The Marriage Solution. HELEN BROOKS
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it, I guess. A little oversimplified but nevertheless... Have you read the morning papers?’ he asked abruptly.
‘The morning—?’ She hesitated at the change of direction. ‘No—no, I haven’t. My father was reading them when he—’ She stopped again. ‘When he collapsed,’ she finished flatly.
‘They nearly had the same effect on me,’ he said drily, and then shook his head at her outraged expression. ‘And I wasn’t belittling your father’s condition, Miss White. Here—’ He thrust a newspaper at her abruptly. ‘Read that.’
She glanced at where he was pointing but the black letters were dancing all over the page as she tried to read them and she looked up after a moment, her eyes enormous in her white face. ‘I’m sorry, I can’t take anything in.’
‘It’s the total collapse of a certain economy that your father assured me was one hundred per cent solid,’ he said coolly. ‘I have invested a vast amount of money at his persuasion and within the last few months, too. I’ve been made to look ridiculous, Miss White, and I can’t say it appeals.’
‘But—’ she stared at him desperately ‘—he wouldn’t have done it on purpose, would he? No one’s perfect.’
‘“No one’s”—?’ He held her eyes for several seconds before shaking his head again. ‘This whole morning is fast beginning to resemble Alice Through the Looking Glass.’
A movement in the outer office caught his eye and he pressed the buzzer on his desk as he glanced towards the door. A second or two later, one beautifully coiffured head appeared round the door. ‘I’m sorry, Mr Reef, I had to...’ The well-bred voice died as the woman glanced in Katie’s direction.
‘Two coffees, please, Jacqueline, and hold all calls,’ Carlton Reef said quietly.
‘Oh, but I can’t—’ Katie glanced at him as he raised enquiring eyebrows. ‘I’ve got a taxi waiting for me in the street. I can‘t—’
‘Pay it off, Jacqueline.’ He settled further into his seat as he raised one hand thoughtfully under his chin. ‘And phone... What hospital is your father in?’ he asked Katie abruptly. She told him quietly as her cheeks burnt scarlet. He thought she was lying; how could he think that? ‘Tell them I want to speak to a Dr Lambeth,’ he instructed his secretary quietly, ‘and do it discreetly, there’s a good girl.’
It was the first time that Katie had been able to examine him without having his piercing grey eyes trained on her and as she looked at him, really looked at him for the first time, she had to admit in a tiny, detached part of her brain that he really was devastatingly good-looking in a hard, macho sort of way.
His skin was dark, with the sort of even tan that suggested a recent holiday somewhere very hot and very expensive, and the dark grey eyes were fringed with short jetblack lashes under heavy dark brows. Big, broad shoulders suggested an impressive body under the beautifully cut suit and she had already seen that he was tall—well over six feet. And he was as hard as iron. She stiffened as the razor-sharp eyes switched back to her. He was the sort of man her father would respect and admire and whom she loathed.
‘Now—’ he didn’t smile as the secretary shut the door without a sound and they were left alone ‘—why exactly did you feel it necessary to come here?’
‘You phoned.’ She stared at him with a mixture of bewilderment and anger. ‘You made it clear that my father would be in some sort of trouble if he didn’t—’
‘He’s in deep trouble already, Miss White, and I’m afraid there is nothing you can do about it.’ There wasn’t a trace of compassion in the deep voice and she knew, as she stared into the implacable, cold features, actual hate for another human being for the first time in her life. ‘I am not sure of my facts yet, so I do not intend to say much more, but from the little I do know about this unfortunate episode it would seem to suggest that your father did not do the homework he was paid to do. Supposition is not an option in the market-place and for this to happen without any prior warning...’ He shrugged eloquently. ‘Something smells.’
‘Are you saying that my father was dishonest?’ she asked hotly. ‘Because if you are—’
The buzzer on his desk interrupted further conversation and, as he took the call his secretary had put through, his face was blank and composed. It was obviously from Dr Lambeth and by the time he replaced the receiver, some minutes later, the dark face was thoughtful, although she had been unable to comprehend anything from his side of the conversation. As he finished the call his secretary knocked quietly and entered with the coffee, her face smooth and expressionless.
‘Thank you, Jacqueline.’ He glanced up once, busying himself with the tray. ‘Can you arrange for the car to be brought to the main entrance in ten minutes, please?’
‘Yes, Mr Reef.’
Something had been said during that phone call, something disturbing and relevant to her, Katie thought suddenly as she stared into the cool poker face opposite. ‘Is my father all right?’ she asked quietly. ‘He isn’t worse?’
‘No.’ He handed her a cup of coffee and gestured towards the milk and sugar. ‘Help yourself.’
‘What did Dr Lambeth say?’ she persisted, the trickle of unease gathering steam by the second. ‘There’s something you’re not telling me, I know it.’
He stared at her for a good fifteen seconds before replying and she knew she was right. There was something—she could read it in the opaque blankness of his eyes. ‘This is really nothing to do with me,’ he said quietly. ‘I feel it would be better if your father’s friend explained in the circumstances, Miss White.’
‘What circumstances?’ She could feel her voice rising but there was nothing she could do about it as sheer undiluted panic gripped her insides. ‘He’s worse? He’s not...’ She stared at him with huge eyes.
‘No, nothing like that.’ He waved his hand at her almost irritably. ‘I’m satisfied that whatever your father did he did out of ignorance, incidentally. Not that that makes the results any different but—’ He stopped abruptly. ‘Why the hell did you have to come here today anyway?’ he growled savagely.
‘Why?’ She glared at him, more angry than she could remember being in her whole life. ‘Because you threatened me, that’s why. You said—’
‘I know what I said.’ He stood up in one sharp movement and walked over to the huge plate-glass window where he stood with his back to her, looking down on the ant-like creatures below in the busy London street. ‘I just didn’t expect you to come here hotfoot like some guardian angel, that’s all.’
‘Well, all that could have been averted if you’d taken my call,’ she said stiffly as her face burned still more. He was a monster, she thought, an absolute monster.
‘Possibly.’ He still didn’t turn round. ‘Well, perhaps the news would be better coming from a stranger, after all. I don’t know. At least you would have some time to prepare yourself.’
‘Mr Reef, you’re frightening me,’ she said in a very small voice and, at that, he did turn, swinging round to see her sitting on the edge of her chair, hands clasped together and face as white as a sheet. ‘Whatever it is—could you just tell me?’ she asked slowly.
‘Your father is bankrupt.’ He had taken a deep breath before he spoke but the smoky grey eyes didn’t leave her face. ‘He’s lost the business, the house, the cars, every penny he owns in this deal. He’s just unburdened himself to Dr Lambeth and asked him to let all interested parties know.’
All interested parties? Somehow that hurt more than anything else could have done. She lived at home, spoke to him every day, shared little moments of his life and he hadn’t even hinted that things were bad. What had she ever done that her own father disliked her so much, trusted her so little? What sort of person did he think she was?
‘Miss