Read Online Plain Jane in the Spotlight by Lucy Gordon - Free Book Online
Authors: Lucy Gordon
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the door open, and shut it quickly behind him.
‘I came up the back stairs,’ he said. ‘Nobody will know I’m here so if Lee…you know…’
‘If Lee asks any jealous questions you won’t have compromised me,’ she said, bitterly amused. ‘Don’t worry, he won’t. And he’d actually be glad you were here.’
‘Why would he…? Oh, no, tell me I’m wrong.’
‘You’d relieve him of a problem. He was here last night. Not for long. He escaped as soon as he could.’
‘You told him about the baby?’
‘I told him there might be one. He was horrified. He’s probably calling abortion doctors this minute.’
Travis drew in a sharp breath. ‘Would you—?’
‘No, of course not!’ she said passionately. ‘Never, never ! If I’m pregnant I’ll have the child, and if its father isn’t interested…I’ll manage.’
She began to pace the room, clenching and unclenching her hands until he took gentle hold of her.
‘Calm down,’ he said. ‘We’ve got to find out the truth. We can’t do anything until we know one way or the other.’
‘You’re kind but it’s me that’s got to do something, not you. I won’t drag you into this.’
‘I’m already part of this. You “dragged me in” when you socked me on the cheek yesterday.’
‘I didn’t sock you. It was a light tap and there isn’t the slightest mark—’
She stopped. His eyes were full of kindly humour, telling her that he was joking, and she should have realised.
‘Just shut up and let me look after you, OK?’ he said.
‘I don’t know what to do next. Perhaps I should go back to England.’
‘Before you’ve established the facts? Surely not.’
‘What difference will it make either way if Lee… I don’t know… Wait, let me give you this now.’
She took out the expensive necklace he’d loaned her.
‘I ought to have given it back to you last night, but there were so many things on my mind—’
‘That’s all right. I understand.’
‘Take it, take it.’ She was pushing the necklace into his hands as though desperate to get it out of her possession. It might have been some fearful thing, full of horrific memories, he thought, dismayed.
‘All right,’ he said, putting the jewels into his pocket. ‘Now, let’s talk this over calmly.’ He drew her to the bed and sat beside her. ‘Running away isn’t a good idea. I’m not letting you out of my sight until we know what’s going to happen. Is there anyone at home for you?’
‘No, I live with my grandparents but they’re away at the moment.’
‘What about other family? Brothers, sisters?’
‘Nobody, but that doesn’t matter. I’m strong, I can cope. Please don’t worry about me.’
He got up and strode to the window, standing with his back to her while he tried to get his head round what was happening. Before him stretched Sunset Boulevard, a glamorous place that seemed to typify the world he took for granted; a world in which presentation was all-important and most things had a price, even if it was often dressed up with tinsel.
Take whatever life offered, give as little as possible in return. That was the conventional wisdom. He’d gained much from Charlene’s presence. Now she was obligingly offering to vanish, causing no trouble, asking no favours, even handing back jewellery that many women would have tried to claim. It couldn’t be better and a shrewd man would seize what she’d given him, pack her onto the next plane, bless his luck and forget about her.
Travis made a slight turn, glancing over his shoulder at where she still sat on the bed. She wasn’t looking at him, just staring blankly into space.
This was how she would cope, he thought; sitting alone in an empty house, looking into the distance. Abandoned by her lover, abandoned by the man who’d called himself her friend and brother.
Common sense demanded that he get rid of her while she was still doing him good and before she could become awkward.
But common sense had
‘I came up the back stairs,’ he said. ‘Nobody will know I’m here so if Lee…you know…’
‘If Lee asks any jealous questions you won’t have compromised me,’ she said, bitterly amused. ‘Don’t worry, he won’t. And he’d actually be glad you were here.’
‘Why would he…? Oh, no, tell me I’m wrong.’
‘You’d relieve him of a problem. He was here last night. Not for long. He escaped as soon as he could.’
‘You told him about the baby?’
‘I told him there might be one. He was horrified. He’s probably calling abortion doctors this minute.’
Travis drew in a sharp breath. ‘Would you—?’
‘No, of course not!’ she said passionately. ‘Never, never ! If I’m pregnant I’ll have the child, and if its father isn’t interested…I’ll manage.’
She began to pace the room, clenching and unclenching her hands until he took gentle hold of her.
‘Calm down,’ he said. ‘We’ve got to find out the truth. We can’t do anything until we know one way or the other.’
‘You’re kind but it’s me that’s got to do something, not you. I won’t drag you into this.’
‘I’m already part of this. You “dragged me in” when you socked me on the cheek yesterday.’
‘I didn’t sock you. It was a light tap and there isn’t the slightest mark—’
She stopped. His eyes were full of kindly humour, telling her that he was joking, and she should have realised.
‘Just shut up and let me look after you, OK?’ he said.
‘I don’t know what to do next. Perhaps I should go back to England.’
‘Before you’ve established the facts? Surely not.’
‘What difference will it make either way if Lee… I don’t know… Wait, let me give you this now.’
She took out the expensive necklace he’d loaned her.
‘I ought to have given it back to you last night, but there were so many things on my mind—’
‘That’s all right. I understand.’
‘Take it, take it.’ She was pushing the necklace into his hands as though desperate to get it out of her possession. It might have been some fearful thing, full of horrific memories, he thought, dismayed.
‘All right,’ he said, putting the jewels into his pocket. ‘Now, let’s talk this over calmly.’ He drew her to the bed and sat beside her. ‘Running away isn’t a good idea. I’m not letting you out of my sight until we know what’s going to happen. Is there anyone at home for you?’
‘No, I live with my grandparents but they’re away at the moment.’
‘What about other family? Brothers, sisters?’
‘Nobody, but that doesn’t matter. I’m strong, I can cope. Please don’t worry about me.’
He got up and strode to the window, standing with his back to her while he tried to get his head round what was happening. Before him stretched Sunset Boulevard, a glamorous place that seemed to typify the world he took for granted; a world in which presentation was all-important and most things had a price, even if it was often dressed up with tinsel.
Take whatever life offered, give as little as possible in return. That was the conventional wisdom. He’d gained much from Charlene’s presence. Now she was obligingly offering to vanish, causing no trouble, asking no favours, even handing back jewellery that many women would have tried to claim. It couldn’t be better and a shrewd man would seize what she’d given him, pack her onto the next plane, bless his luck and forget about her.
Travis made a slight turn, glancing over his shoulder at where she still sat on the bed. She wasn’t looking at him, just staring blankly into space.
This was how she would cope, he thought; sitting alone in an empty house, looking into the distance. Abandoned by her lover, abandoned by the man who’d called himself her friend and brother.
Common sense demanded that he get rid of her while she was still doing him good and before she could become awkward.
But common sense had
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