‘I’m not talking about what I read in the papers,’ Louise stormed. ‘I’m talking about what I’ve seen with my own eyes.’
‘I don’t know what you think you’ve seen?—’
‘Iknowwhat you’re doing, Will. I know all about your littlemission,’ she spat.
‘Whatmission?’
Louise sighed. ‘I know why you asked Kate to come here. I know you’re pretending to be interested in her because her mother asked you to. I couldn’tbelieveyou’d agree to do it. I never thought you could be so cruel.’
Will was stunned into silence. Eventually he said, ‘You heard that?’
Louise nodded. ‘I know Grace asked you to flirt with Kate topush her into breaking up with her boyfriend. I just can’t believe you’re doing it.’
‘I’m not,’ Will said dazedly. All the fight seemed suddenly to have gone out of him.
‘Oh come on, Will, you’ve been flirting with her since the moment she got here. The poor girl doesn’t know which way is up.’
‘But I’m not doing it for Grace.’
‘Why are you doing it then? Just to amuse yourself?’
‘No!’ Will protested vehemently, but a look of intense vulnerability flashed across his face.
‘Oh—!’ Louise stopped dead in her tracks. ‘Oh, I see,’ she said dropping into a chair.
Will’s face was shuttered.
‘You weren’t pretending,’ Louise stated.
‘No.’
‘Sorry,’ Louise mumbled. ‘But what was I supposed to think? I heard that, and the next thing I know Kate’s on the payroll and you’re all over her like a rash.’
‘You might have given me the benefit of the doubt.’
‘Okay, I’m sorry – but don’t worry, I’ll sort it out,’ Louise said, jumping up. ‘I’ll get Kate back here right away.’
‘She won’t come,’ Will said bleakly.
‘I’ll tell her the contract is binding and she has to. I’ll tell her she’ll never work again if she lets us down.’
Will sighed. ‘No,’ he said, rubbing his temples wearily, as if to stave off a headache. ‘Don’t do anything.’
‘But—’
‘Don’t do anything,’ he repeated, his shoulders slumped. ‘It’s probably for the best.’
Louise looked at him, aghast. ‘How can you say that when?—’
‘Louise – drop it.’ His voice was as cold as ice.
‘Okay. But just for the record, I think you’re making a big mistake.’
‘Just for the record,’ Will said, ‘you’re probably right.’
* * *
‘What have you been saying to Louise?’ Rory demanded, marching into the kitchen. Will was sitting at the table, soothing his frazzled nerves with a soft drink. Evidently Rory was next in line to take a pop at him, he thought. Some days he felt he ought to go back to drinking and embrace the ability to forget.
