felt about Matt, how furious he would be! She looked forward to the day when she could tell Matt about it. But she would have to choose the right time.
She was late arriving at the studios in St John's Wood where she was being photographed for a fashion spread in Women's Monthly, and the photographer was so annoyed that he peppered his conversation with crude words, knowing how much she disliked them.
By the time she was home again she was exhausted, but a warm bath revived her and she rushed to be ready by seven-thirty when Matt was coming to pick her up. They went to the theatre, and although it was a play she had wanted to see, she found it difficult to concentrate. Her mind kept harping back to that morning, and she wondered when Matt was going to propose. Mark said it would be in the South of France, but would it be at the beginning of their stay or at the end?
'Relax,' Matt whispered into her ear. 'You're as tense as a coiled spring.'
'Sorry,' she whispered back, and made an effort to concentrate on the stage.
During dinner he kept up his usual light banter, and only when he left her outside her flat did he momentarily become serious.
'Don't forget to miss me for the next few days,' he said, 'and don't fall for anyone else.'
'Miss you?' she queried. 'Where are you going?'
'I'm going to France ahead of you. Mark's lined up a big French sportswear firm who'd like to buy into the brochure, but he needs my approval before finalising it.'
'Do you think he resents having to defer to you?'
'Maybe. But that's his problem, not mine.' He drew her close. 'I'm going to miss you, Sleeping Beauty. You wouldn't like to come down ahead with me?'
'Yes, but I won't!'
'I'll be staying on my yacht,' he whispered. 'It's even more swish than your hotel.'
'But not as safe.'
He looked disgusted. 'A beautiful blonde of twenty-four who wants to be safe!'
'It's better than being sorry!'
Matt laughed and let her go. 'See you next week, then. If you change your mind you only have to phone.'
Caroline missed Matt more than she had believed possible and decided to spend the weekend with her aunt and uncle in the country. Tom had already received his cheque from Mark, and had given it to her to give to Uncle Bill.
'Tell him that my business deal fell through, and I didn't need the money after all,' Tom instructed her.
With a feeling of relief Caroline handed the cheque to her uncle, who looked disappointed that his nephew's venture had not materialised.
'If only Tom would get a job,' he said, tugging at his small moustache. 'If he doesn't settle into something soon he'll fritter away his entire life.'
'He's doing a modelling job with me,' Caroline said. 'The offer came through Mark Ingle.'
'Didn't Bishop Industries buy him out?' her uncle asked.
Caroline nodded. 'I'm surprised you know.'
'I don't see why. Bishop's doings are always in the news. He's a tough nut, I hear.'
'A charming one,' Caroline said. 'I met him some time ago.'
Her aunt pricked up her ears. 'Anything serious, darling?'
Caroline hesitated before speaking, then decided to give them a hint that her relationship with Matt might turn out to be more than a casual one.
'I don't know him Well enough yet,' she added.
'But you'd like to know him better?'
'Yes, I would.'
'Don't be bowled over by his reputation,' her uncle warned.
'What a thing to say!' his wife protested. 'If Caroline was interested in money, she'd have married long ago. You know the opportunities she's had.' She smiled at her niece. 'If you like Matt Bishop go on seeing him, and trust your own judgment. Perhaps you'd like to bring him down for the weekend?'
'And get your aunt's judgment!' her uncle put in.
Caroline laughed. 'Perhaps I will when we come back from France.'
Caroline returned to London late on Sunday, counting the hours until she could see Matt. She was not sure whether he would be at the airport to meet her, and the next morning it took her some time to decide what to wear.
She was late arriving at the studios in St John's Wood where she was being photographed for a fashion spread in Women's Monthly, and the photographer was so annoyed that he peppered his conversation with crude words, knowing how much she disliked them.
By the time she was home again she was exhausted, but a warm bath revived her and she rushed to be ready by seven-thirty when Matt was coming to pick her up. They went to the theatre, and although it was a play she had wanted to see, she found it difficult to concentrate. Her mind kept harping back to that morning, and she wondered when Matt was going to propose. Mark said it would be in the South of France, but would it be at the beginning of their stay or at the end?
'Relax,' Matt whispered into her ear. 'You're as tense as a coiled spring.'
'Sorry,' she whispered back, and made an effort to concentrate on the stage.
During dinner he kept up his usual light banter, and only when he left her outside her flat did he momentarily become serious.
'Don't forget to miss me for the next few days,' he said, 'and don't fall for anyone else.'
'Miss you?' she queried. 'Where are you going?'
'I'm going to France ahead of you. Mark's lined up a big French sportswear firm who'd like to buy into the brochure, but he needs my approval before finalising it.'
'Do you think he resents having to defer to you?'
'Maybe. But that's his problem, not mine.' He drew her close. 'I'm going to miss you, Sleeping Beauty. You wouldn't like to come down ahead with me?'
'Yes, but I won't!'
'I'll be staying on my yacht,' he whispered. 'It's even more swish than your hotel.'
'But not as safe.'
He looked disgusted. 'A beautiful blonde of twenty-four who wants to be safe!'
'It's better than being sorry!'
Matt laughed and let her go. 'See you next week, then. If you change your mind you only have to phone.'
Caroline missed Matt more than she had believed possible and decided to spend the weekend with her aunt and uncle in the country. Tom had already received his cheque from Mark, and had given it to her to give to Uncle Bill.
'Tell him that my business deal fell through, and I didn't need the money after all,' Tom instructed her.
With a feeling of relief Caroline handed the cheque to her uncle, who looked disappointed that his nephew's venture had not materialised.
'If only Tom would get a job,' he said, tugging at his small moustache. 'If he doesn't settle into something soon he'll fritter away his entire life.'
'He's doing a modelling job with me,' Caroline said. 'The offer came through Mark Ingle.'
'Didn't Bishop Industries buy him out?' her uncle asked.
Caroline nodded. 'I'm surprised you know.'
'I don't see why. Bishop's doings are always in the news. He's a tough nut, I hear.'
'A charming one,' Caroline said. 'I met him some time ago.'
Her aunt pricked up her ears. 'Anything serious, darling?'
Caroline hesitated before speaking, then decided to give them a hint that her relationship with Matt might turn out to be more than a casual one.
'I don't know him Well enough yet,' she added.
'But you'd like to know him better?'
'Yes, I would.'
'Don't be bowled over by his reputation,' her uncle warned.
'What a thing to say!' his wife protested. 'If Caroline was interested in money, she'd have married long ago. You know the opportunities she's had.' She smiled at her niece. 'If you like Matt Bishop go on seeing him, and trust your own judgment. Perhaps you'd like to bring him down for the weekend?'
'And get your aunt's judgment!' her uncle put in.
Caroline laughed. 'Perhaps I will when we come back from France.'
Caroline returned to London late on Sunday, counting the hours until she could see Matt. She was not sure whether he would be at the airport to meet her, and the next morning it took her some time to decide what to wear.
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