Highly Unsuitable: Mr and Mischief / The Darkest of Secrets / The Undoing of de Luca

Jason stared at the social pages of the newspaper that his PA had laid out with other relevant articles. Tumbled, golden curls, a tiny silver scrap of a dress. Three separate photographs, each one more damning than the last. He scanned the captions: Emily Wood dazzles the fund-raising scene in an exclusively designed dress … Emily Wood and unidentified guest toast their evening … Emily Wood and Philip Ellsworth dance together at last night’s charity gala.

With a grimace of disgust, Jason pushed the pages away. He didn’t need to see any more photographs. He’d already been convinced that as charming as Emily was, as desirable as he knew her to be, she could also be silly, scatty and most unsuitable. He had no business expressing any interest in her at all. No business kissing her.

She was not wife material. Not even close.

So why couldn’t he get her out of his mind? Why couldn’t he forget that kiss?

Why did he want more?

He’d returned to London for the express purpose of finding a wife. With his father’s health failing, it had become all the more urgent. He had no time to waste with Emily Wood, and yet he was honest enough to realise he had trouble resisting her. His self-control had deserted him, his willpower at an alltime low. How he’d managed to keep his distance from Emily for seven years he had no idea, since he certainly couldn’t seem to manage it any longer.

With another grimace Jason pressed the intercom for his PA. ‘Book my ticket for Nairobi, Eloise,’ he said. ‘I’m going back to Africa after all.’

By the next morning, Emily had pushed the kiss and all its accompanying realisations completely out of her mind. Almost.

He still lingered on the fringes of her consciousness like a mist, and she found herself gazing blankly at her computer while her hand went inadvertently to touch her lips, remembering the touch of his mouth against hers, how firmly his lips had moved over hers, that thrilling touch of his tongue and the very taste of him—

Stop. She had to stop. Yet, despite her determination not to, she spent the entire morning in a state of high tension, waiting to see Jason, preparing herself for the pointed barbs he would no doubt direct her way. Yet he did not stop by her office and despite her half-dozen forays to the lobby—to check on Helen, of course—she did not see him enter the building. At lunch his PA informed her that Jason was out of the office for a few days, preparing for another trip to Africa.

‘I thought he was back for a while,’ Emily said, hating that she actually sounded disappointed. ‘A few months, at least.’

The PA, Eloise, shrugged. ‘An emergency came up.’

Emily stopped by Helen’s desk on the way back upstairs. ‘Richard’s going off to Africa again?’ she said, and Helen nodded, her expression downcast.

‘Yes, it’s very important, he said. Just a week, though, this time.’

‘Well, that’s good, then,’ Emily said after a moment. ‘Did you have fun last night?’

‘Yes—’ Helen smiled rather shyly, and Emily smiled back in encouragement, sensing the younger woman wanted to say something more. ‘Philip is very nice,’ she finally admitted in a whisper, and Emily felt a thrill of triumph—as well as trepidation. Suddenly she was glad Jason wasn’t in the office today.

‘He is,’ she said after a second’s pause. ‘Perhaps you’ll see him again.’

‘Do you think?’ Helen’s face lit up even as she chewed her lip nervously. Emily felt another flicker of trepidation. Philip really was charming, she told herself. Yes, he moved in a fast crowd, but he was always unfailingly polite—if a little smooth—and she’d never heard anything that bad about him. Helen, with her sweetness and innocence, could be perfect for him. Surely there was nothing wrong with enabling them to spend a little time together.

With another smile directed at Helen, she headed back up to her office. Work took up too much of her time to think about Jason, or anyone else for that matter. When the phone rang at the end of the day, she was surprised to hear Philip’s plummy tone.

‘Philip! You’ve never rung me at work before.’

‘There’s a first time for everything.’

Emily leaned back in her chair, anticipation racing through her. Philip had never rung her before at all, and there could only be one reason—one person—why he would do so now. ‘So what’s the occasion?’ she asked.

‘No occasion. I have spare theatre tickets and, after seeing you and your lovely companion last night, I thought you might want to go with me.’

‘The theatre? I’m sure that would be lovely.’ Of course he didn’t know Helen well enough to ask her alone, Emily thought, her excitement mounting. She was the perfect cover. He really was interested in Helen. After making arrangements with Philip, she disconnected the call and hurried downstairs to tell Helen the news.

Several hours later they were having drinks in the theatre bar, waiting for the curtain. Philip was charming as always, and had even kissed Helen’s cheek when he’d seen her. Emily stepped away so she was on the other side of the little table, and Philip and Helen sat next to each other on tall stools. Philip, Emily decided firmly, would be just the right man for Helen. He’d wine her and dine her and sweep her off her feet, just as she deserved. And Emily could show Jason how wrong he was. Now that thought was immensely satisfying. All it would take was a little nudge in the right direction.

For a moment Emily felt a ripple of concern for the hapless and absent Richard. She really didn’t have anything against him, did she? No, of course not. If Richard wanted to be with Helen, he could certainly make a bit more effort. Perhaps Philip’s attention towards Helen would motivate him. Or. She glanced at the pair across from her; Philip was tucking a tendril of hair behind Helen’s ear while she ducked her head and blushed. Or Philip and Helen could fall in love and live happily ever after, the way it was supposed to happen. The way her parents had, until her mother had died.

The way she wanted for herself, even if she’d told Jason otherwise. Even if she was afraid that she’d never find that kind of man, that kind of love.

The bell rang, and Emily stood up from the table. The show was about to begin.

Emily’s mood remained buoyant throughout the evening and all the way home. Philip had suggested they all share a cab, but Emily had insisted she could walk and left the two of them speeding away in the darkness. She imagined telling Jason the news that Philip and Helen were together, even engaged. She pictured the huge wedding, hundreds of guests. Perhaps she’d even be bridesmaid. She’d wear something understated, and look modest and quietly proud—

Chuckling softly at her own flight of fancy, Emily let herself into her flat. Her mobile phone buzzed with a message and Emily flipped it open as she shed her coat and kicked off her heels. There were two messages which she’d missed while at the theatre: one from her sister, asking her if she was coming to Surrey for Christmas, and then another from Stephanie, reminding her of the rehearsal dinner for her wedding in two weeks’ time. Emily could hardly believe the wedding was so soon. She wondered if Jason would be attending, and then quickly banished that thought. It hardly mattered anyway.

Emily was dying to know how the evening turned out for Philip and Helen, and she finally got the low-down when she stopped by reception on the way to lunch the next day. Helen was getting ready to leave for an afternoon appointment at the dentist’s and they walked out together into the brisk November afternoon.

‘So …’ was all Emily needed to say for Helen to launch into a hesitant yet happy description of Philip and all his charms.

‘He’s so gorgeous, isn’t he?’ Helen said with a sigh. ‘And he says the funniest things … and he looks at me as if he likes me.’ She paused, nibbling her lip, her lashes sweeping downward for a moment before she looked up anxiously at Emily. ‘He looks at me and I go all tingly. I feel so alive. Have you ever felt like that?’

‘Alive?’ Emily repeated dryly. ‘Yes, I think so.’

‘I meant—’

‘I know,’ Emily said quickly, suppressing a pang of remorse at her rather facetious reply. ‘And to tell you the truth, Helen, I’ve never felt like that with a man.’ She thought briefly of Jason’s kiss, and hurriedly suppressed the memory. Her two dismal attempts at a relationship hardly counted either. No, love looked set to pass her by, and that was fine. Hearing about it from Helen was good enough. Almost, anyway. She smiled down at her. ‘So what you’ve got must be special.’

‘Do you think so?’ Helen asked. ‘Do you think he likes me?’

Emily thought of the way Philip had sat next to Helen, had brushed her hair away from her face, had slid next to her in the cab, their thighs touching. ‘I’m sure of it,’ she said.

‘Richard will be so disappointed,’ Helen said quietly. ‘We were meant to use this time to get to know one another—to see if we suit—’

‘And obviously you don’t,’ Emily replied briskly. ‘If he’d wanted to be with you so much, he should have asked you out. Sent you flowers—’

‘He did give me a house plant,’ Helen said quickly, and Emily only just kept herself from rolling her eyes.

‘How very nice of him,’ she said. ‘Still, it’s not your fault if you don’t … suit. And since Philip is here and Richard isn’t …’

‘He leaves for Africa tomorrow,’ Helen said in a low voice. ‘I should tell him, I know, but …’ She nibbled her lip again and Emily smiled kindly.

‘But?’

‘We’ve been friends for so long,’ Helen said. She sounded miserable. ‘And Richard really is a nice man—’

‘Of course he is. But you don’t date—or marry—someone just because he’s nice. I think you need a bit more than that, Helen. You deserve it.’

‘Do I?’

‘Yes,’ she told her firmly, ‘you do.’ Every woman did. Helen was just one of the lucky ones who might actually get it.

Helen nodded, accepting, and Emily waved her off to her dentist’s appointment, expansively offering to let her take the rest of the afternoon off. ‘I know what that novocaine can do to you. You’d be lisping into the phone!’

‘I should be back by four,’ Helen said. ‘I don’t want to leave Jane in the lurch. And actually I kind of enjoy the work now.’ Smiling with a new self-confidence, Helen headed down the street. Emily watched her, feeling proud of Helen and all she’d accomplished, and yet … she could not keep a strange, empty feeling from rattling around inside her. She felt a little forlorn, a little lonely, as she headed up to her office. She knew she should be happy for Helen, and she was, of course she was. Yet as she sank into her chair she also realised she felt a bit adrift herself. She had since Jason had kissed her and scattered all her certainties. I’m happy as I am.