Lifelong Affair

Morgan swung her legs to the ground and stood up, feeling at less of a disadvantage, her own height being considerable, although Alex Hammond still topped her by a head. She swayed slightly as she stood, not as recovered as she thought she was, although her back was straight, her gaze steady as she faced Alex Hammond across the room. Like adversaries. And she had a feeling that was exactly what they were.

‘It was waiting for your call that stopped me sleeping.’ Her words were defensive because of the weakness she had shown by fainting in that way. ‘You didn’t have to come all the way to Los Angeles, you could have explained everything over the telephone and saved yourself the trouble of flying out here. I could have told you no just as easily that way,’ she added hardly.

His mouth tightened. ‘You won’t even look at the papers I brought with me?’

‘No.’

‘Even though you know Courtney will be better off with us in England?’

‘And who is us?’ she derided scornfully. ‘You and your mother? A bitter and resentful widow and an unfeeling man?’

Icy grey eyes raked over her with cool disdain. ‘Or a fun-loving young actress with no morals?’ he rasped.

‘You mean me?’ she gasped. ‘Where did you get that impression, Mr Hammond?’

‘Glenna was very proud of your first English televised role,’ he drawled. ‘We were all made to watch your undoubted talent as Mary-Beth Barker.’

That was what she had thought. ‘Talent is the right word, Mr Hammond,’ she taunted. ‘I was acting a part—I thought you were intelligent enough to realise that.’

‘Maybe I am,’ he nodded. ‘But I have no reason to believe Courtney would be happier with you than with us. You must work very hard, very long hours. I doubt you would have a lot of time to bring up a young child.’

She dismissed the wisdom of his words. Glenna had wanted her to have a part in bringing up Court, and that was what she was going to do. ‘I have a plane to catch, Mr Hammond,’ she told him briskly. ‘I have to get to the airport.’

He closed his briefcase with a decisive click. ‘I’ll come with you.’

‘That won’t be necessary.’

‘It’s very necessary,’ he told her grimly. ‘I have a seat on that plane too.’

‘Oh.’ Her eyes were narrowed. ‘You didn’t intend staying long. Or were you so sure of what you thought my answer would be that you just expected to come here, have me sign those documents, and then return home?’ Her eyes took on a dangerous sheen as she saw by the tightening of his mouth that that was exactly what he had thought. ‘Glenna wasn’t happy with your family, Mr Hammond,’ she told him frostily. ‘I’m beginning to understand why.’

‘Indeed?’ he bit out grimly.

‘Yes!’

‘And I’m beginning to see that you’re as uncompromising as your sister was. Oh yes, we knew of Glenna’s unhappiness,’ he mocked her gasp of surprise. ‘She made no secret of the fact. But I think I should point out once again that Glenna gave her son two guardians, she didn’t cut the Hammonds out of Courtney’s life as if she hated us.’

Morgan wondered if this man had a habit of always being right; if he did it was an annoying habit! ‘Instead of arguing I suggest we get to the airport—I wouldn’t want to miss the plane. I’ll just go into my bedroom and call my mother at the hospital. She’s been as anxious as I have.’

If Alex Hammond was affected by her deliberate move to shame him he didn’t show it, settling his long length into a chair, sitting back to close his eyes with a weary sigh.

Guilt instantly washed over her. This man might seem like a cold robot to her, but his brother had just died, and he had just spent all those hours on a plane; he must be exhausted. ‘Can I get you some coffee?’ she offered huskily. ‘Or something to eat?’

His eyes flickered open, silver-grey, showing no sign of the tiredness she suspected. ‘Tea?’ he queried hopefully.

Morgan smiled, and the tension instantly eased between them. ‘I have tea,’ she nodded. ‘It’s a habit I picked up when I went to England for the wedding. Milk, sugar?’

‘Thanks,’ he nodded.

Her mother came to the telephone straight away once she had been paged, and it was the hardest thing in the world to tell her that Glenna really was dead; her mother finally broke down now that she knew there was no hope of ever seeing her elder daughter again. Morgan broke down and cried with her, offering no resistance as Alex Hammond came in and took over, too overcome by grief herself now that her shock was passing to talk coherently.

‘Your mother is overjoyed by her grandson’s existence,’ Alex Hammond rang off to assure her. ‘She hopes she and your father can go to England to see him soon. In the meantime, I don’t think you’re in any condition to fly to England. Maybe it would be better—–’

‘I’m coming with you,’ Morgan told him determinedly. ‘I want to see Court-ney, and also I have to—to attend Glenna’s funeral. Someone from the family should be there.’ She went to the bathroom and washed her face in cold water. ‘I take it the funeral will be in England.’

‘As soon as—Yes,’ he substituted abruptly. ‘Eventually.’

Her spine stiffened at the addition of the last word. ‘I understand,’ she said heavily. ‘I’m ready to leave now.’

‘Are you sure—–’

‘I’m very sure.’ Her expression was stubborn.

‘Your work?’

‘Will just have to wait,’ she told him with bravado, not in the least sure how the studio would react to her taking off like this. They surely couldn’t object to a couple of days, not in the circumstances. If they did they would just have to sue. She doubted they would want to do that. ‘I intend coming with you, Mr Hammond—make no mistake about that.’

‘Then perhaps you’d better call me Alex,’ he derided. ‘I don’t intend calling you Miss McKay for the next twelve hours or so.’

‘Morgan,’ she supplied abruptly.

‘I know that,’ he nodded. ‘Glenna spoke of you often.’

She would have liked to return the compliment, but Glenna had been surprisingly reticent about her brother-in-law, talking about him little, and then only in connection with Mark being at work. Apparently Alex Hammond kept to himself, spending little time with the family.

‘Feel up to braving the media again?’ he queried distantly. ‘I doubt if they’ve left yet. Especially if news of survivors has filtered through.’

Completely in control of herself now, Morgan was able to move determinedly at Alex Hammond’s side as they made their way downstairs to get into the cab that he had ordered to wait for them ten minutes ago as she cried. Alex ignored the questions thrown at them; his expression was distant, his hold on Morgan’s arm unbreakable, despite the pushing and jostling going on about them.

‘The airport,’ he instructed the cab driver arrogantly, pushing Morgan in the car ahead of him.

She wasn’t used to being dominated in this way. She had been brought up to be independent, to stand up for herself; Alex Hammond was obviously used to being dominant with the women in his life.

Morgan studied him curiously on the drive to the airport. There could be no doubting that he was very attractive, in an austere way, and yet Glenna had never mentioned him having a woman in his life. But he certainly didn’t like men! His gaze had been critical of her, but it had definitely been male in its intent. No doubt there were women from time to time, just nothing serious. She wondered why. Alex was thirty-eight, surely that was quite old for a man not to have been married. He probably thought twenty-six was old for a woman not to have married either!

‘Something funny?’

Her smile faded as she realised he was looking at her. ‘Not really,’ she dismissed. ‘Is Courtney at your home?’

Alex shook his head. ‘He’s being kept in hospital for a few days. It’s a standard thing for new babies,’ he added at her worried frown. ‘He really is very well, Morgan. Perfectly healthy, even if he is eight weeks premature.’

‘Thank God!’ she shuddered.

‘Yes,’ he agreed curtly.

All was chaos at the airport; the members of the media who had been outside her home had obviously telephoned ahead to their colleagues, for a dozen or so reporters were continuing the harassment. Morgan wasn’t in the least surprised when Alex secured a private lounge for them, and strode off to deal with their seats himself.

Morgan took this opportunity to call Sam and Jerry, something she hadn’t had time to do in the trauma of the last hour. Sam was very understanding, and Jerry had already rearranged the work schedule to allow her to take a week off. A week should be long enough to convince the Hammonds that Glenna’s baby belonged with her.