AllFreeNovel
Share Us
‘You found the flat all right, I see. Have you made yourself a drink?’ He walked past her, pulling his bow-tie undone as he closed the door firmly behind him.
‘No, I haven’t had a chance to even think about it. You were so quick.’
‘Janette decided she would prefer to take a taxi and I was lucky enough to stop one at the end of the road.’ He led the way into the sitting-room and picked up a bottle to pour himself a small measure of whisky. ‘Want one?’
‘No, thank you. Look, David, I didn’t mean to make things difficult for you. Was Janette very annoyed about me turning up and spoiling your evening? Is that why she took a taxi?’
He shrugged carelessly, dropping down into one of the huge leather armchairs and crossing his long legs as he took a swallow of the drink, then closed his eyes. ‘Probably. But it was her decision.’ He opened his eyes and looked directly at Beth over the rim of the glass. ‘Don’t start worrying again. Janette and I are old friends—more than mere friends, if you want the truth, but we are both free to do what we choose. If I’ve had to make alterations to our plans then it’s unfortunate, but she is well aware of the rules. What I decide to do and why is my business. Understand?’
Beth nodded, unease rippling down her spine. She’d clung to the memory of his kindness like a talisman, but now he sounded so cold and hard that she didn’t know what to think any longer. Heaven knew she was no judge of men if her disastrous affair with Andrew was a yardstick to measure by, but had she been mistaken about David Kane as well?
She walked over to the window and stared out across the tree-tops, her hands twisting the soft folds of her grey coat. Autumn was just setting in, turning the leaves gold and russet. By spring the baby would be born, but she still had to get through all the long dark days first. Was she being foolish to imagine that talking to David Kane could help her do that?
‘Want to tell me about it, Beth?’ His voice was soft and quiet and she turned slowly to look at him.
Just for a moment she hesitated, then went and sat down in the chair opposite his. ‘I don’t know where to start.’
‘Try taking it from the beginning. It sounds trite, but it’s usually the best place.’
‘I…’ She closed her eyes as she tried to get it all into some sort of sequence, yet the words still rushed out, betraying her fear. ‘I’ve lost my job and I’m going to lose my home and, frankly, I don’t know what to do next!’
‘I see.’ He took another swallow of the whisky, his face betraying nothing. What was he thinking? Was he regretting his previous kindness; was he now sorry that he had become involved in her affair? It was impossible to tell what was going on inside his head. Life had taught David Kane to hide his feelings and he did it well, so well that Beth suddenly regretted coming up to his flat.
She jumped to her feet, colour flaring in her cheeks. ‘This has been a mistake. You don’t want to hear my problems.’
‘Sit down.’ He didn’t raise his voice, yet she found herself obeying. She sat down abruptly, shaken by the easy authority he displayed, the total conviction that an order given would be obeyed. Who was this man called David Kane? The warm, kind, caring man who had offered comfort to a stranger, or a cold, ruthless dictator who seemingly cut his own path through life?
‘How did you lose your job? You were confident that you would be able to support yourself on what you earned so it seems unlikely that you would do anything to jeopardise it.’
‘I didn’t.’ She smiled bitterly. ‘Well, that’s not quite true. I got pregnant.’
‘That’s hardly a reason to sack you. There are laws to protect women from that, Beth.’
‘I know, I know. I’ve become an expert on them in the last few weeks! However, it appears that they don’t apply in my case. I’ve been with this firm a little over four months, still on a trial basis, in fact. I’d been with the other company for three years, transferring from the Liverpool branch to the London one. I would have been entitled to full maternity benefits if I’d still been with them, but now…’ She broke off and took a deep breath to ease the constriction brought on by anxiety. ‘Andrew had been pressing me to go on holiday, but there was no way I could afford it on the salary I earned then. When this job was advertised—secretary to the assistant manager—I jumped at it even though it meant leaving a firm I’d been so happy with. It would have been fine if I hadn’t got pregnant.’
