Man-Hater

‘The only thing you need to think about is getting well again,’ Kelly headed her off, dreading hearing Sue put into words any doubts about her husband’s fidelity.

‘And you will come? Oh, please!’ Sue begged, tears sparkling in her eyes. ‘Both of you must come. I can still remember what it feels like to be so much in love that you can’t bear to spend a moment part, believe it or not. You must be a very special man, Jake,’ she teased suddenly, blinking away the betraying tears. ‘I never thought Kelly would allow herself to fall in love again after losing Colin so tragically, but the very fact that she brought you down here proves me wrong, and I can’t tell you how glad I am. He obviously wasn’t the slightest bit deceived by that cool, efficient façade you hide behind, Kelly,’ she teased her friend, but tears still glimmered in her eyes, and Kelly felt a pang of pain for her friend that overrode her own embarrassment. Poor Sue, losing her baby was something she was finding it hard to come to terms with, and Jeremy didn’t help, she thought angrily. Couldn’t he see how much Sue needed his care and reassurance, or did he simply not care?

‘Kelly?’

‘Er…’

‘You haven’t told Sue whether we’ll be able to join her at Easter or not yet,’ Jake reminded her.

Kelly flashed him an irate glance. Of course it was impossible that they could. He knew that. She bit her lip, unnerved by the look she saw in his eyes. This man was her paid companion, she reminded herself, and he had no right to be behaving in the way that he was. She bitterly resented his assumption of control, the smooth way in which he had pre-empted her right to dominate their relationship.

‘I…I’m not sure if I can get away from the office, Sue,’ she lied desperately. ‘Can I let you know?’

She hated seeing the disappointment in her friend’s face, but what could she do?

After lunch they went for a walk. The countryside around the house was lovely, but the walk was spoiled for Kelly by Jeremy’s boorish manner towards his wife and his constant references to the financial status of the owners of the properties they passed. She stiffened at one point when Jake murmured softly against her hair, ‘You and Benson ought to get on like a house on fire—you both believe that everything can be calculated in terms of money; the only difference between you is that you have it and he doesn’t. I wonder why he didn’t marry you?’

‘Perhaps because he wasn’t given the opportunity,’ Kelly snapped. ‘Anyway, I was engaged myself when Sue met Jeremy.’

‘Ah yes, of course.’ They had fallen a little way behind Sue and Jeremy, and Kelly hesitated, glancing up into the mocking face above her as she heard the question in the smooth, drawling voice. ‘Colin! Sue mentioned a tragedy…’ He saw her wince and said coolly, ‘Believe me, I’m not prying or consumed by curiosity about your past, it’s simply that I don’t want to make any mistakes.’

‘Very professional!’ Kelly bit her lip when she saw his expression. It was useless telling herself that he had no right to be annoyed; she could tell that he was.