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Malory gave her an ironic look. ‘Did you think you could avoid me for ever?’
She shrugged. ‘There’s no harm in hoping. I mean, there’s no real reason for you to—put in any personal appearances in my life. I thought I could just—pretend to see you when I went home at weekends’
‘But you didn’t go home last weekend’ he pointed out gently.
‘No’ Amanda sighed. ‘Mother’s still being difficult’
‘I’m sorry to hear it,’ he said, ‘but the fact is you’re not the only one with a life, and I do require you to put in the occasional—er, personal appearances at my side.’
She shot him a dismayed look. ‘When?’
‘In two weeks’ time at the company dinner,’ he said promptly. ‘You can manage that, I hope. The staff are looking forward to meeting you.’
They had reached his car. Amanda stood her ground. 'I can’t,‘ she said baldly. ’It’s quite impossible. I can’t go and foist myself on all these people under false pretences‘
‘There’s nothing false about it’ Malory unlocked the passenger door for her. ‘Our engagement is quite official’ He added, dead-pan, ‘I saw it in The Times.’
‘And so did 1’ Amanda found she was sitting in the car without really knowing how she got there. ‘That was an unnecessary refinement, surely?’
‘I don’t think so.’ His mouth twisted slightly. ‘I felt it gave a veneer of respectability to a rather ramshackle arrangement.’
‘So is this why you’re taking me to dinner—to ask me to go to your company party? Surely a phone call would have been sufficient?’
‘Probably, but I felt it was time I checked up on you.’ The purr of the ignition springing to life muffled Amanda’s snort of indignation. ‘You’ve lost some weight, which you can’t afford to do,’ he went on almost casually. ‘So a square meal is clearly a good idea. Besides, I have another reason for seeking you out.’
She said pettishly, ‘You take a hell of a lot for granted. Suppose I’d had another date this evening?’
‘Then you’d have broken it,’ he said cheerfully. ‘I think a fiancé has priority, don’t you?’
‘I think you’re carrying this charade to ridiculous lengths,’ Amanda said shortly, and lapsed into silence.
The restaurant he took her to lay in a quiet side street. It was small, French, and obviously exclusive. It was also clear that Malory was a regular and valued patron.
Amanda noticed, too, that there were no prices in the leather-bound menu she was solicitously handed.
Simply reading it was a mouth-watering experience. Amanda ate mousseline of sole, followed by duck breast cooked with mangoes, and finished with strawberries and crème Chantilly served in a basket of wafer-thin sweet pastry. As coffee and Armagnac were brought to the table, she sat back with a sigh of repletion.
‘That was a marvellous meal. Thank you.’
‘You never came here with Nigel?’
She shook her head. ‘He likes bigger restaurants—places where…’ She hesitated.
‘Places where he can see and be seen,’ Malory supplied, and she nodded.
‘Is that what you prefer?’ he asked. ‘We could have gone to Langans if you’d wished…’
‘Oh, no,’ she denied hastily. ‘I—I love it here’
‘Good.’ He smiled at her. ‘At least we have one thing in common.’
‘Yes.’ Amanda’s voice held a trace of uncertainty. She glanced at her watch. ‘It’s getting quite late…’
‘Yes, isn’t it?’ he said cordially. ‘All right, Amanda, I’ll take you safely back to your flat. But first we have a small piece of business to settle.’
‘We do?’
Malory said with faint asperity, ‘Don’t look so stricken. It isn’t anything very formidable.’ He took a small velvet-covered box from his pocket, and passed it across the table to her. ‘This is for you. My choice, I’m afraid, as you’ve proved so elusive over the past fortnight.’
Amanda opened the box with trepidation, and gasped. She was looking at an exquisite square-cut emerald, surrounded by diamonds.
‘But I can’t wear this.’
‘You think it will be the wrong size? Well, that can easily be altered.’
‘No, I didn’t mean that. It—it’s too much—too beautiful. It must have cost a fortune. You shouldn’t have done it.’
‘Actually, it belonged to my mother. Does that make you feel better about it?’
