The trouble was, thought Megan, he knew her too well.
`Christian names with employers, especially employers you don't know very well, is to my way of thinking impertinent. Doesn't he object ?'
Megan refused to take exception to that. If Ray could keep his temper, so could she. 'As if I would use his Christian name if he hadn't requested me to do so,' she said patiently.
`I suppose it makes him feel popular,' murmured Main disparagingly, then snorted, 'A writer !'
`My father is a writer,' said Megan, finding it hard to keep a rein on her feelings.
`Authentic,' snapped Main, 'not fictional.'
`Both,' ground out Megan, 'give pleasure in their own way.'
Main did not answer for a few seconds, then he suddenly barked out at her, 'Was he telling the truth last night ?'
Megan gasped. She stood still and glared at him. `What's got into you ?' she demanded. 'Of course he was. For goodness' sake ! What would a man like that see in me? I'm as safe with him as I am with you or Father.' It occurred to her quite suddenly that he was genuinely worried about her. 'He'd have to be jolly well hard up to make a pass at me, wouldn't he ? Not that I'd recognise one if he did.' She grinned at him. 'Remember me? The plaguey pest ?'
Alain stood looking at her. With slightly narrowed eyes he took in her slight, boyish form, her hands on her hips and feet slightly apart. Her wide grey eyes humorously watching him, her curly head on one side.
`Congratulations,' he said quietly. 'You've grown up.'
Megan laughed delightedly. 'I told you so, didn't I? But I'm still the same. I haven't changed.'
`Haven't you?' he murmured, and his eyes swept slowly over her again.
`Stop looking at me as if I were some farm animal you were thinking of putting an offer in for !' she said indignantly.
His brows rose. 'Nothing was further from my mind,' he said softly. 'I do wish you would watch your words. Can't you see how a man like Hallett would take a speech like that?'
Megan did not answer; she was thinking sadly of how Alain had lost his sense of humour. She was positive he would have seen the funny side of the whole thing by now.
Alain continued, 'Not that he'll try anything now, he got the message last night.'
Megan was too sad to argue the point any longer. She was still a little girl where Alain was concerned, in spite of what he'd just said. 'No, Alain,' she said submissively.
He gave a quick piercing stare, not sure if she were
really meek or playing him up. Her eyes gave him the answer. 'Tuppence ?' he said. There was a note of surprise in his voice. 'You haven't got a crush on him, have you?'
Megan sighed. Of course, it would have to be an adolescent thing like a crush, wouldn't it ? He wouldn't register the fact that she might have fallen in love. It also occurred to her that Iris had not passed on the message, in spite of her assertion that Alain would be relieved that she had turned her sights elsewhere. She was back to square one, she thought. She sighed dramatically. 'I think he's wonderful,' she said, and sighed again for good measure.
He stared at her, his lips thinned. 'That settles it,' he said firmly. 'You leave this weekend. Do you hear? No—you'll leave straight away.' He sounded exasperated. 'I'm going to have a word with that father of yours. It's time he came down from the clouds and looked after you. Why on earth he didn't marry again and provide you with someone to look after your welfare I'll never know. You're fair game for a man of Hallett's stamp.'
Megan came out of her miserable musings. He wasn't even being brotherly now, but treating her as a nuisance he could have done without. Clearly he felt responsible for her. 'You'll do no such thing !' she rounded on him furiously. 'Leave me alone, Alain Drew ! I don't need your lectures or interference.
Between you and Iris I've just about had enough. For goodness' sake look after your own affairs and leave me alone !'
His eyes widened at her vehemence. 'And what has Iris
`Christian names with employers, especially employers you don't know very well, is to my way of thinking impertinent. Doesn't he object ?'
Megan refused to take exception to that. If Ray could keep his temper, so could she. 'As if I would use his Christian name if he hadn't requested me to do so,' she said patiently.
`I suppose it makes him feel popular,' murmured Main disparagingly, then snorted, 'A writer !'
`My father is a writer,' said Megan, finding it hard to keep a rein on her feelings.
`Authentic,' snapped Main, 'not fictional.'
`Both,' ground out Megan, 'give pleasure in their own way.'
Main did not answer for a few seconds, then he suddenly barked out at her, 'Was he telling the truth last night ?'
Megan gasped. She stood still and glared at him. `What's got into you ?' she demanded. 'Of course he was. For goodness' sake ! What would a man like that see in me? I'm as safe with him as I am with you or Father.' It occurred to her quite suddenly that he was genuinely worried about her. 'He'd have to be jolly well hard up to make a pass at me, wouldn't he ? Not that I'd recognise one if he did.' She grinned at him. 'Remember me? The plaguey pest ?'
Alain stood looking at her. With slightly narrowed eyes he took in her slight, boyish form, her hands on her hips and feet slightly apart. Her wide grey eyes humorously watching him, her curly head on one side.
`Congratulations,' he said quietly. 'You've grown up.'
Megan laughed delightedly. 'I told you so, didn't I? But I'm still the same. I haven't changed.'
`Haven't you?' he murmured, and his eyes swept slowly over her again.
`Stop looking at me as if I were some farm animal you were thinking of putting an offer in for !' she said indignantly.
His brows rose. 'Nothing was further from my mind,' he said softly. 'I do wish you would watch your words. Can't you see how a man like Hallett would take a speech like that?'
Megan did not answer; she was thinking sadly of how Alain had lost his sense of humour. She was positive he would have seen the funny side of the whole thing by now.
Alain continued, 'Not that he'll try anything now, he got the message last night.'
Megan was too sad to argue the point any longer. She was still a little girl where Alain was concerned, in spite of what he'd just said. 'No, Alain,' she said submissively.
He gave a quick piercing stare, not sure if she were
really meek or playing him up. Her eyes gave him the answer. 'Tuppence ?' he said. There was a note of surprise in his voice. 'You haven't got a crush on him, have you?'
Megan sighed. Of course, it would have to be an adolescent thing like a crush, wouldn't it ? He wouldn't register the fact that she might have fallen in love. It also occurred to her that Iris had not passed on the message, in spite of her assertion that Alain would be relieved that she had turned her sights elsewhere. She was back to square one, she thought. She sighed dramatically. 'I think he's wonderful,' she said, and sighed again for good measure.
He stared at her, his lips thinned. 'That settles it,' he said firmly. 'You leave this weekend. Do you hear? No—you'll leave straight away.' He sounded exasperated. 'I'm going to have a word with that father of yours. It's time he came down from the clouds and looked after you. Why on earth he didn't marry again and provide you with someone to look after your welfare I'll never know. You're fair game for a man of Hallett's stamp.'
Megan came out of her miserable musings. He wasn't even being brotherly now, but treating her as a nuisance he could have done without. Clearly he felt responsible for her. 'You'll do no such thing !' she rounded on him furiously. 'Leave me alone, Alain Drew ! I don't need your lectures or interference.
Between you and Iris I've just about had enough. For goodness' sake look after your own affairs and leave me alone !'
His eyes widened at her vehemence. 'And what has Iris
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