was slightly open.
How did that happen? she wondered, quickening her step. Which of us was the last to leave this morning? It must have been me, yet I’m sure I checked the windows. I always do.
She went up the stairs to their floor, two at a time. As she fitted her key into one of the safety locks she tensed, because it wasn’t fastened. In fact the whole door was on the latch, she realised, pushing it open and wondering sickly what scene of devastation she was going to find.
But the living room looked just the same as usual. Or did it? She looked around slowly, registering Jack’s overcoat lying across the sofa, a bottle of wine halfdrunk on the coffee table. A pair of high-heeled shoes abandoned carelessly underneath it. Not hers.
There was the sound of a door opening, and she turned to see Jack emerging from the bedroom. Their bedroom. He was wearing his red silk dressing gown, the sash loosely knotted round his waist, and beneath it he was naked. He had a cigarette in one hand, and in the other he was carrying two empty wine glasses by their stems.
When he saw Tara, he checked, his brows lifting sharply.
‘Well, well,’ he said softly. ‘What a charming surprise. And so opportune. At least I don’t have to do your packing for you.’
Her throat felt parched suddenly. It was difficult to articulate the words. ‘Packing? I—I don’t understand what you mean.’
‘Yes, you do, darling.’ He was smiling at her. ‘I’m revoking your temporary tenancy here. Giving you notice to quit. And the sooner the better.’
‘Quit?’ She stared at him. ‘You—want me to—leave?’
Jack sighed with exaggerated patience. ‘And you’re supposed to be such a bright girl,’ he said mockingly.
‘But you can’t—I can’t...’ She swallowed. ‘This is some awful joke. It must be.’
‘No joke.’ He shrugged. ‘Just a game that I’ve become bored with. But I was prepared to go on playing while there was a chance you might push me up the corporate ladder. But I now know that’s not going to happen, so I’ve found a new playmate. And you, my sweet, are surplus to requirements—in bed and out of it.’
She said hoarsely, ‘You don’t mean this. You can’t. Jack, don’t say such things. I love you. We love each other.’
‘Correction,’ he said. ‘I loved the fact that you were the boss’s daughter, and that you could be useful to me. But you blew it.’ He smiled at her, and for the first time she saw the cruelty beneath the facile charm.
‘We were going to be married.’ The words were wrung from her.
‘So we were,’ he agreed. ‘I’d have even made that sacrifice for a seat on the board. But to tell you the truth I’m rather glad your father cancelled my entry. It was going to be a hell of an act to sustain. You’re terribly earnest, you know, darling, and a bit of a drag sexually. Oh, you were a novelty at first, but that soon wore off. And no amount of girlish enthusiasm is ever going to equal natural-born talent.’
The pain had been there from the moment she saw him walk out of the bedroom and realised what was happening, but she’d managed to hold it back. Now, she felt its teeth snap into her, taking hold and tearing at her, flesh and spirit.
Yet somehow she managed to lift her head. ‘In that case, I’d better get my things.’
‘Exactly.’ He poured some more wine into the glasses. ‘You realise, of course, I have a guest.’
‘Yes,’ she said. ‘I’m sorry to have intruded.’
‘As a matter of interest, why are you here?’ He drank some wine, watching her. ‘You haven’t got the sack, too, I hope.’ He saw the shock on her face, and laughed. ‘Oh, yes, I was “let go” last week. Some kind of rationalisation programme, I gather, which only involved me. They offered me salary in lieu of notice, plus a sweetener, and I took it. A mate of mine is running some mining company out in Brazil, and I’m going to join him, just in case you were concerned about
How did that happen? she wondered, quickening her step. Which of us was the last to leave this morning? It must have been me, yet I’m sure I checked the windows. I always do.
She went up the stairs to their floor, two at a time. As she fitted her key into one of the safety locks she tensed, because it wasn’t fastened. In fact the whole door was on the latch, she realised, pushing it open and wondering sickly what scene of devastation she was going to find.
But the living room looked just the same as usual. Or did it? She looked around slowly, registering Jack’s overcoat lying across the sofa, a bottle of wine halfdrunk on the coffee table. A pair of high-heeled shoes abandoned carelessly underneath it. Not hers.
There was the sound of a door opening, and she turned to see Jack emerging from the bedroom. Their bedroom. He was wearing his red silk dressing gown, the sash loosely knotted round his waist, and beneath it he was naked. He had a cigarette in one hand, and in the other he was carrying two empty wine glasses by their stems.
When he saw Tara, he checked, his brows lifting sharply.
‘Well, well,’ he said softly. ‘What a charming surprise. And so opportune. At least I don’t have to do your packing for you.’
Her throat felt parched suddenly. It was difficult to articulate the words. ‘Packing? I—I don’t understand what you mean.’
‘Yes, you do, darling.’ He was smiling at her. ‘I’m revoking your temporary tenancy here. Giving you notice to quit. And the sooner the better.’
‘Quit?’ She stared at him. ‘You—want me to—leave?’
Jack sighed with exaggerated patience. ‘And you’re supposed to be such a bright girl,’ he said mockingly.
‘But you can’t—I can’t...’ She swallowed. ‘This is some awful joke. It must be.’
‘No joke.’ He shrugged. ‘Just a game that I’ve become bored with. But I was prepared to go on playing while there was a chance you might push me up the corporate ladder. But I now know that’s not going to happen, so I’ve found a new playmate. And you, my sweet, are surplus to requirements—in bed and out of it.’
She said hoarsely, ‘You don’t mean this. You can’t. Jack, don’t say such things. I love you. We love each other.’
‘Correction,’ he said. ‘I loved the fact that you were the boss’s daughter, and that you could be useful to me. But you blew it.’ He smiled at her, and for the first time she saw the cruelty beneath the facile charm.
‘We were going to be married.’ The words were wrung from her.
‘So we were,’ he agreed. ‘I’d have even made that sacrifice for a seat on the board. But to tell you the truth I’m rather glad your father cancelled my entry. It was going to be a hell of an act to sustain. You’re terribly earnest, you know, darling, and a bit of a drag sexually. Oh, you were a novelty at first, but that soon wore off. And no amount of girlish enthusiasm is ever going to equal natural-born talent.’
The pain had been there from the moment she saw him walk out of the bedroom and realised what was happening, but she’d managed to hold it back. Now, she felt its teeth snap into her, taking hold and tearing at her, flesh and spirit.
Yet somehow she managed to lift her head. ‘In that case, I’d better get my things.’
‘Exactly.’ He poured some more wine into the glasses. ‘You realise, of course, I have a guest.’
‘Yes,’ she said. ‘I’m sorry to have intruded.’
‘As a matter of interest, why are you here?’ He drank some wine, watching her. ‘You haven’t got the sack, too, I hope.’ He saw the shock on her face, and laughed. ‘Oh, yes, I was “let go” last week. Some kind of rationalisation programme, I gather, which only involved me. They offered me salary in lieu of notice, plus a sweetener, and I took it. A mate of mine is running some mining company out in Brazil, and I’m going to join him, just in case you were concerned about
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