A Pretend Engagement (6 page)

Just then Antonia King started knocking on the front door-she must have been ringing the bell, only to find it did not work, Varnie realised. Grandfather Sutton had disconnected it when its ringing interfered with his computer concentration.

`I've had it up to here with women,' Leon Beaumont stated grimly, a hand measuring up to his throat. And, thoroughly disgruntled, `I'm going back to work!'

Varnie, with a small feeling of triumph, realised she had won a reprieve for the female executive. `What shall I tell her?' she asked, smiling.

`Tell her what the hell you like. Just make it clear that if she comes here again-or for that matter anywhere near me that isn't connected with business-she's out!'

With that he went back to the study. Varnie heard the thud of the study door. Oh, my word, guess who didn't want to be disturbed? She glanced at the snack she had prepared for him. Quite clearly someone was off their food.

The sound of Antonia King again knocking on the woodwork sent Varnie hurrying to answer the door. If she didn't Leon would come from the study and give the poor woman what for.

She pulled back the door and spotted that the elegant brunette seemed surprised to see her. `Yes?' Varnie enquired.

Antonia King gave her an impatient look clearly she did not care to be kept waiting. 'This is Aldwyn House?' she demanded haughtily-and Varnie did not care very much for her superior attitude. Poor woman? Forget it.

`It is,' she replied, masking her feelings. `What can I do for you?"

'I've come to see Mr. Beaumont!' she snapped, her demeanor so staggeringly dismissive of her that Varnie could hardly believe it.

Somehow, though, she managed to hold back on some short and sharp comment to say instead, `I'm afraid he's not available to see anyone. I can give him a message if you'd like to'

`I'll come in and wait,' Antonia King decided, and, without waiting to be invited, was ready to push her way in.

Varnie did not like it. And it had nothing to do with Leon Beaumont wanting his privacy. She didn't like this woman's attitude, and she was just a little fed up with people treating what was after all her property as though it belonged to them. `I'm sorry. That just isn't convenient!' she said coolly, moving to block the way. Had the woman's manner been a little different she might well have invited her in for some refreshment after her drive presumably she had driven down from London but she could jolly well go and have a coffee some place else.

`Who are you?' Antonia King interrogated tartly.

`I live here,' Varnie answered shortly, and saw the woman blink in astonishment. A second later and Varnie was astonished herself when it became clear just why Antonia King was so astonished.

`You're living with Leon?' she gasped.

Varnie was instinctively ready to deny the interpretation she read in the question. Though in actual fact she realised that she was living with him-if not in the way Antonia King implied.

Suddenly Varnie remembered how, only that morning, she had vowed that if ever she had the chance to do Beaumont one in the eye she would grab it with both hands. He would just love it, wouldn't he, this man who was off women-in spades-if she told this woman that she and he-they-were a cosy twosome?

Varnie looked at her and saw no softness in her, this woman who had a husband and yet was after Leon Beaumont-and his wallet. `Well, actually, yes, we do live together,' she told her. `But Leon prefers us to keep it-er private um-quiet.' Quiet? He'd bellow and hit the roof when she relayed this conversation back to him.

`You're his mistress?' Antonia King asked, thoroughly taken aback.

`I like to think of myself more as his partner. Mistress is such an old hat word these days, wouldn't you agree?' And, not waiting for her to agree or not, `I really shouldn't be discussing on the doorstep what is so very personal to my darling-' she nearly choked on the word `-and me. Leon is truly busy. If you-'

`You're lovers? That's what you're saying? You and Leon...?"

'I'm sorry. I don't even know your name, and I really can't-'

`I want to see him,' Antonia King insisted.

Good grief, this woman was a leech! Anybody else would have slunk off long ago. 'I'll tell him you called. What name-'

`How long have you and he been together?' the other woman wanted to know-and Varnie was beginning to find her tedious.

`Long enough to know that we care deeply for each other.'

'Leon's in love with you?'

Desperately-he'll probably slit my throat when I go back and tell him this little lot. `Not that it's any business of yours. But, yes-and it surprised me too,' Varnie inserted when the other woman gave her a hard stare. `Leon is in love with me-quite madly in love with me, so he says.' And, feeling she was going to gag if she said any more in the same vein, `Now, if you'd like to tell me your name and give me a message for Leon...'

The message she received was Antonia King giving her a venomous look of seething dislike before, without another word, she turned about and went back to her car.

Oh, heavens! Varnie watched as the woman started her car and went speeding to the end of the drive. She departed the property without bothering to stop and close the gates behind her.

Varnie fancied a breath of fresh air and took a walk to the end of the drive. She closed the gates and, reviewing what she had done, felt very much like carrying on walking. Somehow it didn't seem as amusing now as it had at the time.

Reluctantly she realised that she had better go back and face the music. Leon Beaumont was going to be as mad as blazes when she told him that she had got rid of his 'stalker'-and just how she had done it.

The door to the study was still shut. Varnie debated whether to leave telling him exactly how she had got rid of the woman whom he was convinced had more interest in his money than him. Perhaps she would go and prepare the evening meal first.

Oh, don't be such a coward. He can't kill you! Still the same, Varnie ignored the study and went into the drawing room. She pondered if what she had done constituted a good reason for him to dismiss Johnny from his employ, but decided it did not. In all fairness there was no way, just because she had claimed to be Leon Beaumont's live-in lover, that he could fire Johnny. She was still, after all, doing the job Johnny had supposedly hired her to do.

Better go and get it over with. She spotted the sandwiches she had prepared. Luckily she had covered them with a napkin or by now they would have been curling at the edges.

Deciding to make fresh coffee later, she picked up the sandwich tray and left the drawing room. She considered giving a courteous tap on the study door, as she always had before, but an instant later rebellion struck. This was her house, for goodness' sake. He was the interloper, not her!

Varnie was glad to feel mutinous; it made what she had done seem funny again. Without pausing to knock, she entered her grandfather's study. Leon Beaumont was engrossed with what the computer screen had to offer.

`I thought you might be hungry,' she lied , finding some space on the large desk and placing the sandwiches down. He looked up. She smiled. `I'll make some fresh coffee.' He did not answer. She turned away. But then knew she wasn't going to keep this bottled up. `Your visitor departed, by the way,' she informed him, turning back. She saw she had his attention. `I don't think you'll have any more trouble there,' she announced.

Leon favoured her with an unsmiling look. `I find that hard to believe,' he grated. `I've tried every diplomatic and not so diplomatic-way I know to get that result.'

Varnie smiled again. 'Ah, but there was one way you didn't think to try,' she said sweetly.

`Oh, to have your superior brain,' he mocked.

Bubbles to him. He annoyed her-so what else was new? She headed for the door.

`You're not going to leave it there, I trust?'

She turned again. And it gave her tremendous pleasure to be able to report, `Mrs King was so determined to see you that purely in the interests of her keeping her job, of course-I told her that you and I were-partners.'

`Partners?' he echoed. Clearly he was not believing his hearing.

`Live-in lovers,' Varnie answered prettily.

`You told her-'

Quiet before the storm! Varnie got in quickly. `I told her that you were madly in love with me.'

`You did what?' he roared, and was on his feet.

Oh, my word, it was worth it. `I knew you'd be pleased.' She stood her ground, even though Leon Beaumont came and stood over her-she had a feeling she was close to being grabbed by her ankles and swung around the study by her feet.

`Why, you conniving little-'

`Conniving?' she cut in, starting to get angry at being so accused.

`I told you, I specifically told you, that I was off all women-'

`I know-in spades,' she butted in.

`And that included you. If you think for one minute that, having aligned yourself with me, having broadcast that you and I are lovers, it will get you anywhere with me, then you can-'

`Why, you miserable-miserable...' there wasn't a name bad enough for him '...toad!' she erupted. The cheek of the man! The insufferable... `I wouldn't fancy you if you were the last man breathing.'

`You're just as bad as she is.'

`For your information, I've had it up to here too-with men!'

`I warned you not to take advantage of this situation.'

`You're all a bunch of-'She broke off. They both seemed to be having their own individual argument here. `If you didn't want her to find you-and in my view the woman shows extremely poor taste-why the devil did you give her this address?'

Leon Beaumont threw Varnie a look of disgust, but had reined in his fury when he clipped, `I didn't. She went to see Evelyn Douglas, my PA, yesterday. Evelyn had an envelope on her desk addressed to me here that she intended to post personally. She rang me to say Antonia King had seen it before she could cover it up. I feared I might expect a visit.'

`What it is to be popular!' Varnie offered sarcastically. And, still angry at being accused of trying to get her hooks into him, `Sort your own love-life out, Beaumont. Should Antonia King call again I shall take great delight in telling her that you're free and that she's welcome to you.

With that she went storming out from the study. That man! She was going to leave! She'd had it with him. How dared he accuse her of wanting to `get somewhere' with him? Why, he was as good as accusing her of having designs on his wallet!

Varnie stormed upstairs to pack. Never had she met such a man. Why, she was all of a tremble just from having to speak to him. No man had ever put her into this state before and that included Martin Walker.

Up in her room, she took down her suitcase and had half filled it before the name Johnny came winging into her head. Oh, confound it! How could she leave? She slumped down in her bedroom chair. Then found that she couldn't sit still.

She went charging down the stairs again and, not thinking to restart a bad habit, declined to knock on the study door, but went barging straight in. Leon Beaumont glanced up, but she wasn't waiting for anything he might have to say but at once she demanded, `Are you expecting me to leave, or what?'

Grey eyes studied sparking sea-green ones. He shrugged. `Suit yourself.' Good! No, not good. `And if I go-what about John Metcalfe?' she questioned shortly.

Leon Beaumont smiled a smile she had no belief in. `I'm surprised you need to ask,' he drawled.

The pig! The swine! The worm! For about five seconds they stared into each other's eyes she furious, he, to her chagrin, slightly amused. `Right,' she snapped, with no idea what she meant to convey by the word.

She turned to leave, but could have turned back to thump him when, addressing her back, he reminded her silkily, `You won't forget about my coffee?'

Varnie got out of there. They were fairly isolated at Aldwyn House. Were she to kill him it could be weeks before his body was found. It was a pleasing thought.

She went mutinously along to the kitchen though not to make his coffee. He could whistle for that. That 'I'm surprised you need to ask' had said it all. If she walked out, Johnny could say goodbye to the job he loved so much.

Varnie was still in the kitchen when the phone rang. She glanced at the kitchen phone but otherwise ignored it. It would be for his lordship. She hoped it was Antonia King, ringing to give him some verbal earache. To think she had actually tried to protect him from that vulture of a woman! Varnie hoped she got him-that would serve him right. Though that wasn't such a happy prospect for Antonia King's husband, Neville.

The kitchen door opened. Leon Beaumont came in. `There's a call for you!' he said shortly.

Sorry to interrupt, I'm sure. `Who is it?' she asked bluntly. `Who have you told you're here?' he countered.

Give me strength. She dried her hands and went over to the kitchen phone. She glanced meaningfully back at Leon-he did not take the hint-he wasn't going anywhere.

Varnie chalked up another crime at his door and picked up the phone. `Hello?' she said.

`Who was that?' asked a vaguely familiar voice.

`Who is this?' she asked in return.

`Russell,' he answered. `Russell Adams.'

`Oh, hello, Russell. How's Caernarvon?"

'I'm back at my parents'. I forgot my shaving gear. It was a good excuse to come back and see if you're free to come out for a meal tonight?'

`I-er...'

`Say yes. You can't spend all your time sorting your grandfather's affairs.'

Varnie held the phone closer to her ear, just in case Leon caught a whisper of any one word and his astute mind went to work. For that same reason, and because she was afraid that she might slip up and say something she didn't mean to say, she wanted this call to end speedily.

`That wasn't your boyfriend who answered, was it?' Russell thought to question as an afterthought. `Good heavens, no. Just a friend of Johnny's who stopped by for a cup of tea.' Oh, heck. She could feel herself getting all hot and bothered she hadn't meant to mention Johnny's name. `Where shall I meet you?' she quickly asked.