, this bank would be lost without him. But he doesn’t know everything.’

‘He was concerned for you,’ she felt bound to point out gently. ‘After all, you know nothing about me.’

‘I didn’t get where I am without trusting my instincts. And I can look after myself. As for not knowing you, meet me for lunch and we’ll put it right. Now, what do you say? It would make an old man happy,’ he wheedled skilfully.

Kay, who had sorely missed having no other relatives, melted at the gentle cajolery. After all, she told herself, what harm could it really do? Ben Radford need never know, and she had liked Sir Charles on sight.

‘I usually have lunch between one and two,’ she said by way of acceptance, and burning her boats at the same time.

‘Good, good. My car will pick you up at one o’clock sharp. I look forward to seeing you again, Miss Napier,’ Sir Charles declared, and rang off.

Of course, as soon as she put the phone down, she started to doubt her sanity. She was laying herself open to all sorts of accusations if Ben Radford ever found out, and it wasn’t the wisest move if she wanted to put the whole of that encounter from her mind.

Yet, having given her word, she couldn’t go back on it, and therefore was waiting on the pavement when the silver-grey Bentley drew up on the dot of one. It made her glad that today she was wearing her favourite French navy coat dress. Anything else wouldn’t have done justice to the mode of transport!

The restaurant she was driven to turned out to be situated in a well-known gentlemen’s club. Sir Charles was already seated at a table when she was shown in, and he rose courteously, offering his hand.

‘Miss Napier. It was very kind of you to accede to an old man’s wishes.’

‘Please, call me Kay,’ she invited as they sat down, and paused until a Jeeves-like waiter melted away with their order before adding, ‘You make it very difficult for a person to refuse.’

Sir Charles smiled faintly. ‘I apologise for using unfair tactics on you, Kay. It’s a habit, I’m afraid. My grandchildren call me a wicked old blackmailer.’

Kay laughed softly. ‘It sounds as if they love you. You’re fortunate to have such a close family.’

‘I like to think so,’ he agreed and a short silence fell. Kay broke it a moment later.

‘What did you want to talk to me about?’

Sir Charles paused while the waiter returned with their starter, then cleared his throat. ‘As I mentioned the other day, since Kimberley disappeared there have been many attempts to extort money by people claiming to know where she was, and from children and young women claiming to be her. Naturally all were referred to the police who have the means to deal with such—frauds.

‘It used to make me very angry, but time has mellowed that. Today, what I feel is a deep sadness. I no longer hope for a miracle. Which is why your story intrigued me. You’re such a contradiction. Everything about you is right—your age, your colouring. Yet you want nothing, except to know you’re not Kimberley. You came to me, guilty and distressed because you had nowhere else to turn. I feel I should have been of more help to you. I would like to think that if by chance my granddaughter is alive, and if she has troubles, there will be someone for her to turn to. So, if you still wish to, why don’t you tell me exactly what it is that has so upset you?’

Kay felt more than a little choked. It was a long time since she had received such an unselfish offer. Advice without any emotional strings was exactly what she wanted, some objectivity which she seemed unable fully to reach herself. And considering the subject was one so close to Sir Charles, his offer was a generous one that she couldn’t refuse.

Sir Charles listened intently while she repeated her story, still carefully editing out any mention of the letter and telephone call, which she had decided were malicious, made by someone with a grudge against her mother. It wasn’t, she told herself, even as if it was necessary to the story. He nodded from time to time, as their meal progessed, to show his understanding, and occasionally interspersed a question. At the end, they both sat back, sipping at their coffee.

‘I can see why you suddenly had these doubts, Kay, but I have to say I agree with you about their being mere coincidence. If your mother had not kept a diary, it would never have occurred to you to doubt. I expect that if we did a survey, it would show that many redheaded babies were born on the day Kimberley disappeared, and that quite a few of their fathers walked out on the day the ransom was paid. You’re making the facts fit the case, but only by ignoring everything else.

‘No, my dear, I think we can safely say that you can rest assured your parents weren’t kidnappers. And as someone with a vested interest in the truth, I think you’ll trust my word, hmn?’

His smile was so kindly that Kay returned it easily. Everything he said made so much more sense than her own circling thoughts. Instinctively she reached out to touch his hand. ‘Oh, I do, and you’ve no idea how good it makes me feel to know I was being a fool. I needed someone to put it all into perspective.’

So engrossed had they been on their discussion that neither had seen the new diner enter the room. They only became aware of his approach as his shadow passed across them, causing both to look up at once, though their reactions differed vastly.

‘Very cosy, Charles. I had no idea you were entertaining,’ Ben Radford drawled.

Sir Charles laughed. ‘Even an old man can have secrets, Ben,’ he replied with bluff good humour, to Kay’s horror. She knew it was the wrong tack to take.

‘So I see,’ the younger man agreed, turning cold blue eyes her way. ‘Miss Napier,’ he greeted with an awful quiet that spoke volumes to her.

Kay experienced a sinking dismay. This was the last thing she wanted to have happened, and she didn’t need a high IQ to know what interpretation he was putting on a meeting he inevitably saw as clandestine. And as if that weren’t enough, she suffered again that instantaneous and all-encompassing awareness of him. His hand was just within her field of vision, long-fingered and tanned, in no way effeminate. She experienced a clear vision of it running caressingly over pearly skin—her skin—and felt heat rise all over her body.

Yet her voice was blessedly steady as she inclined her head. She would not let him see what effect his presence was having. ‘Mr Radford.’

‘Kay and I have been having a very interesting chat, Ben,’ Sir Charles went on, as if he couldn’t sense that the atmosphere had cooled. To Kay it was a red rag to a bull, and the very worst thing he could say.

Ben Radford, however, smiled with feigned interest. ‘I’m sure...Kay has a wealth of interesting stories to tell. Perhaps I’ll look her up some time and have a chat myself?’ There was no perhaps about it, as far as Kay could see.

‘If you’re trying to make a date, Ben, do it on your own time. Kay is my guest. Besides, she doesn’t have time to chat to you. If I don’t get her back to Winterbourne and Stonely in five minutes, she might be out of a job.’

It was extremely unlikely, but Ben Radford didn’t know that. The thought obviously pleased him, even if his words belied it. ‘We can’t have that, even though I’m sure Kay has her sights set on something higher than being a mere hireling all her life.’ With which parting salvo he sauntered away to a table by the window and proceeded to ignore them.

Kay knew in her bones that she hadn’t heard the last of it. Ben Radford had been paying lip-service to his partner. His true feelings were that she had ignored his warning and now woe betide her! Which thought caused her lunch to sit heavily on her stomach all afternoon.

By the time she returned to her flat that evening, she had developed a nagging headache, but as she had a date for dinner with Lance’s parents she hastily swallowed some aspirin and hoped they would do the trick. It was all due to the tension produced by one man. Waiting for Ben Radford’s appearance was like waiting for the axe to fall.

Making herself a snack of cheese on toast, she wished she could stop thinking about him. Just to mention his name conjured him up in her mind. Conjured up memories of his kiss, too, and how she wished she could make that vanish, never to return!

She lingered under the shower and felt better for it, and, after drying herself on a large fluffy bath sheet, donned sheer silk and lace bra and panties. Once it had seemed nothing more than an extravagant luxury that her underwear and night clothes were sinfully feminine, while her outer clothes were the ultimate in primness. Now, with the advent of Ben Radford, her wardrobe took on a hidden significance, her passionate nature concealed beneath a plain outer shell.

It was as if she had been lying to herself for years—and that made her extremely uncomfortable as she slipped on a simple black jersey dress, with its contrasting white bolero jacket. Stepping into low black pumps, to lessen her height—Lance was shorter than her and conscious of it—she checked her hair and make-up in the mirror. She was pleased with her appearance, and knew she would be approved of, but was also aware that that was due to her projecting negative sexuality. She realised she didn’t like that at all.

Such ambivalent thoughts made her even more unsettled, and so did Lance’s reaction to her when he arrived on the dot of seven-thirty. Not a second early or late, so that Kay had the unworthy idea he had been outside, checking his watch to make sure of the exact moment to ring the bell. Schooling her features not to show any doubt or irritation, she answered the door.

‘You look very nice, Kay, as always,’ he flattered, brushing his lips over her cheek.

Kay had a fleeting wish that he would sweep her off her feet instead of the customary kiss on her cheek, then mentally rapped her knuckles, knowing whose fault that thought was. Lance, with his wings of grey in his hair, and conservative grey suit, would consider it an insult to her. Besides, the disloyal thought ripped at her, being beneath his dignity.

‘Mother’s arranged dinner for eight. We’d better not keep her waiting,’ Lance urged moments later, and Kay obediently collected her handbag.

But these unsettling thoughts didn’t make for an enjoyable evening, although she did try. However, for the first time ever she allowed Mrs Young’s narrow-minded statements to draw her into an argument, which left that lady in a mood of high dudgeon and Lance bad-tempered, a fact which almost had her picking an argument with him, too. Which wasn’t like her at all. So that by the time they left, her relief was palpable. Lance saw her to her door, as always the perfect gentleman. Out of sorts, Kay felt the need to apologise. Unlocking the door, she turned.

‘I’m sorry I was such a grouch, Lance. Put it down to a headache. Did I utterly spoil your evening?’

He wasn’t to be so easily mollified, though. ‘You should have told me you weren’t well, instead of taking it out on Mother. We could have left hours ago,’ he said testily, then, clearly feeling he’d made his point, relented. ‘I won’t come in. You’ll be better off in bed with some hot milk.’

Irritably, Kay thought he sounded just like his mother, then retracted the awful thought and its implications. She’d always liked Lance for his consideration. ‘You’re right, of course. Goodnight, Lance,’ she murmured.

He took her in his arms and his embrace was everything she expected—pleasurable, but unexciting, and when he let her go she felt disappointed and hated herself for it.

‘I’ll ring you tomorrow,’ Lance promised and left, his footsteps echoing down the stairs.

‘Damn,’ Kay muttered, annoyed at her own ambivalence. Turning to go inside, she shot round in alarm as a scraping sound came from the shadows at the end of the landing.

‘What didn’t you fancy, the milk or him?’ an all too familiar voice queried mockingly, and a darker shadow rose from the next flight of stairs and came towards the light from her door. Ben Radford stepped into the beam, eyes glittering in a way that set her whole system on edge. ‘That was Lance, I take it?’

She chose not to answer either question. Because the shocking truth was that she hadn’t wanted Lance’s kiss at all, but this man’s. Now here he was, tempting and taunting her with every breath he took. She didn’t know who she loathed most—him or herself.

‘What do you want?’ she countered ungraciously, although she could guess.

His slow smile said he knew. ‘To have that chat I promised. Aren’t you going to invite me in?’

CHAPTER THREE

KAY’S first instinct was to shut the door in Ben Radford’s face, but then she realised if she did that he would only keep on coming back until she did agree to see him. Better to get it over with now than have it looming over her head like the sword of Damocles.

‘It’s a little late for a social call,’ she pointed out acidly, yet reluctantly stepped back and allowed him to precede her inside.

Closing the door made her feel as if she had locked herself into the cage with the tiger. She took several deep breaths before she joined him in the lounge. He seemed to grow in proportion to the room shrinking. It was impossible for her to be anything other than vitally aware of his presence. He would dominate any room, but she was determined he wouldn’t dominate her. Which meant keeping some measure of control over the proceedings.

‘Could we keep this short? As you obviously overheard, I have a headache.’ She spoke to his back as he studied his surroundings.

He swung around then, the action smoothly graceful for all that his hands were tucked into the pockets of his trousers. He must have left his coat in his car for he was in shirt-sleeves, the cuffs tantalisingly turned back. It in no way minimised the effect of his presence—rather, it magnified it.

‘An interesting love-life you two will have, what with hot milk and headaches,’ he observed with lashings of irony.

To her chagrin, Kay felt her cheeks flame. ‘That’s none of your damn business.’

Her temper was water off a duck’s back to him as he shrugged. ‘Just making conversation.’

She snapped her teeth, tossing her handbag on to the couch. He was being deliberately provocative, and rising to his bait was simply playing into his hands.

‘What do you want?’ she repeated hardily, raising her head in time to catch him taking a long, leisurely perusal of her from head to toe. It was as if he had actually touched her physically. As her nerves jolted into vibrant life, a tiny betraying gasp left her lips.

Which brought his eyes to them in an instant. ‘Some coffee would be nice. I’ve been waiting for hours.’

It was stunning the way her lips tingled as if he had stroked them. Her immediate response was to fly off the handle. ‘I’m not your servant! And I’m not responsible for you wasting your time on my doorstep!’ she very nearly shouted, chest heaving.

Ben Radford ambled a step closer. ‘You have a very short fuse, Kay Napier, and something tells me Lance isn’t the man to deal with it.’

‘Your opinion leaves me cold. And stop talking about Lance that way. I like him just the way he is!’

‘Do you really? Wouldn’t you rather he showed some hot male blood? Showed he wanted you?’ he probed on regardless.

Her hands clenched into tight fists. ‘I know he wants me. He doesn’t have to prove it all the time.’

He shook his head. ‘He’s no match for you. You’re fire and he’s ice. You’ll scare the life out of him, so that he’ll never satisfy you. In the end you’ll emasculate him and he’ll hate you for it,’ he added derisively, making her gasp in indignation.

‘You’re loathsome!’

He backed off thoughtfully, eyes piercing. ‘Why so outraged? Do you think you want a nice, cold, sexless little marriage?’

That he should have discovered so easily the reason for her own sudden ambivalence made the need to hide it vitally important. Regaining control, she clasped her hands together. ‘You have no right to say those things to me. How I choose to live my life is my affair,’ she said with stolid dignity.

To her relieved surprise that brought him up short and he dragged a hand through his hair, a sign that he wasn’t so cool himself. ‘You’re right. That wasn’t why I came here. You have the uncanny knack of throwing me off my stride.’ His tone said he didn’t like that at all.

‘Totally unintended, I assure you,’ Kay snapped, and he laughed, albeit grimly.

‘Now that I do believe!’

They faced each other across the room, as if battle lines had been drawn up.

‘I thought you were intelligent enough to heed my warning not to contact Charles again.’

At least here, her ground was relatively firm. ‘For your information, he telephoned me, not the other way around,’ she pointed out.