Read Online A Pretend Engagement by Jessica Steele - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Jessica Steele
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before the name Johnny came winging into her head. Oh, confound it! How could she leave? She slumped down in her bedroom chair. Then found that she couldn't sit still.
She went charging down the stairs again and, not thinking to restart a bad habit, declined to knock on the study door, but went barging straight in. Leon Beaumont glanced up, but she wasn't waiting for anything he might have to say but at once she demanded, `Are you expecting me to leave, or what?'
Grey eyes studied sparking sea-green ones. He shrugged. `Suit yourself.' Good! No, not good. `And if I go-what about John Metcalfe?' she questioned shortly.
Leon Beaumont smiled a smile she had no belief in. `I'm surprised you need to ask,' he drawled.
The pig! The swine! The worm! For about five seconds they stared into each other's eyes she furious, he, to her chagrin, slightly amused. `Right,' she snapped, with no idea what she meant to convey by the word.
She turned to leave, but could have turned back to thump him when, addressing her back, he reminded her silkily, `You won't forget about my coffee?'
Varnie got out of there. They were fairly isolated at Aldwyn House. Were she to kill him it could be weeks before his body was found. It was a pleasing thought.
She went mutinously along to the kitchen though not to make his coffee. He could whistle for that. That 'I'm surprised you need to ask' had said it all. If she walked out, Johnny could say goodbye to the job he loved so much.
Varnie was still in the kitchen when the phone rang. She glanced at the kitchen phone but otherwise ignored it. It would be for his lordship. She hoped it was Antonia King, ringing to give him some verbal earache. To think she had actually tried to protect him from that vulture of a woman! Varnie hoped she got him-that would serve him right. Though that wasn't such a happy prospect for Antonia King's husband, Neville.
The kitchen door opened. Leon Beaumont came in. `There's a call for you!' he said shortly.
Sorry to interrupt, I'm sure. `Who is it?' she asked bluntly. `Who have you told you're here?' he countered.
Give me strength. She dried her hands and went over to the kitchen phone. She glanced meaningfully back at Leon-he did not take the hint-he wasn't going anywhere.
Varnie chalked up another crime at his door and picked up the phone. `Hello?' she said.
`Who was that?' asked a vaguely familiar voice.
`Who is this?' she asked in return.
`Russell,' he answered. `Russell Adams.'
`Oh, hello, Russell. How's Caernarvon?"
'I'm back at my parents'. I forgot my shaving gear. It was a good excuse to come back and see if you're free to come out for a meal tonight?'
`I-er...'
`Say yes. You can't spend all your time sorting your grandfather's affairs.'
Varnie held the phone closer to her ear, just in case Leon caught a whisper of any one word and his astute mind went to work. For that same reason, and because she was afraid that she might slip up and say something she didn't mean to say, she wanted this call to end speedily.
`That wasn't your boyfriend who answered, was it?' Russell thought to question as an afterthought. `Good heavens, no. Just a friend of Johnny's who stopped by for a cup of tea.' Oh, heck. She could feel herself getting all hot and bothered she hadn't meant to mention Johnny's name. `Where shall I meet you?' she quickly asked.
`You'll come! Great! I'll come and pick you up. Shall we say-'
`I think it will be better if I drive myself,' she interrupted. She didn't think Mr. Beaumont would take kindly to her friends calling at his holiday hideaway. Not that she thought it would matter much who knew where he was now that Avaricious Antonia had run him to earth. Not, come to think of it, that Leon Beaumont was having much of a holiday either. He hadn't stopped working since he'd go there !
Russell said he'd book a table at a hotel they both knew, and they arranged to meet in the car park of the hotel at seven-thirty. Varnie was
She went charging down the stairs again and, not thinking to restart a bad habit, declined to knock on the study door, but went barging straight in. Leon Beaumont glanced up, but she wasn't waiting for anything he might have to say but at once she demanded, `Are you expecting me to leave, or what?'
Grey eyes studied sparking sea-green ones. He shrugged. `Suit yourself.' Good! No, not good. `And if I go-what about John Metcalfe?' she questioned shortly.
Leon Beaumont smiled a smile she had no belief in. `I'm surprised you need to ask,' he drawled.
The pig! The swine! The worm! For about five seconds they stared into each other's eyes she furious, he, to her chagrin, slightly amused. `Right,' she snapped, with no idea what she meant to convey by the word.
She turned to leave, but could have turned back to thump him when, addressing her back, he reminded her silkily, `You won't forget about my coffee?'
Varnie got out of there. They were fairly isolated at Aldwyn House. Were she to kill him it could be weeks before his body was found. It was a pleasing thought.
She went mutinously along to the kitchen though not to make his coffee. He could whistle for that. That 'I'm surprised you need to ask' had said it all. If she walked out, Johnny could say goodbye to the job he loved so much.
Varnie was still in the kitchen when the phone rang. She glanced at the kitchen phone but otherwise ignored it. It would be for his lordship. She hoped it was Antonia King, ringing to give him some verbal earache. To think she had actually tried to protect him from that vulture of a woman! Varnie hoped she got him-that would serve him right. Though that wasn't such a happy prospect for Antonia King's husband, Neville.
The kitchen door opened. Leon Beaumont came in. `There's a call for you!' he said shortly.
Sorry to interrupt, I'm sure. `Who is it?' she asked bluntly. `Who have you told you're here?' he countered.
Give me strength. She dried her hands and went over to the kitchen phone. She glanced meaningfully back at Leon-he did not take the hint-he wasn't going anywhere.
Varnie chalked up another crime at his door and picked up the phone. `Hello?' she said.
`Who was that?' asked a vaguely familiar voice.
`Who is this?' she asked in return.
`Russell,' he answered. `Russell Adams.'
`Oh, hello, Russell. How's Caernarvon?"
'I'm back at my parents'. I forgot my shaving gear. It was a good excuse to come back and see if you're free to come out for a meal tonight?'
`I-er...'
`Say yes. You can't spend all your time sorting your grandfather's affairs.'
Varnie held the phone closer to her ear, just in case Leon caught a whisper of any one word and his astute mind went to work. For that same reason, and because she was afraid that she might slip up and say something she didn't mean to say, she wanted this call to end speedily.
`That wasn't your boyfriend who answered, was it?' Russell thought to question as an afterthought. `Good heavens, no. Just a friend of Johnny's who stopped by for a cup of tea.' Oh, heck. She could feel herself getting all hot and bothered she hadn't meant to mention Johnny's name. `Where shall I meet you?' she quickly asked.
`You'll come! Great! I'll come and pick you up. Shall we say-'
`I think it will be better if I drive myself,' she interrupted. She didn't think Mr. Beaumont would take kindly to her friends calling at his holiday hideaway. Not that she thought it would matter much who knew where he was now that Avaricious Antonia had run him to earth. Not, come to think of it, that Leon Beaumont was having much of a holiday either. He hadn't stopped working since he'd go there !
Russell said he'd book a table at a hotel they both knew, and they arranged to meet in the car park of the hotel at seven-thirty. Varnie was
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